Chapter 11 - A Handful of Salvation
"... memory is the only way home." - Terry Tempest Williams
Peter stepped into the boys' room and carefully sat down on the floor beside the cot where Jo lay. She didn't acknowledge or respond at all to his presence as he settled down with the tray in his lap. He reached over to lightly place his hand on her cheek as he craned his head sideways to peer into her face.
"Jo darlin'? I thought you might be feelin' a mite peckish by now. I know I am. It's been a little while since breakfast and I brought some tea and soup. Would you take a little bit o' lunch wi' me darlin'?"
He hadn't really expected a response and didn't get one. He set the tray aside and got up to sit down on the cot. He gathered his wife within his arms and gently lifted her up against his side in a semi-upright position. He reached down to retrieve a beaker of tea from the tray and took a swallow before he brought it up to Jo's lips.
"C'mon darlin'. You need to keep hydrated."
She didn't resist, yet neither did she respond. He gently tipped the beaker and she swallowed reflexively. He smiled as he gave her another sip, "It's not too bad, is it? Made it meself, I did!"
He fed her a little more tea, then finished the rest himself. He set the empty mug aside and reached for the small bowl of hot soup. He took a sip first to test it out, then brought it to his wife's lips. "Yer mum made this soup darlin'. You can't object to it, it's really good." He slowly fed her about half of the soup, then like the tea, finished the rest himself. He pulled Jo close and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. "Yer almost as good a cook as yer mum. Course, she's 'ad a lot more experience."
He sat silently for quite some time, simply cuddling Jo and taking comfort in the physical closeness. He felt her shift almost infinitesimally and he whispered, "Do you need to go darlin'? 'ere, let me 'elp you up." He gently lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bathroom.
He returned some time later and tenderly lowered Jo back onto the cot. He had taken the opportunity to give her a quick bath and she hadn't resisted him. He spread a light blanket over her and then stretched out on the cot behind her to softly nuzzle the back of her neck. He thought it best to start at the beginning and he began speaking to her very softly.
"Remember when we first started seein' each other outside of hospital darlin'? Sure surprised ol' Mave didn't it?" He smiled as he cast his mind back to early June 1945, back to the first moment he realized that Jo was the girl he would marry. He snuggled closer to her back and draped his arms loosely about her waist. Of course it had started out innocently enough; after all, Jo had been his nurse during his first bout of pneumonia. She and Mavis ended up friends, initially bound together by their shared interest in Peter.
Of course, Mavis' devotion was that of a baby sister, whereas Jo's was strictly professional (well, it was in the beginning anyway). Jo had been transferred out of Millbank three weeks before Peter fully recovered from his first bout with pneumonia and she had kept up with his condition via Mavis.
On this particular occasion, Jo had rung Mavis and asked to come visit for a bit. As she and Mavis were great friends, they visited each other quite often. This time, however, she had to admit she had a bit of an ulterior motive. Mave's brother Peter was now sharing her flat since he had been released from hospital and Jo wanted to keep up with how he was doing.
"Oh Jo! Please, come in!" Mavis put a finger to her lips. "Peter's asleep on the sofa. 'e was right knackered and dropped off right there."
Jo glanced over at the rumpled, blanket covered figure softly snoring on Mavis' sofa. She whispered to Mavis as she followed her to the kitchen. "Why is he so tired? He's not feeling unwell again is he?" She vividly remembered that it had not been that long since Peter's release from Millbank.
Mavis shook her head, "'e's wearin' 'imself out tryin' to find work. Things are so bad now Jo. Doesn't feel like we were the ones what won the war, does it?"
Jo sighed, as Mavis echoed her own depressing thoughts. She was incredibly fortunate to be in the nursing profession, given the sweeping changes recently proposed by the Atlee government. One stark word was on everyone's minds - austerity. Those who had fought and sacrificed during the war seemed to suffer the most. Lads like Mavis' brother Peter. 'Let us face the future' indeed, she thought bitterly.
They quietly moved to the kitchen, where Mavis already had the tea ready.
"What's going to happen to him Mave?" Jo asked as she sipped at her steaming cup of tea.
"'e wanted to stay in the RAF but now they're sayin' 'e can't because of 'is 'ealth. 'e's in the middle of gettin' an 'onorable discharge right now. 'e'll get a small pension but it don't make up for 'ow useless 'e feels. 'e's tryin' to find a job but it isn't easy for a lad like 'im."
"That's too bad Mave." She glanced over the rim of her cup towards the lounge. "Your brother's really a sweet fellow."
Mavis stared at Jo, a bit taken aback. Was there something going on between her friend and her brother that she had somehow missed?
Jo smiled back at her. "Remember Mave, I was his nurse. I spent quite a bit of time with him. He has a good heart."
"Yer right Jo. 'e does at that."
They finished their tea in silence and Jo got up to leave. She paused beside the sofa on her way out just as Peter stirred a bit and sleepily opened one eye. "Lemme sleep Mave..." he mumbled. He suddenly opened both eyes and sucked in a surprised breath when he recognized Jo. He quickly sat up, clutching his blankets about himself.
"Blimey! Jo! What are you doin' 'ere?" He raked his fingers through his hair, desperately trying to remedy his disheveled appearance.
"Good to see you again too Peter!" laughed Jo.
"Cor! Can't a bloke get a kip in peace around 'ere?" Peter jumped up and ran to his bedroom, the sound of Jo's and Mavis' laughter following him all the way.
Jo called, "Bye Peter!"
Unbeknownst to the two women, Peter had stuck his head back out the bedroom door to gaze thoughtfully at Jo as she left. He then climbed into bed, shaking his head at the crazy thought that suddenly occurred to him. I think Jo just might be the girl for me! he told himself as he drifted back to sleep.
Peter chuckled at that memory and whispered to Jo, "Ol' Mave finally got suspicious when you ended up comin' to visit nearly ev'ry day, remember darlin'?"
Money being as tight as it was, their dates usually consisted of a night at the cinema sometimes preceded by a stop at the local chip shop. Once in a great while, they would splurge on a live variety when they could afford it. More times than not, they would have dinner with Mave at home and settle in for an evening of listening to the BBC. If the weather cooperated, they would take long, leisurely strolls through Hyde Park or along the Embankment. Jo insisted that they spend at least one date a month browsing the exhibits in the venerable British Museum and Peter acquiesced as he reckoned it couldn't hurt to gain a bit of culture.
Once their relationship progressed to the point where Jo introduced Peter to her parents, they had a standing dinner date each week at Angus and Mary's modest home in Croydon. Jo had been a bit worried at first about her father's reaction to her having a beau from the East End but her fears proved groundless. Angus warmed to Peter almost immediately, especially more so after he found out he had been held prisoner for much of the war. Angus had served in the Great War with the First Battalion of the London Scottish Regiment. As a proud veteran of the "Cockney Jocks" he couldn't very well have any objections to his daughter's young man just because he hailed from Stepney.
Though Angus was understandably concerned with Peter's lack of gainful employment, he fully understood that it wasn't for lack of effort. The times were very tough, just as tough if not more so, than during the war. At least back then there had been a common goal, a clear cut reason to tighten the belt. Now that the war had been won, the unrelenting austerity began to wear extraordinarily thin. So many of the lads who had given so much during the war came home to a weary, bombed out, nearly bankrupt country whose government offered them nothing practical in the way of gratitude. In Peter's case, there was at least the small pension due to his being classified as 30% disabled by the serious bout of pneumonia he had barely survived. To his credit, Peter didn't waste time feeling sorry for himself. He was out nearly every single day, diligently searching for work.
Angus couldn't find any fault with the young Cockney and felt a fellow veteran's deep empathy for him. Plus, he could plainly see how very happy Peter made his daughter. Angus had a feeling that the two of them were already well on their way to a life spent together and so decided to give them his blessing when the time came.
Peter lifted Jo's hand and kissed it as he laughed, "Cor darlin'! Remember 'ow nervous I was when I asked Angus for yer 'and?"
He felt like he'd rather have faced Hochstetter in all his rage instead of his intended's father. He sweated out what he was going to say the entire week beforehand and when the moment came, barely stuttered out, I'd...I'd...like...to...marry...uh…marry... before he stopped dead in fear.
Angus had merely smiled indulgently and added, "D'ye mean my Jo?"
All he could do was nod stupidly in reply as Angus took his hand in a hearty grip and slapped him jovially on the back.
Jo was an old-fashioned girl, insisting on the proper decorum during their courtship and engagement, and he loved her enough to grant her that. He surprised himself with his willing restraint and wondered if perhaps there was hope for him after all. Although in retrospect, Mavis' solemn promise to murder him if he misbehaved may have had some hand in his decision as well.
All he knew was, it certainly made their wedding night all the more memorable.
They had decided on a small church ceremony, attended by their close friends and family, with a reception afterwards at Jo's parents' home in Croydon. Everyone agreed they made a handsome couple, with Peter smartly attired in his RAF Warrant Officer's service dress and Jo in her white satin gown, accentuated with tulle and lace. Louis was to stand up for him as best man so he and Danielle happily journeyed from the Continent for the occasion. Jo chose Mavis as her maid of honor.
Even though the timing didn't work out for any of his American mates to attend, they all sent their very best wishes and pooled their resources to surprise Peter and Jo with a proper wedding night's stay at the Savoy. They had been overwhelmed by the thoughtfully generous gift from his American friends, as their plan had been simply to stay in what had been up to that time Jo's flat before they joined the LeBeaus to travel to Paris for their honeymoon.
After a glorious long weekend at the Savoy, they met Louis and Danielle at Dover to board the train for the night ferry to Dunkerque and thence on to Paris. Louis and Danielle insisted that their wedding gift began with the fare for the cross-channel Dover to Paris trip. Peter took issue with that and pulled Louis aside to protest that they were already doing more than enough by providing them with a two week honeymoon in Paris. As usual, he ended up admitting defeat at his friend's Gallic stubbornness.
Peter whispered in Jo's ear, "Do ya remember 'ow mad Louie got at me darlin'? Blimey, 'e was 'oppin' mad that I insisted on payin' 'im for the Channel fare and then I got mad right back at 'im!" He smiled as he recalled what had happened. "You and Danielle stopped everythin' in its' tracks, didn't ya?" He and Louis had ended up ashamedly apologizing to each other before they all boarded the night train for Paris.
He chuckled, "I don't know what it is but me and Louis seem to bring out the worst in each other sometimes." He snuggled a bit closer to Jo's back and murmured, "'e's like me own brother, 'e is."
He glanced around, suddenly noticing how dark it was. "Cor darlin', I've talked yer ear off 'aven't I? Jo?" He lifted his head up and saw that she had fallen asleep. "That's a good idea darlin'. Think I'll join you." He pulled her even closer, kissed the back of her neck and settled in for the night, his arms tightly wrapped around his wife.