Moonlight and Ashes Read Online Free PDF Page A

stone. It was a bitterly cold, frosty morning and the pavements sparkled like diamonds in the weak morning sun. ‘T’ain’t as if we’re goin’ to get bombed now, is it? The Jerries are droppin’ all the bombs on London.’
    ‘Well, Mam says they’re just in case,’ Lizzie told him sensibly and they hurried on, intent on getting out of the cold.
    As they passed Swanswell Pool, Danny was delighted to see that it was frozen over. ‘We could have a skate on that on the way home,’ he remarked joyously, his complaints suddenly forgotten.
    Lizzie’s head wagged from side-to-side. ‘Don’t yer remember what happened to Jimmy Nailer last year? He went through the ice in the middle an’ they had to get the firemen to pull him out. He got pneumonia an’ ended up in hospital fer Christmas.’
    ‘Spoilsport,’ muttered Danny, and they continued on their way, their breath hanging on the air in front of them like white lace.
     
    When they emerged from school that afternoon, the twins were shocked to see huge silver barrage balloons suspended on thick metal wires floating above the city. The spire of the magnificent Cathedral looked strangely at odds amongst them.
    ‘What are they for?’ Lizzie whispered in awe.
    ‘I know,’ Danny told her proudly. ‘They’re so as if the enemy planes did come to drop bombs an’ tried to fly too low, they’d get tangled up in ’em an’ crash.’
    ‘Ugh!’ Lizzie shuddered at the image he had conjured up.
    Although it was only four o’clock, it was almost dark by the time the children turned into Clay Lane. It was the first week in December, and normally they would be passing brightly lit Christmas trees in people’s front windows, but this year no one seemed to have the heart for it.
    The Lane now looked as it normally did, thanks to the womenfolk who had set to and cleaned up all the mess left by the gangs of men who had erected the Anderson shelters. The rows of back-to-back terraced houses all looked the same, apart from the curtains that hung at the windows, but once they were drawn against the cold winter night, then they became indistinguishable one from another, thanks to the blackout curtains that everyone had now been forced to use.
    The children arrived home in a sombre mood, but the second they set foot through the door, their faces lit up.
    ‘Uncle David!’ they shrieked.
    He was sitting in the chair at the side of the fire bouncing Lucy, who was giggling with glee, up and down on his knee.
    ‘Hello, kids.’ Slinging their gas masks down, they flew across and wrapped their arms around him.
    ‘Oh, we’ve missed you so much!’ Lizzie was so excited she was hopping from foot to foot. ‘How long are you home for?’
    ‘Will you be here fer Christmas?’ This from Danny.
    ‘When did you get back?’ Lizzie asked.
    ‘Whoa, hold on there. One question at a time, eh? But first let’s see what I have in my pockets.’ Laughing, he placed Lucy down on the rug in front of the fire and checked that the guard was in place. The little girl was crawling now, and would soon be walking.
    Lizzie thought her uncle looked very handsome in his uniform, and she was fascinated by the shiny buttons on his jacket.
    David proceeded to delve into his pockets and unload all sorts of treats onto the table. The twins eyed them greedily. There were gobstoppers, toffee pincushions, sherbet dabs, farthing chews, and a packet of liquorice bootlaces - the twins’ favourite.
    ‘But not before your tea, mind,’ their mam warned, though her eyes were shining. Lifting the knitted tea cosy from the pot she poured them each a cup of tea in her best china cups.
    ‘Cor, Mam, it ain’t often these come out o’ the china cabinet.’ Danny remarked, almost afraid to lift his in case he dropped and broke it.
    ‘Yes, well, it’s a special occasion, isn’t it? Uncle David being home, I mean.’ Lizzie noted that their mam had turned a pretty pink colour as she said it and wondered why. But