After a while, the old man broke the silence. “I am so, SO sorry,” he spluttered through tears.

“Thanks,” sniffed Eric. “The whole house was blown up in the night.”

“Poor old dear. I know we didn’t always see eye to eye, but she did her best to look after you.”

“I know. She tried.”

“She loved you, even though she didn’t know how to show it.”

“I know.”

“She didn’t deserve for her life to end like this.”

“No one does,” agreed the boy.

“Deaf as a post, she was! She didn’t stand a chance.”

“It’s all my fault!” exclaimed Eric. “I should have been there!”

“You mustn’t say that! This blasted war isn’t your fault.”

“I should have woken her up when the air-raid warning sounded.”

“If you’d been there, chances are you’d be dead too.”

The boy gulped.

“GULP!”

The old man was right.

“With Granny gone, I’ve got no one now,” he blubbered.

“You’ve got me!” exclaimed the old man. “You’ll always have me.”

The pair hugged each other even tighter.

“Thank you, Uncle Sid.”

HONK! HONK! HONK!

“There’s that sound again!” exclaimed Eric.

“Come in, come in, and let’s shut the door.”

They did so, and as soon as they were inside and away from prying eyes and ears Sid said, “Look, you need to promise not to tell anybody.”

“Promise not to tell anybody what?”

“Well, you need to promise first. I can’t tell you before you’ve promised!”

“I promise!” said Eric.

“Come with me,” whispered Sid, and he led the boy down the narrow hall,

“so you can meet my
secret family…”