and that was understandable. He writhed inside with excitement when he thought about the surprise she would soon have. Mrs Dover had shown him the cake when he came in from school. It was a sponge, iced in white, with HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANITA drawn in blue. He wished she had put Annie instead of Anita on it, but still it was a cake, and it did have her name on. He hadn’t bought her a present, but he intended to go into Bushton on Saturday and buy one.
When Mrs Dover came in shortly afterwards she said, ‘Right, the meal’s ready. Extra special one tonight because it is Anita’s birthday. Come along then.’
In the dining-room the table looked magnificent. A golden-brown chicken had pride of place at one end, readyfor Mrs Dover to carve. There were three large covered dishes, a smaller open one filled with stuffing and a steaming gravy-boat. By Annie’s plate was a birthday-wrapped parcel and a card. Johnny watched her.
‘Oh,’ she said, ‘is this for me?’
‘It is. Are you going to open it now before I carve?’
Annie took the paper off carefully. Inside was a white box. She lifted the lid to reveal a multicoloured necklace.
‘Oh, isn’t it pretty? Thank you so much.’
‘I’m glad you like it,’ Mrs Dover said.
‘Are you going to serve that bird before it’s cold?’ Mr Dover’s voice cut across the silence. ‘She can look at her present later.’
Annie opened the card, then she smiled at Johnny. ‘It’s like Christmas with a chicken, isn’t it?’ she said.
It was a happy meal. Annie put the necklace on and Johnny thought it looked like coloured diamonds, it sparkled so when the light caught it. Even Mr Dover was moved to say, ‘You had better not get near the window with it or you’ll have the warden after you.’
The tureens were filled with roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips, and to everyone’s surprise and delight, runner beans.
‘Some I salted down in the summer,’ Mrs Dover told them proudly. ‘Come on now, start eating.’
When they had eaten their fill and Johnny had pronounced the meal, ’especially that stuffing’ as ‘scrumptious,’ Mrs Dover took the plates through to the kitchen and returned with a raspberry jelly and a chocolate blancmange.
‘Johnny, would you bring the rest in please?’ she said, ‘while I fetch the fruit bowls.’
He jumped up so smartly he almost tipped the chair over and Annie laughed delightedly. It was good to see her so relaxed and happy. He hoped she was going to like the cake, oh he did hope so.
He carried it in slowly, carefully, and with Mrs Dover’s help placed it in the centre of the table. Once it was safely down he looked across to Annie and was appalled to see tears streaming down her face.
‘Annie,’ he said, and his voice came out as a little croak. She brushed the tears with the back of her hand.
‘Isn’t that wonderful,’ she said, ‘a birthday-cake with candles and my name on.’
Amid the laughter Mrs Dover said, ‘That is Johnny’s present. I was simply the cook. It was his idea.’
‘I hope it tastes as good as it looks,’ was Mr Dover’s contribution.
‘Oh it will, I’m sure it will. Can we – can we light the candles?’
‘Of course.’ Mrs Dover did so, and Johnny thought a table had never looked so beautiful before, the redpatterned jelly and the brown bobbly blancmange either side of THE CAKE with its eleven shimmering candles.
When they were ready to cut the cake Annie suddenly said, ‘Oh it does seem a shame to touch it,’ and they all laughed.
‘First, Anita has to blow out her candles,’ Mrs Dover said.
‘And we sing Happy Birthday,’ Johnny added. Hethought she was going to cry again while they were singing, but she didn’t, although he could see the tears glinting in her eyes as she took a deep breath and blew hard.
CHAPTER 4
1941
Johnny stepped from the train at Winchurch station and dived down the slope at the side.
‘Hey, where d’you think you’re going? Oh it’s you,
When Mrs Dover came in shortly afterwards she said, ‘Right, the meal’s ready. Extra special one tonight because it is Anita’s birthday. Come along then.’
In the dining-room the table looked magnificent. A golden-brown chicken had pride of place at one end, readyfor Mrs Dover to carve. There were three large covered dishes, a smaller open one filled with stuffing and a steaming gravy-boat. By Annie’s plate was a birthday-wrapped parcel and a card. Johnny watched her.
‘Oh,’ she said, ‘is this for me?’
‘It is. Are you going to open it now before I carve?’
Annie took the paper off carefully. Inside was a white box. She lifted the lid to reveal a multicoloured necklace.
‘Oh, isn’t it pretty? Thank you so much.’
‘I’m glad you like it,’ Mrs Dover said.
‘Are you going to serve that bird before it’s cold?’ Mr Dover’s voice cut across the silence. ‘She can look at her present later.’
Annie opened the card, then she smiled at Johnny. ‘It’s like Christmas with a chicken, isn’t it?’ she said.
It was a happy meal. Annie put the necklace on and Johnny thought it looked like coloured diamonds, it sparkled so when the light caught it. Even Mr Dover was moved to say, ‘You had better not get near the window with it or you’ll have the warden after you.’
The tureens were filled with roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips, and to everyone’s surprise and delight, runner beans.
‘Some I salted down in the summer,’ Mrs Dover told them proudly. ‘Come on now, start eating.’
When they had eaten their fill and Johnny had pronounced the meal, ’especially that stuffing’ as ‘scrumptious,’ Mrs Dover took the plates through to the kitchen and returned with a raspberry jelly and a chocolate blancmange.
‘Johnny, would you bring the rest in please?’ she said, ‘while I fetch the fruit bowls.’
He jumped up so smartly he almost tipped the chair over and Annie laughed delightedly. It was good to see her so relaxed and happy. He hoped she was going to like the cake, oh he did hope so.
He carried it in slowly, carefully, and with Mrs Dover’s help placed it in the centre of the table. Once it was safely down he looked across to Annie and was appalled to see tears streaming down her face.
‘Annie,’ he said, and his voice came out as a little croak. She brushed the tears with the back of her hand.
‘Isn’t that wonderful,’ she said, ‘a birthday-cake with candles and my name on.’
Amid the laughter Mrs Dover said, ‘That is Johnny’s present. I was simply the cook. It was his idea.’
‘I hope it tastes as good as it looks,’ was Mr Dover’s contribution.
‘Oh it will, I’m sure it will. Can we – can we light the candles?’
‘Of course.’ Mrs Dover did so, and Johnny thought a table had never looked so beautiful before, the redpatterned jelly and the brown bobbly blancmange either side of THE CAKE with its eleven shimmering candles.
When they were ready to cut the cake Annie suddenly said, ‘Oh it does seem a shame to touch it,’ and they all laughed.
‘First, Anita has to blow out her candles,’ Mrs Dover said.
‘And we sing Happy Birthday,’ Johnny added. Hethought she was going to cry again while they were singing, but she didn’t, although he could see the tears glinting in her eyes as she took a deep breath and blew hard.
CHAPTER 4
1941
Johnny stepped from the train at Winchurch station and dived down the slope at the side.
‘Hey, where d’you think you’re going? Oh it’s you,
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