Soldier Girl Read Online Free PDF

she would go silent, shut herself away, unable to look anyone in the eye.
    ‘I’m all right,’ Molly said, as Bob, Em’s dad, nodded at her. Sid, now sixteen, kept on shovelling his tea down him as if it were a race. Joyce, fourteen and always full of it, gave Molly a wink, and little Violet, the babby, aged nine, rather thin and like Em in looks, stared, fascinated by the sight of Molly.
    ‘D’you wear them to work?’ she asked, staring at Molly’s dungarees.
    ‘Yes—’ Molly twirled round, in a mocking pose. ‘Ever so flattering, eh?’
    Bob Brown stood up. ‘’Ere, I’ve finished. You can ’ave my chair.’
    ‘Oh – ta, if you’re sure,’ Molly said. Bob seemed thankful to be away. ‘I’m just going out for a bit. . .’ he said vaguely, and vanished pubwards.
    Molly slid onto the chair beside Joyce, who grinned at her and moved her father’s plate away with its smeared remains of gravy. Sid was wiping up the last of his with a piece of bread.
    Em had sat down again next to Norm, who Molly thought was looking at her warily as well. I suppose he thinks I’m a bad lot, Molly thought. Drunk and disorderly. She didn’t take to Norm. There was something so goody-goody and stuffy about him – and those ears! They were prominent and pink from the cold.
    ‘All right, Norm?’ she said teasingly. ‘Caught any bank robbers today?’
    ‘There aren’t many out there robbing banks,’ he said stiffly. He was only nineteen but seemed ten years older.
    ‘Shame,’ Molly said. ‘Be a bit of excitement for yer wouldn’t it?’
    ‘D’you want a cuppa, Molly?’ Cynthia asked. ‘Rinse up yer dad’s cup for her, will you Joyce, you’re nearest.’
    As Joyce sorted out Molly’s tea, Cynthia asked, ‘Your mom and dad all right, are they?’
    Molly knew what everyone must think of Iris so it was kind of her to ask. She shrugged. ‘Much as ever.’
    ‘So – what’ve you got to tell us?’ Em asked. ‘I’ve got to go in a minute.’ Molly could see she and Norm were holding hands under the table, all sweet like a pair of little lovebirds. She felt a stab of jealousy – even if it was Norm, old car-door ears. They seemed so sure of each other, as if they’d been married for years already. Not like George – or any of the other blokes she’d walked out with for that matter. The thought of George’s face in the pub swam before her for a moment but she pushed that away as well. It had been full of loathing and disgust. That was the end of that then. Another one. They all seemed to go the same way in the end.
    ‘Well—’ Molly sipped her tea slowly for effect, then sat back. Violet was staring at her as if willing her to speak.
    ‘I’ve decided – I’m going to join up!’
    ‘What, you?’ The words burst mockingly from Norm, Mr Superior, Norm the normal PC Plod.
    Everyone was staring – even Sid had looked up and stopped chewing his last bit of bread.
    ‘Yes, me,’ Molly snapped back. ‘I’ve decided. I’m going up the recruitment office, soon as I’ve got a minute.’
    ‘Join up as what?’ Em said, also sounding disbelieving, Molly thought savagely, as if they didn’t think she was capable of anything at all. And Em moved her shoulder a bit closer to Norm’s, as if to show she agreed with him.
    ‘The army. I dunno as what yet, do I? I s’pose they’ll tell me.’
    ‘ I wanna join the army,’ Sid scowled. ‘And they won’t let me.’
    ‘You’re too young, Sid, don’t talk daft,’ Em said in her matronly way. ‘And anyway, the firm needs you.’ Sid scowled even more. ‘You’re Reserved Occ anyway.’
    ‘I could lie,’ he said. ‘About my age. I’d make them let me go.’
    ‘You gunna wear a uniform then, Molly?’ Joyce asked, excited.
    ‘I expect so.’ She was grateful to Joyce for bringing the conversation back to her.
    ‘Well,’ Cynthia said, as if trying to take all this in. ‘What’s your mother said about this?’
    ‘I ain’t told her – yet.’ She