My Friend the Enemy (15 page)

SLEDGEHAMMER

K
im didn't come that morning like usual. I'd been thinking about her all night, and when she didn't come round, I started to worry. I couldn't get that house on her street in Newcastle out of my mind.

‘She'll be fine,' Mam said. ‘Mr Bennett already told us no one was hurt.'

‘Can I go and check?'

‘Of course you can. But stay out of trouble. And don't get in anyone's way . . .'

I was out the door before she finished what she was saying, running past the gate and heading down the track. I'd never been to her aunt's house before, but I knew where it was. The way it turned out, though, I didn't need
to know, because when I came to the high street, I saw Kim standing near the corner, watching the adults clearing up the mess.

‘What about all that last night?' she asked as soon as I was beside her. ‘Fancy those bombs coming so close. The village is in a right state.'

‘You should see our kitchen; the roof nearly fell in,' I exaggerated. The fear from last night was all gone. Now, in daylight and under a clear sky, everything was exciting again.

‘I'll bet it's nothing like this.'

‘Mr Bennett said it was just a few broken windows,' I said, feeling both annoyed and relieved about missing what had happened here.

‘Well, it's a bit more than that. All the shop windows are smashed and the street's covered in glass. There's a few houses have lost all the slates from the roofs, like they just slipped off. And there's places all along the beach where bombs have exploded. You should see it.'

‘You think Erik's all right?' I asked.

Kim's expression became serious. ‘The bombs didn't go over there,' she said.

‘I bet he's scared, though. Can you imagine? We should go and check on him.'

‘We will,' Kim agreed. ‘Come and have a look here first, though. We're right here, and you don't want to miss out.'

So we went onto the high street and witnessed the destruction caused by bombs falling so close to the village. Kim had been right about the windows. The front of Mr Shaw's shop was a jagged mess, and there was a
large pile of glass lying on the pavement right in front of it where someone had started to tidy up. The green-grocer's, the baker's, the post office, all the shopfronts were smashed, even though brown paper strips had been gummed across them to stop them from shattering. A lot of the chunks were still stuck together in strings, almost like Christmas decorations, broken pieces hanging loose, but that was all the strips had done. In fact, there was hardly a window on the high street that wasn't at least cracked. And there were pieces of roof tiles everywhere.

‘Did anything actually get hit?' I asked, looking around at all the people who were helping to tidy up. ‘Houses, I mean?'

There were at least half a dozen men from the Home Guard, in uniform, sweeping the road and collecting debris in coal shovels. Mr Charlton, the pub landlord, was there, decked out in his blue overalls and black tin hat with a white W on the front of it. Mrs Charlton was standing beside him, wearing similar overalls, but her helmet had ARP painted on it. It looked like they were arguing about something, which wasn't a big surprise because they were always arguing, and most people said she should be the warden, she was so bossy.

There were proper soldiers there, too, come from their billet at Bennett Hall to help clear away the mess while Sergeant Wilkes strutted around making sure they were following orders. A large brown horse stood in the middle of the street, harnessed to an open cart, and the men were throwing the rubbish into that. The horse didn't seem at all bothered by what was happening.

‘I don't think there were any direct hits.' Kim surveyed the activity as if she hadn't already seen it. ‘But there's a right old mess. Pretty scary though, eh? Last night.'

‘Aye.'

‘We were all squashed into the shelter like sardines,' she said. ‘The Higginses next door haven't got one, so they all came in too.'

We walked along the high street, heading towards the beach, and when we came past the green and over the path, I could see the mess of tangled barbed wire and the giant holes in the sand where the bombs had struck.

‘They really
were
close,' I said.

‘As if they were trying to hit us,' Kim agreed.

And for a while we stood in silence looking at the damage. The grey sea continued to break on the beach as if nothing had happened. Just off shore, a gull moved in the wind, its wings held out.

Kim sat on the grass and I looked down at her. ‘We should go and see Erik now,' I said.

‘This might be a good time to get supplies.'

I sat down beside her. ‘What kind of supplies?'

‘I saw your Doctor Jacobs helping to clear up. He had his bag with him.' Kim turned to me, the breeze rustling her hair. ‘Maybe we could get some bandages or something.'

‘How?'

‘We could pretend we got hurt. He'd have to look at us and, while his back's turned, we could take something from his bag.'

‘You mean
steal
it?'

‘Erik needs it,' Kim argued. ‘He's our friend and we have to look after him.'

‘Aye, but—'

‘If we don't change the bandage it could get infected.'

‘Hmm . . .'

‘Listen.' Kim turned to face me. Her legs were crossed and her knees just touched my thigh. ‘We could go and help for a little bit – clearing up – and then I could pretend I hurt myself. When the doctor's looking at me, you can take something from his bag. It'll be easy.'

‘Really?'

‘Of course.'

‘I don't know,' I said. ‘What if we get caught, like? Me mam would kill us if she found out. And Doctor Jacobs is so nice, and—'

‘Please, Peter.' Kim put her hand on mine. ‘We have to do it for Erik. He needs us.'

I looked down at her hand and sighed. ‘Hurt how, though? It would have to be good.'

Kim screwed up her face, thinking about it. ‘A cut, maybe.'

‘There'd have to be blood for that.'

Her shoulders sagged. ‘Maybe just a sprain or something, then.'

‘A sprain?' I shook my head. ‘That wouldn't work.' And then I had an idea. I took my penknife from my pocket and opened the blade. ‘I could cut meself with this. It's sharp, so it wouldn't hurt.'

Kim looked a little unsure.

‘I'll do it now.' I put the blade against my palm. ‘I'll say
I cut it on a spelk of glass.'

‘I'm not sure, Peter.'

And I wasn't sure either. I didn't know how much it would hurt or how much blood there would be. But something made me do it. Perhaps it was the look on Kim's face. There was something like fear in her eyes, but there was a twinkle there, too. A kind of awe that I would do it, and I knew she'd be impressed if I did.

I gritted my teeth and drew the blade across my skin. There was a sharp stinging sensation, but I cut further, separating the surface flesh, and when I took the knife away, the blood welled in dots along the cut, bulging, growing and joining.

‘Did it hurt?' Kim asked, staring.

‘Not much.' I put the knife away, feeling very brave, and squeezed the cut so more blood pushed out; enough for it to begin to run down to my wrist when I held my hand up. ‘Hey, maybe we won't have to steal anything,' I said. ‘Maybe the bandage for this will be big enough for Erik.'

‘I shouldn't think so.' Kim shook her head. ‘Anyway,
you'll
need it.'

‘Aye, true.' I watched the dark red trails winding down my arm. ‘So you really think this'll work?' I asked.

‘Of course it will.'

We went back into the village, where Doctor Jacobs was helping with the clear-up. He was standing next to the green, leaning on a broom handle, talking to one of the other men from the Home Guard. He had his medical bag slung over one shoulder.

As soon as he saw us coming over, he stopped what he was doing and said, ‘Hello, Peter. What's happened this time?'

I had kept my hand up all the way from the beach, so the blood had made a good pattern running past my wrist and onto my forearm. It looked very impressive. As I came closer, Doctor Jacobs saw the blood and began to take his bag from his shoulder.

‘How did this happen?'

‘A spelk of glass,' I said.

‘Well, we'd better have a look at it. Sit down on the grass.'

For a moment, I felt like a real wounded soldier. The Home Guard were all around and there was broken glass and roof tiles all over the street. And here I was, sitting on the battlefield being looked after by the medic.

Doctor Jacobs rummaged in his bag, pulling out a few bits and pieces, asking me to hold my hand out.

‘Any news from your dad?' he asked as he went to work.

‘Not for a while. Mam says it takes time for letters to come from Africa, though.'

Kim sat beside him, close to the bag, and while the doctor was focused on me I saw her slip her hand in.

‘What's goin' on here?'

Kim snatched her hand away and looked up as Sergeant Wilkes approached.

‘You been in the wars?' he asked.

‘Cut his hand on some glass.' Doctor Jacobs hardly even glanced at him. After the way Sergeant Wilkes had spoken to him the other night at the crash site, I wasn't surprised.

‘Glass?' he asked, coming to stand right behind me so I could feel him looming over. ‘How d'you manage that, like? I thought the lads had swept it all up. And I didn't see you clearin' up, son.'

The sergeant was looking down at me, with his hands on his hips, and while his attention was on me, Kim's hand was back in the medical bag.

‘And what about you, bonny lass?' He turned to look at her and, once more, Kim snatched her hand away.

‘Eh?'

‘I didn't see you clearin' up either,' he said, tilting his head to one side and narrowing his eyes. ‘How'd he manage to cut himself on glass?'

‘We were sitting by the links,' she said. ‘There was a bit in the grass. Must've got blown over there by a bomb or something.'

With a frown on his face, Sergeant Wilkes glanced out at the sea, then looked at us each in turn, really staring. ‘You two should be carrying your masks,' he said. ‘What if this place was teeming with gas, eh? What then? And do you want to get into trouble with the warden?'

‘No, Sir,' I said. ‘Sorry.'

‘Hm, well.' He sniffed hard. ‘Don't let me catch you without 'em again.' He turned towards the sea once more and nodded. ‘I s'pose I should go and have a look, then. See how bad it is.' He paused and took a deep breath. ‘And keep away from there. You know it's dangerous.'

‘Any luck finding the German?' I asked. I thought it was a good time to see if they were any closer to finding Erik, but I had to blurt it out before I lost my nerve.

Sergeant Wilkes studied me, doing that thing where it seemed like he was looking right into my head. ‘Don't you worry about no Jerries,' he said, leaning forward. ‘We'll have 'im soon enough, you mark my words. I'll find 'im before the week is out.'

‘Then what?' Kim asked.

‘What d'you mean?'

‘Well, what will happen to him?' she said.

‘If I get my hands on him?' He grinned. ‘Not your concern. If I told you, it would make your toes curl up in your boots.' He winked and lifted one hand in a mock salute. ‘As you were, little soldiers.' And with that, he turned and marched away, boots crunching on the road.

‘He gives me the creeps,' I said.

‘Me too,' said Doctor Jacobs with a smile. ‘But he's just doing his job. I should keep away from him if I were you.'

We both nodded, and as soon as the doctor went back to dressing my wound, Kim stuffed her hand back into the medical bag.

‘So. No German yet, eh?' I said, trying to keep his attention on me.

‘Not so far as I know.'

‘And they've no idea at all where he might be?' I glanced sideways at Kim.

‘Not yet,' the doctor said.

‘Prob'ly long gone by now,' I suggested as Kim grabbed a handful of whatever she could and whipped it into her satchel.

‘Oh, I don't know about that. They're beginning to think he might be hiding somewhere close.' Doctor
Jacobs looked up at me. ‘So you be careful where you play and who you talk to.'

‘If it was me, I'd get away.'

‘Where would you go?' he asked.

I shrugged. ‘Up the coast. Look for a boat, maybe.'

‘Hmm. Well, they'll find him one way or another.'

By now, Doctor Jacobs had finished cleaning the cut and when he reached into his bag for something else, he stopped. He turned and opened the bag with both hands, peering inside, then looking up at Kim's innocent expression.

‘I could have sworn . . .' He looked into the bag, then at Kim again. ‘Hmm,' he said. ‘I thought I had more than this. Very odd.' Then he shook his head and took out a small bandage for my hand.