大象传媒

Goodbye

The big bus stood in the road waiting for the children to board. Mums and Dads stood quietly as they waited for their children to be whisked away, to somewhere in England.

The bus pulled away and many of the children sobbed into their hankies. I thought that I had said goodbye to my family forever. During the journey the helpers gave out drinks and food and encouraged the kids to sing favourite songs to boost their spirits.
The bus took them through long country roads and past big green fields. The little villages seemed very unusual and strange to the east-end kids.

At last, the bus pulled into a little school and the children were told to walk in a single line towards the big oak door and give ones name to the ladies waiting at the entrance.
When all the children were inside their names were called and each child was introduced to their foster parents.

When I heard Annie Stokes called, I thought I would die. I walked slowly towards Mr and Mrs Stevens, the man and woman I was to live with. When I saw the beautiful bungalow that would be my home, I couldn鈥檛 believe my eyes. It had a red roof and big wide windows, a beautiful garden and a green lawn, the like of which I had never seen before.

Nan and Pa soon made me feel at home and I became like a sister to their granddaughter Pat, who also lived with them.

Pa was an ex policeman from Hackney. He had run the local pub after his retirement and now was the chief fire officer for Potter Street, a little village just outside Harlow. Pa often took us to catch wild rabbits with his dog buster and a couple of ferrets. Pat and I got involved with the summer Fete each year and also joined a dance troupe. We danced at the Fetes and entertained the soldiers at the nearby barracks.

I stayed with Nan and Pa for about three years before I returned home to my parents. To this day I am very thankful to the Stevens. They made my life useful and different. They were very good to my own parents when they visited and often sent them home loaded with fruit and vegetables, perhaps a rabbit, ready for the pot, some eggs and home made cakes and bread.

To this day, long after Nan and Pa died, I am still a sister to Pat.

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