Under the Apple Tree Read Online Free PDF Page B

fire
    hot enough for the kettle yet?’
    The two of them got together a scrappy breakfast of bread
    and margarine, just coloured with jam, and by the time the
    kettle boiled Alice had emerged from the front room where
    she had slept on the sofa and Cissie had come down from
    upstairs. ‘I told Dick to stay in bed; he’s had a terrible night, hacking away. That dust and smoke really got into his chest.
    How were you on that settee, Mum? I felt proper bad,
    turning you out of your own bed.’
    ‘Don’t be daft, girl, I was snug as a bug in a rug. Stood to
    reason you two would have to have the double bed. I might
    be able to get a camp bed or put-u-up for later, but the
    settee’ll do for now.’ She bustled through to the lean-to scullery. ‘I suppose there’s no gas on yet?’
    ‘Nothing’s on yet. And we haven’t got all that many
    candles left, neither. I don’t know what we’re going to do if
    they don’t get things straight soon. There’s going to be
    people desperate.’ Polly poured out five cups of tea. ‘There,
    are you going to take Dick’s up to him, Cis? There’s not
    much sense in him coming down till the room’s warmed up
    a bit. And look, I’ll toast a slice of bread, he needs
    something hot inside him. Spread some Marmite on it.’
    Cissie took her husband’s breakfast up the stairs and the
    others sat round the table, drinking their tea. Polly looked at her mother.
    ‘Cis and me are going down the Centre this morning, see
    what’s what. Are you going to stop here with Dick?’
    ‘I am not!’ The old woman looked at her indignantly, her
    bright eyes snapping. ‘Stop here when there’s work to be
    done? No, I’ll be helping on the tea-stall, same as yesterday.
    There’ll be plenty glad of a cuppa while they’re clearing up.’
    ‘Yes, but I don’t want you to overdo it.’
    ‘I’ll be the judge of when I’ve overdone it!’ Alice retorted.
    ‘Just because you’ve moved in here, our Poll, it doesn’t
    mean to say you can start ordering me about. I’d have done
    as I pleased if you hadn’t been here and I’ll do as I please
    now you are, and don’t you forget it.’
    Judy grinned and Polly shook her head. ‘I’m not likely to
    forget it, you independent old besom! You’ll be ordering us
    all about from your deathbed - that’s if you don’t outlive us
    all. All right, you go and pour tea for firemen while me and
    Cis go and see about our ration books and try to put
    together a few clothes and things. How about you, Judy, do
    you want us to try to get you anything?’
    Judy shook her head. ‘Miss Marsh said there were going
    to be some things out at the new offices - the Lady
    Mayoress was going to see to it. After all, if she can’t get us a few things from her own Clothing Store, nobody can!’ She
     
    put down her cup and stood up. ‘I’d better be going.
    Goodness knows how long it’ll take me to get all the way out
    to Southsea. I don’t suppose there’s any buses running.
    Better expect me when you see me.’ She shrugged into her
    coat and called up the stairs to her mother. “Bye, Mum I’m
    off now. ‘Bye, Dad.’
    Polly watched her go. ‘I hope she’ll be all right. She was
    tossing and turning all night long. It really upset her, seeing our house bombed to bits and then going down and seeing
    the Guildhall in flames - not to mention all the other
    damage. We’ll have to keep an eye on her, Mum.’
    ‘She’ll be all right. She’s made of the right stuff-like you
    and me. And she knows that the best way to take your mind
    off things is to get on with your work. No, it’s Cis that I
    worry about, she takes everything so hard. And Dick, too.
    He was grey when he got round here yesterday, proper
    grey.’
    ‘Well, with all that smoke and dust about…’
    ‘It’s not just his chest. It’s what it’s doing to his mind. It’s bringing it all back, you can see that. What he went through
    before … you know what I mean.’ The old lady