Not Flag or Fail by D.E. Kirk Read Free Book Online Page B

people coming in for early morning Mass. Occasionally I looked out of the slit on my side and saw their backs disappearing up the path and into the church. By now Harry and Jack had wrapped themselves up in their groundsheets and both were asleep, one of them snoring softly. They had chosen to sleep on the floor as three of the bottom four shelves were occupied by coffins.
    I glanced across at Fishy, he was still sitting on the second step, although I couldn’t see too clearly in the gloom, he didn’t look too happy. “You ok Fish?” I asked.
    “To tell you the truth Bomb, I ain’t too happy wiv’ graves and stuff, gives me the creeps, something rotten, they do.”
    “I’m sorry,” I replied “but we don’t have a lot of choice you know that. Why don’t you get down with Harry and Jack and see if you can get a bit of sleep?”
    “I know I won’t sleep in here, that’s a definite! So if you or Ronny want to, then you go ahead. I can wake you when it starts to go dark, ‘cus I sure ain’t stopping in here for one minute after dark even if you shoot me!”
    “Well let’s hope we don’t have to eh Fish?” I said and got down to get my groundsheet out of my kitbag. Soon Ronny and I had followed Harry and Jack’s example and were asleep on our shelves, wrapped in our groundsheets.
    Fishy had only a very limited view through the crack in the door, had he have been able to see better then, roughly two hours later, he would have seen the priest bid farewell to his congregation after both morning Masses had ended. An hour or so after that he would have seen him leave the church, dressed in his black cassock, carrying a bag over his shoulder as he walked down the path towards us.
    He would have also seen him enter the gate to our tomb, which might have prevented him jumping up off the step and shouting out a string of profanities, when the priest gave a light tap on the door.
    Not waiting to be announced, the priest pushed open the door and came inside. Fishy had awakened us all with his shouts and we all looked at the priest who gently pushed the door closed behind him. He was perhaps in his mid forties, a lean frame and athletic build.
    “Bonjour mes amies. Saïd the priest “Bonjour father.” said Ronny answering on our behalf.
    “Bonne Vous parle Francais” replied the priest.
    “un peu, mais mes amies parle seul anglais.”
    “Ok I will speak in English then, it is not a problem for Me.” said the priest, turning to us all he spread his hands as if in a blessing.
    “Welcome to my Church gentlemen. You do well to stay hidden, les boshe are all around our town, so I have bought for you a few things to make your stay more comfortable.”
    He took the bag off his shoulder and went down the steps to the bottom. Sitting on one of the bottom shelves he opened the bag and took from it long sticks of French bread which he placed on a tea towel on top of the coffin. Next he took out a slab of cheese, a little butter, two onions, a bottle of water and two brown bottles that looked like beer.
    “I have bought you water and cider, I must warn you that the cider is our own and is very strong so be careful not to drink too much.”
    “Father how did you know we were here?” I asked.
    “Oh that is easy. I like to watch the sunrise from the bell tower; it is a time of the day that I like to spend alone before I celebrate the Mass each morning. I watched as you came into the grounds. Don’t worry; I stayed there long enough to satisfy myself that no one else saw you, so you are quite safe. After Mass I had to send my housekeeper out on an errand so that I could steal my own food to bring to you. What are your plans gentlemen, do you plan to join your comrades in Dunkirk?”
    “Well that’s what we are hoping to do, yes.” I replied.
    “That may be more difficult than you realise, les boshe are setting up check points all along the route but if you wish to put your trust in me I may be able to help you to get