“Well, I think furniture would be a better idea”

Saturday morning at work, Tom realises he has left his sandwiches at home.

“There’s not enough time to go home and get my lunch. I’ll have to get something from the cafe”

“Alright Tom” says Mister French

Tom has just put his jacket on and is straightening up his collar at the back, when Dennis comes into the shop.

“You forgot this Dad” he says

“Oh, thanks Dennis”

He takes his coat off again.

“Is that your son?” asks Mister French

“Yes, this is Dennis”

“All these years you’ve worked here, that’s the first time I’ve seen him”

Mister French takes a bunch of bananas of a shelf and hands them to Dennis

“Take this home for your mother” he says

“Thanks Fred” says Tom

Before anything else is said, a loud droning noise is heard along with the sirens and all three go outside into the street and look up. In the distance are hundreds of German bomber planes flying in formations.

“Wow” says Dennis “look at that Dad”

Explosions are heard in the distance.

“I think we had better get to the shelters”

“No, they’re too far away” says Dennis

“Nonetheless, I think we should get to the shelters”

An explosion goes off a mile or so in the distance, but the shock wave can be felt. Tom briefly stands still, the memory of the explosions still haunt him from all those years ago. The planes continue flying as the anti-aircraft guns can be heard. Puffs of smoke can be seen amongst the planes as the anti-aircraft shells go off, but none of the bombers are hit. Tom gets agitated, but Dennis just stands his ground in fascination.

Suddenly a loud whizz, and above them are two spitfires hurtle past, they can’t be more than 200 metres high and they made a noise so loud that Tom closes his eyes in terror. Dennis however jumps up and down with joy.

“Spitfires Dad, look at them” the young lad says

The two planes speed upward towards the bombers when from nowhere come two German fighter planes. The small planes engage each other in a dogfight while the bombers continue dropping their bombs over in the east somewhere, Tom thinks it might have been the docks on the Thames. Dennis continues to watch as one of the Messerschmitt planes speeds off in the opposite direction with smoke trailing behind it.

“We’ve got one Dad” says an excited Dennis

“I really think we should get inside son”

The bombers start to bank off with the beginning of their return run, by this time more Spitfires had reached the sky. One by one, a plane descends in flames, both enemy and Allied. This continues for ten minutes as the remaining bombers fly away, and what’s left of the British Air Force return to their respective bases.

The sirens sound the all clear as Tom breathes a sigh of relief.

“Come on Dennis, you had better go home”

“Alright Dad. I’ll see you later”

Tom turns to go back inside.

“He’s a fine lad” says Mister French

“If a little boisterous” replies Tom

“To be expected from young boys, though”

“Indeed. I think I was a bit like that myself before I went to the Front”