The Colour of War

Chapter 2

Evelyn awoke to the ominous hum of engines in the distance, a sound growing more familiar with each passing day. The morning light did little to ease the tension that had settled over their modest home. She lay still for a moment, listening. The clamour of warfare was drawing closer, a reminder of the world outside their walls.

Raymond sat at the kitchen table, his hands resting on an absent newspaper, his jaw set in a line of quiet determination. The radio, which once brought news and music into their lives, now sat silent, a testament to the fear that gripped them all.

"Another day without the paper?" Evelyn's voice was steady, but anxiety swirled inside her.

"News is all the same," Raymond replied tersely, his eyes not meeting hers. "Doom and gloom. Poland's under siege."

She felt the weight of his words settle between them.

"Maybe we should leave," he said abruptly. His suggestion, a dire possibility they had yet to voice until now.

Constance shook her head firmly from across the room. "This is our home now. There's nothing left for us elsewhere."

Evelyn's gaze shifted from her father to her mother. The strong-willed matriarch had weathered much, yet her spirit remained unbroken. But Evelyn could see the lines of worry were deep on her mother's face.

"I'm scared, Raymond," she confessed, a quiver in her voice betraying the fear she fought so hard to contain. "Everything's changing too fast. Britain and France have declared war on Germany," she said.

"War..." Raymond whispered, the reality settling around them.

Evelyn reached for Raymond's hand. Hope clung to her like the last leaves of autumn. They were together, and that would have to be enough.

"Whatever comes." Raymond squeezed her hand. "We face it together."

The crisp morning air was chilling as Raymond walked towards the factory. It was a hive of activity, the sounds of machinery a constant drone. Raymond's manager, a man named Schmidt, was a notorious bully. Fuelled by Nazi propaganda, he launched into a tirade against Jews, blaming them for Germany's woes. He frequently spewed hatred about Jews. Raymond, a man of principle, remained silent. He refused to be drawn into the ugliness, choosing instead to focus on his work.

But Schmidt was relentless. His anger at Raymond's silence soon turned towards Raymond's race. He sneered, "you shouldn't even be here, you black...." Raymond tried to ignore him, but his composure crumbled when Schmidt began to make vulgar comments about Evelyn. He alluded to what might happen to her once Raymond was 'gone'.

The blood rushed to Raymond's head. He could no longer remain silent. "Don't you dare speak about my daughter!" he roared, his voice echoing through the factory.

Schmidt, taken aback by Raymond's outburst. "You dirty animal," he shouted, lunging at him. The ensuing struggle was brief but brutal. Raymond, fuelled by rage and the need to protect his family, fought back. Schmidt, a man accustomed to wielding power through intimidation, was no match for Raymond's raw fury.

The commotion attracted attention. The factory floor was soon filled with curious stares and hushed whispers. Someone called the police.

When the officers arrived, they saw a bloodied Schmidt, his face contorted in a mixture of pain and rage. Raymond, though bruised and battered, stood his ground. "It was him! He attacked me!" he insisted, but his words fell on deaf ears.

The officers, their eyes cold and uncaring, herded Raymond and a group of other migrant workers into a police wagon. "You're being removed," one officer said, his voice a monotone drone. "You'll be sent to workhouses."