A Mother Forever by Elaine Everest (good novels to read txt) 📗

waiting for news. I can understand Derek signing up – he’s spoken of nothing else for weeks. He says that the lads down the brickyard are going to join up too, but my Donald is still a baby in my eyes. I don’t want him being killed by those murdering Hun.’ She looked round the shop. ‘Where is Frank? Don’t say he’s gone with them?’

Ruby felt as though her head was spinning. She’d not had time to look at the early edition of the newspaper, which was still lying on the counter. Reaching out for the folded paper, she only needed to look at the headlines to see that Stella was right: the country was at war. She collapsed onto the other seat. Although she’d been expecting it to happen, the shock still hit her hard.

‘Frank’s gone to an auction – he left early. I’m expecting him back mid-morning, as the books he was interested in are some of the first lots. He’ll cadge a lift back with some furniture buyers from Dartford he’s got to know. Why have the boys gone to Woolwich to sign up?’

Stella shrugged her shoulders. ‘It seems that’s where it’s all done. God knows why. I begged them not to go, but they were that excited and full of themselves when they raced off. I had such a feeling of foreboding wash over me as I watched them from the doorstep. I wanted to run after them and drag them back. I could see a group from the brickyard hanging about, waiting on the corner of the road. There was that much excitement, you’d have thought they was off for a booze-up down the coast on one of the pleasure steamers.’

Ruby was dismayed by what Stella told her. ‘Oh, the silly idiots.’ She took a deep breath, putting her hands to her face as if to block out the news. ‘I can’t profess to be an expert about all this war stuff, but I thought the government would call the men up if they wanted them to join the army?’

‘No, there’s some fellow called Kitchener telling them the country needs them to fight right now and winding them all up. If I get my hands on the bloody bloke, I’ll give him what for, taking our lads away from us like this.’

‘Don’t upset yourself so,’ Ruby said as Stella burst into tears. ‘Let me get you a cup of tea and we will have a think about it all. It may not be as bad as you say. Perhaps when Derek and Donald get back we can have a serious word with them – get them to reconsider what they’ve done.’

‘It will be far too late. Once they’ve taken the king’s shilling, they can’t change their minds.’

Ruby didn’t know what to say; it seemed so final. ‘Perhaps it won’t last long and will just be a lot of politicians screaming and shouting at each other. Why, Polly down at the greengrocer’s said the other day that if there is a war, it will be all over by Christmas.’

‘I don’t take any notice of her – what does she know? I’ve had a feeling in my water, ever since that Franz Ferdinand was murdered along with his wife, that there’d be trouble. You know what men are like. They can’t leave these strange countries to fight it out amongst themselves, they’ve got to poke their bloody noses in. And now I’m going to lose my Donald and Derek,’ she wailed, reaching out to grab Ruby’s hand. ‘Whatever you do, don’t let Frank join up with his brothers.’

Ruby wasn’t one for politics with other countries. ‘But that was over in a place called Sarajevo. I only know that as George mentioned the name of the place. I don’t understand how we’ve got involved.’ She wished now she’d listened when Frank had tried to explain about countries sticking up for each other and the ultimatums and threats of war. She’d been busy knitting a cardigan for Pat at the time and it had gone in one ear and out the other. ‘Let me get that tea,’ was all she could think of to say. ‘Pat, why don’t you show Nanny Stella your drawings? I’m sure she’d like to see them,’ she said before disappearing into the back room of the shop. She knew it would break her heart if her George went off to war, and so she could understand how Stella felt right now. Donald she still thought of as a youngster, but he was old enough to sign up. All the same, the lads should have thought about their parents before being so hot-headed and rushing off like that.

After drinking their tea in silence, with no sign of any customers appearing, Ruby decided to shut up shop and go home. After all, who would want to buy a book on the first day the country was at war? As they walked back down Pier Road, turning a corner into the high street, they could see that most shopkeepers had had the same idea. Ruby stopped to pick up another newspaper in case there was any more news. At the back of her mind, she thought it might be a good idea to put the paper away and save it. It wasn’t often such important news was announced, and she had a mind to store it away for the future.

Frank had laughed at her when she’d put away a copy of the newspaper from the day of the coronation. Once she’d explained to him that this would one day be history, and the children might be interested in looking back to see what their life was like at that time, he had agreed and found a suitable box. Ruby had placed her souvenir inside, slipping it under her bed. She’d then thought of her mother, remembering how Milly had also kept precious things beneath her bed.

Now her mind turned to thoughts of Eddie. Where is he now?