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

‘Mum has a picnic,’ Pat exclaimed. ‘When can we eat it?’ she asked.

‘After we’ve observed the two minutes’ silence and watched the march past. We can walk to find somewhere to sit and eat our food. It looks like there’s a pretty park over there.’ She nodded to where they could see the top of trees.

‘As long as everybody else doesn’t have the same idea,’ Irene pointed out. ‘It is rather chilly to be eating a picnic.’

‘Are the king and queen going to come out on the balcony?’ Pat asked. ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to see them.’

‘Don’t worry, squirt, I’ll lift you up on my shoulders,’ George told her. ‘Perhaps you ought to remove your hat as well, my dear?’ he said to his wife. ‘I fear the people behind will not be able to see a thing.’

‘I’m beginning to think it wasn’t such a good idea after all,’ Irene said.

Ruby linked arms with her daughter-in-law. ‘Come on, let’s see if we can find a better place to view the balcony. I don’t know about you, but I can’t believe a year has gone by since the war ended.’

‘And our little Sarah is fourteen months old and such a sweetheart. With the war over and a bright future ahead of us, I have such plans for my child’s life.’

Ruby sniffed. She hoped Sarah would not grow up to become one of those snooty women who Irene and her mother mixed with. Although Irene was nice enough, she could turn on her poshness at the drop of a hat.

When the cannon in a nearby park fired to mark the start of the two minutes’ silence, Ruby found that standing there, head bowed, was rather upsetting. It made her think of young Donald – such a waste of life – and of dear Stella, who would no doubt have been here today if not for the war dragging her down, and then the terrible Spanish flu. Her mind wandered to Derek and how he’d coped with his terrible injuries with the help of his devoted Susannah. They doted over their son, who had been named Donald in memory of the much-missed youngest Green brother. Wilf had become a permanent fixture at Derek’s home, helping his son with his carpentry business and enjoying the happy family atmosphere. So much so that he’d recently announced he was signing over his tugboat to his brothers and selling his home in Alexandra Road. Ruby knew it was for the best, but even so she felt sad whenever she walked out of her front door and saw the board on the wall declaring the house was for sale.

As the cannon fired a second time to mark the end of the two minutes, Ruby’s thoughts turned to Eddie. Her heart ached just thinking about him. Their last meeting before he went off to war was etched on her heart, and all she dreamt of was him returning to her. Had he perished, or was he still alive? If indeed he had died, then he deserved to have his name recorded as such. Then at least she could continue with her life, even if it was a hollow shell of what it had been when Eddie loved her. She knew she needed to move on now, and perhaps marry again – if any man would take her, with her yellow-tinted face from working at the Gilbert munition works.

George slipped his arm around her shoulder as Pat skipped ahead with Irene. ‘A penny for them, Mum? You were miles away.’

‘I was thinking about your dad. Do you know it’s been five years since I last saw him? We corresponded while he was in the army, and then it just stopped. I really would like to know what happened to him, even if it was something bad.’

‘What do you mean by bad?’

Ruby thought for a moment. ‘I don’t mean him being dead, because I now believe that if he really were dead, I’d have been informed. Derek wrote a few letters last year looking for information, and nothing came of it. It’s as if Eddie has vanished off the face of the earth.’

George shook his head in disbelief. ‘Honestly, Mum. I know he’s my dad, but I could swing for him. He’s led you a merry dance all these years, and you deserve better. I couldn’t believe it when you told me about him and all that Cedric business.’

‘We’ve got to find him first, before you can even think about fisticuffs.’

‘I wonder. Is there anyone who knew him – anyone you could ask who might have heard from him since 1914? Perhaps once you’ve checked with everyone, you can go to the police and have him declared dead?’

‘I still love him, George. Call me daft, but I do. You’ve got a point there, though. I’ll have to sit down and make a list. I’ll ask the Green lads to help out as well. You never know; we might just come across something that’ll lead us to him,’ she smiled.

George grinned back, although personally he believed that his dad didn’t want to be found. However, he loved his mum far too much to argue.

18

24th December 1921

Ruby couldn’t have been more surprised if Father Christmas had jumped out in front of her and said ‘boo’.

It was Christmas Eve 1921, and nearly the end of the working day. All the girls in the munitions factory were excitedly talking about heading into town to pick up the last of their shopping, then going home to their families to enjoy Christmas. Along with Jean and Doreen, Ruby was going to meet Cissie, who had given up working down at Gilbert’s after having her baby son, Cyril. The girls liked to keep in touch, and all had little parcels wrapped up for the new baby.

Ruby had been summoned to the manager’s office, and she feared it was to be given her cards. After all,