Chapter eleven
Peter thought he was dreaming,there was a lot of noise bright lights and incessant wailing,it took him awhile to realise he wasn't dreaming,Mum was standing there shining the electric torch,"We have to get the shelter,go get Edmund,I'll wake the girls " she said a note of panic in her voice.
Peter pushed his covers aside and ran down the hall to his brother's room,he woke the ten year old up,Edmund wasn't at all pleased as Peter yanked him out of bed,they met Susan and Lucy on their way out of their bedroom.Mum was waiting by the front door,they ran outside and across the garden toward the shelter .
Mum lit the kerosene lamp ,Lucy and Edmund went right back to sleep,Susan read for a while before curling up next to Lucy. Peter couldn't get back to sleep though,he slid off the bunk and went over to sit next to his mother "Why aren't you asleep?" she asked
Peter shrugged"Can't go back to sleep" he said watching the shadows dance on the wall.
"I'm scared . know that sounds babyish of me,but I can't help it.I'm scared eveytime I see a telagram delivered to one of the neighbours.I'm scared that one ofthose telagrams will be fore us saying that Dad's missing or worse dead .I'm scared that the Germans will decide to bomb in broad daylight.I'm scared that one day we'll wake up and the house will be a pile of rubble"
Mum let him talk ,finally she said,"Peter ,it's fine to be scared,it's a natural human emotion,but darling you have to remember ,we have to put our trust in God.You try to hide your real emotions,because you don't want the other children to know,but why do you feel like you have to carry the world on your shoulders?"
Peter didn't know why,he just did,Mum continued "Admitting your scared doesn't make you a baby or a coward;don't you think your father isn't scared everytime he has to fly over enemy territory,and when you children go off to school,don't you think,I fear for your safety,"
Peter sighed,"I suppose so"
Mum kissed him "Everyone fears something and everyones scared at times,and I fear that if you don't get some sleep,you'll be irritable,plus you have school tomorrow"
Peter stood up and went over to the bunk and climbed up,he lay there staring up at the ceiling ,before falling asleep.