Moonlight and Ashes (52 page)

‘No, Mam, don’t help me. I want to learn to get about on me own,’ he would tell her if she so much as made a move to help him. His courage made her heart swell with pride and she knew that they were going to come through this.

David was endlessly patient with his nephew and went out of his way to find things to entertain him. It was almost as if, now that Danny too had suffered the loss of a limb, in fact, two limbs, there was some unspoken bond between them and David could finally face up to his own injury. In truth, he was humbled to see this young boy’s bravery and determination to cope, and while he watched admiringly, his own healing process finally began.

Maggie meanwhile watched the love between Jo and David grow, and wondered when they would recognise what was happening themselves.

She and Beryl took Danny out for a walk around Swanswell Park one crisp bright afternoon, and returned to find David and Jo positively glowing.

‘Maggie, I er . . . I wonder if I might have a word with you in the front room?’ David asked as Jo blushed to the roots of her hair.

‘Of course.’ Maggie drew off her gloves and tossed them onto the table as she followed him into the small front parlour. He closed the door and then stood staring at her, looking highly embarrassed.

‘Maggie, I felt it only right to speak to you before we said anything to Mam, because . . . Well, you and I go back a long way. I’ll admit I always considered you to be
my
girl, even after you married Sam. But the thing is - the war has changed us all, and I . . .’

When he faltered, she laughed and decided to put him out of his misery. ‘What you’re trying to tell me, David, is that you and Jo have fallen in love and you want me to give you my blessing.’

‘But . . . how did you know?’ he asked incredulously.

Maggie giggled. ‘A blind man on a galloping horse could see how you two felt about each other. I think I saw it the first day I came home, even before you two did. And if you’re asking me how I feel about it, well - all I can say is I’m delighted for you both. You look right together and I hope you’ll both be very, very happy. Jo is a lovely girl, David. Don’t you ever forget it - you’re a very, very lucky man.’

Relief washed over his face as he hastily hurried to her and planted a kiss on her cheek. ‘But what about you, Maggie?’

She smiled reassuringly at him. ‘Don’t you get worrying about me. I’ve got Danny and Lizzie to worry about, thank goodness.’

As he took her hand in his, his eyes were full of tenderness. ‘I reckon you and I were never meant to be, don’t you?’

She gently stroked his cheek. ‘Everything happens for a reason. Let’s just leave it at that, eh? And be grateful for what we’ve got. Now come on, let’s go and put Jo out of her misery and tell your mam the good news.’

With his arm about her shoulder, they went to do just that.

 

The following week, Jo and David were married by Special Licence at the register office. It was a simple wedding, with only Beryl, Danny, Maggie and two strangers they dragged in off the street to act as witnesses attending, but even so, the love that shone between Jo and David as they took their vows brought tears stinging to Maggie’s eyes. Jo looked beautiful in a suit that Maggie had hastily run up for her on Beryl’s sewing-machine, and she carried a tiny posy of snowdrops. David managed to look handsome in the only suit he possessed, which was now far too big for him, and looked proud and happy. Once outside, Danny threw confetti over them as David lovingly stroked the tiny person growing inside his new wife’s stomach.

Maggie was content in the knowledge that she was witnessing a coming together of souls.

 

The next morning, bright and early, Maggie called at the florist’s in Gas Street, and after buying a pot containing a bright red Christmas Rose, she wheeled Danny to the London Road Cemetery. Two large communal graves were a harsh reminder of the war that was raging all around them.

Danny’s eyes filled with tears as he stared at the huge unmarked grave. Somewhere in there lay the best friend he had ever had.

‘Just try to think that he’s in a better place now, love,’ Maggie soothed him.

Danny nodded. ‘Do yer suppose there’s any chance that he might meet up wi’ our Lucy an’ me gran?’

Maggie was aware that Danny hadn’t mentioned his father but wisely chose not to comment on it. Danny had more than enough to come to terms with at the moment. ‘I think there’s every chance. The angels look after their own.’

Leaning over the side of his wheelchair, Danny laid the plant on the edge of the enormous grave.

‘Goodbye, Soho Gus . . . I’ll never forget you,’ he whispered.

Turning the wheelchair about, Maggie steered him home.

 

‘How much longer now, Mam?’ Danny asked for the hundredth time as he gazed from the train window. The nightmare journey he had made back from Wales to Coventry on that fateful night a few short weeks ago, seemed so remote.

‘We’ll soon be there,’ Maggie assured him. ‘Look, you can see the Welsh hills in the distance. We’ll be in Pwllheli in no time, and Eric has promised to be there to meet us.’

Her heart pounded at the thought of seeing him. He’d written to say that he’d meet them at the station, but was it merely because he felt he had to? She would know soon enough so she settled back in her seat to watch the Welsh countryside flash past the carriage window.

As they drew into the station, Maggie began to gather their cases together and she manoeuvred Danny’s wheelchair into the corridor. His face was alight at the thought of seeing his sister and Eric again, and her heart swelled with pride. Her son had been through so very much, yet had come out of it all with a smile on his face. He truly was a shining example to them all.

The train finally lurched to a standstill, and somehow Maggie managed to roll the wheelchair along the narrow corridor to the door. The platform was misty with smoke from the engine as she clambered down, dragging their cases behind her. She then turned to lift the wheelchair with the help of a friendly porter who had seen her struggling.

‘Thank you very much.’ After delving into her purse, she slipped some coins into his hand, then peered along the length of the platform. It was then she heard a familiar voice and her heart began to sing.

Spinning around, she saw Lizzie pounding towards her, her beautiful hair flying behind her like a golden cloud. And then she was in her mam’s arms and they were laughing and crying all at the same time. Within seconds, she had disentangled herself from Maggie and flung herself at her brother, almost climbing into the wheelchair with him in her excitement. Maggie felt tears prick at the back of her eyes. She had wondered how Lizzie would cope with seeing her brother in a wheelchair, but she needn’t have worried. He was still her brother, and the fact that he no longer had any legs had done nothing to change that.

‘Hello, Maggie.’

Turning quickly, she now found herself looking up into Eric’s face. His eye-patch was gone, and somehow the scars on his face looked nowhere near as disfiguring as she had once thought them to be.

He touched his face self-consciously. ‘I er . . . decided not to wear the eye-patch any more,’ he told her. ‘Lizzie said it frightened her.’

Suddenly shy, she held her hand out to him. All the way there on the train she’d rehearsed what she would say to him, but now the words died on her lips. She wanted to fling herself into his arms and tell him how much she’d missed him, but she knew that she mustn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to compromise him when he’d done so much for them all already.

Sensing her embarrassment, he turned his attention to Danny.

‘So - how are we feeling then?’ His obvious delight at seeing him brought an answering smile from Danny.

‘I’m all right,’ he replied with a cheeky grin. ‘All ready fer me next art lesson now.’

‘I’m glad to hear it.’ Eric ruffled his hair affectionately before bending to lift the cases. ‘Let’s get cracking then, shall we? Lizzie and I have done you a nice dinner all ready for when we get home.’

Lizzie grasped the handles of the wheelchair and hurried after Eric. Maggie could hardly take her eyes off the child. She’d put on a little weight and her cheeks were glowing, due to the combination of fresh air and good food she had received. Suddenly she felt guilty. Beryl and David had ensured that she left Coventry with some money in her pocket, but it wouldn’t last for long and she couldn’t expect Eric to house and feed them all for nothing. Her pride would not allow it. Perhaps there might be a part-time job she could do somewhere whilst the children were at school - when Danny was fit enough to return to school, that was.

She promised herself that as soon as the children had settled in she would talk to Eric about it. At least then he would know that she wasn’t intending to take advantage of him just because of what had happened between them.

Outside the station, Eric lifted Danny and gently placed him on the back seat of the car with Lizzie, then folding his wheelchair up, he put it in the back with the cases before opening the front passenger door for Maggie.

‘Ma’am.’ There was a twinkle in his eye as Maggie shyly squeezed past him.

All the way back to
Tremarfon
the car was filled with the excited chatter of the children, which was just as well, for Maggie was struck dumb, and was already wondering if this had been such a good idea, after all. It briefly crossed her mind that she might be able to find somewhere in Wales for her and the children to live until after the war was over - if she could find a job, that was. But then, how would Danny cope with her at work? He now needed a fair amount of help with even ordinary everyday things.

All the way back she pondered on her situation until at last, Eric drove into Sarn-Bach. Danny suddenly fell silent as they drove past the house where Sparky had lived. Maggie had been forced to tell Danny what had happened to him. Just thinking back to it now made her eyes well with tears.

Lizzie squeezed his hand, feeling his pain as she always did. ‘Try not to get upset,’ she told him softly. ‘Sparky probably saved my life an’ Eric says he was a hero.’

Danny nodded, but his chin sank to his chest as he thought about his little friend. At last they turned up the lane that would lead to home and Danny gazed at
Derwen Deg
as they passed it. He missed Soho Gus more than he could say, and yet he still felt as if he were somehow close.

‘He came to see me when I were lyin’ in the hospital, yer know,’ he told Lizzie. ‘I hardly knew what day it was, or
where
I was, fer that matter, but Gus soon put me straight. “Pull yerself together an’ get on wi’ things,” he told me. I were feelin’ really sorry fer meself ’cos me legs had gone, but it’s like he said: “Yer’ve still got yer arms, ain’t yer?” That got me to thinkin’. At least I’m still here, ain’t I? An’ then Mam came back an’ I knew things were goin’ to work out all right. When me stumps have healed a bit they reckon they can make me some pro . . . prosth . . . Oh, I can’t remember the posh name, but it means pretend legs. Yer can learn to walk again an’ everythin’ on ’em.’

Lizzie gazed at him admiringly. In her eyes, Danny was a hero too. But then he always had been, and nothing would ever change that.

The car slithered on up the slippery slope and then at last there was
Tremarfon
. Maggie experienced a strange sense of home coming as Eric drew the car to a halt and hurried around to the back of it to get Danny’s wheelchair out.

Samson bounded out to meet them, almost knocking the small wheelchair over in his excitement when he saw Danny.

‘I shall
have
to get them legs fitted now, won’t I?’ he laughed. ‘So I can take Samson for a walk again.’

When they entered the kitchen, Maggie gasped with surprise. Bright scatter rugs covered the floor, and pretty cushions were arranged on the chairs and the settee. There were shiny brass candlesticks on the mantelshelf and a bowl of marigolds standing in pride of place in the middle of the table.

‘Why, it looks lovely,’ she gasped.

Lizzie giggled. ‘Soon as Eric knew you were coming home, he said he thought we ought to make the place a bit more homely, so we went shopping. I helped him to choose everything. Do you like it, Mam?’

‘I love it,’ Maggie declared, then turning to Eric she told him, ‘Thank you.’

He shrugged as he dropped the suitcases onto the floor, and Danny wheeled himself across to stroke Hemily.

‘The place was overdue for a bit of refurbishment,’ he mumbled, then scurried away to put the kettle on as Maggie stood gazing around at his handiwork.

Danny winked at Lizzie and she giggled as she too stroked the huge fat cat asleep in the armchair. From now on, things were going to get better - the twins were sure of it.

They had been back at
Tremarfon
for three days and things were beginning to fall into a pattern. Lizzie had returned to the village school, but Maggie didn’t yet feel that Danny was ready for it, so he got to stay at home with her as they began to plan Christmas, which was only weeks away now.

‘Can we have a Christmas tree?’ Danny asked Eric one night as they all sat at the table having sausage and mash, with tapioca and homemade strawberry jam to follow.

‘I certainly can’t see any reason why we shouldn’t,’ Eric replied. ‘Although I have to admit I’ve never had one here before.’

Danny smiled with satisfaction as he gazed across at his painting. He’d finished it earlier in the day, and Eric had promised to take it into a shop in Pwllheli to get it framed for him so that he could give it to his mother for Christmas.

He loved being back at
Tremarfon
. The only thing he didn’t love was the way Eric and his mother were behaving towards each other - as if they were polite strangers. He’d remarked on it to Lizzie the night before as they were lying in bed and she’d agreed with him.