大象传媒

In the war my mother followed my father to any destination within the British Isles. There were five children, so it was quite an upheaval each time.
We went on the long journey to Rothesay in Scotland. My father, a submariner, met us at the station and took charge of the two heaviest cases. Now Rothesay is a very hilly town. As we followed the adults, and clutching our favourite toy or book, we could see our strong father getting slower and slower as he tired.
Eventually we reached the digs my father had found for us. On opening the cases, my father furiously shouted,
鈥淲hat on earth is this, Kath?! A case full of shrapnel?!鈥�

Mother said, 鈥淏ut Bob dear, I thought you鈥檇 like to seee them. I鈥檝e labelled them all. See this one just missed the pram, that one made a hole in the outside privy, and that was inches from Bobby鈥檚 foot.鈥�

As mother was explaining, my father鈥檚 face softened. She could always get round him. I think this memory is so vivid because my father rarely raised his voice to my mother. We had been so looking forward to being a family again and for a few moments in my child鈥檚 mind I thought a divorce was imminent.

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