Chapter 2: The Second Chance

The war ended 9 years ago today and tomorrow, September 3rd, I’ll be turning 14. It doesn’t feel at all like a special day. So much has changed since the war ended. Except for Mrs Platt. I mean… I suppose she has changed a little. Not for the better though. She is getting older and more grumpy by the day.

Miss Davis has become Mrs Matthews. She is married and has a young child. A boy named Marcus. Though she still teaches sewing here at Waywood House, she has become a little kinder and teaches us other things too.

Just yesterday she started to show us how to count. She said we’d need to be able to do basic maths before we are old enough to go out into the real world. More and more women are allowed to work and we’ll need to be able to count our pay if we ever get a sewing job.

Mrs Waynwright left us shortly after the war ended. She heard that her son wouldn’t be returning home. He had unfortunately been killed in combat. She told Mrs Pratt that she could no longer care for us when she couldn’t care for her own son. He had just turned 18 when the war started. I feel sad for her. I miss her dearly but I understand her choice.

There are only 3 of us girls still living at Waywood House. Myself, my younger best friend Jenny and one other girl called Carol. After the war ended, three of the girls were able to return to their fathers. I learned that all three girls were Jewish. Their mothers had left them here for safety. All three of their fathers had fought a hard battle but in some ways, they were lucky. Not only had they survived combat, but they had also managed to keep their background a secret. Enabling them to safely return home. I don’t want to think about what happened to the girl’s mothers. Thankfully they have family to return to.

The other 6 girls have been adopted by young families. I am not really sure why Carol, Jenny and I haven’t been able to find families to adopt us. Perhaps Mrs Platt is right. We are worthless.

You can understand why I’m not excited about my 14th birthday. Mrs Platt continues to say that children should be seen and not heard. So there’s no reason for a celebration.

In the early morning of my birthday there was a loud knock on my bedroom door.

‘Up, and out of bed child. Hurry and dress. Then come to the dining room’.

It was Mrs Platt.

‘Mrs Platt, What…?’ I called as I climbed out of bed.

‘No time for questions child, hurry now.’

What on earth could the grumpy lady want so early in the morning. It’s Friday. There is no school on Fridays. We are allowed to sleep until 10am. The dining room? Could she possibly have asked Chef Tina to make me a birthday cake?

I splashed my face with water. The shock as the ice cold drops hit my face shook me back to reality. No. No one ever gets a birthday cake here.

It’s my job to tend to the garden on a Friday morning. So I put on the yellow dress that I always wear for gardening, and pulled on some flat shoes. I brushed my hair and tied it back before going out to the dining room.

When I approached, I was greeted not only by Mrs Platt’s wrinkly face, there were two other people sitting opposite her.

A man in a red uniform with matching tie and flat hat and a lady in a light blue dress. It looked a bit like a maid’s uniform.

‘Hello’ The lady said in a kind, soft voice. I’m Elenor and this is Alan’.

She turned to look at Alan. Almost nudging him with her elbow as if to trigger a reaction. He looked at me, smiled politely, lifted his hat a little and quickly returned it to the shiny bald head I saw underneath.

‘These people are here to take you to your new home’. Mrs Platt said in a sharp tone. After breakfast, you’ll have two hours to pack your things’.

‘Don’t worry’. Elenor said softly. She must have seen the worried and confused look on my face. Breakfast? I was thinking. I’m not sure I can get a bite past my lips.

‘When we’ve finished breakfast, I’ll go with you and help you’. Elenor continued. ‘Today is going to be a big day.’

She looked at Alan again with a concerned look.

‘Oh right’ He said in a strange accent I’ve never heard before. ‘Appy birfday Miss’.

He presented me with a small brown box. ‘Ya new parents sent ya this. Ya can open it with Elenor after breakkie’.

I assumed ‘breakkie’ meant breakfast but I wasn’t allowed to ask questions in Mrs Platt’s company.

‘Thank you’. I said timidly.

‘Tina’! Mrs Platt shouted.

‘Yes Mrs Platt, I’ll bring out the trolly’.

I was beginning to worry that I wouldn’t have time to say goodbye to Jenny and Carol but as soon as Mrs Platt left the room, the girls came in. After greeting Elenor and Alan, they both ran over to me and surrounded me in a hug.

‘You’re going to be fine’. Carol whispered softly.

‘You are so lucky’. Jenny said excitedly. ‘You are going to the best place and you are going to love it! I sure will miss you though’.

‘Best place’? I asked.

‘Oh, sorry. Mrs Matthews warned me I shouldn’t say anything’.

‘Jenny, what on earth do you mean’?

‘Nothing’. She replied. ‘It’s ok. You’ll see. You will keep in touch though won’t you’?

‘Of course I’ll do my best’. I replied, even more confused than before. I’ve got a feeling this is a birthday I won’t forget.