I'll Be Seeing You
Chapter 12
How are you feeling, Hel?" Joey asked as she met her friend in the canteen at lunch time.
"Awful." Helen replied, looking pale.
"Don't you think you should visit the M.O.?" Joey suggested.
Helen sighed.
"Dorn't think I 'ave t' Josie." Helen said, blushing.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm with child!"
"What!" Joey exploded. "How on earth can you be?"
"Keep ya voice darn, big gob!" Helen hissed, waving her hands up and down.
"How can you be?" Joey repeated her question; quieter this time.
"I jost nor. Just like me Ma. Dad only 'as to look at 'er and she falls each tarm."
"Was it Chuck?"
"Aye. There's been nor won else Jo, honest."
"Why on earth did you go with him?" Joey asked quietly.
"I got drunk." Helen said, looking down.
"And I wasn't there to keep an eye on you, was I?" Joey said, immediately feeling guilty.
"It's not your fault, love. You 'ad to look after your pal, Charlie."
Joey felt terrible. The one night she was totally wrapped up in Charlie and Helen slips into the clutches of the biggest cad in the US Army.
"But it's a bit too soon to tell, surely?" Joey suggested, hopefully.
"My curse hasn't arrived and 'arm as sick as a parrot, especially in t'mornings."
"Shit!" Joey cursed. "You silly bitch!"
Helen started to cry and Joey put her arms around her.
"Well, you better try and contact Chuck. Then, first thing in the morning, the M.O.'s office and that's an order!" Joey said, pulling rank.
***
Ruby Buckton looked at the envelope Charlie had left. It wasn't addressed to her, but to Joey Collins. Ruby frowned. She had not liked the instruction Charlie had given to her about posting the letter to Joey if anything happened. Why was that likely? What sort of job was Charlie going to do? She fingered the envelope, deep in thought and then placed it in a trinket box in her bedroom.
***
Joey Collins was trying to repair a dockside crane. The electrical resistance had burnt out making it hard to position. Joey climbed up the ladder trying to detach the hoist rope from the boom which had somehow managed to entangle itself. She shoved hard at the rope which, at last gave way, but Joey's foot slipped off the rung of the ladder and her shin scraped along the metal edge.
"Shit!" She shouted.
"Language, Jenny Wren!" Someone shouted from below.
Joey manoeuvred herself so she could look below at the 'clever dick' that had passed comment.
A tall, good looking red-headed Sailor grinned up at her and winked.
"Ha! Ha! Very funny!"
"What's a nice girl like yoz doing up thar?" The sailor enquired.
"I'm waiting for a number nine bus. What's it look like I'm doing?" Joey answered rubbing her leg as best she could up the ladder.
The sailor chuckled and beckoned the Wren down. When Joey reached the bottom of the ladder, she jumped the last two feet back down to earth and flinched. The Sailor helped steady her.
"Thanks." She said, glancing at the young man.
"Think ya better get that leg looked at." The Sailor suggested. "My name's Jim, bar the way, but ya can call me 'Jack'."
"Nice to meet you, Jim." Joey said, feeling bloody minded.
"Would ya be Josie Collins?" The sailor asked.
"Yes." Joey said slowly. "Why do you ask?"
"One of the Wren's op at t'office said ya might be able to 'elp me. I'm looking for ma sister Helen, Helen Wetherby."
"Helen! Oh! Are you Jim as in her brother Jim?" Joey asked, stupidly. She shook her head in disbelief at her own question.
Jim grinned.
"Aye, thart's me! They said you were a particular pal of our Helen, so I thought I'd come darn and 'ave a word." He said, holding out his hand to Joey.
"Nice to meet you, Jim." Joey said, taking his hand. "I'm just about finished here so I'll get myself cleaned up and I'll take you to see Helen."
"Thart's grand, Lass. Thanks ever so."
The Wren and Sailor walked along the along to the hotel where Joey and Helen shared a room.
"Helen's talked a lot about you and the rest of her brother's and sister's. I was sorry to hear about your brother." Joey said, sincerely.
"That was bad, but its war tarm and its inevitable that you're gorna lose someone; especially when you come from a brood like os." Jim sighed.
Joey had few people to lose in her life who would make any difference. There was her brother Brian, who she had heard nothing from in over nineteen months and there was Charlie. Dear God, if anything should happen to Charlie, I'd wither and die. She thought to herself.
They walked a little further until they reached the step of Joey's billet.
"This is us!" Joey said, leading the way.
***
Charlie got off the train at Stowmarket. The journey had been abysmal. There had been countless delays due to one problem or another and the train had been packed with service men travelling with full kit and they crowded the corridors and compartments; some were even lying down in the luggage racks. The air was thick with cigarette smoke and male chatter. Charlie pushed her way to the carriage door, fighting with a sleeping soldier's huge boot, which was blocking her exit. At last she managed to open the carriage door and hop off the train before it puffed out of the station.
She carried her case down the platform towards the doorway marked WAY OUT and handed her ticket to the ticket collector. The light was fading fast and Charlie had no idea how she was going to reach her 'Set Up' family that night.
"Miss. Buckton?" A very gentle voice said from behind.
Charlie turned around to face a man of about sixty five years old, very thin but with extremely wavy grey hair.
"Yes." She said.
"I'm Tom Harris, Uncle Tom to you!" He grinned.
He extended his hand and Charlie took it.
"The wife's at home preparing some dinner. I dare say you're famished?" Tom said, taking Charlie's case from her.
"I could eat a horse!" Charlie sighed.
"Careful, it might be what you're getting!"
They walked away from the station.
"It's not far from here. I didn't bring the car; it's a waste of petrol and you know how hard petrol coupons are to get hold of!"
"That's fine." Charlie said. "I've been cooped up so long on that damn train; I was beginning to feel like a sardine!"
Tom laughed. His laugh was warm. It reminded her of Joey's laugh and she tingled at the thought.
"Well, here we are." Tom said opening the gate and allowing Charlie to enter first.
Tom opened the front door with his key.
"Edna, love! She's here!" Tom called out to his wife.
A small lady came bustling in from the kitchen. She had mousey blonde hair and was of medium build. Her smile was warm and her face, pretty.
"Hello, my dear. I'm Edna. Welcome!" Edna said, extending her hand.
The two women shook hands and Edna lead Charlie into the parlour while Tom took her case upstairs to her bedroom.
"You have a lovely house, Edna." Charlie commented as she looked around.
"Well, I do my best, but what with the bombing and such, you can't keep a place free of dust."
"How true." Charlie agreed.
Tom came back down and joined the ladies.
"The kettle's just boiled; I'll make us some tea." Edna said, leaving Tom with Charlie.
"Well, Miss. Buckton."
"Charlie, please!" The younger woman said, smiling.
"I take it you have your orders?"
"Yes." Charlie said, looking at her hands.
"Don't worry love. It might not be as bad as it seems. From what I understand, you only have to watch really and be in the right place at the right time."
"It's just having to..." Here, Charlie's words faltered.
"You don't want to have to worry about that, my dear," said Edna as she entered the room with a tray of tea. "Just lay back and think of England!"
"That's easier said than done!" Charlie said, a look of anxiety spreading over her face.
"It may never even happen." Edna said, with a gentle smile of encouragement.
"You know everything, I take it?" Charlie asked, looking from husband to wife.
"We do. We've been working as a team since...Ooh! How long has it been, Edna?" Tom asked, looking at his wife.
"Since February 1910." Edna said, pouring the tea.
"We both worked for the Police for years, but in a special capacity," Tom continued, "and when the threat of a German invasion became a possibility, they wanted 'snoopers' out and about. We weren't far off retirement age, so they asked if we'd be willing to do this type of work for them. We mould into the background, so to speak."
Charlie nodded her head with interest.
"So, do you have to move around a lot?" She asked.
"Oh Lord! Yes. We're always on the shift!" Edna said, with a grin. "Couple of gypsies, us!" She laughed, looking at her husband.
A loud rat-tap at the front door made Charlie jump; her tea cup rattled against its saucer. Tom got up to answer it closing the door behind him, leaving the two women alone in the parlour.
Charlie's tongue licked her top lip and she glanced at Edna.
"You know, Charlie," Said the older woman, "You've no need to worry about, well, you know what. It's not pleasant but if you think of other things..."
"You mean...?"
"Oh yes! Many years ago. Tom and I hadn't been married long. We were in a special unit together. Tom had been sent down to the West Country to do something or another which escapes me now, but I had to keep a 'snoop' on a Russian Politian who was over here for some conference or another. Well, without going into too much detail, I had to befriend him and to find out where he was travelling during his visit, I had to sleep with him." Edna said, simply.
Charlie's mouth opened in amazement of how casually Edna told her story.
"You needn't look so shocked, Charlie. And I was a lot younger in those days!" She grinned. "I wasn't all that bad looking, either; well, that's what Tom says." She said, fondly.
"Does Tom know?" Charlie asked quietly.
"Oh yes! He wasn't happy about it, but he knew I had no choice. After all, it was part of the job. No sense in kicking."
Charlie swallowed. She wondered what she would tell Joey if she had to compromise herself with Hugo.
"Have you someone special in your life?" Edna asked with a smile.
Charlie blushed.
"I thought so!" Edna said, with a laugh. "What's his name?"
"Joey."
"Been together long?"
"No, not really, but we've know each other for quite a while now. Joey's my world, but we don't get to see each other much."
"Dark or fair?"
"Dark." Charlie said, with a grin. "With the most beautiful, big brown eyes imaginable! I lose myself in those eyes all the time!" Charlie said with a silly grin.
She suddenly remembered where she was and cleared her throat.
"The war causes separations, doesn't it?" She said, hoping to steer the conversation away from Joey.
"It does that, love. As I say, don't be embarrassed or guilty if you have to sleep with this man. Just blank out your mind. After all, with most men, it's all about 'them' and over with, in a flash!" Edna said grinning. "Just a word of advice. Always carry a 'French Letter' with you in case. Silly idiots never think when they're all steamed up! Make sure they use it. I'll see you get one before you go."
Charlie was shocked and embarrassed again by Edna's frank talk. But she took a little courage from it and sipped her tea.
"And if your chap, Joey, is worth his salt, he'll understand." Edna concluded as Tom came back in the room.
"Think there's something boiling over on the stove." He informed his wife.
"Blast!" She said, jumping up and leaving the room.
"Charlie, let me show you to your room."
***
Joey smiled at the happy reunion between the Wetherby siblings; once again missing the family camaraderie which she had lost a long time ago.
"Wot ya doing 'ere, our Jimmy?" Helen asked, excitedly.
"We're 'ere for a lecture at HMS Ganges, the resource and training unit, a bit down t'coast, so I promised Ma I'd pop in and see ya!"
"How long can ya stay?" Helen asked.
"Only a couple of hours. Got to be back at base by nine o'clock. Can we go out for a drink or something?" Jim asked, "You too Josie." He said, smiling at the very pretty Wren.
"That's kind of you, but its family stuff." Joey said, shyly.
"Robbish!" Helen said, tapping Joey's arm with the back of her hand. "You're as good as family."
"Okay. Thanks." She said, giving in.