"Look what I've found!"
Jenny had been clearing out some of the old cupboards at the back of a garage, when she discovered something among the clutter.
"What is it?" called Nemo, from the other room.
She pulled out two tall wooden sticks, each with a small wedge of wood stuck near the bottom.
"Stilts!" she cried, grabbing onto the poles, and pulling herself up. She tottered around for a few seconds, before her legs gave way, and she tumbled off onto her backside. Nemo snickered.
"I had no idea we had these," said Jenny, bounding back onto her feet and wincing slightly at the pain. Nemo raised an eyebrow.
"You practically lived in this station your entire life, and you never thought to look in a cupboard?"
She shrugged. "Never been made to clean up before, have I? It's that stupid new Group Captain Wilson. Seems to think I have to do what ever he asks me. I want a pay rise."
"You don't get paid," Nemo said.
"Exactly," she replied "He's such a pompous twa-"
"I like him," said Phyllis. Phyllis was one of Jenny's friends from the village. She didn't always understand Jenny's passion for aviation, but would often come by to visit the air station. Jenny suspected the only reason she did this was to flirt with the men.
"He was very polite to me when we met this morning."
Jenny snorted. "Isn't he a bit old for you?" she asked. Phyllis went pink.
"You know I didn't mean it like that! Beside, he has a wife. I saw a photograph of her," she paused. "I don't think he likes you that much though. When I mentioned we were friends, he gave me a sort of disapproving glance."
"Don't blame him," Jenny replied, climbing on the stilts again, and managing a few steps before losing her balance.
It was January, and the air outside was crisp and cold. The pilots were wrapped up in coats, huddled by fires, dreading when they'd have to fly up into the freezing winter sky.
A head popped round the door. It was Roman, part of the bomber squadron posted at the station. He was a tall man, with a light Polish accent, who had escaped his home country when it was invaded by the Germans. Jenny found him likable enough, but she found many of the other pilots made fun of his accent, as did many people from the village.
"Wilson wants you, Nemo," he said "he wants to go over the flight pattens for this afternoon's raid." Nemo groaned.
"We did that yesterday!" he protested. He grabbed his discarded jacket, thrust his hands into the pockets, and left through the swinging door. Roman looked over at Phyllis. She smiled shyly at him, and his face flushed pink.
"Yes, w-w-well, I should go," he stuttered, backing out the door.
"I liked him." said Phyllis, after he'd left.
Jenny rolled her eyes. "You like everyone," she said "now help me get on these stilts again."
There were a few things Jenny didn't like about flying.
One was the extreme death toll. It didn't even have to be though a dog fight, or bombing. Plenty of the new recruits crashed or blew up their planes on their training sessions. Every time someone new came, Jenny would find herself getting to know them, only to see their plane go up in flames.
That was why during the raid today, she sat in the board room listening to the pilot's radio, hoping she wouldn't hear the words telling her Nemo, or Roman, or any of the others were down.
"Crossing the English Channel, all planes intact." The radio crackled out the message. Jenny hugged her knees and waited. It was a while before anything else was spoken.
"Enemy 5 miles ahead. In attack formation."
Jenny knew that wouldn't last. When the fighting actually started, all formation went to the dogs. It was madness.
"Enemy upon us."
Jenny concentrated on the breathing to calm her nerves. It wasn't often she listened to the progress on radio. Usually she just waited to be told what happened.
Over in the corner sat Wilson, surrounded by other pilots, all with tense looks. Men went out to fight everyday, but it never ceased to wreck nerves.
"Flying Officer Tompson shot down."
Jenny silently cursed. Harold Tompson was a scrap of a boy, recently tuned twenty but with the muscles and structure of a ten year old.
"Flight Lieutenant Richards shot down."
She looked up. That was a surprise. Michael Richards had been one of the best flyers in the squadron, with twenty eight enemy pilots to his name.
The fight continued. A few more were reported dead. As the radio crackled the group's retreat, Jenny sighed in relief. Both Nemo and Roman had survived. She allowed herself a quick, sly smile. Phyllis would be pleased.
She glanced up, to see Wilson staring at her.
"I thing you should leave the room," he said "in future, only pilots will be in here. It's not right for a girl to have to go through that nerves."
Jenny stared at him in surprise. Then, with a scathing glare, she turned and swept away.
She didn't look back.

YOU ARE READING
Jenny in the Sky
Historical FictionIt's 1939, and the start of the Second World War. Jenny helps her father manage an aircraft station. From a young age, she's learned how machines work, but she cannot become a pilot herself because of her gender. After an unsuccessful raid robs her...