lady.
“Women are needed for their skills,” Flo said. “If Sandy is fighting for our freedom, the least I can do is join up and do my part. It’s not like I’m going into combat. I want to save lives.”
Jack started down the hall to his room. The tension in the kitchen was more than he could bear. Maybe he should go and get his dad from the store. His dad, Bill, was a pretty peace-loving guy. He might be able to calm things down.
Instead, he stretched out on the crazy quilt on his bed and stared at all the airplane models he’d built, hanging on threads from the ceiling.
He could still hear the loudest part of the argument. His mother was crying. Flo shouted about how Mom made her feel like a naughty child instead of respecting her decisions. Then a door slammed and there was silence. He figured his mother had gone to see his dad at the store. Flo had probably gone for a walk to cool down.
He waited until the house was still, then walked over to the garage behind the store, where Sandy’s black ’36 Ford sat under a tarp. Jack pulled the sailcloth tarp off, folded it and put it on the workbench. Then he took the keys off the hook by the door and unlocked the door on the driver’s side. He got in and started the car. It started smoothly like it should. But then, it was oiled and in good condition.
“While I’m away I want you to take care of old Bessie,” Sandy had said the day he left. “Can you do that? I bought her with my first batch of paycheques from the Royal Canadian Air Force. I don’t want you roaring around the countryside, frightening the wild life, though.”
“No sir.”
“Take her out for a spin every week or so. Change the oil. Check the battery, especially in the winter months.”
“Sure thing.”
“Rotate the tires every six months or so. Hopefully I’ll be back before you have to do that too many times.”
Sandy had stood there with his hands in his pockets. He seemed to be weighing his words. “If anything happens…” he paused. “If anything happens to me and I don’t make it…”
“You’ll be fine,” Jack blurted. He wanted to close his ears so he wouldn’t hear what Sandy was saying. He didn’t want his mind going in that direction.
“If I don’t make it home, Jack, I want you to have the car.”
Jack didn’t know where to look or what to say.
“However, my boy, if I come back, you better make sure there isn’t one scratch on this baby, you hear me.”
“Yes, sir.”
A couple of days later Sandy had climbed on the train going east and left. Flo and Ivy had cried. Bill and Jack had hurried back to the store in case there were customers. That way no one would see if either one of them had tears in his eyes.
>>>
Flo left in May to go east for speedy officer’s training and orientation to military life. She was being sent overseas to a military hospital in England. One of her former nursing instructors had asked for her.
Jack stood on the platform beside his dad. Flo and his mother were talking.
“I’ll write as often as I can.”
“I will too.”
“Mom, I’m sorry I lost my temper.”
Ivy nodded. “Me too. It was the shock of it.”
“You’ve never liked change.” Flo said. “I love it – the challenge of it.”
“We aren’t much alike. I’ll send parcels. I hear the food is awful over there.”
The train whistle blew.
“Don’t forget to feed Dad and Jack too. Hey, little brother, don’t get into any trouble while I’m away.”
“Thank goodness, he’s too young to fly away too.” Bill laughed, gave Flo a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “Some of us have to stay home and mind the store.”
Jack gave his sister a hug. “I’ll miss you. Mom always made chocolate cake when you came home weekends.” While they stood close together, they whispered.
“Is it me you’ll miss or the chocolate?” asked Flo.
“You. If it hadn’t been for you, I never would have gotten to fly.”
“Sandy
“Women are needed for their skills,” Flo said. “If Sandy is fighting for our freedom, the least I can do is join up and do my part. It’s not like I’m going into combat. I want to save lives.”
Jack started down the hall to his room. The tension in the kitchen was more than he could bear. Maybe he should go and get his dad from the store. His dad, Bill, was a pretty peace-loving guy. He might be able to calm things down.
Instead, he stretched out on the crazy quilt on his bed and stared at all the airplane models he’d built, hanging on threads from the ceiling.
He could still hear the loudest part of the argument. His mother was crying. Flo shouted about how Mom made her feel like a naughty child instead of respecting her decisions. Then a door slammed and there was silence. He figured his mother had gone to see his dad at the store. Flo had probably gone for a walk to cool down.
He waited until the house was still, then walked over to the garage behind the store, where Sandy’s black ’36 Ford sat under a tarp. Jack pulled the sailcloth tarp off, folded it and put it on the workbench. Then he took the keys off the hook by the door and unlocked the door on the driver’s side. He got in and started the car. It started smoothly like it should. But then, it was oiled and in good condition.
“While I’m away I want you to take care of old Bessie,” Sandy had said the day he left. “Can you do that? I bought her with my first batch of paycheques from the Royal Canadian Air Force. I don’t want you roaring around the countryside, frightening the wild life, though.”
“No sir.”
“Take her out for a spin every week or so. Change the oil. Check the battery, especially in the winter months.”
“Sure thing.”
“Rotate the tires every six months or so. Hopefully I’ll be back before you have to do that too many times.”
Sandy had stood there with his hands in his pockets. He seemed to be weighing his words. “If anything happens…” he paused. “If anything happens to me and I don’t make it…”
“You’ll be fine,” Jack blurted. He wanted to close his ears so he wouldn’t hear what Sandy was saying. He didn’t want his mind going in that direction.
“If I don’t make it home, Jack, I want you to have the car.”
Jack didn’t know where to look or what to say.
“However, my boy, if I come back, you better make sure there isn’t one scratch on this baby, you hear me.”
“Yes, sir.”
A couple of days later Sandy had climbed on the train going east and left. Flo and Ivy had cried. Bill and Jack had hurried back to the store in case there were customers. That way no one would see if either one of them had tears in his eyes.
>>>
Flo left in May to go east for speedy officer’s training and orientation to military life. She was being sent overseas to a military hospital in England. One of her former nursing instructors had asked for her.
Jack stood on the platform beside his dad. Flo and his mother were talking.
“I’ll write as often as I can.”
“I will too.”
“Mom, I’m sorry I lost my temper.”
Ivy nodded. “Me too. It was the shock of it.”
“You’ve never liked change.” Flo said. “I love it – the challenge of it.”
“We aren’t much alike. I’ll send parcels. I hear the food is awful over there.”
The train whistle blew.
“Don’t forget to feed Dad and Jack too. Hey, little brother, don’t get into any trouble while I’m away.”
“Thank goodness, he’s too young to fly away too.” Bill laughed, gave Flo a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “Some of us have to stay home and mind the store.”
Jack gave his sister a hug. “I’ll miss you. Mom always made chocolate cake when you came home weekends.” While they stood close together, they whispered.
“Is it me you’ll miss or the chocolate?” asked Flo.
“You. If it hadn’t been for you, I never would have gotten to fly.”
“Sandy
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