“You are very kind Sally but not everyone is like you. At some point, people will wonder why I do not contribute to the war effort. I should be fighting the Nazis, not sitting here while my people are being murdered.”
Sally didn’t want to hear any more. “Wait until you are older, Harry, please.”
He didn’t answer but stayed sitting in the dark, while she returned to the others. Maggie glanced at her, concern in her eyes but she smiled to reassure her friend. She had to put a brave face on for the children.
23
January 1940
“Maggie, did you hear the news?” Sally called, as she pushed open the door to the rectory.
“I didn’t need to. I saw the queues in Callaghan’s shop. Everyone was buying up all the tea, bacon, and butter they could afford. Mr. Callaghan almost had a riot on his hands. He sold out of everything.”
Sally looked at her empty basket. “I was just going down there now. I guess you saved me a trip.”
“I did more than that. I got some for you. I didn’t bother with bacon as I guessed you don’t cook that for the boys. But I got you butter and sugar. I know how you like your tea.”
“When do you think tea will go on ration? The newspapers haven’t said when but they said it will happen.”
“Margarine, cooking fats, and tea will be next, according to the Reverend. Don’t know where he hears things but I’ve learnt to listen. I know we shouldn’t hoard things, Sally but I can’t live without my cup of tea. It’s the Irish in me. I have a good excuse.”
Sally burst out laughing, taking Maggie by surprise, until she laughed too.
“Did you see Constable Halton? He mentioned he was going to call on you?”
“Me, why? Please say it’s not because of Harry.”
The puzzled expression on Maggie’s face made her feel better.
“No, it’s to do with pigs.”
“What? I don’t know anything about raising pigs.”
“They are going to raise two pigs at the police station. Constable Halton read about it somewhere. Seems the idea is the whole community contributes food for the pigs until they are ready to be slaughtered. When that time comes, everyone who fed the pig gets a share.”
“Eww, I don’t fancy that, do you? I think if I raised a pig, I would think of it as a pet.”
Maggie splurted her tea out over the table. “Sally Matthews, you’d never make a farmer. Where do you think your meat comes from?”
“I prefer never to think about it.”
Maggie chortled. “I will remind you of this conversation later in the war when Germany has starved us.”
“Maggie Ardle. You should be ashamed of yourself. You can’t let people hear you say something like that. You will be accused of defeatism.” Although joking, Sally didn’t want to think about the government warnings that food supplies would run short if they weren’t careful. The government posters were worrying enough, without Maggie driving the point home.
“Ah, will you go on with you. I’ll keep your shopping for myself if you say things like that.”
Sally kissed her friend on the cheek. “I’ll send Harry over to collect it. It will give him a chance to see Rachel.”
“Are you still trying to match-make between those two?”
Sally grinned. “I think they are in love and its very sweet. We need something to make us smile in times like this.”
She left Maggie giggling behind her. Harry took over shopping for rations, leaving Sally free to volunteer at Botley’s Park hospital. The patients at the mental hospital had been moved to another facility to create room for injured servicemen.
She enjoyed the time at the hospital although there weren’t many war patients. She liked chatting to other women her age and then going home to the children after her shifts. She had the best of both worlds.
24
June 1st, 1940
Sally almost crawled home from her shift at the hospital. She should have finished hours ago but the wounded kept on coming. The sheer numbers of injured men overwhelmed the small hospital. She’d tried her best to help the harassed nurses but rolling bandages, cleaning bedpans, and making beds were as much as she could do. She admired the nurses’ skills, as much as their ability to remain calm, even cheerful, in the light of so much suffering.
She checked the face of every new patient, looking for Derek, thankful that she didn’t find him.
As she got closer to Rose Cottage, she noticed a small crowd standing outside. What was going on?
“Sally! About time you showed your face, we’ve been waiting for ages.” Enid Brown, her neighbor, and school friend stepped forward.
“I was working at the hospital. Did I forget a meeting?” Sally asked, glancing around to see many of the women from the Institute meetings. She spotted Mrs. Shackleton-Driver.
“Jane, what are you doing here?”
“We insist you release the Germans to us. We are going to take them to the army.”
“What?” Sally couldn’t have heard correctly.
“They showed that plane where to bomb. It had to be them.”
“Ladies, I don’t know what you are talking about and to be honest, I’ve just done a double-shift and I’m shattered. Can we talk about this in the morning?”
“No. We’ll talk about it now. You know the Red Cross Train carrying our heroes from Dunkirk was strafed by an enemy plane when it stopped at Chertsey station. If not for one of our brave RAF boys tackling him in a dogfight, there could have been dozens killed. How did the German’s know that station was being used for our wounded?”
“I have no idea Mrs. Shackleton-Driver, but I can assure you it had nothing to do with my family. Now, please, excuse me and let me into my home.”
The woman took a step to stand in front of her. Sally turned to Enid.
“Enid, you’ve known me for years. Can you please tell this… this woman, I’d have nothing to do with traitors? For goodness sake, my Derek is over there
