CHAPTER 58
Harwich was visible from a long way off, or at least the big white reactor dome at Sizewell. There was nothing really visible of England apart from the dome for what seemed like hours, but eventually we were passing the moles or piers or whatever they are called and nosing up to the dock. There was the usual hanging about while sailors did sailor things, and then we were called down to our vehicles. Pete drove, silent that morning, and in a very short while we picked up the first motorway up past Cambridge, leading on to the A1 after a frighteningly busy dual carriageway to Huntingdon.

There were only five of us aboard now, the others leaving us for a slow train to London and other parts of the South. We didn’t speak much, for it seemed out of place with Pete’s silence, until we stopped at some typical motorway place near Grantham.

“You take over, Ashley. You were right: I’m not in the right mind for driving, pushing it a bit hard to get home”

Susie held up her mobile phone, which she had been tapping at for a long time. That was normal for her, though.

“You’re not going home, Pete, or at least not staying there. Mam’s making up the spare bed, and we’ll have a proper meal”

“Yes, but---“

“No but. What we said in Flensburg, aye? That stands. You don’t get left on your own, not with shit like this to deal with. You went above and beyond with these lads, and only because you cared about them. That goes two ways. Mam’s doing roast chicken. She’ll put it in oven when we get to yours, give you time to pick up a few things and sort any mail. Gerald, Mam will drop me home once he’s settled”

She turned back to Pete. “And it is settled, so be quiet”

The run up the A1 was getting more familiar by the mile, but it was still a surprise when we turned off for the run in past Hazlewood and Tadcaster. We parked up smartly in Pete’s yard, and Ashley pointed the older man at his car.

“Off with you. I’ll start sorting bus out, right? Look after him, lass”

We set off for Acaster, where Pete’s house was a solid and stonebuilt affair. Mail was piled inside the front door, but Susie took it all off him and stuffed it into a plastic carrier bag she had with her.

“Night things and toiletries and a change of clothes. Hop it!”

She took her phone out again. “Mam? Hiya. He’s just packing his bits and pieces, we’ll be right round. Hang on”

She looked directly at me. “Boatyard, home or dinner with us? Won’t be room for us to stay tonight”

I smiled at her. “Meal with the family sounds good to me”

That brought a twitch followed by her own smile. “Aye, absolutely you old bugger. Come here!”

I got a hug and a peck on the cheek, and then we were out of the door again in less than fifteen minutes. Susie drove, carefully and smoothly, while Pete ferreted through the bag of mail until he found the one he wanted.

“Right… It’s from his CO. Says….breaking protocol… one of my men… well-liked… Shit, it’s reading like a bloody obituary! Hang on. Right…oh fucking hell!”

He was in real distress now, tears flowing, and Susie passed back her handbag to me.

“Tissues, side pocket. Nearly there, love. Leave it till we’re sat together, aye?”

The big man just nodded and took some of the paper hankies from me to wipe his face. Valerie was at the door when we pulled in, and to my surprise Andy was standing behind her. My surprise clearly showed in my expression, for Susie snapped “Family, love!” and almost ran to her mother. She was still nervous with the young lad, although they managed to hide it well as he hugged her in welcome. Valerie was to the point.

“Dinner’s on table in an hour. Kettle’s on, tea’ll be brewing sharpish. You won’t have had a decent cuppa all trip, I bet!”

She herded us into the living room, and as we settled I saw Pete still had that letter in his hand. As she handed round the cups a few minutes later, Susie repeated the word ‘Family’ to Pete, and he nodded. She settled herself in a comfortable way against young Andrew, and Pete drew a long, slow breath, letting it out as a sigh.

“Got the word from his commanding officer, and it’s not as bad as it could have been. It’s still awful, but like I said, he’s alive”

He looked down at the pieces of paper. “They were on a recovery operation. That’s the stupid thing. He wasn’t going to be in that long, you know, he’d done loads of stuff in the UK, base work, and we’d agreed, well, I’d agreed, when his first term came up he’d be out. Job with me, use his skills and qualifications in Civvy Street. That was what he said, that and the fact that he would be in a bloody base depot. Remember his words? Not going out under fire to pick up damaged vehicles! Lying sod”

Valerie reached out to put a hand on his forearm, as I had so often seen her daughter do.

“Not now, Pete. Just tell us how he is”

“Oh. Sorry, Val. It was a bomb, roadside thing, Yanks call them IEDs, but they still go bang. It wounded three of the lads, Pete included, and killed one of them. Pete was lucky. He had the proper kit on. That’s what his boss says. He had something over his eyes, so they’re fine, and that new ceramic thing on his front. Apparently whatever hit that would have cut him in half. And that’s it, really, cause it’s his right leg, and that’s gone. It was hit by another bit and they think the only…”

He stopped for an instant, trying to get the shakes out of his voice, then tried again.

“They think the only reason it hit him where it did was because it went through his mate first. What the hell is up with this planet? With bloody people?”

He paused again, and Susie rose and went to sit on the arm of his chair, hugging his head to her breast. Just like her mother, she was crying, and I felt my own tears hanging. Young Andy just looked lost. Valerie stood up, dabbing at her eyes with the edge of her pinny.

“Going to go and sort dinner, love. Susie, show him where his bedroom is when you’re done. I’ve put him in your old room”

The younger woman took a breaking man by the hand and led him from the living room. He was back after half an hour, face washed and steadier in himself, but while the food was superb, the meal was a quiet one. Afterwards, Pete insisted on helping Valerie with the dishes, and they spent a little while in the kitchen before three of us left the two lads in the house so that Val could drive Susie and myself home.

“I had to have words with him, Gerald. He’s apt to do summat daft, so watch him. Who’s going down to air base with him?”

“Ah, young lad Ashley, as drove bus on our little tour. He’s a sound one; he’ll look after him”

“Good. Don’t think I can get time off, so I was a bit worried he’d crash the car or whatever. He’s fairly knocked sideways, but then who wouldn’t be?”

The conversation stopped, just like that, as each of us found our own reasons not to keep it going. I was feeling Bob’s strength dragging me out of the turret, the passage of the shot under my feet. I prayed that it had been as quick for Peter’s mate as it had been for Wilf.

Things went back to normal, or as near as makes no difference, over the next weeks. Ashley took Pete down to Brize Norton, but refused other companions on what struck me as very astute grounds. Peter was coming back half the man he had left as, which wasn’t true but would most probably believe in his own mind. Pete simply didn’t want to push people in his face till he felt ready for them. As predicted, he was taken to Selly Oak, but both medical brothers took a hand in his treatment, as they had promised. It took months before he was healed, or as healed as he would be, Christmas almost passing us by. It would have made a clean break if Susie hadn’t gone out one day and dragged a tree back to the house.

“Baubles in the box, Gerald. Do something useful and set tree up”

She was right, of course, and insisted on doing the full turkey dinner, with Andy and Val coming, and a piece of mistletoe hanging in the kitchen as well as one over the back door.

“Just as a hint, love, and not for you! Now, change. Jacket and tie and decent shoes. We’ve got guests”

I couldn’t help it, and started to laugh. She gave me the full hands-on-hips, raised eyebrows stare, and I had to explain.

“Lass, it’s simple, really. Look at the two of us now, aye, and ask what the heck did we think we were about that night in February? Look what we would both have lost”

She laughed. “Aye, I’ll give you that one! We are a pair, aren’t we! Come here!”

Hands went from hips and arms went round me as she pulled me into a tight hug, and I could actually feel the new bosom as it was squashed between us, which was deeply embarrassing for me.

“Upstairs, you, and change”

I decided my Legion rig would be best, so out came the blazer and that tie, mud, blood and green fields. Val arrived as I was changing, and then it was Andrew, so Val and I sorted a few things in the kitchen as the younger pair said hello, the lad blushing as we left. Susie was back in after a few minutes, chasing me out as she handed me a couple of bottles of Sam Smith’s ale.

“Out! Talk to Andy, set table. There’s eight of us today”

The doorbell went twenty minutes later. It was Ashley, with a young woman, and behind him stood Pete. In his arms, cradled like a baby, was what was left of his son.