Now the War Is Over by Annie Murray Read Free Book Online Page A

younger so Melly
was stuck with them as they were the only girls her age in the yard. But they were right two-faced little sods. Nice as pie one minute when they wanted something; the next, she knew, they’d
turn on Melly or whoever they were playing with and yank their hair or dig their nails into another kid’s arm ’til they drew blood. And if anyone had anything – like that doll of
Melly’s that Gladys got her one Christmas, Irene Sutton would go and get something bigger and better. God knows how she affords it, the state they live in, Rachel thought. She’d had to
go and get a doll – a big, hard plastic thing with blonde hair and eyes which opened and shut. Once they had something new they’d be all snooty and wouldn’t want to know the other
children. And they never, ever shared it with Evie. Evie was left out of everything. Rachel swelled inside with fury every time she saw the way Irene treated Evie, poor little mite. Even now, she
was stuck on the end and they were all ignoring her. Irene stood behind her daughters, resplendent in a scarlet frock, her hair newly bleached and curled at the ends. Rachel looked at her,
thinking, yes, not a thought for anyone else, but you can dress yourself up like a film star as usual, you selfish cow.
    ‘I see the cripple’s out today,’ Irene remarked to a woman from the neighbouring yard, and not quietly either. The woman turned her head away, not knowing what to say. Rachel
saw Melly’s face tighten in fury and she herself was already poised to strike.
    ‘What did you say?’ she demanded. She felt Gladys clamp a hand on her arm to stop her rushing round the table to black Irene’s eyes. It wouldn’t have been the first time
and by God she didn’t half ask for it.
    ‘
Don’t
,’ Gladys hissed down her ear. ‘Leave it. She’s just a silly bint – trying to get a rise out of you. Like a flaming kid, that one.’
    Rachel looked daggers at Irene. She lowered her head, breathing hard, trying to control the impulse to go and tear Irene’s hair out.
    ‘In front of him,’ she whispered savagely to Gladys. ‘She cowing well said it in front of him. Just when he’s . . .’ Her eyes filled with angry tears. Tommy had
come out to the street – that was progress.
    ‘Just leave it,’ Gladys said. ‘Don’t do anything – not today.’ She nodded at the table of children.
    Dolly, however, was not one for holding back. ‘You want to look after your own kids,’ she retorted across the table. ‘Instead of poking your nose in about other people’s.
And where’s your old man? Down the boozer as usual, I s’pose?’
    Irene stuck her nose in the air and ignored them. Ray Sutton, dark-haired, full of charm when sober but frequently drunk and obnoxious, was nowhere to be seen.
    Melly kept sneaking looks round at Wally Morrison. He and Reggie were quite alike and as brothers they were close. Both of them worked on milling machines for GEC, in Electric Avenue in Witton.
Dolly had worked there before she was married and Reggie followed Wally there. But now Reggie had gone off into this unknown world of the army and Wally had just come back from it. Melly kept
wanting to look at him, as if seeing Wally could somehow put her in touch with Reggie. It wasn’t as if Reggie ever took any notice of her – not before and not now. But she was
fascinated with him. He seemed to be everything a grown-up man should be – handsome, with a strong-boned face and thick blonde hair. He was tough and mysterious, not as talkative as Wally.
The sight of Reggie always made her heart beat faster, even though she knew he had no time for her. After all, he was
eighteen
! For now though, all she had to look at was his older
brother.
    ‘What’re you staring at?’ Rita Sutton leaned across the table, her eyes narrowed in her sly way.
    Melly whipped her head back round from another peek at Wally. ‘Nothing.’
    ‘You was staring. I saw yer.’
    Melly could see the spiteful