Rolling Shadows - Chapter 14

The train pulled into the station. It came to a full stop and the doors were unlocked. Most who stepped of rushed away, to catch a connecting train, or a taxi, or to meet someone. However as Jake MacNeill stepped onto the platform he moved to the side, out of the way of the passing throng. Jake had long hair and wore a black leather jacket over a military green t-shirt with black jeans. The station, to his eyes, looked as though it had a caretaker that took great care in his work. The flowers were neatly arranged in their red boxes and the platform seemed almost completely devoid of dirt, there was the occasional dark circle of chewing gum. There remained of course the smell of diesel which disturbed his nostrils. Soon his parents joined him on the platform.
His father, John was bald with a thin mustache. He was slightly shorter than his son and athletic in physique. He also disliked the smell of the diesel and pondered that he might have been able to make the trip by foot. This he might have done, taken an extra week off and at least attempted it. Jake's mother who followed his father would have talked him out of it. His mother, Karen, was shorter still, she was a little plump, or cuddly as Jake told her, with black hair and wore a purple top with a frilled neck and black trousers.
The family headed out of the station into the car park. They began looking for Jake's cousin's car. He wasn't here yet.
“The train was a little early,” Jake said, by way of an explanation.
“So there is a first time for everything!” John said, “trains can be early.”
“As we have a few minutes do you mind if I call...”
“Stacy,” his parents said in unison.
“Carry on,” Karen said.
“Thanks.”
Jake walked a little way away from his parents and pressed the speed dial on his phone. It only rang for a few moments before being picked up.
“Hi babes,” Stacy said, “have a good trip?”
“Just another trip on a train,” Jake said, “how did the exam go?”
“All right I think. Won't know until results day I guess.”
“Well I'm sure you did fine. Sorry I can't be there tonight.”
“That's okay. Your be here for the prom thought, that's the important thing.”
“Indeed. Wouldn't miss it. Have fun this evening though.”
“We will,” Stacy said, she sounded as though she were smiling.
“I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut our conversation short,” Jake said, “looks like my cousin is here.”
“Okay. Love you. See you on prom night.”
“Love you, Bye.”
“Bye.”
Jake hung up the phone and put it back in the inside pocket of his coat. He headed back over to his parents where a small blue car had pulled up. The car's two occupants stepped out. The first was Jake's cousin Lee followed by his wife Hannah. Lee had short trim hair, a slim figure and was dressed, appropriately in a navy blue shirt and jeans and wore a smart jacket. His wife wore a flowery dress and had hair the colour of strawberries.
Jake and Lee communicated regularly by email, though it had been a while since they had seen each other in person.
“Still growing your hair?”
“Still keeping it short,” Jake returned.
“Its the regulations,” Lee said as he embraced his cousin, uncle and aunt in turn. He then helped them place their bags in the car and they set off.

As Lee drove Hannah briefly placed a hand on his shoulder. Lee turned his head to her and she smiled. He nodded to her as if some secret message had passed between them. Jake and his parents were barely aware of the exchange.
“Thought I might give you some information about what we're seeing here,” Lee said as they turned a corner, “then I realized, I know nothing. We'll be at the house soon. Not a lot happens here, but we have a castle and...”
“The pleasure of your company,” Karen said, when Lee was unforthcoming with the end of his sentence.
“Thanks,” Lee said. He hoped the distraction in his voice wasn't detectable. Hannah had no doubt heard it, but she was his wife. The reasons for it was clear. Just two months ago his grandfather, Joe, had died - he was ninety-three. Lee had been to the funeral but it had been a, literal, flying visit. He could not say he was sad precisely. After all his grandfather had lived to a grand old age, and died peacefully. Every now and then something reminded him of his grandfather. Something on the news, a documentary or any news to do with his career. He imagined Karen had smiler feelings, Joe had been her father. As Lee drove his mind when went back twelve years, a family holiday in York. The trip turned out to be far more interesting than he could have imagined.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Lee West woke with a start. For a moment he was slightly disorientated. Then as he looked at the bed - or rather lilo - he was on and saw a double bed, he remembered, he was staying with his grandparents in York. A smell began to waft into the room tickling his nose. Soon his ears pricked up as a sizzling sound followed. Bacon! he thought. Rising from the lilo he stood over his parent's bed.
“Granddad's making breakfast.”
“Smells good,” his mother, Mary, said drowsily, “go and get washed and dressed. We'll be up in a little while.”
Lee left the room, was washed and changed quickly then dashed down the stairs. His grandmother was crouched in the hall picking up the post. Lee wished her a good morning and turned past the stairs entering the kitchen-cum-dining room, this also connected to the living room. His grandfather was stood at the stove cracking the eggs into the pan.
“Five out of five,” he said.
“Five what?” Lee asked.
“You made me jump,” Joe said, “didn't see you their.”
“Sorry.”
“Its okay. Five eggs cracked into the frying pan without braking the yolks.”
“Well done.”
“I've had some days where I make the breakfast, then make a cake, and its the eggs for the cake that remain intact!”
“Before you whisk them?”
“Yes,” Joe smiled, “exactly. Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Lee returned.
“Would you be able to keep an eye of on the eggs? While I change into something a little more formal than a bath robe.”
“Sure.”
Lee kept an eye on the eggs, then, convinced that they would not be ready for a while, headed into the living room. He was distracted by a plaque on the mantelpiece. The words of some poem were engraved on it, he read with mild interest. Going over to the stove he checked the eggs, not quite done. Back to the mantelpiece and he inspected a picture that stood next to the plaque. It showed a man stood next to plane and the brass plate beneath read:

Wing Commander Joe Taylor
04/09/1951

“Great picture,” Lee said to himself.
“Thought you'd like that one,” Doris, his grandmother said, “where's Joe he's got eggs cooking here?”
“Gone to change,” Lee said, “I'm keeping an eye on them.” He crossed back to the stove and checked the eggs again and decided they were done.
“Hang on a moment,” Doris said, she grabbed some plates from the cupboard and set them out on the counter. Lee carefully placed an egg on each plate.”
“Its ready is it? Joe said retuning.
Joe dished out the remainder of the breakfast.
“Smells wonderful dad,” Mary said.
“It does indeed,” Robert added.
The family sat to a delicious breakfast of; bacon, eggs, hash browns, baked beans, black pudding and toast. It smelt marvelous. Lee was about to dig straight in, but he waited for his grandfather to pour the drinks and until everybody else was ready. A chorus of appreciation went round the room, as everyone ate their breakfast.
“Every grandfather needs the opportunity to spoil his grandson – and I don't see mine often enough, have to catch up on the spoiling your dad's parents get to do on a regular basis.”

- - - - - - - - - - - -

As the car pulled up to the house Lee supposed that the breakfast hadn't been that special. He had dabbled in cooking himself from time to time, living the cliché and manning the barbecue in the summer, nevertheless it had still been appreciated. He stepped out of the car, walked up to his front door and unlocked it.
“Make yourselves at home,” he told them, “Hannah and I will bring your stuff in.”
“That's not necessary,” John said, “we'll...”
“We can do it don't worry.”
John surrendered to the idea and entered the house with his son and wife. Lee returned to the car, he swung Jake's rucksack onto his back and took one of the wheeled cases while Hannah brought the other one.
“Let me show you where you'll be sleeping.”
“Thank you,” Karen said, following her nephew up the stairs. She attempted to take the case from him but he insisted.
“Are you going to let me do anything while I'm here?” she asked, “help with the washing up for instance.”
“No,” Lee said, “this will be yours and John's room. Come Jake, let me show you your room.”
Lee, with Jake in tow, crossed the landing into another room. Lee placed Jake's bag on the floor and apologised for the slight mess the room was in.
“Redecorating?”
“Yeah,” Lee said, “been doing this a while now. Well I say 'we' mostly Hannah of course but it should be ready soon. When the patter of tiny feet comes along.”
“Congratulations,” Jake said.
“We aren't pregnant yet,” Lee smiled, “soon.”
“So what would your child be to me?”
“I don't know to be honest,” Lee said, “after a point those definitions get a little convoluted. Lets have some tea.”

Lee headed down the stairs to the kitchen where Hannah was lent against the thick wooden table in the center of the room. Lee smiled hearing the sound of boiling water from the kettle.
“Great minds think alike,” he said, “I was just coming to do that.” Lee ran his hand through Hannah's hair and kissed her, “Have I told you how much I miss you whilst away?”
“You've mentioned that,” she smiled, “I miss you too. Maybe you should get a shore posting.”
“I have to go where I'm sent,” Lee said, “I have considered resigning, so I could be with you.”
“You can't do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” Hannah said, “you've always wanted to captain your own ship. To have that responsibility. Your dream since you were twelve.”
“Dreams can sometimes change. I'm not saying that that isn't there any more but, you have to pick your battles. You can't be captain, see your family every day, play the...clarinet, paint a masterpiece and write a best-seller.”
“There must be someone who has done all those things.”
“I suppose,” Lee smiled weakly, “more and more I realise that being with my family is the most important thing. Maybe I'll buy a boat, be a captain of my own ship.”
“Whatever you decide I'll support,” Hannah said, “whatever makes you happy.”
“I love you,” he said kissing her. As he did so her hair changed to a grassy green, “cool, but you might want to keep that to a minimum while we have guests here.”
“I will,” she assured him, “just a couple more for the road.” The kettle had clicked off and Hannah levitated it and poured the boiling water into the awaiting tea pot. Lee added a jug of milk to the tray the old fashioned way. Hannah changed her hair colour back to red as they headed into the living room.

“I was just admiring the decoration in here,” Karen said, as they entered, she pointed to a piece of fabric hanging from the wall.
“Yes,” Hannah said, “Japanese calligraphy. We got them on holiday there a few years back.”
“What does it say?” Jake asked.
“That one is 'Sure Victory'” Hannah said, “roughly translated of course, “the other is 'Everlasting.'”
“There wonderful. Do you speak Japanese?”
“I guess you could say I dabble,” Hannah said, “not fluent thought.”
“Tea's ready,” Lee said.
As Lee poured the tea his mind went back once again to the breakfast with his grandparents. They had had a large green teapot. He remembered it well as his grandfather had trouble lifting the full pot. He hadn't drank tea at that time of his life and his eyes wondered back to his grandparent's living room. There were medals in a frame next to the picture of his grandfather and next to that another picture, black and white of a man in an army uniform. He looked proud in his hat and olive jacket. Lee inquired as to who it was.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

“My brother,” his granddad said, “he died in the war. That picture was taken shortly before his death.”
“Shall we pull the conversation back to something unwar related,” Lee's grandmother said.
“I'm afraid I have some other news in that regard,” Robert said, “I heard from Jack the other day He's just been promoted!”
“Major West,” Lee said delighted to here the news, “has a nice ring to it.”
“You still aiming for Commander West?” his grandmother asked. She had decided to surrender to the conversation.
“Yes. Where's he being stationed?”
“Don't remember, some where in Europe.”
“Speaking of family news,” Lee's grandmother began, dipping some bacon in her yolk. “We heard from Karen the other day. She just wanted to let us know that they'll be bringing Jake up for a few days.”
“Oh right!” Lee's mum said, “we'll have to go and see them sometime, if I can get the time. Haven't seen Karen in a while.
“Yeah,” Lee said, “I'd like to see my cousin again. So what are we doing today.”
“We're going for a walk.”

As he left the bedroom Lee put his hands in to a gun shape, darting round the corner, as if defending his position from and unseen enemy. One day he might have to do this for real. In that moment he wondered, would he make it in his career? Would he one day command a ship in the Royal Navy. He'd looked up all the information he could find, practiced the navy fitness test – he felt ready.
“Nearly ready?” his grandfather asked, and then seeing what he was doing contained in a feigned 'RAF' accent, “come on its time to fly!”
“Yes sir!” he said enthused. His grandfather's stories of RAF service were the stuff of family legend as far as Lee was concerned. Joe had served for many years and archiving the rank of Air Commodore. They waited on the landing while the others got ready.
“I wish you every success,” Joe said, “may you make lieutenant-commander by the time you're thirty.”
“I hope to,” Lee smiled.
“Let me be clear though,” Joe continued in earnest, “a military is, by definition, used for war. Those who choose to server have to face the possibility that one day they may be required to kill. I've shot plans down. Yes you can say it was in defense of one's country. However those people you fight are mealy the the instrument of the country you fight. Fighting for ones country is an honorable vocation – don't give into hate because...”
“That leads to the dark side?”
“Exactly,” Joe smiled, “fight with honor. I will say however that any war represents a failure. It is never desirable. It is important that good people join the armed serves, fight with honor and focus on what they see – never jumping to conclusions,” Joe took a thoughtful pause.
“We're ready,” Doris said, heading down the stairs.
“Be right there,” Joe told her. Turning back to his grandson he said, “I visited Berlin a couple of months ago, and met a man who was a Major in the Luftwaffe in '41. He fought in the Battle of Britain, dropped bombs on British cities. We're good friends now. The point is that people do not make war, governments do, Thomas Hardy said it best:

“Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You’d treat if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown.”

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The words of the poem hadn't meant much to Lee at that moment. As a teenage poetry was only experienced in a classroom. Now those worlds meant a great deal. They had been the ones on the plaque on his grandfather's mantelpiece. After his grandfather's death he had been given the plaque and placed it above his own fire place. Something had changed in him now, he wondered if the navy was still for him, he missed Hannah dearly whilst away. As he sat with his family and they talked he thought that he should remain here.