Torn Threads

Hempstead, England

The morning of September 3, 1939, started badly for the Bennett household. Colin had overslept and left for his hospital duties edgy and ill tempered. Meghan was unusually fussy and had finally gone down for a nap. Doreen pulled her chair close to the wireless and took a long swallow of her tea. It was official. At 11:00 a.m., Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declared war on Germany. There was no going back. Doreen gulped the rest of her tea, wondering aloud if there was any going forward in her life. What was ahead for them? The realistic answers came flooding into her consciousness like the unwelcome lyrics of a sinister song.

It was cloudy and cool when the Bennett family walked to the Croydon train station a few days later. Colin set his bag on the platform and picked up his daughter once more.

“You be a good girl for your mummy, my sweet one.”

 “Yes, Daddy. Why do you have to leave? I don’t want you to go.” 

Meghan’s blue eyes filled with tears and she yanked off her hat in frustration.

“Please, Daddy, don’t go. Mummy, make him stay.”

Doreen pulled Meghan from her daddy’s arms and the three of them embraced.  The engineer’s whistle blew and Colin kissed them both. There were no more words.

Slight drizzle was just beginning as the train pulled away from the station and the wind blew the damp mist across the platform. Doreen and Meghan stayed long after the train had departed, as if standing there would somehow bring it back. Meghan was softly sobbing with her bunny, Max, clutched tightly against her chest. Finally, the chill and the emotion of the morning were too much to bear and they walked hand in hand back home. The shrill sound of the earlier whistle was still ringing in Doreen’s ears and her head was pounding from unspent tears. She closed all the windows in their flat and removed the teakettle from the stove long before the water was hot.

August, 1940

Only one large, evacuation ship was in the harbor at Liverpool, the other one having left some days before. Meghan was now Neil Henderson’s responsibility and he held the little one’s hand as they registered at the ship purser’s office.

Two days later, Meghan was ready to board the large vessel that would take her away from her troubled country to his Aunt Ida’s home in America. At least there, the girl would be safe and an ocean away from the bombing!  

Neil’s dreams that night were a disturbing jumble of train whistles and giant, crashing waves; volumes of his university books stacked much too high on wobbly bookcases, and bombs that kept chasing him as he peddled faster and faster against an oncoming storm. He awoke sweaty and exhausted.

August, 1945

London

Neil waited outside the door of the navy captain’s office, his feet tapping on the hardwood floor and his fingers drumming on the edge of his chair. He knew without a doubt how badly Doreen wanted good news on Colin’s MIA status. He also knew without a doubt how he felt about her. His hope for her good news and his own feelings of guilt were crossing paths in his foggy mind.

She emerged with a somber face.

“Doreen, I’m sorry.”

“I know, Neil. I know you are. I gave them your aunt’s  Massachusetts’ address, just in case there’s ever any word. It’s been nearly four years so there’s not much hope that Colin is still alive.”

They walked in silence to Victoria Station. Doreen sighed before speaking.

“It’s time to make that phone call to your Aunt’s house to tell her we’re on our way to America. I’m really ready now. I need to get back to my Meghan.”

They found an empty phone booth just outside of the station. Doreen propped open the booth door and stood listening to the clicks and relays of signals sent across the ocean.

“I’m sorry, sir. There’s no answer at that number. In fact, the number has been disconnected. Shall I try again?”

“Yes, please do. I know I gave you the right number; it’s the house I grew up in. We’ve had that phone number for years.”

Several more clicks and a voice on the other end of the line repeated the same information. The phone had been disconnected and the number was now invalid.

Neil hung up the receiver slowly and turned to face Doreen.

“I don’t know what that means, but don’t panic. Let’s just pack up and arrange for passage on the first ship out of here.”

Doreen nodded, her mind reeling and her voice caught in her throat. There was something wrong here, the same feeling she’d felt many times before. She lay awake most of the night with fear gripping her. Where was Aunt Ida? Where was Meghan?