The Twisted Way Read Online Free Page B

tried to console him and he clung to her for comfort and affection. She cradled him in her arms as a vision of his London home invaded his young mind. He pictured the shelter where he slept on a bench near his mother, the fish pond and mean backyard. The nightmare of broken bricks, flames and charred wood that had terrified him then still evoked vivid memories of whistling bombs, the smell of burning buildings, fire engines clanging and ambulances. Black planes like large birds once again droned above him in his imagination, their engine sounds painfully familiar.
    ‘You’ll be all right with us, love,’ she reassured him. ‘You can stay in our cottage as long as we can look after you my lovey.’ She was concerned about her own and her husband’s health but was determined to do her best for Tom as long as she was able to.
    ‘What a brave little boy,’ he heard her say to her husband in her quiet soft country voice. ‘Time is a great healer. We’ll take care of him.’ And they did.
    Tom experienced the joys of country life. Red and yellow Pershore plums grew in the Merryweathers’ garden and the yellow ones were made into his favourite jam, whilst the others were bottled and stored for the winter. A Worcester Pearmain apple tree provided fresh apples which he was allowed to pick. They were not good keepers and considered unsuitable to store away in the cottage roof with the Coxes and other more durable varieties but he enjoyed their fresh crisp taste. He had accompanied his mother to the local greengrocers in London to buy fruit and vegetables but this was a different experience. The Merryweathers’ garden provided them with fresh vegetables most of the year round. Rabbits were given to the family, together with the odd duck or partridge, by fellow farmworkers who were conscious of Will Merryweather’s fragile state of health and were anxious to help. Will had suffered for several years with rheumatoid arthritis which was becoming worse.
    The friendship of the good-hearted country folk surprised Tom. It was very different to life in south London where many of their neighbours were too busy going about their own business to bother to say good morning let alone be concerned about anybody else’s state of health. He began to realize how lucky he was to live with the Merryweathers. The villagers cherished their independence; most of them were not wealthy, but helped the less fortunate with a generous spirit which provoked admiration and awe in the young child. Tom liked to help Mr Merryweather. He fetched his slippers, pipe and paper and tried to make himself generally useful. It was the least he could do. The bombing raids and carnage he had experienced in London were for a while pushed to the back of his mind and he started to relax.
    Many of the village cottages were black and white; some were tied to the few big landowners, but all, including the Merryweathers’, lacked modern conveniences, in particular running water, and had a privy at the bottom of the garden. Cooking was done on a paraffin stove in a small kitchen off the main living room. Alicia’s father had once owned the cottage and had left it to his daughter so they were fortunate. There was a good deep well in the front garden with a bucket hanging from its slate roof. All their water had to be hoisted up every day, which was hard work. Tom loved the small green lawn at the back of the cottage and the flowers – hollyhocks, pansies, geraniums, roses and marigolds – that provided bright colours during the summer months. He learned their names and how to care for them, planted vegetable seeds for Will and helped him with the weeding and staking of peas and beans; it was knowledge that was to stand him in good stead later on.
    Will owned a good-natured collie dog called Gyp, black and white with soft fur and appealing brown eyes who followed him everywhere. Tom enjoyed stroking the dog and the feel of his soft muzzle as he pressed it into his hand.