Chapter Forty-Eight
Willie received his letter from the Army to report for a medical examination at the Barracks in Dennistoun and he was allowed time off from the Site. He arrived at the barrack gates at the appointed time.
“Hello there, Willie.”
Willie turned to see Wattie standing beside him and behind him, in the queue was none other than James Blackwood the notorious ‘Blackie’ and ‘infamous’ leader of the ‘Billys’
“What are you two doing here? Are you waiting for a medical too?” Willie asked and the boys confirmed that they were. They had all turned eighteen in the past few weeks.
Wattie was called in first and seemed to be only in there a short time, when Blackie was asked to follow.
“What did they say to you, Wattie? What questions did they ask?” Willie was apprehensive and a little nervous as he asked his questions of his friend.
“No’ much ... No’ much at awe ... He just grunted and got the wee nurse to weigh me.”
“Was that all?”
“Well yes, except that he put a tube of some kind all over my chest and felt my balls.”
Willie looked pale. He could feel his throat going dry.
“Was she ... the nurse ... was she there all the time, Wattie?”
Wattie looked quite unperturbed.
“Yes, Willie,” he answered with a look of angelic innocence. After all, she wasn’t a woman ...She was a nurse...
“Wattie I mean, even when he you know ...
“Know what Willie?”
Willie’s face was strained and his face took on a scarlet hue.
“Oh never mind ...You’re having me on, Wattie aren’t you?”
“No I’m not Willie. Honest to God that’s what happened.”
At that moment, Blackie re-appeared.
“Gawd ... his bloody hands were cold,” he said and screwed up his face in disgust. Willie felt faint hearted and wanted to get out of the room as soon as he could, but before he could make another move he heard the voice calling him.
“Next please ...” and he could see the nurse staring at him.
She looks pretty enough, he thought ... wonder if she has cold hands too
“Have you ever had rheumatic fever when you were a child, Mr. Blair?”
The medical officer was examining Willie’s chest when he asked his question and Willie thought for a moment as the pretty nurse smiled at him. He wanted to put his shirt back on, but it lay across a chair behind her desk and he couldn’t reach it.
“No Sir ... Not that I know of,” he answered.
“Right ...”
Willie was about to reach across the nurse’s desk to retrieve his shirt, when the doctor spoke to him again.
“Just drop your trousers, please Mr. Blair.”
He stared at the nurse and she was still smiling ... He coughed and she moved behind the chair, disturbing his shirt which fell to the floor, but as she bent to pick it up, Willie grabbed the opportunity to drop his pants and stood with his bits and pieces cupped in his hands ... All cleverly done and very quickly too, before she could raise her head again ....
***
Wattie and Blackie were waiting for him when he came out again and he was arranging his shirt into his trousers, with a massive scowl on his face.
“Her hands were quite warm actually,” he said and walked past his friends, but they caught up with him and ragged him mercilessly all the way home, where they talked of joining the navy in the very near future.
“It takes about six weeks before they tell you anything,” said Blackie, whose older brother had already been through the experience of being recruited, but he went into the Royal Air Force ...
“Wouldn’t it be great if we all get on the same ship,” added Wattie and it suddenly came home to them as they walked along in harmony that the Billys and the Dans had formed a truce ....
Willie arrived home and Mary was excited to hear his news.
“How did you get on? Did they tell you which Unit you will be sent to?” she enquired, but she didn’t fully understand the system of recruitment in the armed forces.
“It takes a while before they let you know, Mammy. I think about six weeks ... Mammy, have I ever had rheumatic fever when I was wee, I mean?”
“Why? What makes you ask me that, Willie?”
“Well, the doctor asked me if I ever had it and I said I didn’t but I wasn’t sure.”
“Yes Willie. You did have it, Son ... but it was a long, long time ago. It was when you were three. Just a wee bairn and you got through it alright without any further complications, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
***
Willie went to bed that night, dreaming of far-away-lands and of beautiful exotic, dusky maidens and Charlie came to his room to enquire how he got on at the medical and he laughed when Willie told him about the pretty nurse and the capers with his shirt.
“I hope you gave her a treat, Willie and showed her yer bandy legs did ye?”
“Well they’re almost as brown as yours now Charlie boy Look!”
Willie pulled the sheets back and kicked his legs in the air.
“Aye ... Yer comin’ on. You’ll soon be able to wear the kilt, I shouldn’t wonder.”
Willie laughed as he stroked his tanned and ruddy legs.
“I’d rather have those sexy sailor’s trousers any day. They show what you’ve got, somethin’ rotten and the lassies canny keep their eyes off.”
“Aye Aye, Sir,” Charlie saluted and pinched his brother’s bum ...
“Don’t forget to tell all those women that you have a handsome brother at home, who is only too willing to help them out in an emergency.” Charlie roared with laughter as he left Willie’s bedroom.
***
Two weeks later, a letter arrived from the barracks and Willie had been refused entry into His Majesties Forces, due to an incomplete diagnosis of heart murmuring. He was advised he could ask for a second medical, if he wasn’t satisfied, but his whole world had fallen apart.
“Don’t feel so bad, Willie. All these things are meant for the best,” Mary assured him as he went upstairs with the letter clutched in his hand and threw himself across the bed.