Scintillas ; phan au

To Me & You, 100 Years Ago

"Welcome Phil," your mother smiled at me. "I know you'll only be staying with us for a little while but I hope you'll be comfortable throughout your stay with us."

I smiled hesitantly and thanked her for her hospitality. I watched as you struggled in your mother's arms, holding out your hands towards me. Your mother chuckled and apologised for your behaviour, saying that he must be really excited to see you. However I just walked up to you and took hold of your tiny hand.

"I'd never forget you Dan."

I felt incredibly lucky to end up being evacuated to your family out in the countryside during World War Two. The village you lived in had a population of around one hundred people, school was just a short walk into another village but you had a church, a park and plenty of houses. Your cottage was cute and quirky, upstairs only had two bedrooms and a bathroom whilst downstairs had a shared living room/kitchen space. I asked your mother how old you were and  she told me you were age six, half my age. She also told me that I wouldn't be meeting your father as he was out fighting in the war, as was my father. My older brother was too old to be sent away so he had stayed behind with my mother in the city.

Due to your age, you hadn't started school yet so during weekdays your mother and you would walk me to school which was a couple fields away, we walked down the sides of the fields so we didn't ruin the crops but it was fun taking the blackberries from the nearby fruit bushes. I remembered how once I picked one and gave it to you, your tiny hands fiddling with the fragile berry. I laughed and told you that you were supposed to eat it seeing as you thought the berry was something off this planet. You shoved the berry in your mouth and looked up to smile at me, berry juice running down your chin and dripping. I giggled and your mother laughed as she wiped your chin then patting your head. I took your berry covered hand and we continued walking down the dusty path.

In the evening I was sat out in your garden with a basket full of the blackberries next to me watching as your mother tended the garden which was rich with potatoes, parsnips, peppers, onions and other greens due to the 'Dig For Victory!' campaign which had grown largely popular. Past the greens was an Anderson shelter, a sad reminder that our peace was only temporary. As I ate a few more berries you marched over to me shouting;

"Phil! Phil!"

You grabbed hold of my arm and flashed your teeth at me. I handed you a berry as you plopped yourself down next to me, your legs dangling from the bench whilst mine touched the ground.

"I want to see the sea!" you had exclaimed. "Can we see the sea?"

I knew you were thinking years back to when we lived in the seaside town, how you loved the sea back then. I turned and smiled at you, then told you that you'd have to ask your mother first. You bounded your way over to her, in your spur of happiness you didn't notice how were you treading along the plants which caused you to be scolded. However you still asked her if you could go to the sea. Your mother grinned and said she'd think about it before she was cut off by air raid sirens, you were partially clueless to the noises but they shocked you. I watched as you suddenly started crying due to the noises and your mother grabbed you around the waist screaming at me to get in the shelter. Once I was inside the shelter she slammed the door shut, we were plunged into darkness before your mother lit an oil lamp which warmed up the surroundings in light. I sat with my knees held up to my chest as you cried into your mother's chest. I watched woefully as she jogged you on one knee, assuring you we wouldn't be in this shelter for long. At that time I couldn't help but worry about my mother and brother back home. Here the planes would only be flying over but in the city they would be bombing, killing people. I closed my eyes and waited for these moments to be over. When I opened my eyes you'd stopped crying, instead you had waddled your way over to me and rested your head against my shoulder. I let myself grin slightly and placed a soft kiss on your forehead.

That Saturday, your mother got us both up early. We climbed out of our bed and got dressed together, helping as your shirt got stuck on your head. We then caught the bus to the nearest seaside, the weather was humid but cloudy so the sea looked slightly gloomy under the cloud's curtains. I took you into a sweet shop, the walls stocked high with various hard-boiled sweets. Your mother had given us a small amount of money each to spend so I bought a stick of rock whilst you bought a bag of cola cubes. The clouds had seemed to clear up more when we walked out and you took my hand, nuzzling into my arm.We walked down to the beach together, your mother sat on the steps to guard our shoes and sweets as we ran towards the sea.

The sand felt soft between my toes and the sea water was cold when the small tide ran over my feet. I watched as you ran into the water after I'd stopped you to roll up your trousers so they wouldn't get wet. Your tiny hands splashed into the water and back out, your innocent face glowing. I bent down and felt the waves wash over my hand. A white glimmer met with my eyes so I picked up what seemed to be a medium-sized cockle shell.

"Hey Dan, did you know that if you place a shell next to your ear you can hear the sea?"

I gave you the shell and you held it up to your ear. Straight afterwards your eyes shone, your head nodding quickly as you could hear the waves through the shell. I ruffled your hair before I told you that you could keep the shell. In response you held the shell close to your heart and thanked me.

You placed the shell in the pocket of your trousers and splashed around more in the see. I walked along the edges of the sea, the cerulean waves rippling over my feet. I picked up a stick which was washed up with sediment and twirled it around in my fingers. I could hear your giggling in the background as I began writing in the sand.

To Dan.