A New Dawn
Chapter 16
Roger and Edna left the following morning to return to their hotel. Roger was taking his wife shopping in Oxford Street later followed by a lunch. They were going to head back to Guildford the next day.
"I'll see you in Aldershot next week then Charles" Roger smiled and shook his hand as they were leaving
"Dave, Brian, it's been a pleasure seeing you again" he added and shook their hands "May see you in Aldershot for your demob."
"Yeah! Maybe we will" laughed Dave "Looking forward to getting me suit"
-O-
It was actually another three months before Dave and Brian were demobilised and it was March 1946 the day that they went to Aldershot to get their papers releasing them from the army, back into civilian life although both were working. They got their suit and couldn't help but laugh.
"I think Roger Beck always thought we were gangsters in that camp, up to no good with our pilfering…. he still thinks we were involved with that jewellery scam" laughed Dave "Well with these suits I think we do look like bleedin' gangsters now" and Brian roared with laughter.
"That was that jeweller from Hatton Garden wasn't it making them rings and selling them weren't it" and Dave and Brian started sniggering "Yeah mind you he went a bit far even the Japs were getting suspicious about how much money was being spent in the camp."
"Yeah and they couldn't really complain that much when their hands went green could they?"
"No but the slap round the chops from that Korean guard must have hurt a bit" and they laughed again
"Still can't understand why he thinks you might have been involved though Dave"
"Well might've been the one to give the bloke the brass washers I found" and Brian doubled up with laughter. They were now sitting in the pub having a pint and waiting on Charles and Roger who said they would join them for a quick one before they got their train back to London.
"Well don't you two look dapper" smiled Beck as he sat with the two men waiting for Charles to come back with four pints.
"Well we were just commenting that we thought we looked like a pair of spivs" laughed Brian
Charles put the tray with the drinks on the table catching the conversation "You're not going to try and sell him any rings are you" said Charles sniggering and Dave and Brian broke into hysterical laughter
"We were just talking about that"
"Come on then Dave" smiled Roger "You were involved in that weren't you?"
"No" he laughed "All I did was supply the washers. Remember that posh bloke, can't remember his name now … the Hatton Garden jeweller bloke" and Roger nodded vaguely remembering some small chap with glasses, who always looked very studious and probably should have been a librarian.
"Well he was the one who polished them all up" he laughed "Found stones, bits of glass and polished them and filed them and set them in the washers" Brian and he burst into fits of laughter again "Told them they was 24 carat gold with a gemstone setting"
"Why did he stop" asked Charles
"Silly idiot sold one to a Korean guard who gave it to his girlfriend."
"Is that how he lost his front teeth" again they burst out laughing
"Yeah" said Dave and Brian in unison laughing and although Roger was shaking his head he did join in the laughter with Charles.
"Do you remember Lanky" said Charles still laughing "That bloody fish" "Alex and I had to distract the guards in conversation just to make sure they didn't look up"
"Still don't know how that fish stretched that far" said Roger and Brian shook his head.
"We brought quite a few back that day" nodding "some in pockets, a few was tied to the lads dog tags down their backs, a couple in their shoes"
"Them nappy things when they had no uniform covered a lot too" laughed Dave and a look of horror crept over Roger and Charles face
"Don't worry, those ones were fed to the guards and Bessie"
All four of them laughing at the memory. All happy to remember those stories and events but wanting to try and blot out and bury the other memories.
"Give my Molls a hug from me won't you Charlie" said Dave as they were about to leave
"Of course, Dave" smiled Charles
-OG-
Charles and Molly were renting a lovely cottage near Guildford and close to Edna and Roger. She had got a job at the Warren Road Hospital as a nurse and like after every other major catastrophe the population was growing again so she was taking extra courses in midwifery and loving every minute of looking after the ladies.
When he got home he could already smell his dinner cooking, Molly in the kitchen dancing to the music on the radio. He lent in the doorway for a moment his arms folded just watching her. Her beautiful hair was still growing, now down past her shoulders, she had gained most of the weight she had lost from camp but was slim and he couldn't help but watch her swaying to the music while peeling potatoes. He crept up behind her and enveloped her with his arms kissing her on the top of her head and swaying with her.
"You have a nice time with Dad and Brian?" she asked
"Mmmm" he said nuzzling her neck causing her to laugh
"Pack it in Charlie unless you don't want any tea" his stomach rumbled at that precise moment "and by the sounds of things you do" she said laughing
"So how was it at the hospital today then Molly?"
She turned to face him putting her arms around his waist and her chin on his chest looking up at him her eyes sparking with happiness.
"I should have my certification by the end of the year they reckon" she enthused "What with me nursing qualification, the experience I got at the Alexandra and what I had to do in camp they reckon I can have it quicker" she gushed "They wrote to Dr Mason out in Singapore for a reference and she gave me a really good one apparently so I can get this in half the normal time"
"How is our Dr Mason" he asked
"All good, running a refuge centre out there, never went back to the Alexandra" she continued "A letter came today from Australia, it's got a lovely stamp on the envelope, it's on the side if you want to read it while I finish tea"
The letter was from Katie and Alex. Seems he was still in the army, there was so much to do with the demobilisation, they were as busy as him with that. He was also involved in collating some of the evidence for War Crimes. Katie had gone back to nursing too but was now training up to be a doctor. Like Molly could shorten the training time owing to the experience gained at the Alexandra and the camps but it would still be four years before she qualified. They were living in Melbourne for the time being as that was where Katie was doing her training but Alex still wasn't sure about leaving the army and going back to farming but would stay where they were while Katie is doing her training.
"They seem settled don't they" said Molly walking up behind him while he was sat reading it and wrapping her arms round his neck and kissing his cheek.
"Yes, they do"
"I hope we see them again and we do that reunion we said we would in five years" she kissed him again "I miss her." He pulled her arm round so that she was now sat on his lap and put both arms round her to kiss her.
"Do you ever think about Captain Harte?" she asked
"Sometimes, I had known him a long time" he sighed "But he made a choice, a bad one as it turned out but he made a choice"
"I sometimes wonder if Georgina knew and that's why she just gave up" he nodded
"I always knew you were out there somewhere… I could feel it" she wrapped her arms around his neck and straddled his lap kissing his neck and nibbling his ear and tea was forgotten for a while
-OG-
It was Autumn 1946, they were spending their weekend in London, Molly not only wanted to see her family but also Jacqui and Brian as it had been at least three months since they had seen them what with their work, shift patterns with Jacqui also back in nursing at the London Hospital.
Nan had moved out the basement again so Charles and Molly had that room while they were staying there. They were going to meet Brian and Jacqui and go out for dinner. They were going to a picture house to see Blue Skies then go to Rules in Covent Garden for dinner.
Charles had got tickets for them and they were all looking forward to it, it was the first time they had been to the pictures since getting back from Singapore.
"No Ginger I'm afraid" he whispered
"But Fred might give you some ideas" she laughed back looking up at him as he shook his head smirking.
They all enjoyed the film with Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, Jacqui and Molly couldn't help but jig about in their seats to 'Putting on the Ritz'
"I hope your taking note Charlie" she whispered to him while he tried to stifle a laugh.
After the film they went for dinner, with rationing still going on there wasn't a huge selection on the menu but they all found something that they enjoyed. They were now having a coffee and liqueur to finish their meal.
"Still prefer a cuppa myself" said Molly "Not sure I really like this coffee, it's too bitter"
"You and me both" replied Brian while Jacqui also nodded in agreement. Seemed Charles was the only one who actually liked it.
"We've got something to tell you both" started Jacqui looking across to Brian while Molly and Charles looked at them expectantly wondering what it could be.
"Well I've not been that happy in me job since we got back Molls" said Brian "So been looking about, an amazing opportunity has come up and we want to do it"
"Do what?" asked Charles
"I've got a job at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission" he said "They moved all their records out of London at the start of the war to Maidenhead. I will be going to work there"
"So, you will be nearer to us then won't you?" said Molly grinning her hand on Jacqui's
"Only for a bit though Molls" said Jacqui holding her hand "Brian has an opportunity to work in Singapore on the memorial gardens being set up there" with tears in her eyes
"Why?" wailed Molly as Charles put his arm around her shoulder
"Part of the brief is to recover bodies if they are resting in places which will be difficult for the Commission to maintain so they will be brought back to Singapore where there is an agreement the land can be maintained." He looked at Charles, "Saigon being one of the places" he shrugged "then there is Hanoi and Phnom Penh, its unstable the French may not hold on to it so we need to move the British and Commonwealth soldiers to a place of safety" Charles nodded, War Graves had always tried to make sure that the armed forces wherever possible had a marker to show their sacrifice.
"We hope we can get to Sumatra" said Jacqui her eyes filled with tears and Molly knew what they were trying to tell her.
"We want to see if we can find Violet."
"Won't war grave commission help" asked Molly.
Charles took her hand to offer comfort as shook his head, "Their mandate is for the commonwealth armed forces, they won't do anything for civilians that lost their lives unless they were employed to support the armed services."
"But there must be thousands of men, women and children all across the far east that lost their lives in those camps" she looked at him her eyes wide, trying to hold onto her tears. He put his hand on her cheek and ran his thumb across to wipe away the stray one that fell.
"But that's the way it is Molly" he said sadly
"Don't make it right though"
"Maybe one day it will change"
Jacqui held her hand again, "we don't know where we were and I hope I recognise something but the jungle could have reclaimed it all now and we might never find her but we have to try and look."
Molly nodded, "yeah! We have to have hope don't we?" and they gave weak smiles.
"We won't be going until next year, the architect is still working on the memorial design so we won't be leaving till next spring but we will be moving to Berkshire in a few weeks" she said smiling.
"Can't believe we are actually moving out of London" added Brian
"We can't keep living at me Mum and Dads" said Jacqui "we can't find anywhere to live in London anyway so this was an opportunity that couldn't be turned down" she said smiling at Brian "Finally we will have some privacy and our own home."
"Well, I think we perhaps need a toast for new beginnings then" smiled Charles "New home new starts"
"I'll second that" said Brian
"So, when you go back to Singapore where will you be based" asked Charles and Brian laughed.
"Kranji" and both of them laughed.
"What's so funny?" asked Molly
"It is right next door to our old barracks – Woodlands"
"They have already started moving some of them from Changi to Kranji"
"So how long will you be out there for?" asked Charles
"It's a huge project Charlie" started Brian "We could be there for years" he looked down briefly before looking back to Charles "the main memorial is huge it's got 12 pillars to have 24,000 names of the men who have no known grave. Then there is the cremation memorial for the Indian Forces"
"I don't think anyone realises here do they?" said Molly, both Charles and Brian looked at her. "Just how bad it was out there" her breath hitched "how many were lost"
"We gotta be positive" said Brian "One day maybe their stories will be told" and he looked across to Jacqui "that they will have someone to talk to and believe what they tell them."
-OG-
Jacqui and Brian did move out to Maidenhead to be near his work, Jacqui got a job nearby at St Marks Hospital sometimes in their isolation wing looking after people with infectious diseases like TB and Scarlet fever.
Charles and Molly along with Roger and Edna were due to go to Bath for Christmas. Molly wasn't really looking forward to it but hoped that perhaps after a year together since they got back they would accept they were a married couple and nothing would change that.
As they had been up to London just before to see the Dawes family and to help Jacqui and Brian move they were spending both Christmas and New Year in Bath. As it happened it was probably a good idea as it was one of the coldest winters on record. The James family regardless of the coke shortage stockpiled and every fire was lit throughout the house. The Thames Froze, people couldn't get to work, the miners worked round the clock to get coal for the people. Molly kept her own counsel yet again. People were freezing, there were power outages, even the gas in London was reduced but people like the James stockpiled because they had the money to do it.
"This is where they need a disused barge" said Beck laughing
"What" answered Molly while they were sat round the table at breakfast in the James household.
"Your dad told me once they stripped a barge during the war when it was cold"
"Yeah! but they would have shared it and the neighbours would have been invited in if the fire was going" as soon as she said it she thought she had been a bit sharp and coloured up.
Beck coughed and maybe for the first time he saw the difference and why Edna was so attached to Molly, she had genuine compassion for her fellow man. He looked out the window and could see every house in Royal Crescent billowing smoke from their chimneys, didn't look like anyone here was short of coke to keep their homes warm.
The weather got progressively worse as winter went on and they were snowed in, trapped there now. They had to listen to the radio for news, the electricity went off for several hours a day to conserve fuel. 1947 was starting off as a very bleak year. The army was being used to dig out communities, public transport stopped and even if you were lucky enough to have a car all the major roads were blocked under feet of snow.
Edna came in from talking with one of the neighbours to say that Rebecca had been sent away and was convalescing in Europe somewhere.
"Oh, the poor girl" wailed Frances "I must get Charles to pop round to her parents and send our condolences….. I'll write a note for him to take round"
"I don't think she is sick dear" smirked Edna "Well not in that way"
"What do you mean" asked Frances "She can't surely have caught consumption could she" sounding horrified.
"No, more that she wasn't as careful as she should've been" smirked Edna knowing full well that Frances saw her as the right match for Charles and not Molly "Seems she is with child"
Molly nearly choked on her tea and was desperate to get back upstairs to tell Charlie and desperately trying to cover up her laugh. Just goes to show don't matter how much money you got, shit happens.
-OG-
They finally got home at the end of February to find that they had burst pipes and their little home had been flooded. There was no way she was going to spend any more time in Bath with his parents, they still didn't talk to her that much and even after the revelation of Rebecca didn't think she was a better match for Charles or accept she never would have done something like that.
It wasn't that far from Maidenhead to Aldershot so they agreed that they would stay with Brian and Jacqui while their house was being repaired by the landlord. At least they were all the same age, they could've stayed with Edna and Roger but that would be like living with parents again.
It was still terribly cold and the weather bad, they saw that the Thames was still frozen at both Windsor and Maidenhead power was still being turned off well into March before it all thawed out. Jacqui and Molly reckoned there would be another baby boom after all this, what else is there to do with no TV or radio, no heating and no lights. You had to keep warm and occupied somehow.
There certainly was a baby boom of which both Molly and Jacqui were part of. Charles and Brian both over the moon at the news from their wives. Although when Molly and Charles took Jacqui and Brian to Southampton in May to wave them goodbye they had only just found out their families would be increasing.
Molly and Jacqui hugged each other and were reluctant to let go. They had been friends all their lives, both were now pregnant full of hormones and wouldn't be there for each other for the first time in their lives.
"You'll write won't you Jacs all the time?" sobbed Molly
"Course and you too, tell me all about it, what cravings you get and everything"
Brian and Charles stood to the side while the women hugged and said their goodbyes
"We are getting a phone installed so you can phone us when she has the baby let us know" and Brian nodded
"Will let you know ours when we are sorted so you can do the same mate" and they shook hands
"Well if we don't see you before, see you in August 1950" said Brian
Charles nodded, "you can count on it"
"Come on Jacs we got to go" said Brian taking his wife's arm and pulling her away from Molly. She gave Molly and Charles a final hug and a tearful goodbye before walking up the gangway to the deck of the ship.
Charles stood behind Molly with his arm round her waist as she leant into him for support still crying at the loss of her friend
"They will be fine Molls" he whispered close to her ear "They'll write and we'll see them again" she nodded. They both waved frantically as the ropes were dropped and the ship started moving out the harbour.
-OG-
"So" said Charles as they were driving back to Guildford and looking out the corner of his eye at Molly who was still crying quietly "What order are we going with to tell people our good news?"
Molly grinned "Well as we are only up the road from Roger and Edna I suppose we tell them first but to keep it quiet till we tell our parents"
"Well at least you know all the nurses in the hospital for when you have it"
"I ain't having it in hospital" she replied "It's like a bloomin' factory line, and all the rules….No Mum and Nan can come up"
Charles was absolutely horrified by this idea, he wanted her in the hospital and looked after properly. They had the money so he couldn't see why she was against it but he had plenty of time to use his charm and change her mind.
So that weekend they went to visit Edna and Roger who they were completely excited for them. Roger patting him on the back and Edna hugging her, she knew that the girls had been a little worried that the starvation in the camp might affect their ability to have children. She was also pleased for Jacqui although she knew that Molly would miss her friend greatly at this time, it is probably a time they would have liked to be together and sharing this experience.
"Don't say nothing Edna we haven't told his parents or mine yet"
"No dear of course not" she patted her hand "It will be nice that you will know everyone in the hospital when you have the baby won't it?"
"As I said to Charlie, I ain't having it in hospital" she looked straight at Edna who was a little shocked
"Surely being your first you would feel better in the hospital with all the staff and equipment there?"
"It's the rules Edna" she lamented "One visitor, one person in the delivery room, and not to get up or eat anything unless you get permission from the nurse"
"I'd like Charlie with me really but I suppose he won't be allowed, me dad never saw any of his kids born" she shrugged her shoulders "So it will have to be Mum, Nan and you" and Edna's eyes widened
"Don't worry Edna" she laughed "Me mum and nan have had loads of kids, they know what to do and I'm a trained midwife so I can tell them what to do"
"How does Charles feel about this" asked Edna, still a little shocked.
Molly sniggered "I think he thinks he's got time to change me mind, but I ain't changing it. We're telling my family next week and then going to Bath the weekend after to tell his"
"We were going down that week" said Edna
"Exactly" smiled Molly and Edna shook her head but smiled none the less.
-OG-
As planned they went up to London and told the Dawes family; Dave and Belinda were deliriously happy for them and at the thought of being grandparents. Nan however was a little daunted at being a great grandmother.
They caught up on all the news from the Dawes household. Seemed that both Bella and June were stepping out with a couple of nice chaps worked at the Ford plant in Dagenham. The two boys still doing their apprenticeship at the Brewery with Dave and his brother Arthur, who was still refusing point blank to get another car and still causing laughter at how he blew it up.
-OG-
They drove down to Bath the following weekend, by the time they got there Roger and Edna had already been there a few days. Edna was extremely grateful that they would be coming down today as she was finding it increasingly hard to not say anything and she couldn't take the happy smile off her face about the news of the baby.
She had heard that the Dawes family were delighted with the news and both Nan and Belinda had said they would come up at the time of the birth.
They were upstairs in their room, Charles was in the bathroom while Molly was in her underwear looking at herself from various different angles. She wasn't sure if she was starting to show. Charles came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist to catch her posing and couldn't help but smirk and bite his bottom lip before walking up behind her, enveloping her in his arms nuzzling her neck and giving her tiny kisses round her ear.
"Do you think I show yet?" she asked smiling at him while looking at the mirror and him nuzzling her neck.
"No" he laughed, he put his chin on her head and his hands on her stomach "I can't see anything yet"
She turned in his arms and put hers round his neck "You are happy aren't you about this?"
"More than I have ever been" he smiled down at her kissing her soundly on the lips and pulling her closer.
"You should have said you were taking a bath" she grinned at him and he threw his head back and laughed
"Do I take it if we are having a girl it might be called Blanche" and Molly started giggling just as he picked her up and carried her to their bed.
-OG-
They decided that they would make there announcement over dinner and he had to say it went better than he thought, well it did to start with.
"Well you are going to have to move back here now Charles" said Frances "You can't continue in rented accommodation with a baby on the way"
"When is it due" she continued "We will need to start advertising for a nanny then the interviewing, set aside and prepare a room for baby and nanny"
Molly grabbed his leg under the table and squeezed hard, he almost yelped but managed to just about disguise it into a cough. Her eyes were wide with horror about the way they were trying to manage them.
"Mother, we will be moving into the new army housing until I decide what I want to do with my future"
"Your future" burst in Peter "That's with the army, it's about time you looked at promotion to Major now that you have responsibilities" and Molly tried to stop sniggering at least it wasn't just her they were trying to railroad into something they didn't want. He was twenty nine, thirty next birthday and they were talking to him like a child.
Roger coughed "Well the new married quarters at Aldershot are very nice and it's a permanent home while he is stationed there."
"I'm sure it is Roger" stated Peter "But Frances is right they will have to come back here, and if Charles gets stationed abroad like before, then Molly and the baby can stay here until its old enough to go to boarding school and then she can join him out there."
That was the final straw for Molly "I will look after me own baby meself and if Charles does get stationed abroad we will all go" she huffed "I won't be sending any of my kids away" and with that she left the room willing herself not to cry.
Edna followed her out and up the stairs knowing how upset she was, she could hear the raised voices of both Charles and his father.
"What's got into her Charles, surely you can see this is the best plan under the circumstances"
"What circumstances" he shouted back
"Well you wanting to look after Molly and the child" continued Frances "We quite understand that is the honourable thing to do"
"She's my wife"
"So, you keep saying but are you sure it was legal" Charles was absolutely thunderstruck at the comment and for a moment was speechless
"It was definitely legal" interjected Beck quietly "I drew up the paperwork and the chaplain conducted the service; all notarised and documented"
"You did what?" hollered Peter
"You and Frances have always prided yourselves on your charitable work, she is a lovely girl I thought you would be happy with his choice" Charles was just flabbergasted that this conversation was going on around him as if he wasn't there.
"It's one thing to do charitable works for those less fortunate but it is quite another to welcome them into your home as part of the family" and there it was just as he had always thought they were haughty and displayed the arrogance that their wealth had provided them, with little or no compassion. That Peter was still that bully he had been at school and the army had allowed him to continue to be.
"Well we've told you now" said Charles finding his tongue "We will be leaving first thing tomorrow" and he too left the room to find Molly.
"Well really" said Frances "You would have thought they would have been grateful to live here and have someone help them" she dabbed her eyes "He's changed since he's been to the Far East"
"The war and captivity changed most of us Frances" responded Roger sadly "Now I had better find Edna as I think we too will be leaving in the morning" and left Peter and Frances looking shocked.
-OG-
Charles had gone upstairs to their room to find Molly being held by Edna and sobbing into her chest Edna stroking her hair, trying her best to console her.
"I think I can take over from here Edna" he smiled at her, Edna returned the smile and got up to leave.
"I'm so sorry Molly" he said sitting on the bed where Edna had left, holding her close, her hands gripping his shirt as she cried.
"Did I do something wrong to make em not like me" she looked up with her flushed tear stained face and his heart broke a little bit that his family had made her so sad.
"No, you didn't and I don't want to hear you say something like that again" and he wiped her tears away "Your perfect" and kissed her nose
"I don't do perfect" she sniffed but she did at least giggle
He took her hand and started twisting her wedding ring looking at her small hand in his. "Remember I'll adore you for always" and he looked back into her eyes and was rewarded with one of her beaming smiles.
"I love you Charlie" and he lowered his head to kiss her and he felt the rising passion he had always felt for her
"Do you fancy a bath, I'll scrub your back" he grinned, waggling his eyebrows his eyes dark with desire.
She snorted a laugh "We both know you ain't gonna scrub me back"
"I'll run the bath while you get out of those clothes" he chuckled. They were both laughing hard now, their happy bubble restored and content with the future they had chosen for themselves.
-OG-
Months had passed and they moved into the new army married quarters, received a few letters from Jacqui telling them how happy they were out in Singapore, how much work there was to do on the memorial and that she had part time work at the refuge with Dr Mason. They also heard from Alex and Katie. Her training was going well and he was still in the army also looking at a promotion to Major.
They hadn't heard from his parents at all but had seen plenty of Roger and Edna who had helped them move into the new house along with Dave and Belinda.
He adored looking at Molly and her ever expanding baby bump, she didn't seem to be having too much of a problem with pregnancy considering how small she was. He felt like crying himself when they felt it move for the first time. In fact, they were in bed and she was pressed into his side as her stomach rippled sending the sensation through to him. He must have spent all night with his hand on her belly hoping it would do it again.
If it was a boy they had agreed on John as a name, as every name he suggested Molly shortened it. Thomas was Tom, Edward was Teddy or Eddie which he absolutely loathed and Samuel was Sam. By picking John she couldn't shorten it and he remembered the conversation well, smiling to himself at her pout when she realised she couldn't shorten the name.
Girls names were still being bandied about and argued over, not that they were really arguments and there was always a lot of heavy petting while the discussion was going on, Molly hoping to sway him. He didn't mind Jaqueline or Catherine but he knew what they would be shortened to, one of her best friends. He was under strict instructions and on pain of death never to say that she didn't like Edna as a name as she didn't want to offend her friend. So, at the moment it was looking like Blanche and while he had a lot to thank her for including saving his wife he didn't really like that name much.
November came soon enough and Belinda and Nan moved in as Molly was finding things increasingly difficult with her swollen ankles and overwhelming tiredness.
Then early one morning at the beginning of November she woke him up and it had started. She still refused to go to hospital, she knew what she was doing she told him. Told him to get her Mum.
"Why don't you drive over and pick up Edna" said Nan getting a bit irritated by him keep getting in the way, fusing over Molly and asking if she wanted another cup of bleedin' tea.
So off he went as ordered and in a state of excitement looking forward to the arrival of their baby and wondering what it would be and who it would look like.
Edna was ecstatic and couldn't wait to get to the house. Roger was his normal relaxed self and just patted Charles on the back saying that he would keep him company with a bottle of whiskey while the women were doing their thing, which did give him cause to raise an eyebrow at that.
Every now and again one of the women came out of the bedroom for more water and towels, all of them smiled at him as they walked past. Every now and again his Molly screamed and he wanted to rush up there and see what was going on but Roger just patted his shoulder and offered him 3 fingers of whiskey. Bloody hell it was only 11 o'clock in the morning he would be drunk by the time his child arrived at this rate.
Then they heard it that first cry and he was a father. He had a broad smile on his face and it didn't leave it for the rest of the day. They had a son.
He phoned through to Singapore to let Brian and Jacqui know, Brian told him that Jacqui must have come out in sympathy with Molly as she had just gone into labour herself and he would phone back later with the news on what they had but in the meantime, he would tell Jacs that Molly had a little boy.
He was finally allowed into the bedroom to see Molly who looked exceedingly tired but happy holding their little bundle. He sat on the side of the bed and put his feet up and Molly lent onto his shoulder.
"You wanna hold him" she beamed at him and all he could do was nod his eyes misty looking at his beautiful wife and son.
He held him carefully looking at the mop of curly brown hair and dark blue eyes, which Molly said would turn like his brown. He felt his heart swell and he didn't think he had ever been this happy in his life except for the days he met Molly and married her.
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Thank you all again for your lovely reviews.