大象传媒

1944 AS A YOUNG NURSE IN TRAINING, I SPENT MANY HOURS APPALLED, sleepless and upset by the war injuries caused to so many. When given a new post on a womens ward my problems eased. Beds were in great demand , so was surprised to find a very aristocratic lady given extra space at the end of the ward, with pictures of her son, family etc.pinned on the wall around the head of her bed.
I found she had taken a great liking to me and always asked for my attention. She had her son a Naval Officer visit her whenever he could and it was obvious she was trying to get him to pay extra attention to me.

In my day, the ward cleaner would polish the floor with large lumps of polish, rubbed in then polished off the floors with a DUMPY a long handle held polisher swung back and forth. This day was as usual, cleaning finished, visitors allowed in. To include two Naval Officers, her son and a friend to visit her ladyship and to perhaps take a look at me.
Lunch was late and I was directed to take her stewed lunch on a tray directly to her.

I walked towards the bed on my best behaviour, caught my foot on a lump of polish, fell flat on my back, skidding under the bed. I can remember after all these years the horror as to whether my head would miss the iron bars at the bottom of the bed. The tray and dinner flew through the air. Luckily missing the Navy, smacking up against the wall above the bed and luckily missing all the photographs pinned upon it.

The officers helped me to my feet, trying to smother their hysterics, AND need I say no more was I or her son ever allowed to meet her.

This story was submitted to the 鈥淧eoples War Site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of Stella Richards 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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