Peggy's Letters Read Online Free PDF

haven’t you?”
    Spud grins and stuffs the rest of his sandwich in his mouth.
    â€œWill you keep my tin for me?”
    â€œIf you want,” he says and puts it back in the shed.

9
    It all works out exactly like Spud says. We mingle in as if we’d spent all day in school.
    â€œBye, Peg,” calls Spud.
    â€œSee you tomorrow,” I call back.
    I walk home as slowly as possible. How am I going to explain not having my stuff with me? My stomach churns at the thought of all the trouble I am in. Spud always gets me into trouble. Why did I go with him?
    Mum opens the door before I’m even halfway up the path.
    â€œHi, Peggy. How was school? She’s smiling, and her eyes look bright.
    â€œSame as usual.”
    Tommy toddles down the hall and jumps into my arms.
    â€œHello, Tom-Tom. Were you a good boy today?”
    â€œThe kettle’s on. Hang up your coat, and then I’d like to have a little chat,” says Mum.
    She must know about me cutting school. I feel awful.
    â€œWhere’s your bag and your gas mask?”
    â€œI forgot them.”
    â€œOh, Peggy! And look at your dress. How did it get so black?”
    â€œJust playing,” I say looking at the floor and out the window, anywhere but at Mum.
    Grandad is in the garden, so there’s just us in the back room. Mum hands me a cup of tea and sits down. Her fingers fidget with her apron strings.
    I decide to own up about my day off.
    â€œMum, I…”
    â€œPeggy, I…”
    We laugh as we both start talking at the same time.
    â€œYou go first, Mum.”
    â€œPeggy, I’ve got a job in the parachute factory, starting tomorrow.”
    â€œWhat!”
    â€œThe factory is looking for more workers, and the pay’s good.”
    My mum going out to work again. That’s the last thing I expected.
    â€œWhat about Tommy?” is all I can think to say.
    â€œMrs. Jones at Number Six is going to mind him for us. She has two little boys, and Tommy will be able to make as much noise and mess as he wants.”
    â€œHe’ll like that.”
    â€œYou’ll have to pick up Tommy after school and look after him until I get home. You won’t mind too much, will you?”
    â€œNo. Course I won’t.”
    â€œDo you think I’m doing the right thing, Peggy? I haven’t been out to work since Tommy was born. Maybe it’s not such a good idea. I should stay at home.”
    â€œTry the job, Mum. I saw some women moving a barrage balloon today. It looked like fun.”
    â€œIf it works out, maybe soon we’ll be able to afford a place of our own, just you, me and Tommy,” Mum whispers.
    â€œReally?”
    She puts a finger on her lips and nods. We both smile at our secret.
    Strange thumps come from behind Grandad’s chair.
    â€œWhat’s Tommy doing?”
    â€œOh, no,” cries Mum.
    Tommy has pulled all the books off the bottom shelf of Grandad’s bookcase.
    â€œStop that, Tommy,” says Mum in her stern voice.
    Tommy’s face creases up, and he starts bawling. She moves him out of the way while I start putting the books back.
    I can hear Grandad stamping the mud off his boots at the back door. I try to put the books back faster.
    â€œWho tromped all that mud through my house?” Grandad bellows.

    Oh, no! My muddy shoes.
    He storms into the room and stops. His face is bright red.
    â€œWhat on earth’s going on here?”
    â€œI’m sorry about this,” says Mum.
    â€œMind, out the way,” says Grandad, stomping over to the bookcase. “Don’t you have any respect for other people’s belongings?”
    Grabbing Tommy round the waist, I run up to my room. The row rises through the floorboards. If I’d stayed in school, my shoes wouldn’t be muddy, and the row would only have been half as bad. I hate school, and I hate living here.
    â€œYou play on the bed, Tommy. I’ve got to write to