Bia's War by Joanna Larum

I’ll still be needed to make
iron and steel for the ships and the guns, so hopefully I won’t be
conscripted. I mustn’t say that to most people, though, you get
called a traitor and a coward if you’re not desperate to get over
there and get your head blown off. But it must be hard on you,
lass, looking after a bairn and working all hours as well. You must
be exhausted.’
    “I nearly buckled there and then
under his kind tone, because I was so tired and I was used to
people telling me what a wonderful thing William had done to
enlist. Most people ignored the fact that I was working at least
fifteen hours a day to keep William’s wife and son in food and
lodgings and praised what marvellous things William was doing. I
knew conditions wouldn’t be good for William in France, but he’d
chosen the road he wanted to travel and hadn’t spared a thought for
Simon and me. It was all about William’s ego and manliness, not
patriotism or bravery, but I was getting heartily sick of
pretending I was proud of him. And his army pay had never
materialised either. We hadn’t seen a penny since he’d marched off
to war; we could have starved in a gutter. But I pulled myself
together and refused to admit any of this to Sam Lymer who was a
stranger to me, albeit a sensitive stranger. I pulled my public
face back over the real me and smiled at him.”
    ‘It’s not so bad.’ I answered.
‘I’ve got Annie and Peter to help me and at least I’m always there
for Simon. If I’d gone out to work he would have had to be farmed
out and I don’t want that to happen.’
    ‘I can understand that. My
daughter, Alice, looks after her younger sister while I’m out at
work. I lost my missis last year and I’ve worried myself sick over
the two youngest ones ever since. Our George and Bill joined up a
month ago, so there’s only the three girls at home with me
now.’
    ‘Three?’ I asked. He’d only
mentioned two girls, so I wondered who the other one was.
    ‘Aye. There’s our Hannah as
well. She’s the one who brought the order this morning, on her way
to work. She’s started working for Dennison, the butcher, but I’m
not happy about it. He’s short-tempered and too handy with his
fists that one and I don’t want my lass working for him, not since
I saw the black eye on his missis last week.’
    ‘She’s telling folk she walked
into a side of bacon.’ I said. ‘But it’s more likely to have been
stuck on the end of her husband’s fist. It’s a shame he doesn’t
enlist so he could take his temper out on the Hun instead of his
wife. I find him very unpleasant, even with his customers and I can
understand why you aren’t happy about Hannah working for him. But
I’m looking for some more help in my shop. I could do with a lass
to help make up the orders and to train at making pies and cakes.
If your Hannah can turn her hand to that sort of work, then tell
her to come and see me tomorrow and I’ll show her what I want her
to do. Do you think she’d want to work for me?’
    ‘I’m sure she would, cos she’s
frightened of the pig butcher. I’m sure she would much prefer to
work for you. She’s a good girl and her mother trained her to bake,
so she should be of some help to you.’
    ‘Good.’ I said. ‘She’ll be doing
me a favour and she’s best away from that butcher. Thank you, Mr
Lymer.’
    ‘Call me Sammy, lass, everyone
does. Mr Lymer’s a bit too formal, don’t you think?’
    ‘Ok, Sammy. Tell Hannah to be
round at my shop at 7o’clock on the dot tomorrow. We start early in
my shop!’
    ‘She’ll be there, bright and
early. If you need any help from me, don’t hesitate to let me know.
I admire what you are doing, but with your lad away at the Front,
you need to know that you’ve got back-up if you need it. Take care
going home, Mrs Drinkwater.’
    ‘Call me Bia, Sammy.’ I said. ‘I
don’t think I need to be too formal either.’
    ‘Bia? That’s an unusual name,
isn’t it? I bet you got