The Last Goodbye by Samantha Grosser

Author:Samantha Grosser [Grosser, Samantha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sam Grosser Books

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Daisy came to the dance with me. We cycled there together through the early-evening dark, tyres slipping on the icy ground. Matt had offered to pick me up with some of the others but I had refused – I would never be able to explain away being seen in a US jeep with a bunch of airmen. A chance meeting at a dance, though, was an entirely different thing.

The dance was in the little town’s only hotel just off the main street, and though the place looked deserted from the outside because of the blackout blinds, we saw straight away the huddles of people milling by the door – local girls, some of whom I recognised, and airmen, both British and American. I hoped there would be no trouble. The Brits and the Yanks didn’t always see eye to eye when they met, despite being on the same side, resentments flaring, and fights between them were not unusual. ‘Overpaid, oversexed and over here’ was the common complaint. Snippets of jazz drifted across the road.

Daisy turned to me with a grin as we parked our bikes. ‘Looks like fun!’

We smoothed out the creases in our clothes with our hands, ran fingers through our hair, then made our way towards the little crowd. I had the tickets Matt had given me in my handbag and we went inside, blinking in the sudden brightness of the light after the dark of the street. On a little stage at the front a band was playing American jazz that was familiar from the radio, music my mother hated. In my mind’s eye I saw the line of her mouth drawn tight with distaste. Daisy gave a little wiggle of her hips in anticipation of the dancing and I laughed, my mother utterly forgotten. We had not been out together for far too long – the farm, work, school, all kept us too busy. Surprisingly, Mum had been happy for me to go out, suggesting that a break from my study and my work at the shop before I went back to school would do me good. Even when I said I planned to stay the night at the farm so we could come back more safely together, she raised no objections. Perhaps she was hoping I would meet a nice RAF officer. I gave myself a wry smile at the thought of it.

Three or four couples were already on the dance floor, local girls jiving with American airmen. I wondered where and how they had learned to dance so well and felt a little stab of envy. An RAF man approached Daisy and asked her to dance. She flashed me a mischievous grin and let him lead her on the floor.

I watched them dancing together for a moment. Neither of them were very good but it didn’t matter. They were laughing and having fun and it was good to see. Then I turned away, and saw that Matt had arrived, pushing his way through the crowd towards me.

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