“My Sam’s dead. I got the telegram yesterday but you weren’t around, were ya? I hate you, Sally Matthews and your German brats. I told you before, nobody wants them here. They should all be sent back to Germany – in boxes.”
“Enid! How could you say things like that? You have kids. Liesl, Tom, and Harry are as innocent as you and me. They couldn’t help being born in Germany.”
Enid wasn’t listening. Sally glanced up and caught Tom’s face peeking through the curtains. Why were they still pulled this hour of the morning? Her poor children must be terrified.
“Now you ladies listen to me. This is my house and you are trespassing. Leave, or I shall go for Constable Halton. He has no time for vigilantes, as you all know. Go and pick on somebody your own size instead of a group of defenseless children.”
She pushed past Enid and Jane Shackleton-Driver and stood at her front door, key in hand. She wasn’t going to open it until they left. She wouldn’t put it past them to dart past her and grab a child.
It took a few minutes, but the women left, muttering about traitors. Sally took a second to compose herself, crying in front of the children would scare them. They wouldn’t believe it was tears of frustration and tiredness. She didn’t get to turn the key, as the door opened, she was pulled inside, and the door banged shut behind her.
“Maggie, oh thank God you were here with the children.”
“I sneaked in the back way, over the wall. Look at the state of me.” Maggie glanced down and Sally saw a giant rip in her dress. “Been a long time since I flashed my drawers at anyone and everyone.”
Sally gave her friend a hug. “Thank you for being here.”
Maggie hugged her back and whispered, “the children are terrified. They keep talking about Kristallnacht. They are all set to run away.”
Sally ran up the stairs, two at a time. She knocked on the bedroom door, trying the handle but it didn’t work.
“Harry, let me in. Tom, it’s Sally and I’m alone. Maggie is the only other adult in the house, I swear.”
The lock turned and the door opened slowly. She pushed into the room to find all five children staring at her, their eyes huge in their pale faces. Tom had wet himself and Ruth wouldn’t look at her.
“Come here, oh my goodness, come here.” She gathered the younger ones in her arms. “I promise I’m back and I won’t leave you. You are safe. You don’t have to run away. This is your home.”
“Those people scared them. They sounded like the people on our street at home,” Rachel explained, as she stood, back straight, knuckles white, at Liesl’s cot. Sally couldn’t believe the baby had slept through all the noise.
Sally struggled to keep her temper. She didn’t want to scare the children. “I can’t imagine what you have been through today. I’m sorry I wasn’t here. But it won’t happen again. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. They hate us. You heard them.” Harry turned his back.
“Harry, don’t let a few people change how you feel about living here. Maggie and I love you. The Reverend, the Doctor, Constable Halton, the shop owners, they all have been kind to us. Enid lost her husband; she found out yesterday he died in France. Sam was a lovely man and the sadness she feels is making her angry. She needs someone to blame.”
Sally cuddled Tom and Ruth. “How about I make you both some cocoa and we can listen to children’s hour on the wireless. It’s just coming up to five.”
They didn’t answer but kept hold of her. If she could get her hands on Enid Brown and those other ladies, she’d strangle them.
“Children, I promise those ladies are gone. Maggie’s gone for Constable Halton. He will tell those women off for scaring you. Now, why don’t I go and make the cocoa and you come down when you are ready?” She looked to Rachel who gave her a small nod. She hoped the older girl would reassure the little ones and clean up Tom.
She ran into her room and quickly changed, hating the hospital smell on her clothes. The children were still in Tom’s room when she went downstairs to put the cocoa on. She tuned in the wireless too. As soon as the sounds of children’s hour filtered up the stairs, Tom and Ruth were racing each other to be the one sitting nearest the wireless. Rachel carried Liesl in her arms.
“Heinz will be down in a few minutes. He is very angry.”
“I don’t blame him, I wanted to kill those ladies too.”
Rachel didn’t smile. “Heinz feels he cannot protect his family. He thinks it is time he did something. I don’t know what he plans but he has a short temper. I worry he may get into trouble.”
Sally took Liesl into her arms, loving the smell of the baby and the way she snuggled into her.
“I’ll speak to Heinz. Rachel, I hope you know how much you are wanted here. I heard glowing reports today about your work. Matron is very impressed with you. Says she wishes other fifteen-year-olds were as mature as you.”
“I had to grow up fast. Maybe it is best, other girls do not.”
Sally couldn’t think of an answer to that and was glad when the kettle whistled, alerting her the water was ready.
25
The next morning, Sally telephoned the hospital to speak to Matron.
“I’m sorry, Matron, but I have to take the rest of this week off. I know it’s a horrible inconvenience, but I have to protect the children.”
“Sally, I’ve known you for years. It must be something serious for you to ask for time off. Can I do anything to help?”
Sally gave the Matron a brief description of what had happened, conscious the operator would come back on if they took longer than five minutes.
“I find it despicable how
