Chapter 15 Memories

In the late afternoon Helen arrived back home with the toddler. When she entered she was greeted from inside from the moment that she opened the door.

"Hey darling how was your day?"

"Fine!", she yelled back when she pulled out her coat and shoes.

She entered the living room with Kate in her arms and stopped. There were some lights on and the radio was playing. Mike came towards her and he noticed that her eyes were moist and that she was fighting with her emotions.

"Honey, what's the matter?", he asked concerned after he gave her a kiss and Kate a hug.

"Oh, nothing, I feel warm inside. Day after day, month after month I left my house and when I entered again I found the things like I left them. But now I'm entering a warm home. Here's music, the lights are on, some items are not on the same place than when I left them. It means that I'm not alone anymore. It's good to feel we're together now and that makes me a bit emotional", she replied with a faint voice.

"Of course honey, we're together now", he said when he took over Kate from her.

"You've set the table already?", Helen said surprised.

"Yeah, I'm going to cook for us tonight", he said wrapping his other arm around her shoulders.

"Oh thank you, but you don't have to do that every day, you know."

"I know, but I thought, the first day of our new life. I bought even some wine. A glass?"

"Yeah, it will taste, but I want to put on something else first!", she said and she turned to walk to the staircase.

Mike put Kate in the playpen and he walked to the fridge to take the bottle of white wine. Meanwhile he started with the preparation of the dinner.

A bit later Helen was back and he noticed that she has put on the dark red dress from the day before.

When they ticked the glasses to each other for a toast.

"What are we going to eat?", she asked him.

"Oh? The receipt that you liked from me, chicken nuggets with fried potatoes and chopped Capricorns.

"Hmm, good!", she answered lifting her eyebrows.

After he has taken a sip, he asked, "Have you still thought about my proposal?"

Helen poked his arm. "I've been doing nothing else than that. Of course!", she said determined with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Great! And how does it happen here?"

"You marry in the town hall. That's the official part for the government and then we can marry for the church, if you want that. There's an Anglican church nearby, the St George Chapel."

"Yeah, indeed, but do you know already a lot of people here? I'm afraid it's going to be a lonely happening, not? In Cairns we had our friends."

Helen shrugged and sighed. "You're right. I have my colleagues of the Commission and the neighbours. They will be happy to hear that the English girl is going to marry the Navy officer they saw a couple of months ago.

"English?"

"Yeah, we're all English for them. It's only when people know the Australian accent that they make the difference."

Hmm, I see. So, what concerns the guests, I think that's fair enough. We will give a drink, not? And afterwards we can have a dinner for us", Mike said.

"Yeah sounds good."

"Come, dinner is ready", he said as he grabbed the frying pan with the chicken nuggets.

"When?", he asked as he divided the food on both plates.

"I think we have to give it a couple of weeks. Arrangements at the town hall and with the priest, announcements, you know. But let us not wait too long, otherwise it's autumn here."

"Indeed, work to do", he said nodding as they sat down, "enjoy your meal!"

"Thank you and same to you. When the temperature is still fine I can look for a nice dress otherwise I have to look for a suit."

"A wedding dress?", Mike asked with risen eyebrows.

"No, that costs a fortune and it will be almost a private ceremony, no, just a nice smart dress", she said with a cheeky smile.

A few days later, Friday, at the end of the afternoon.

Helen entered back home with Kate and she yelled 'hi'. When she has pulled out her pumps and her jacket she entered the living room with the little one, she was nailed at the ground as she noticed that the living room was plenty with carton boxes.

"Mike? What's this all about?", she asked suspiciously.

"Hi honey", she heard from the kitchen. "My stuff has arrived."

"Oh yeah, indeed, I'm sorry, I forgot", she said while putting Kate in the playpen.

He came out of the kitchen, gave Kate a hug and kissed Helen. "I think we'll have to do this together, not?"

He knew how keen she was on her privacy and the amount of boxes in her living room was for sure a straight violence on the first.

She looked suspiciously at these boxes. "Yeah, you're right."

When he opened the first box, she couldn't help herself to say. "When you had to make the choice for the boxes you've kicked away all my stuff first I guess?"

Mike smirked at his future wife. "You're absolutely wrong. That was just the easiest part to pack. I packed your things first."

"Is it?", she said and she pushed him almost aside to see what was inside.

Helen became extreme quiet when they unpacked the items of her house. She murmured barely auditable phrases when she recognised books, postures, souvenirs, clothes from her life in Cairns. From time to time she wiped over her eyes. They continued but at the moment he pulled out her white uniform she was really in tears.

"Oh, Mike, tell me, why… why couldn't we go further with it? I didn't deserve that. I've never done anything wrong", she wailed when she covered her face in his chest.

"Katie, I'm really sorry. Nobody and I repeat nobody had foreseen this", he said caressing her back.

Helen took a deep breath and walked to the kitchen to wipe her tears and to blow her nose with a tissue. When she came back he could see a high degree of curiosity in her eyes. She looked a little surprised as she saw the little flat dark blue box in his hand and when she saw Mike's serious face she frowned. "What's this?", she asked.

"Honey, this is yours", he said as he gave her the box.

Helen widened her eyes as she saw the conspicuous service cross when she opened the box.

"You were awarded with conspicuous service cross for bravery during the last operation", he said not knowing how she was going to react.

If I tell her the rest then she breaks down and that's not the intention.

Helen took the cross out of the box, looked at her engraved name at the back and held in the air to look at it.

"Darling, I really don't know what I have to do. Being happy, shouting of anger or being sad and crying. It's a mixture inside and in the first place I feel betrayed. My whole life, my career, my social life was messed up in one take, thrown away like litter. And I do know it's for my security, but this knowledge doesn't take away that feeling."

Then she looked at her white service dress uniform that lay on the couch, "I'll stick it in front of the others? That's the least that I can do huh?"

Mike wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her, "Congratulations honey!", he said and she returned him a sad smile.

"What do you have more from me?", she asked after she has stuck the cross in front of the other medals.

"This!", he said as he took two parcels that he passed her.

She lifted her eyebrows as she unpacked the softest parcel.

"Oh no!", she mumbled as she unfolded the Blanc de Nil dress and she held it in front of her to look at.

She put it over the back of the couch and she unpacked the second parcel. Helen frowned when she held the white cotton wedge sole pumps in her hand.

"Jeez! you've kept these barges as well", she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I couldn't throw them away because we've had such a wonderful weekend over there, thus I kept that outfit. And I would like that you'll wear it one day again. And the shoes belonged to your outfit. But why 'barges'?", he asked frowning".

"They stretched during that thunderstorm and became too big, just fit to clump around in a supermarket or in the garden".

"Oh? Sorry I didn't know".

She touched his arm, "No worries, you're so cute. I'll wear the outfit on a hot, sunny day when we'll be at the coast! Ok?"

After the dinner they continued unpacking and she nodded from time to time when she recognised items from him or her. It was late in the evening when they had given the things a place in their house again.

The next day, Saturday, they sat at the table and were busy with the breakfast.

"Honey, that was a good dinner last night! How did you call it? It sounded more like a curse than a dish", he said before biting from his toast.

"Thanks darling and that was Stoemp", Helen said.

He frowned, "Uh? Stump...?", he tried.

Helen smiled, "No, S T OE M P, stoemp!", she said pronouncing every character. "Boiled potatoes with any kind of vegetables, being carrots or spinach or leek, or whatever. Afterwards you mash it and you serve it with a sausage or a pork cutlet", Helen said.

"Hmm, anyway your curse was very good and I think that I have to go for a language training, not?"

"Uh-hu", she reacted with a twinkle in her eyes.

Mike emptied his cup of coffee and cleaned his mouth with the napkin.

"Good breakfast, bacon and eggs. Like it", he said.

"Mind it's not for every day and it's Sunday tomorrow", Helen replied.

"Yeah and?", he asked curiously.

What about Sundays? I discover something new here every day.

"Pistolets!", Helen said with a twinkle in her eyes. "It's a funny habit in Belgium to eat pistolets, these crusty bread rolls, you know, on Sunday. Initially I found it a strange habit, but I owned it as well and knowing your stomach, you'll agree with me."

"Hmm, yep, I've eaten them in the Novotel", he said nodding.

"Good, get used to get them on Sunday morning", she deadpanned.

"Uh?"

"Well, when you go to the bakery on a Sunday morning to buy pistolets you only see men. I don't know why but it's a strange habit in Flanders", Helen said emptying her cup of coffee.

"Ah?"

"Ok, darling that's settled then. When you get them, then I'll have more time to give Kate a bath", she replied with cheeky grin.

He looked baffled at her spreading his hands.

How's possible? I don't know how she fixes it, but every time she's getting what she wants. Once on Hammersley and now here!

"What are the plans for today and tomorrow?"

"A bit household chores and shopping, we need a few things", she replied while she started collecting the plates and cups.

"Anything you want to do tomorrow? The weather forecast seems to be good", Helen asked loud out of the kitchen.

"To the coast? There where we were the last time, you remember, with the river estuary", Mike replied as he entered the kitchen with the empty coffee and milk jar.

"Nieuwpoort Bad and the river is the Yzer", she replied.

"We can eat mussels with French frites then, because he mussel season is on its best now. And I'll put on the white dress and the shoes for you", she added giving him a bone melting smile.

During the morning Mike noticed a white movement in their bedroom and he went to see it. He stopped in the doorway. Helen had put on her white uniform with the medals and she had slipped in a pair of heeled sandals. She stood in front of the mirror, with her hat on and smiled sadly to her mirror image. She was too preoccupied that she didn't see him.

"Lieutenant McGregor!", he said in his commanding tone.

She turned quickly to him, startled for a second and then she started to play the game also.

"What's up … sir?", she asked arrogantly with her hands on her hips and her chin a little lifted.

"Your uniform is not following the rules!", he said sternly.

Helen looked at him with narrowed eyes, "Sir, that's due to the sandals and I'm so happy that you haven't brought those awful white cigar boxes with you", she replied with a smirk. Her eyes lighted up and she forgot that she was in Ypres. She was back at the bridge discussing an item about which they had a different view.

He padded to his part of the dressing and took out a small parcel that he unpacked.

"Your shoulder boards are not according to your rank," he said while he gave her a pair of shoulder boards with two and a half band.

Helen stared flabbergasted at him with an open mouth.

"Congratulations lieutenant-commander," he said.

"No? Are …are you kidding?", she stammered in unbelief.

"Yeah, honey, it's true. You've got your promotion during the time you were under cover, but they didn't tell it because a lower officer's rank wouldn't attract the attention. Unfortunately we had no chance anymore to tell you, because … it was too late", he said and she could feel guilt.

"Oh thank you Mike", she said blinking with her eyes against the overwhelming emotions.

"Well, I'm really happy you've got them finally."

Helen was caressing the golden bands. "It still hurts you know, more than I could imagine, but I'm going to have to live with it, huh?

I'll fix them to the uniform, that will make the picture complete," she said sadly.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I would say 'enjoy it', but I'm afraid that it will sound somewhat sarcastic. Anyhow I can't find anything better to say to you in this weird situation."

"No problem darling, at the end it gives a good feeling that I finally have achieved what I've been wishing for years. But the most important of all is that we are together, without these stupid rules this time", and she gave him a kiss.

To be continued