大象传媒

--卢
School and War versus Child: 1942
It was my first day at school. The floors were funny; there was no lino, just floor boards. The man called the Head Master had walked so fast to the classroom I couldn't keep up. I had had to run and he had said, 'In school we do not run, this is a rule' I wasn't sure what a rule was, but Mum whispered it meant 'Do as you are told'. The place where I left my coat had stone floors as if they were outside. Taking off wellies and putting on shoes was dreadfully cold to the feet. When it was time to wash hands the only water in the tap was cold. The lavatories were across the playground and the seats were freezing. I decided that I wasn't going to use a school toilet if I could help it.
Never mind, I had longed to come to school because I could have a lot more books to read and other people to play with and more paper to write on and things to learn. I sat on a bench where the teacher said and waited. I had to shout number 48 after somebody else shouted 47. What a strange place school was. There was only one picture on the wall and it had a strange yellow thing on it. It looked a bit like the moon, but it wasn't.
I was worried. The strange lady who was the teacher had made me leave my gas mask box in the cloakroom. What if somebody took it? My identity card was in it and if it disappeared the police might think I was a German spy. Could you be a spy if you were only 5? I wondered. You must be able to because I had been told that was why I had an identity card. I knew the number to say to the police - RNIA135/5 - if I got lost or bombed. But would I remember it? I began to say it just in case. The teacher said, 'Are you talking/' 'No' I said, 'I'm saying my identity number in case I forget it and get arrested as a German spy'. The teacher said, 'If you talk you will be locked in the Air Raid shelter in the dark'. I was terrified of the dark, but not worried about the air raid shelter because whenever we needed it, Mr Bennet could never find the key because he was too busy going round the village shouting at grown-ups for not drawing their black out blinds.
I read my book and asked for another. 'Oh no,' the teacher said, 'After you have read your book you go to the knitting corner'. Oh dear, I could knit at home any time, I just longed to read another book. 'Why do I have to go to the knitting corner? Could I please read another book instead?' 'Oh no' said the teacher, 'you must knit socks for sailors. They need lots of socks because they keep getting them wet'. It seemed to me that

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sailors' mothers should teach them to keep their socks dry. The boys in the class did not have to knit socks.
I trudged the two miles home for my dinner. My Mum said, 'Did you like it?' 'No' I said, 'and I'm not going back this afternoon'. 'Oh yes you are', said Mum, 'it's the law'.
I trudged the two miles back to school for the afternoon. I felt better because I put my identity card in my knickers so I would not be arrested as a German spy. I wasn't sure what being arrested meant but the way people said it, it didn't sound nice.
The whistle went. I went to the line with the other children. Another strange teacher said she would check our hands and shoes. I couldn't understand this because I had my hands fastened to me and I didn't go outside without my shoes.
I put my gas mask and box on a peg in the cloakroom and checked to see my identity card was in my knickers. It was. At least I wouldn't get arrested.
A strange lady was in the classroom with the funny smelling floors. She smiled at all the children. 'Hello' she said to everybody. She looked at me and said, 'You're my new little girl and I'm your teacher. I couldn't come this morning but I shall be here every day now'. She gave me a little cuddle. The identity card crackled. 'What have we here?' she said. 'Oh, that's my identity card to stop me getting arrested as a German spy.'
The teacher smiled. 'Oh, I don't think they arrest people until they're 20.' 'We'll put your card back in your gas mask box and put it on the cupboard where you can see it'. 'When you are used to coming to school every day we'11 put it in the cloakroom with the others' .
I couldn't be arrested until I was 20. That was very old. I would be safe.
After I walked home from school I said to my Mum, 'School's really alright you know, I'm going again tomorrow' .
Note:
My mother saved my Identity Card until I left home and then gave it to me. I still have it, but I can t let it go with this story in case I get arrested as a spy.
J~~:

This story was submitted to the 鈥淧eoples War Site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of j. Worth and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site

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