1939
SEPTEMBER AND TOM IS STILL working as a greengrocer. His health hasn’t got worse at all and he feels quite fit although he still gets out of breath because he doesn’t make demands on his body, he has readjusted his life to cope with the illness. He still goes round his mothers’ to dig her garden. Although she is still a misery, she is happy in her own way pottering round her garden. Upstairs lives Ada and her husband Charlie, and also Liz and her husband Bertie. Adeline is pleased to see Tom every so often, although she never shows it.
Tom however is concerned at events happening in Europe where the Germans have marched into Austria and Czechoslovakia. “It was Austria last time wasn’t it?” Tom reminds himself “it was that country that started the Great War.” He is concerned, he’d seen it before and thought, and hoped it wouldn’t happen again.
September the third and Tom walks to work as usual, he pops into the newsagent to buy his regular journal. On this fine morning he walks into the shop when he sees the headlines.
“GERMANY INVADES POLAND”
“No!” he stops in his tracks “they can’t be doing it again?”
He quickly buys the newspaper and carries on walking to work.
“What’s up Tom? Looks like you’ve seen a ghost” enquires Mister French.
“This!” Tom said holding up the newspaper “those Germans are at it again. I thought they learnt their lesson from the last time”
The shop owner studies the newspaper while Tom throws his hat down “don’t these people ever learn. I suppose war will be declared again”
“Get that radio on” the shop owner says.
An hour passes and a lady comes into the shop as Tom sits down on a sack of potatoes just to get his breathe.
“I’d like some potatoes” she asks
Tom immediately stands up even though the potato bin is full and there is no need to go into the sack.
“And a cabbage please”
He sits down on the sack of potatoes again. He suddenly turns his head towards the radio; he hears the presenter’s voice, he walks over and turns the radio up.
“…this is the home service; we are going over to Downing Street to hear an announcement by the Prime Minister…..”
“Ssh! It’s Chamberlain” says Tom “he’s going to speak”
“I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street”
Mr French and the customer move closer to the radio.
“This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final note stating that unless we heard from them by 11 o’clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now…”
A young man joins the small crowd listening to the radio.
“…that no such undertaking has been received, and consequently this country is at war with Germany”
The young man turns and walks out of the shop, he says to his friend waiting outside “we’re at war with Germany”
Tom’s shoulders drop, he is in deep despair. Although he is too old and wouldn’t be fit enough to join the army, the technology has come a long way. The firepower in the Great War totally destroyed the landscape in Belgium. What would the new weaponry do now?
“Oh those Germans” the customer says “never mind, our boys will sort them out. Well we did last time”
She walks out with her vegetables. Tom said rather glumly “she doesn’t look old enough to remember the last war. She wasn’t even there. I was and we didn’t finish the war by Christmas like they said. It was total devastation. How long will this war last?”
Mister French lays a hand on Tom’s shoulder.
“I understand” he says
Tom’s rehearsal with the band is tonight, they congregate in their room they normally use for their practice; Tom gets his papers together and starts to speak “tonight chaps, I think we should do….”
The drummer cuts in quickly “before we start, I’d like to point out that it may not be worth carrying on with the band”
Tom is stunned; it was several seconds before he can speak “what…why?”
“Well” says the drummer “I’ve signed up for the army. I start training next week”
Tom’s hands holding his papers drop into his lap.
The double bass also tells Tom he had joined up.
“We might as well go home”
Everyone slowly departs, leaving Tom on his own with his papers. Tom sits thinking about getting some younger people in “oh, those young people won’t want to join a music hall band. They like all that stuff coming from America”
Tom decides to go down the pub to console himself.
“Hello Tom” is the greeting he got from Lionel as he walks through the entrance.
He greets back, he is down but not rude. He is heeding his grandfather’s words and tries to be as happy as he can.
“It seems…” he starts “…that the band has disbanded”
“Yes, but you can still play the piano though, can’t you?”
“Oh yes, I won’t give that up”
Ralph leans over and says “have you thought about being a warden, Tom?”
“No”
“Eh! Enough of that don’t change the subject. Tom, on that piano, there’s half a beer in it for you”
The alcohol is little incentive, just a bonus. As usual, he doesn’t need much encouragement and makes his way to the piano. Ralph who suggested the warden just stands there with his mouth open and his finger raised. There is no point carrying on, he sups his beer and moves his way to the crowd that is now gathering round the piano. Tom sits down, but he has a slight nagging thought “a warden”. Then he stops thinking and starts playing.
The next day, Tom is at work.
“Someone mentioned about being a warden last night” he says to his boss
“Oh, I think that would suit you. Have you thought about joining up?”
“Maybe…maybe”