who last week had a ten pound, four month premature weakling!”
Dinah vigorously massaged the sides of her buttocks as she exclaimed, “Oh, this rickety auld bus. My poor backside.”
“No bothering me,” replied Patsy, looking somewhat askance at her daughter.
“Aye, and if I was as well padded as you I wouldnae be moaning either.”
Patsy ignored the insult. “No be long till we’re there. I’m just starving for the bairns.”
“That right? And whose idea was it to send them to the God-forsaken place where the first thing they did was to volunteer for slavery?”
Patsy smiled as she recalled the three letters they’d received from the children since they had been evacuated six weeks ago.
The first letter had been from Johnny who said what a great place the Craigs was and how he had been sailing on a pond in an old tin bath. Because it was holed you had to keep bailing out and, as Elsie was just useless at that, they had nearly sunk. But even if they had gone under there was no need to worry, as the depth of the pond was not over his head – only Elsie’s!
Letter number two came as a big surprise since it was from Senga. She had bragged that she was no longer a duffer because Mrs Carruthers spent time every evening helping with her reading and writing. She had learned so fast that she was now able to write – not joined-up writing yet (that would take a few days more) – but here was her first attempt at writing a note home. The letter went on to say that Johnny had gone down the back road of the estate to the farm where he’d got talking to the farmer and explained that he knew a lot about rearing pigs as he had spent one whole month in Lasswade tending the animals there and could he get a paid job looking after the farmer’s pigs after school? Senga went on to say that the farmer, who didn’t think a month of training with pigs was adequate, had taken quite a bit of persuasion but he did give in and Johnny was really enjoying the chore. What she couldn’t put in the letter (because Mrs Carruthers was helping her with the composition of it) was that Johnny was saving up the money he earned in case they had to get home quickly if Daddy was found or whatever and that in another two weeks he should have earned enough for the bus fares home for them all! Senga went on to explain that she was now helping the land-girl, Dorothy. Dorothy had been called up to the Land Army, and even although she was kitted out in the uniform and looked the part, she didn’t know everything she should about collecting eggs and Senga had offered to put her right. Senga herself wasn’t being paid in money, like Johnny, but Dorothy had promised that when Granny Patsy came to visit she would be given the afternoon lay and sometimes that could be as much as ten eggs! The letter ended by saying, if there was any word of where Daddy was, could she have the address as she could then write to him. The third letter was again from Johnny. It contained a ten-shilling note with the request that a football be bought and also some sweets if there was any change left, and could it please come this Sunday.
Looking out of the bus window, Patsy smiled peacefully – but suddenly remembered that she wanted to quiz Dinah, so gave her daughter a vigorous dig in the ribs. “Here, Dinah,” she said, “did you know that Etta is …” Patsy paused, looking warily around the bus to make sure she was not overheard before whispering, “on the road?”
“Is she? Now fancy that! And when will she be better?” Dinah replied, turning to look out of the window since she didn’t want her mother to see her satisfied smile.
“Late January or early February, so she says.” Patsy waited for a reaction from Dinah but as none was forthcoming, she continued, with a knowing cock of her head. “Seems Harry can’t believe it either but he’s coming home on his days off now. Know something?” Patsy leant forward so she could see if there would now
Dinah vigorously massaged the sides of her buttocks as she exclaimed, “Oh, this rickety auld bus. My poor backside.”
“No bothering me,” replied Patsy, looking somewhat askance at her daughter.
“Aye, and if I was as well padded as you I wouldnae be moaning either.”
Patsy ignored the insult. “No be long till we’re there. I’m just starving for the bairns.”
“That right? And whose idea was it to send them to the God-forsaken place where the first thing they did was to volunteer for slavery?”
Patsy smiled as she recalled the three letters they’d received from the children since they had been evacuated six weeks ago.
The first letter had been from Johnny who said what a great place the Craigs was and how he had been sailing on a pond in an old tin bath. Because it was holed you had to keep bailing out and, as Elsie was just useless at that, they had nearly sunk. But even if they had gone under there was no need to worry, as the depth of the pond was not over his head – only Elsie’s!
Letter number two came as a big surprise since it was from Senga. She had bragged that she was no longer a duffer because Mrs Carruthers spent time every evening helping with her reading and writing. She had learned so fast that she was now able to write – not joined-up writing yet (that would take a few days more) – but here was her first attempt at writing a note home. The letter went on to say that Johnny had gone down the back road of the estate to the farm where he’d got talking to the farmer and explained that he knew a lot about rearing pigs as he had spent one whole month in Lasswade tending the animals there and could he get a paid job looking after the farmer’s pigs after school? Senga went on to say that the farmer, who didn’t think a month of training with pigs was adequate, had taken quite a bit of persuasion but he did give in and Johnny was really enjoying the chore. What she couldn’t put in the letter (because Mrs Carruthers was helping her with the composition of it) was that Johnny was saving up the money he earned in case they had to get home quickly if Daddy was found or whatever and that in another two weeks he should have earned enough for the bus fares home for them all! Senga went on to explain that she was now helping the land-girl, Dorothy. Dorothy had been called up to the Land Army, and even although she was kitted out in the uniform and looked the part, she didn’t know everything she should about collecting eggs and Senga had offered to put her right. Senga herself wasn’t being paid in money, like Johnny, but Dorothy had promised that when Granny Patsy came to visit she would be given the afternoon lay and sometimes that could be as much as ten eggs! The letter ended by saying, if there was any word of where Daddy was, could she have the address as she could then write to him. The third letter was again from Johnny. It contained a ten-shilling note with the request that a football be bought and also some sweets if there was any change left, and could it please come this Sunday.
Looking out of the bus window, Patsy smiled peacefully – but suddenly remembered that she wanted to quiz Dinah, so gave her daughter a vigorous dig in the ribs. “Here, Dinah,” she said, “did you know that Etta is …” Patsy paused, looking warily around the bus to make sure she was not overheard before whispering, “on the road?”
“Is she? Now fancy that! And when will she be better?” Dinah replied, turning to look out of the window since she didn’t want her mother to see her satisfied smile.
“Late January or early February, so she says.” Patsy waited for a reaction from Dinah but as none was forthcoming, she continued, with a knowing cock of her head. “Seems Harry can’t believe it either but he’s coming home on his days off now. Know something?” Patsy leant forward so she could see if there would now
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