Page 93 of Neighbors at War

‘Well, with all that’s happening around us right now, hopefully we won’t need to wait too much longer to find out what that’s like.’

Helen prayed her friend was right. She opened her mouth to speak when an enormous boom shook the house. She leapt up. ‘What was that?’

Daphne seemed dazed, her hands gripping the arms of her chair. ‘I’ve no idea,’ she replied breathlessly.

‘What should we do?’ Helen asked. When her friend didn’t reply she heard Bobby cry out. She wasn’t surprised he had been woken by the terrible explosion. She ran through to him, relieved when the noise wasn’t repeated, and sat down on the side of the bed, stroking his head to calm him.

‘Everything’s fine, darling. Try to go back to sleep. Mummy’s here.’

He pulled her arm until he was cuddling it and Helen climbed on to the bed behind him and held him until he fell asleep again.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

RICHARD

15 June 1944

Richard heard with horror about the V1 rocket exploding two days before in Grove Road in Bow, near the railway station where Helen’s family lived. People had been killed and homes damaged, and, despite her family’s refusal to speak to him, he decided to check they were safe. They were still Helen and Bobby’s family and he wanted to offer them any help he could give.

He took the train as far as possible, then walked the rest of the way. As he turned into the road he was horrified to see the carnage in front of him. All the roofs were missing and the front of a row of several houses had been blown away. He ran to the property where her family had lived for as long as he had known Helen. It was plain that it was uninhabitable.

‘Know ’em, did yer?’ a boy asked, scratching his head before replacing his mucky cap.

Richard was nervous about asking but needed to know what happened to them in case he ever managed to speak to Helen again. ‘Did they…? Do you know where the family went?’

‘No idea. I only came ’ere wiv me mate ter see it.’

‘Right.’ Richard tried asking a few more people and discovered that not only had people been killed or injured, hundreds in the area had been made homeless. It wasn’t surprising. But no one was able to suggest anything other than trying the hospitals.

He spent the next two days asking at several hospitals whether the Bowman family had been admitted, but found no trace of them. He hoped they had survived. He struggled to recall the names of any relatives Helen might have mentioned, whom they could have gone to stay with, but couldn’t think of anyone.

He decided to send her another telegram. He wished he could let her know that her family was safe but, as he didn’t know, decided not to mention the matter at all. If only he knew how much information Helen was able to glean about ongoing events in England or France. He thought of everything that had been happening since D-day the previous week and suspected the islanders could possibly hear some of the commotion going on in Normandy. Either way, it was to be hoped that they knew France had been invaded by the British and American forces.

He wondered if the Channel Islands might be next to be liberated. At least then he could find a way to see Helen and meet his son for the first time. He still found it incredible that there was a little boy growing up on that beautiful but imprisoned island who had come from his and Helen’s love. He thought back to the only time they had made love. It had been beautiful and something he could never forget. If only he had known then the repercussions of that magical afternoon. Feeling as if his emotions were choking him, Richard swallowed his pain and focused instead on what he would say to Helen this time.

Hearing news of all that’s happening in France and praying freedom comes your way soon. Thinking of you all. Stay safe and strong. Love Richard

Chapter Sixty

PEGGY

Sunday 18 June

Peggy saw Helen’s delight when she, Tony and Babs walked around the house to where they supposed Daphne and she would be enjoying the sunshine and watching Bobby play with his toys on the grass.

‘What a wonderful surprise,’ Daphne said, indicating chairs for them to sit on. ‘I’ll fetch us all something to drink.’

Tony immediately went to join Bobby, and Peggy couldn’t miss the little boy’s excitement at seeing his friend again. But she noticed a marked difference in Daphne’s demeanour. She was much thinner than on their previous visit and seemed jittery – probably, Peggy thought, because of the constant noise of the bombardment. It had been going on for a week now and her own nerves were on edge.

‘How’s your mum?’ Helen asked.

‘She’s struggling a bit with all that’s been happening,’ Babs explained. ‘But she sends her love. She misses you and Bobby terribly even though it’s been months now since the pair of you left.’ She looked at Peggy. ‘We miss you both, too, don’t we?’

‘We do, but you have more space here and more to do. And the garden, of course, and that’s what matters.’ She said the last few words pointedly to her sister, causing Babs’s cheeks to redden slightly. Peggy loved her sister but she sometimes didn’t think before speaking. Thankfully, Helen knew Babs well enough not to take offence at anything she said.

Helen tucked her auburn hair behind her ears. ‘The garden has been wonderful. Bobby wants to come outside as soon as he’s up each morning and it’s a struggle to persuade him inside for supper. I love seeing grass stains on his knees and earth under his fingernails – something I’d never thought about before. We’ve been very happy here, although we have missed the three of you. Please don’t think we haven’t.’

‘I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing,’ Babs said.