Goodnight Mister Tom

A Different 'Point of View': The Billeting Officer

The woman was walking down the wide dirt pathway that led to the train station. Behind her was a small group of children, all quiet and forlorn. Ever since the war started, the woman was seen walking to and from the train station, delivering the children to their designated 'foster' homes. This woman was known as Little Weirworld's Billeting Officer.

She sighed softly, rubbing her aching shoulder, before continuing on. The Officer knew that she'd have to do a bothersome job today. To deliver a sniffling child to an infamous man that lived in a cottage quite a ways away.

She didn't know what the man had done in his younger years or why the folks of this town murmured softly to themselves when she told them that she was to deliver a child to him. The few people that she met on this quiet road seemed shocked when they realised that this Officer was going to his house.

She, however, didn't have a choice but to walk towards the cottage of this frightening, faceless, nameless man. The Officer looked down to her right side, at the young lad shuffling silently beside her. His name was Willie Beech.

The Officer felt scared for him. Scared and piteous.

She sighed again to herself, softly. Well, she thought, the Mother did say that she wanted her son to be placed close to a church. And this man, she shivered at the thought of this unknown man, did oblige to caring for a child. There's nothing I can do…

She saw the cottage up ahead. The children behind her still didn't make any noise, but she thought she heard a slight whimper come from Willie. She turned around and told the children behind her to wait. Gently nudging Willie forward, she walked with him towards the cottage door.

Author's Notes: Just a small drabble. Our teacher gave us Goodnight Mister Tom as our First Term English book. It's a very informative book, I suppose, but I wished it had a little bit more emotion. I was told that I would cry, but I didn't...

Anyways, we were then told to write a short drabble from a different Point of View, so I chose to do the Billeting Officer from Chapter 1 and what she though of Mister Tom Oakley. This is a two-part drabble, so watch out...