This story started when I was 16.
My stepfather came home with a young soldier and asked mother if she had extra food for dinner.
The year was 1936 I was 16. my grandparents had escaped Russia in 1917. They set up business in Cairo my grandfather was a jeweller, they also had hair dressing salon and a restaurant. they owned property in Shamal shieck.
This is my story.
My mother met my father when she was 16 they got married and had me.
Father was Italian, mother was Russian.
Shortly after I was born, they got divorced. I never found out why.
Len and I got married in May. I was 17. Len was in the army he told the barracks that he was going to be a dad. He was so excited.
Len used to walk me home from school when he wasn't on manoeuvres, he had sandy coloured hair and ice blue eyes. I knew he was the one.
The stories I could tell
Mother met my step dad when I was 8. She introduced Jack to the family and eventually they got married. Jack decided that mum and I should come to England. So bags packed we sailed to England, when we got here, there was no one to meet us, we made our way to Ealing which is where Jack's family came from. We stayed for a year mum decided that she missed Jack and the rest of the family too much and so we sailed back to Egypt.
9 months later Jack junior was born, then Mac, then Joyce and last but not least Pat.
When we were growing up I would try to look after the young ones when I was not at school. We lived in a house which had a balcony there was a three sided court yard with two other houses. We had the middle house. Jack by this time was an RAF mp.
The boys and neighbours children used to play on the balcony. The balcony was a safe area it had railings, but they were done in such a way you could not climb or fall over them. Its funny what you remember.
I remember one day in particular, the boys were playing cowboys and Indians. I don't know how they did it but they managed to get a length of rope and had made a lasso which they dangled or threw through the railings. There were about half a dozen boys all pulling on this length of rope saying they had caught something. There was an awful lot of screaming and shouting going on. By the time I got there. They had managed to catch Jack's boss in the rope. The boys yelling pull harder and the boss screaming for help. Needless to say there were a lot of soar bottoms around.
I got married in May 1937 a few days before my 17th birthday. My cousin and sister were my bridesmaids. Pat was not born yet. In October I gave birth to Sonia. She was blond haired and blue eyed. A little doll. Len was 20.
Len, Sonia and I spent a couple of years in Egypt, by which time mum had gone on to have Pat. Things were unsettled in Egypt and it was decided that Sonia and I should come back to England and live with Len's parents.
His dad was a printer.
Anyway Sonia and I found our way back to England
We were met by Len's mum and dad and taken to a lovely house on the outskirts of Bexleyheath in Kent. father in law had a couple of acres of land. He grew his own vegetables, had chickens and a couple of pigs. Mother Ethel taught me more about food preparation and cooking then I ever learnt at college despite qualifying as a cordon blue chief.
Len fought all over Egypt was captured by the Germans but managed to escape. He went on to fight at Monte Casino. And swam part way back from Dunkirk
Ethel looked after Sonia and I went to work at Woolwich arsenal for the war effort.
I was awarded a council house and due to the war had Joyce and Pat come to live with us.
One day this dirty unshaven soldier turned up. I had not seen Len for 2 years. He had swam back from Dunkirk with a couple of mates. Determined that they were not going to get caught. He was given 24 hours leave but then had to report back. Before he left he got us a dog. He was a collie with a white tip, on his tail so he was called tip.
Len was a sergeant major by this time. He won a number of medals.
In October 1950 we had another child, a daughter called June. Then two years later a daughter again Len phoned mum and dad and said its another split a.....ed mechanic a girl. He really wanted a son. But he loved all his daughters and was really protective towards them.
June turned out to be a tomboy if Len had his nose under the bonnet of the car, then she was there with him.
The least said about Rita the better. She stole all my money. But that is another story.
Sonia my little doll died on the 14th February 1971. She had multiple schlorosis.
June and Sonia were close. Rita was always the quiet one. June used to take Sonia to the swimming pool with her. To watch her swim and to talk to people.
My lovely Len, was diagnosed with cancer of the lungs, he died in July 1988. To this day I still talk to him and I see him everyday, I miss him more than I can ever say. He was and still is the love of my life. Our marriage was not always easy. But I can still hear his voice and smell his aftershave. When I go to bed at night I can feel his arms around me, I can hear him tell me he loves me. In my head he is still the young soldier I fell in love with and I am the 16 year old school girl. We used to argue but the best part was making up. How I miss him.
I can feel his hands on my body.
I am 94 years old, but remember my life of love.
That story is for another time.
When he first kissed me I did not know what was happening.
We were standing looking at each other,
