Page 20 of Neighbors at War

As she walked home that evening, Helen played the incident over and over in her mind. Had she done the right thing accepting the egg? Was it a gift? Surely not. She gasped, causing a woman walking towards her to look at her oddly. Not wanting to attract unwarranted attention, Helen winced and reached down to rub her ankle, pretending to have twisted it.

‘You hurt, dear?’

‘I’m fine, thank you.’ Relieved when the woman walked on, Helen fell to wondering again. By accepting the egg had she collaborated with the Germans? Had she? She felt sick at the idea and forced the thought from her mind. It was too late to worry about it now. Anyway, was taking something that small for someone dear to her such a terrible thing? Helen decided it wasn’t and determined to focus on her aunt’s reaction to having something tasty and nourishing to eat.

As she neared the terrace, Helen noticed Mrs Hamel waving off the doctor. Helen broke into a run. Had he dropped her aunt home, or was he there delivering bad news?

‘Mrs Hamel,’ she shouted to get her attention before she went into her home. ‘Mrs Hamel!’

Ida stopped on her doorstep and waved for Helen to slow down. ‘Nothing to panic about, my dear,’ she soothed. ‘The doctor brought Sylvia home a short while ago and I’ve just settled her in your living room with the little un and a cup of tea.’

Relief flooded through Helen. ‘Thank you. That’s such a relief.’

‘Bobby’s sleeping so shouldn’t bother either of you for a bit,’ she said. Then, folding her arms across her chest, she cocked her head towards the front door and lowered her voice. ‘She’s still weak but doing well, so the doctor says. We have the same doctor, Sylvia and me. I’ve known him since he was in nappies, so he knows he can trust me, and that Sylvia and I go a long way back.’

Desperate to see for herself how her aunt was, Helen smiled. ‘It’s very kind of you and thanks for looking after Bobby for me again today. I’d better see if there’s anything my aunt needs.’

‘You do that, love. I can have Bobby again tomorrow, so there’s no need for you to fret about that.’

Helen doubted her aunt would be happy with the arrangement but she couldn’t leave him with her for an entire day, not yet anyway.

‘I’m very grateful for your help.’

Ida waved her comment away. ‘No need. He’s a little love and I enjoy spending time with him.’

‘Well, it makes all the difference to me. You must let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.’

‘Just drop him off, any time after eight.’

‘I will, thank you.’

Ida rested a hand on Helen’s arm. ‘Right, I’d better get in and cook something for our tea. My girls are always peckish when they get home of a nighttime.’

Once inside, Helen heard Bobby chattering away to himself. Happy to see him awake, she picked him up. ‘Let’s go and find Aunty Sylvia, shall we?’

She laughed when Bobby babbled a reply and walked through to the living room.

Her aunt seemed smaller somehow, but her eyes were brighter than they had been for a while and her pallor seemed to have faded since the previous week when Helen had been able to visit her.

‘You look well,’ Helen said, going over to her, bending and kissing her forehead.

‘I feel much better now I’m back home.’ She opened her arms. ‘Let me give my great-nephew a cuddle.’

‘Are you sure you’re ready to hold this pudding?’ Helen wasn’t worried for Bobby – she knew her aunt would never ask to hold him if she lacked the strength – but didn’t want her to exert herself so soon after being discharged from Overdale.

‘I’ve waited far too long already.’

Helen saw her aunt’s smile widen when Bobby reached out towards her. ‘You see? He’s missed me as much as I’ve missed him.’

Helen knew she needed to tell Sylvia about Bobby being looked after by Mrs Hamel.

‘Why?’ Aunt Sylvia grumbled.

‘Because you must take things easy.’

Her aunt scowled. ‘Nonsense, I’ve been looking forward to having him to myself.’

Helen sat down on one of the chairs. ‘I understand how you feel but I won’t change my mind. Maybe by Monday you’ll be stronger. You can have him then.’