A Girl in Wartime Read Online Free PDF Page B

age,’ his father raged, obviously not listening to a word of what Ronnie had said.
    Connie’s mother remained hovering in the doorway, her hopes of her husband leaving the matter to go and clean himself up for his evening meal forgotten.
    It seemed to her that Mum had still not taken in the full significance of what she had been hearing. ‘Oh Ronnie, love, what’ve you gone and done?’ she asked unnecessarily.
    â€˜I’ll tell you what he’s gone and done,’ Dad bellowed. ‘He’s gone and bloody well buggered up his life, that’s what he’s gorn and done. And I’m going back there with ’im to undo it. He’s underage.’
    â€˜They’re taking lots of blokes underage,’ Ronnie cut in, only to have his father swing round on him.
    â€˜Then I’ll tell ’em, it ain’t going to be my son! Not ’till he’s—’
    â€˜Can you hear yourself, Dad?’ Ronnie interrupted. ‘You don’t tell the army what’s what. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s done, finished, and there’s nothing you can do about it.’ His tone moderated. ‘Don’t worry about me, Dad. I’ll be all right. But you do see that I’ve got to go. The country needs every man it can get. In five weeks I’ll be eighteen and I’ll have to go then. A few weeks, what does it matter? There’s nothing you can do, Dad.’
    He leapt up from the table, startling Connie as well as her mum. ‘I’m off to see a couple of mates of mine. We joined up together, we’ll be going off together and that way we’ll probably stay together.’
    Connie saw him turn to look at George, still apparently absorbed in his Bible as if oblivious to the argument going on around him.
    â€˜What about you, George? You going to sign on too? We all need to pull our weight for this country.’
    His mum gave a gasp. ‘Not all three of you! If all of you was to get—’
    â€˜What about it, George?’ He cut through his mother’s words. ‘You ain’t even mentioned the war since it started except to preach against it. You can come along with me if you want, what d’you think?’
    Connie turned her eyes to her eldest brother to hear what he had to say, but he hadn’t even looked up. It seemed to her that he feared to meet his youngest brother’s eyes.
    Finally he said, ‘I think too many are panicking, doing things on the spur of the moment that they could regret later on.’
    â€˜What d’you mean?’
    â€˜I mean, maybe best to wait a bit, think about what we’re doing. Men killing each other is not the way out. I mean—’
    â€˜Then what bloody way out do you mean, George?’ Ronnie broke in savagely. ‘You mean sit here on your arse while Germany marches across Europe without a by your leave – that what you mean?’
    George’s gaze remained trained on his Bible. ‘Talk is what we should be doing,’ he said. ‘We should talk, discuss our differences, peaceably.’
    â€˜Talk?’ Ronnie was obviously having a job to hold his temper. ‘They’re not going to talk! Not now! Not any time!’
    George’s voice remained steady. ‘Our Lord said, “If a man smite thee, turn the other cheek …”’
    â€˜Sod you, George, and your bloody other cheek!’ Ronnie burst out. ‘If you’re too scared to go and fight for your country, say so!’
    â€˜That’s enough, love.’ His mother’s voice was trembling. ‘There’s too much going on out there without our own family fighting each other.’
    His father grabbed the parlour door and flung it wide open in a temper. ‘Come on, you, we’re going down there to sort ’em out right now.’
    â€˜You’re not washed, Dad,’ Connie cut in. ‘You can’t go like that.’
    â€˜And I ain’t