Will's Journey

Chapter Four

Meeting Mister Tom

Disclaimer: Nothing you might recognise belongs to me

Willie fell into a restless doze as the cart rocked around beneath him. The other children spoke quietly together and pointed out varying landmarks.

"What's that?" asked one little girl, next to Willie,

"It's one of them cows!" exclaimed a boy, "I seen 'em in my reading book the ova day!"

The children gasped and stared at the cow in amazement. They all jumped when it mooed loudly and then giggled.

After a while, they got quiet and were content with just staring into space until suddenly, the cart came to an abrupt halt.

"Get out, please," said the Billeting Officer, pleasantly.

The children did as she said and looked around them in amazement.

"Welcome to Little Weirwold," she said, "this will be your home for a little while until we know what's going on in the world." She gave a nervous little laugh. "Well, let's find you families to stay with. They should be waiting at the village hall."

The Billeting Officer's eyes strayed to where Willie was standing at the edge of the group, trying to make himself look invisible. "Oh yes," she said, softly, "I have to deal with you first."

Willie trembled. Usually being 'dealt with' meant a beating.

"Come along. We're just making a short detour first!"

The group followed the lady along the road and past some small houses with straw on the rooftops. Willie wondered what it was. Presently, they passed a nice looking church and a large graveyard with trees in and came to a stop outside a cottage.

"Wait here" the lady instructed the other children and took Willie firmly by the arm and led him up the path in front of them. "I hope this works," she muttered to herself. Willie didn't dare look at her and only stared down at the ground as she knocked firmly at the door.

The door was opened almost immediately and a tall, weather beaten man stood on the threshold.

"Yes?" he asked, bluntly, "What d'you want?"

"I'm the Billeting Officer for this area," the lady began after taking a deep breath and plastering a small smile on her face.

"Oh yes, and what's that got to do wi' me?"

"Well, Mr, Mr…"

"Oakley. Thomas Oakley."

"Ah, thank you, Mr Oakley." Willie heard the lady pause and take another deep breath. "Mr Oakley, with the declaration of war imminent…"

The tall man waved his hand and said, "I knows all that. Git to the point. What d'ya want?"

"It's him I've come about," said the Billeting Officer, "I'm on my way to your village hall with the others."

"What others?"

The lady stepped behind Willie so that Mr Oakley could see Willie's peers standing at the bottom of the path, staring at them. Willie felt himself being pushed forward by the woman.

"There's no need to tell me," said the man, "it's obligatory and it's for the war effort."

"You are entitled to choose your child, I know," began the Billeting Officer, apologetically.

The tall man snorted.

"But," continued the lady, "his mother wants him to be with someone who's religious or near a church. She was quite adamant. Said she would only let him be evacuated if he was."

"Was what?" asked the man, impatiently,

"Near a church."

There was silence for a second as Willie continued staring at the ground.

"His name's Willie," said the woman and finally Willie raised his head to look at the man. He saw a healthy, robust, stockily-built man with a head of thick white hair and skin like coarse, wrinkled brown paper who was glaring down at Willie.

"You'd best come in."

And so the story begins.

I aimed to get all my stories finished by 2006 and with 2 days to spare, I succeeded (with the exception of 'Tom' which is a new story). This story has been going for nearly three years (hangs head in shame). I hope you have enjoyed this story and Happy New Year!