I'll Be Seeing You

A little Toy Soldier

23rd December 1939

It is was bitter outside I tell ya, but it was Christmas Eve tomorrow and we were all going to be together, Jimmy had sent me word that he was coming home for leave, not all the lads were lucky enough but he had been granted which made me think that he was soon to be sent somewhere or put on some mission that would take him away from me, but this had to go to the back of my mind for now as I get myself all ready. I hear the clink of bottles outside so I run to the front door opening behind "Morning Phoebe love" Andrew the milkman calls as he  swaps my empty one for a full.

"Morning Andrew, bit taters this morning" I say to him "It certainly is kid" he says "How's young Jimmy" he asks "Coming home on leave for Christmas" I tell him "Oh how grand is that tell him Hello from me yeah and a Merry Christmas to you petal" he says "Merry Christmas to you too" I say smiling at him as he carries on his round

"I hope you've got some tea to go with that milk gel" a voice shouts down the street, a voice that warms my heart "JIMMY" I shout as I see walk down the street, all wrapped up with his kit bag over his shoulder. I go to run to him "Phoebs careful darling it's slippy" he shouts but I just have to get to him as he takes me in his arms "Oh Jimmy darling" I say wrapping myself up in him "Oh Phoebs my little angel" he says holding me so tight "Jimmy I can't breath" I say laughing a little "Too bed gel because I don't wanna let ya go" he says looking at me "My pretty Phoebs" he says smiling both of us locked in our own word when Jimmy suddenly comes to "Phoebs its bloody freezing out here lets get you inside yeah" he says wrapping his arms around me. The neighbours must have heard him coming as suddenly all the street doors are opening "Welcome home Jimmy Son" I hear

"Thanks Mrs Partridge" he calls to her "Good to see ya Jimmy lad" Mrs Potter calls "You two Mrs Potter Merry Christmas" he says smiling "And to you both my darlings have a good un" she calls as we both wave to her as we head on in. "I'll pop some more coal on the fire" I say "No no I'll do that Phoebs you get that kettle going yeah" he says again we stop in the hall just looking at each other like we used to when we first fell in love all those years ago.

I watch him taking off his coat and I go to take it from him and his cap, he does so look so blooming handsome in his uniform but at least while he was in his own clothes we could pretend that everything was normal.

He kneels down in front of the fire feeding it with coal "There we go that'll warm us up gel" he says "I've left you some clothes on the bed if you wanna get changed Jimmy" I tell him "You're a good gel ain't ya" he says stroking my cheek. "Ill make the tea" I tell him and he smiles heading upstairs stopping half way up the flight "I do love ya Phoebs" he says "I love you" I say.

I head to get the kettle and fill the teapot popping it on the table, I place the tea strainer over Jimmy's cup popping the tea leaves on, I'd cleaned it that much I can see my reflection in the silver on it, everything was like that these days, too much time on my hands I know. I repeat it on my own cup the smell suddenly making me a little queasy. I take my handkerchief out of my pocket and hold it to my face as Jimmy comes into the kitchen.
"Hey you alright Phoebs, you still getting sick cause of the baby" he asks and I nod "sometimes" I tell him "let me look after you while I'm home then yeah" he says and I smile "but you should be resting" I tell him "but I'm not carrying a baby am I" he says smiling wrapping his arms around me "let's have tea before it goes cold and I made a cake too" I say taking his hand into the living room where I've got it all laid out in the little table where we ate. "My first Christmas cake" I say showing him "I know it's only tiny and it ain't much and it's a bit lumpy on the top but it......" Jimmy stops me putting his hand to my mouth "it's perfect Phoebs just perfect" he says and I smile "why don't you cut us a bit hey" he says as I do while he sits at the table. "Here you go" I say nervously as he takes it bite "it's cracking that is" he says "really, you ain't lying to me are ya" I say "Phoebs I wouldn't lie to ya, it's lovely, and because you made it that's makes it lovelier still" I say sitting on his lap taking a bite myself and yeah alright he didn't lie it tasted pretty good "hmm not bad" I say as he smiles at me.

"Hey we need to get some decorations up in ere" he say to me "I thought we could do it together" I tell him "but we ain't got a tree or nothing" I tell him "we can soon sort that, Dad will have one" he says "eat your cake and we'll go and see him yeah" he says

"Jimmy lad" he calls when he spots us "Dad" Jimmy says holding his arms out "good to see ya son" he says "how you doing, you look tired boy" he says to him "I'm fine Dad really" he says "hello Phoebe darling" he says to me "hi Dad" I say to him before he gives me a kiss "looking for a tree Dad" Jimmy says "thought you might be" he says "good job I kept ya a good un hey" he says and we both smile.

Jimmy's other uncle not the one who's got the chippie his other one was a proper handy man and got bits and bobs for anyone, he had a shop that sold everything you could ever think of so a Christmas tree was nothing "your Uncle Tom has done ya good his year lad" he says bringing us a tree from out the back where he's been selling them to customers at the garage.
"You gonna go and see your Mam" he asks us "yeah we'll call later "she's getting ready for Christmas dinner gonna be a bloody banquet I tell ya" he says as we were all going
"Any news on our Eddie Dad" he says "yeah he's had his orders shipping out after new year" he says Jimmy's little brother would be in the navy another worry.
"Anyway I need to get some bloody work done, no rest for the wicked see you later kids" he shouts

We head back to the house after some shopping and popping to see Jimmy's Mum which suddenly turned into an afternoon visit not that I minded I loved being there and felt so at home. By the time we get home it's dark and almost supper time.

I watched Jimmy tuck into the stew i'd made him "that good darling" I say to him "there's nothing like home cooking Phoebs especially yours love" he says making me smile. It looks like it's the best meal he's had in weeks love him, he looked so handsome in his cream shirt and green woolen waistcoat, he kept smiling at me through his stew and then through his sponge and custard it made me so happy to see him enjoying what I made him.

With our little tree set up we start popping the decorations on the, putting holly on the mantle piece and candles. "Here you go Phoebs there's these" Jimmy says handing me a little wooden box "what are they" I say opening it foraging through the tissue paper to find little wooden toy soldiers "oh look aren't they lovely" I say "I made them" Jimmy said "do you not remember them Phoebs" he asks as I look a little closer at them "these used to be on your Mum and Dads tree" I say recognizing them "I made them when I was ten" he says and I pick two of them out of the box making them walk along "aww little Jimmy's" I joke and he suddenly tickles me "I've give us little Jimmy's" he says and I laugh and suddenly we stop and look at each other, there's a sadness in his eyes that he's trying to hide but I don't know what it is, what went on while he was away and what was it doing to him. This next ten days while he was home were his break from it and I needed to make it the happiest Christmas for thin that I could.