The Girl From Barefoot House by Maureen Lee Read Free Book Online Page A

appreciatively. The pavements were full of puddles, and water streamed along the gutters carrying empty fag packets and sweet papers and pouring noisily through grids down to the drains.
    Nora ran to meet them when they approached the Prince Albert. She took Josie’s hand, and Tommy did aperfect handstand against the wall. Mam tutted, either at Nora’s runny nose or Tommy’s showing off, Josie wasn’t sure.
    Then Mam said, ‘I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to go inside and say tara to me mates. They’ll all wonder what happened if I just disappear.’
    ‘ Mam! ’ Josie said warningly, and suddenly wished they hadn’t come anywhere near the Prince Albert.
    Mam merely laughed and squeezed her shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, Petal. I’ll just have a lemonade. I promise on me honour.’
    Predictably, Nora, who cried at the drop of a hat, burst into tears when she understood she would never see Josie again. ‘Want Josie stay,’ she sobbed, which, Tommy said laconically, were her very first words. He’d tell his mam later, if he remembered.
    It seemed Tommy couldn’t have cared less that she was going. He climbed the lamp-post and, turning his little monkey face away, refused to look at her. Josie didn’t feel hurt. She hoped he would find another girlfriend very soon. She had come prepared to buy him and Nora a present – the hankie with the two and threepence in was clutched in her hand. She’d taken it when Mam wasn’t looking because she didn’t think she’d approve. She’d get Nora a Mars Bar, and ten Woodbines for Tommy.
    The air-raid siren went, but outside, in the sunshine, with people around, the sound wasn’t so terrifying as in the darkness of the night. It didn’t seem real. Tommy, perched on the lamp-post, showed no sign of having heard. Josie anxiously watched the doors of the Prince Albert, praying Mam would come. A man and two women came out and sauntered in the direction of the shelter. Then Mam opened the door and shouted, ‘Josie,luv. I’m going to the lavvy. I’ll be out in the twinkling of an eye.’
    Josie trotted across to the sweetshop. A bell rang when she opened the door. Inside it was small and dark and smelled of tobacco. The walls were tobacco-coloured. Two were lined with glass jars containing a mouth-watering array of sweets. There was no sign of cigarettes on the shelves behind the counter, and it was only then she remembered Maude saying ciggies were harder to get than gold dust.
    The old woman appeared from a room at the back, putting on her coat. ‘I’m off to the shelter, luv. I was just about to close up.’
    ‘Have you got any ciggies?’
    ‘No, and I wouldn’t sell them to you if I had. You’re too young.’ The woman smiled at her good-naturedly.
    ‘Can I have some sweets, then?’
    The woman smiled again as she buttoned up her coat. ‘Sorry, luv, but I’m not prepared to weigh them out, not while there’s a raid about to start. I’m rather anxious to get to the shelter.’ She cocked her head and listened. ‘In fact, I think I can hear a plane now – it sounds like more than one.’ She came from behind the counter and began to push Josie towards the door. ‘Come with me, luv. Hold me hand. You can come back for the sweets later.’
    ‘But I wanted …’ Josie turned to look at the bars of chocolate at the front of the counter behind a sheet of glass ‘… three Mars bars.’ One for herself, one for Nora and one for Tommy, though he would have preferred ten Woodies.
    Suddenly, there was a high-pitched whine, which got louder and louder, and higher and higher, and the old woman, instead of pushing her out, was pulling her back, and she was shoved behind the counter, where she fellfull length. The old woman landed on top of her, nearly knocking her out.
    Then the whole world erupted with a dull rumbling sound, the floor shook, the windows shattered, a mighty wind raged through the shop and the bottles flew from the shelves. Something big and heavy thudded