Coming Home Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Gwen Kirkwood
time for once. Mind you, Joe Crosby’s son took over the driving this week. He’s home frae the war too. He doesna gossip to the passengers as much as his father. He doesna know them all yet.’
‘ Mmm, I met him. He seems a pleasant fellow. There weren’t many other passengers on the bus today.’
‘ There’ll be plenty on the afternoon bus. Standing room only I shouldn’t wonder. Friday is market day in Annan, in case ye’ve forgotten. The women will be in for their shopping. Mind you, the rationing is getting worse instead o’ better. We thought things would be easier once peace was declared but I suppose it will take time to have effect.’
‘ It will take a long while before things are back to normal,’ Steven said gravely. ‘There’s so much destruction everywhere.’ He frowned. He would not spoil her pleasure yet with his news. ‘Rations or not something smells good.’ He sniffed appreciatively.
‘ Mr Kerr saved me a nice wee piece o’ lamb to welcome ye back. After all that travelling you’ll be ready for a cup o’ tea. I’ll shove the kettle over the fire and it’ll be ready in a jiffy.”
A few minutes later they sat opposite each other at the scrubbed kitchen table with Hannah plying him with questions and Steven eager to hear what was happening on the farm. He noticed how the light died out of her eyes and for a moment he thought she might burst into tears the way her lips trembled, but she pressed a hand to her mouth then continued to chatter, almost feverishly, until they heard his father’s measured tread crossing the flagged floor of the back kitchen. Steven watched speculatively as his mother rose to her feet and reached for another cup and saucer for his father.
‘ Eh you’re home at last, laddie. Na, na dinna get up.’ His father strode to his side and squeezed his shoulder. ‘It’s good to see you’re back safely,’ he said gruffly. Steven knew he ought to tell them he was not here to stay but the talk moved on. They both plied him with questions. He knew they were pleased to see him home, and yet he was certain there was an air of constraint.
‘ The farm is all right, isn’t it?’ The words burst out of him.
‘ Of course it is,’ his mother answered swiftly, ‘why shouldn’t it be?’
‘ I- oh, I just wondered. I know I’ve been away but I do read the papers and we do hear things. I know the government have been pressing everybody to produce as much food as possible. One or two farmers near to where we were stationed have been moved out of their farms. Some of us were sent to help get the harvest in when we were back in camp.’ He couldn’t bring himself to tell them he knew the War Ag had threatened to take over Willowburn. It would distress his mother if she realised it was common knowledge down in the village, and no doubt all around the parish.
‘ We’ve a grand litter o’ piglets,’ his father said. ‘They were born three days ago, twelve of them and all alive and suckling. D’ye remember the gilt we had the spring you had to go into the army.’
‘ Yes, I do. We called her Sally.’
‘ Well this sow was one of Sally’s first litter. They’re all good mothers.’
‘ Speaking of mothers, there was a cow calving in Keeper’s Field. The calf was coming backwards. She looked as though she’d been calving for some time,’ He didn’t hear Fred come in. ‘I gave it a pull. Surprisingly the calf is alive but I wondered if the cow had hurt her back or if she was just exhausted. She didn’t get up while I was there so she’ll probably need a drink—’
‘ Interfering already are ye!’ Fred growled angrily. He was still wearing his boots although they were thick with manure from the midden. ‘Have you told him?’ he demanded. There was no welcome home from Fred, Steven noticed, not even “Hello.”
‘ Oh Fred, Steven has only just arrived, and look at your boots!’
‘ Don’t nag,’ Fred glowered. ‘He’s been here nearly an
‘ Mmm, I met him. He seems a pleasant fellow. There weren’t many other passengers on the bus today.’
‘ There’ll be plenty on the afternoon bus. Standing room only I shouldn’t wonder. Friday is market day in Annan, in case ye’ve forgotten. The women will be in for their shopping. Mind you, the rationing is getting worse instead o’ better. We thought things would be easier once peace was declared but I suppose it will take time to have effect.’
‘ It will take a long while before things are back to normal,’ Steven said gravely. ‘There’s so much destruction everywhere.’ He frowned. He would not spoil her pleasure yet with his news. ‘Rations or not something smells good.’ He sniffed appreciatively.
‘ Mr Kerr saved me a nice wee piece o’ lamb to welcome ye back. After all that travelling you’ll be ready for a cup o’ tea. I’ll shove the kettle over the fire and it’ll be ready in a jiffy.”
A few minutes later they sat opposite each other at the scrubbed kitchen table with Hannah plying him with questions and Steven eager to hear what was happening on the farm. He noticed how the light died out of her eyes and for a moment he thought she might burst into tears the way her lips trembled, but she pressed a hand to her mouth then continued to chatter, almost feverishly, until they heard his father’s measured tread crossing the flagged floor of the back kitchen. Steven watched speculatively as his mother rose to her feet and reached for another cup and saucer for his father.
‘ Eh you’re home at last, laddie. Na, na dinna get up.’ His father strode to his side and squeezed his shoulder. ‘It’s good to see you’re back safely,’ he said gruffly. Steven knew he ought to tell them he was not here to stay but the talk moved on. They both plied him with questions. He knew they were pleased to see him home, and yet he was certain there was an air of constraint.
‘ The farm is all right, isn’t it?’ The words burst out of him.
‘ Of course it is,’ his mother answered swiftly, ‘why shouldn’t it be?’
‘ I- oh, I just wondered. I know I’ve been away but I do read the papers and we do hear things. I know the government have been pressing everybody to produce as much food as possible. One or two farmers near to where we were stationed have been moved out of their farms. Some of us were sent to help get the harvest in when we were back in camp.’ He couldn’t bring himself to tell them he knew the War Ag had threatened to take over Willowburn. It would distress his mother if she realised it was common knowledge down in the village, and no doubt all around the parish.
‘ We’ve a grand litter o’ piglets,’ his father said. ‘They were born three days ago, twelve of them and all alive and suckling. D’ye remember the gilt we had the spring you had to go into the army.’
‘ Yes, I do. We called her Sally.’
‘ Well this sow was one of Sally’s first litter. They’re all good mothers.’
‘ Speaking of mothers, there was a cow calving in Keeper’s Field. The calf was coming backwards. She looked as though she’d been calving for some time,’ He didn’t hear Fred come in. ‘I gave it a pull. Surprisingly the calf is alive but I wondered if the cow had hurt her back or if she was just exhausted. She didn’t get up while I was there so she’ll probably need a drink—’
‘ Interfering already are ye!’ Fred growled angrily. He was still wearing his boots although they were thick with manure from the midden. ‘Have you told him?’ he demanded. There was no welcome home from Fred, Steven noticed, not even “Hello.”
‘ Oh Fred, Steven has only just arrived, and look at your boots!’
‘ Don’t nag,’ Fred glowered. ‘He’s been here nearly an