The Very Thought of You
Chapter 38
Charlie sat with pitchfork in hand at the opposite end of the barn to the unconscious German fighter pilot. Joey shot off like a scolded cat to alert the authorities, a good hour previously. Wondering how long it would take Joey to get back to town, Charlie tried to calculate how far they had roamed the night before, but the recollection of their interesting journey was all very hazy now. Her mind wandered back to when they ambled alongside the barn and stopped and kissed for the hundredth time. Joey had gently pushed Charlie against the outside wall, her hands gently exploring Charlie's body. Charlie remembered how nervous she had felt, but with a strong want and need of her own, allowed Joey to lead her into the quiet, dark barn, where for the next few blissful hours, Joey gently and beautifully consumed her world.
She smiled and blushed at the recollection.
Joey arrived back to town, panting. Her chest hurt from her exertion. She hadn't eased up since leaving Charlie's side. She looked around, but the hour was still early and there was nobody to be seen. She began to run again and rounding a corner, bumped straight into a man in uniform.
"Gawd! Love, look where you're going!" Came the voice from the uniform.
"Oh!" puff, puff. "Mr. Stewart! Am I..." puff, puff, "glad to see you!" Joey managed.
"Blimey! Joey Collins, isn't it?" Mr. Stewart said in surprise. "What are you doing out and about at this time of the morning?"
"We've found a German Pilot! In one of the barns, way over there!" Joey panted, pointing in the general direction. "He's unconscious!"
Mr. Stewart shifted the rifle on his shoulder. The Whitstable Home Guard had never had to deal with anything like this before and his heart beat a little quicker in anticipation and excitement.
"Right, love. I'll round up the boys, and you get down to the Police station and report this. You said 'We'. Who else was with you?"
Joey was about to open her mouth and blurt out Charlie's name, when she recollected their reason for being together.
"It was Constable Buckton and I. We were up and out early this morning. We have a shared interest in – err, bird song!" She managed.
Mr. Stewart looked at the Joey for a moment, with interest.
"Oh, right. It takes all sorts!" Alf said, frowning gently. "I'm assuming Constable Buckton is still with the pilot?"
Joey nodded.
"Ok, you get down to the station and I'll get the lads. Come right back afterwards. You'll have to show us where this barn is."
Charlie was awakened from her reverie by a soft moaning noise coming from the direction of the German pilot. Her heart began to race. Although she knew he was not armed and she did have a pitchfork, she still felt a little nervous. Apprehending a criminal was one thing, but keeping vigil over a desperate German flyer was different. She got up and slowly and quietly walked over to the man laying face down in the straw, the pitchfork prongs facing him. She swallowed and listened for any other sign of life.
Captain Alfred Stewart, of the Whitstable Home Guard had managed to round up seven of his men. Their age group ranging from fifty to seventy eight! They stood around on the street corner that Joey had left fifteen minutes before, smoking cigarettes and enthusing over the possibility of capturing the enemy. A few minutes later, a police whistle was heard and the sound of heavy boots running up the street, to join the khaki-glad troops.
Charlie watched closely, but the pilot made no attempt to move or moan again. She wondered if perhaps he had let out his last gasp before perishing but was not prepared to get close enough to find out – not without back up.
"How are we going to know that things haven't turned nasty in there?" Captain Stewart of the Home Guard asked Sergeant Crosby of the Kent Constabulary as they stood a little distance from the barn, rubbing their chins.
Joey looked up anxiously.
"I think we'd better surround the barn to begin with. Then we'll have to take a chance and call out to the occupiers." Sergeant Crosby mused.
"But what if there's more than one German in there now?" Alf replied. "They'd have over powered your officer! Perhaps we'd be better just storming the door?"
Joey felt sick listening to the two men considering what action to take; either idea putting her beloved Charlie in danger. Suddenly, she had a little idea.
"I think I know a way of letting Char- I mean Constable Buckton know I'm – we're here without causing too much attention!" She announced.
The two men looked at her, with a mixture of doubt and interest.
"Just give me a moment." Joey said and began to walk slowly to the barn.
"Be careful, love!" Alf called in a whisper.
Joey made her way to the barn, her heart beating loudly, almost drowning out her prayer that Charlie hadn't been hurt or held captive by any Germans. When she was within a few feet of the barn, she glanced back to where she had left her comrades. They were quietly spreading out around the perimeter of the barn but keeping a safe enough distance not to attract any unwanted attention.
Joey took a few breaths and managed to get her breathing under control. She licked her lips and puckering up began to whistle the few lines of the song which reminded her so much of Charlie, "The very thought of you...." the song they had fallen in love to, the day of the boat picnic. She hoped and prayed that Charlie would understand her message.
Charlie was slowly moving back to her post after leaving the German pilot, safe in the knowledge that he was reasonably harmless, (especially if he were dead,) when she thought she heard something outside. She stopped and listened, her heart beating nineteen to the dozen.
Joey heard nothing from within. She bit her lip but persisted with the next few lines of the tune.
Charlie heard the sound again and realised it was someone outside whistling. She listened harder and recognised the tune. She couldn't imagine any German whistling that song or any other song than 'Lilli Marlene', and therefore, it could only be one person. Joey.
Charlie ran swiftly to the barn door and gently opened it. The relief that spread over the smiling Joey's face made Charlie grin broadly. The two girls hugged each other and stole a much deserved kiss before the troops descended upon them.