Chapter Twenty-Six

Charlie and Rachael walked hand in hand through the snow, but neither spoke. The thin, transparent snowflakes fell lightly on their shoulders as they moved under the darkened overhead sky, where here and there a bright little star blinked her life away. It was a quiet evening and the streets were bare except for a few people making their way home from work and anxious to get into the warmth of a cosy, welcoming fire and make their preparations for Christmas. The windows were covered with black-out materials and tapes to ensure that glass would not fly about if broken by the effect of a stray bomb. Air Raid Wardens were alert at their various unobtrusive posts and peace appeared to be everywhere, if the atmosphere was of War. The celebrations were going on, regardless as people prepared for the birthday of their Creator and War was put to one side for the time being.

Charlie looked down into Rachael’s face and touched her cool cheek with eager, tender fingers as she drew closer to him and closed her eyes, happily.

“What will happen if I’m not exempt from the Forces, Rachael?” he asked as he raised his sights to the sky, “I may have to leave the building site, since I’ve only been a short time there and I think you have to have worked on a site for over three years before they will consider exemption.”

Rachael reached up and touched his cheek in return. She looked longingly into his eyes as she placed a light kiss on his warm lips.

“We’ll think of that when we have to, Charlie meanwhile, why don’t you invite me to your party?”

Charlie smiled at the thought.

“You don’t have a party at Christmas time, do you?” he asked, “I’ve never heard of a Yiddishe Christmas.” Rachael smiled and shook her head as he continued to tease her. “I don’t think my mother would approve of such a wanton woman in her house, do you?” he added gleefully and tickled her nose with his own.

“You can tell your dear Mamma that I can’t keep away from you, Charlie Blair and tell her also that I think I love you but just a little.”

“Just a little ... Is that all?”

“Well yes, for the time being, but I think it will not be too long before that little becomes well, never mind. Just tell her anyway ... Yes?”

Charlie threw back his head and laughed and his teeth sparkled as the moon suddenly appeared from behind a large feathery cloud, casting its rays over the earth, like a mantle of peace. A snow flake fell from his lashes and he blinked as he began to speak again, louder this time and a voice shouted somewhere nearby, “SHUT UP” They walked on a little further and he glided Rachael, gracefully through the snow into a small alcove between the baker’s shop and the fruiterers.

“That’s nice. You’ll just about be able to fit in there,” he said and squeezed her into the magical space he had discovered, pressing himself against her.

“What shall we do now?” he whispered as he smothered her forehead in kisses and stroked her hair away from her face.

They stood together, closely just looking at each other in the shadows, with only the glow of the moonlight.

“I love you, Charlie Blair,” she said softly and he pressed his lips to hers before she could say any more. They lingered in the silence of the evening, with only a child crying somewhere in the distance to disturb their dream.

“I adore you Rachael Harris,” he murmured in her ear.

“Well, that’s alright then,” she said.

***

Mary Blair and Aggie were waiting for the rest of the family, as they sat together sanctimoniously in preparation for their visit to Midnight Mass. Mary hoped that they would all be able to attend that Mass as a family, for as long as they could arrange it, as she was aware that now the war was on, her sons could be separated from her at any time

She knew also that her daughters were fast becoming young women and that courting days would soon be with them and she clung on to the hope that her youngest, Willie would be with her for the foreseeable future. After all, Churchill had said that the war would be over in a year, hadn’t he?”

***

Sadie rushed in, gasping for a glass of water. She was on one of her many diets, but water was O.K. at any time and Mary frowned as she watched her daughter gulp the clear liquid, as delicately as she could, with her pinkie in the air, as she knew ladies always did. She was wearing too much make-up for Mary’s satisfaction, but then, the younger generation did that sort of thing, she thought and hurried to wash the lipstick from the rim of the glass as soon as Sadie waltzed off to fix her face in the large mirror above the fireplace.

Aggie sat waiting patiently, with a patience that would have put Job to shame as Meggie came into the room looking flushed and flustered.

“Mammy ...can we invite who we like to the party?” she asked breathlessly

Mary was startled for a moment at the sudden gush of kindness that had come over her excited daughter.

“Well, of course you can, Hen, but remember we only have a very wee house and we’ll no’ get many people into our small rooms.

Meggie blushed as she tidied herself for Midnight Mass, singing nervously as she brushed her hair.

‘Red sails in the sunset, way out on the sea ...’

She sang as Mary looked on with a very concerned eye.

‘Oh carry my loved one home safely to me ...’

Mary Blair wondered what to expect next, but Willie interrupted her thoughts.

“Where’s Charlie?” he called out and Sadie took time off from plucking her eyebrows to answer him rather sarcastically, side-glancing at her profile in the mirror.

“We all know where he’ll be, don’t we ...down or around the Synagogue, no doubt,” she muttered as she returned to her eyebrows with renewed vigour. She rubbed her lips together to distribute her lipstick evenly and cocked her head to one side with an air of satisfaction. “There ...that’ll do me now,” she said contentedly.

“Mammy, do you think anything will come of that relationship?” asked Meggie as she slipped into her blue coat; the one with the black astrakhan collar.

“Well, I don’t really know,” Mary answered, “But Charlie’s a good boy and he knows what he’s doing.”

“But Mammy, she’s a Jew,” said Sadie with an arrogant sniff as she continued to admire herself in the mirror, but Willie was displeased at her attitude.

“Pity she’s an Old Tin Can then, isn’t it? Changed days when I said she was a Jew, isn’t it? Everybody jumped on me.

“Willie, that’s enough from you,” Mary remonstrated, “I don’t want to hear talk like that in this house, do you understand? . . . and Sadie You should know better.”

Willie lowered his head and picked at his finger nails.

“Och! She doesn’t know anything,” he grunted,” and I didn’t really mean it Mammy. She rather a nice wee Tin can ... actually.”

Mary jumped up from where she was sitting.

“I said that’s enough William Blair. Now get yourself ready for Midnight Mass before you get the back of my hand round your ear.”

Meggie giggled and shrugged her shoulders lightly.

“I think our Willie fancies Rachael, Mammy,” she said but Willie was quick to return his denial of her statement.

“I DO NOT ...” he asserted firmly, but his young heart knew he had told a lie as he stood with his fingers crossed behind his back. Only Aggie saw the procedure, from where she sat quietly, simply looking on, but Sadie would not leave the matter.

“Look Mammy He’s blushin’ ...Look at him blushin’ ... Willie loves Rachael, Willie loves Rachael ...Sadie began to sing.

“Oh! For goodness sake, let’s have some peace in this house,” cried Mary, “It’s Christmas Eve and I don’t want to hear any more of this nonsense nor any more of this old Tin Can stuff either. We are all God’s creatures So, No more of it, do you hear?”

With that final word, Willie left the house with the Blair ladies, to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the First Mass of Christmas.

“I don’t give a damn that she’s an old Tin Can,” he said quietly as he looked up at the dark, blue velvet sky, where the moon was pushing her way through a scattering cloud. “I think she’s lovely and as for Charlie ...well, he’s a lucky sod that’s what I think.”

***

All through the Mass Willie was distracted, thinking about Rachael Harris. His fertile imagination began to picture the children that she and Charlie would have and he shuffled angrily in his pew.

“Funny if they had a wee blonde Jew,” he murmured, unaware that he was being overheard nearby, by his best friend, Wattie who had managed to get a seat next to his Hero for the Mass. Wattie was concerned and he had a worried look on his face.

“Do ye want tae go, Willie?” he asked, “I don’t think they have any lavvys in the chapel, do they?”

“No, ah don’t want tae go and there’s nae bloody lavvys in the chapel, so SHUT YER MOOTH, will ye.”

***

Aggie’s composure was entire. She knelt erect and looked bravely at the High Altar with unblinking eyes that burned with love. Her thoughts were so different from her siblings, as she imagined herself to be up there in that cup, with her Lord and Saviour. She wanted only to be His and His alone, whatever the consequences and all the rest of the trimmings were futile to her mind, without Him. Her heart yearned to become a Bride of Christ and a silent tear slid down her smooth, flushed cheek.

***

Willie filed past Wattie as they went forwards to Communion, following the girls, in their Sunday best.

‘Corpus Domini nostrae Jesu Christie,’

Each in turn stuck out their tongue to accept the Host; a warm, soft cushion for the Child Christ to rest on.

‘Custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternum. Amen.’

When the priest had distributed the Sacrament, all returned to their seats, but Willie looked up on his was back as Charlie walked past him and winked irreverently. He had not known that his brother was coming to the Midnight Mass, owing to his other ‘distractions’ but as Charlie received Holy Communion and made his way back through the body of the church, Willie could see Rachael waiting at the large entrance door at the back. She was smiling at his brother and looking lovelier than ever and when Charlie reached out to take her hand and guide her into a seat near the door, where they could sit quietly on their own, Willie squirmed. He shuffled uncomfortably where he sat, but before Wattie could ask any further questions of concern for Willie’s comfort, he answered boldly ‘NO’

“Wish ah could be a priest,” Wattie sighed and wiped his nose again on his sleeve.

***

Both the priests of the Parish were at the end of the church to wish the adorers a Happy Christmas and every blessing in the New Year as they trudged into a fresh downfall of smooth-lying snow and made their way home. Mary was thrilled to see Rachael and insisted that she should come home with them for coffee and mince pies and the young Jewess was delighted to accept her offer. She took Mary’s arm as they walked home and Mary was happy. She did not understand exactly why she should be but she was and she glanced proudly towards Charlie as she watched him walk so resolutely and upright through the snow, making his very own imprints on the virgin blanket. She tightened her arm against Rachael’s and smiled. The night was cold and a wind was blowing up, but Mary Blair’s heart was warm and her God was in His heavens, watching over her flock

‘Gloria in excelsis Deo ... Et in terra pax hominibus’

Men were still fighting at the war and killing each other without reason. Men killed boys and boys killed men and simply because they were of a different nationality, but it was all too confusing for Mary to understand. It was simply incomprehensible and she prayed that night that cold, holy night, for her family for Charlie and Willie, for Aggie, Sadie and Meggie. She prayed for peace on earth and good will to all men, but she prayed in particular for a certain butcher that she had come to know so well and for the young and beautiful Jewess who clung so tightly to her arm as she walked.

***

Willie found it hard to sleep when the gathering had broken up and everyone had retired to bed, or gone home. He lay awake, wondering how long it would take Charlie to see Rachael home and he was just about to drop off when his brother’s weight hit the bed.

“Wish you’d marry that lassie, Charlie,” he groaned sleepily and Charlie sniggered.

“Do you want to get rid of me that much, Willie?”

Willie thought for a moment and sighed.

“Well Then I’d have this bed to myself, wouldn’t I?”

Charlie leaned over Willie’s stretched out frame and whispered provocatively into his ear.

“You’ll miss the warmth of my lovely body,” he murmured but Willie stuck his fingers in his ears. “Gerroff,” he shouted and shivered with the tickling sensation that Charlie had left with him.

“Did I ever tell you, Willie lad, that all the Blairs were fine, upright, noble characters,” he jibbed, pressing himself against his brother.

“And as hard as bloody rocks too,” remarked Willie as he rolled over and went to sleep, pulling the bedclothes with him.