Tuppence to Tooley Street by Harry Bowling Page A

invaded–scaremongerin’, that’s all it is. Them bastards ’ave gotta get ’ere first. D’yer fink our boys are gonna stan’ back an’ let ’em come ’ere? Course they ain’t. Anyway, can yer imagine them Germans walkin’ down this street an’ catchin’ a dekko of ole Bella? She’d scare the daylights out of ’em. They’d soon piss orf.’
    Mrs Brightman wasn’t so flippant about the leaflet. ‘Well I dunno, Granny. Me an’ Maurice ’ave bin talkin’ about evacuatin’ the kids, ain’t we, luv?’
    Maurice Brightman nodded, and by the time he had thought of a response, Granny Bell was off again.
    ‘’Vacuation my foot! What d’yer wanna send yer poor little mites away for? Strikes me you people wanna get rid of yer kids. Nobody sent their kids away in the last war, and we ’ad the Zepp’lins ter contend wiv then. They was ’orrible fings, like great sausages floatin’ in the sky.’
    Flo Brightman slipped her hands under her apron and pulled a face. ‘Yer gotta understan’, Gran, it wasn’t the same in the last war. Fings are different now. I mean, look ’ow they bombed them towns in Spain. We saw it on the news at the Tower Kinema, didn’t we Maurice?’
    Maurice nodded and opened his mouth to speak but Granny Bell started in again. ‘I ain’t bin ter the pictures fer years, not since my ole man died, Gawd rest ’is soul. I read it in the papers though. I can’t make ’ead nor tail of it. Them Spanishers are fightin’ each uvver, ain’t they?’
    Maurice had read all about the Spanish Civil War and he was about to enlighten Granny, but she wasn’t finished. ‘I still say yer should keep yer children round yer. Anyfing could’appen to ’em in the country. I remember ole Sadie Murgatroyd tellin’ me years ago about those gypsies who stole a little boy from ’is ’ouse. Know what they done to ’im?’
    Mr and Mrs Brightman shook their heads.
    ‘They broke the poor little sod’s legs, so ’e’d be double-jointed. They was gonna put ’im in a circus as an acrobat or somefink, accordin’ ter Sadie Murgatroyd.’
    The Brightmans left Granny Bell sweeping her front doorstep and went into their house to worry some more.
    It was opening-time when Maggie’s husband Joe called round for Frank, and the two of them took a leisurely stroll up to The Globe. Danny had promised to pop in later, but first he wanted to see his pal Tony Arpino. Connie had told him that the Arpinos had not been interned because they had taken out British citizenship long ago, but the Lucianis had not been so fortunate. Connie had said how upset Tony was about being parted from Melissa. It was commonly known locally that one day the two Italian families would be united through the marriage of Tony and Melissa.
    As Danny walked towards Bermondsey Lane, where the Arpinos had their grocery shop, he was deep in thought. Last night still seemed unreal, it had all been so sudden. He desperately wanted to see Kathy again, but she’d seemed so sure about staying with Jack Mason. Maybe she was right, maybe he should leave things the way they were. Then he remembered he hadn’t written to Alison and he decided to do so today for sure. If Kathy wouldn’t see him then maybe Alison would. But it could be difficult. The Channel ports were out of bounds to normal travellers–it was in the morning papers–so he would have to find out when she could get leave, and maybe meet her somewhere. She might even come to London.
    The Arpinos’ shop was open when Danny arrived. Lou Arpino was piling tins of peas onto a shelf, and when he saw Danny Sutton step through the doorway he raised his hands above his head and knocked half a dozen tins onto the floor.
    ‘Hey, Danny! How’s a ma boy?’ he called out, his olive face breaking into a wide smile.
    ‘I’m okay, Lou. ’Ow’s the family?’
    Lou’s dark eyes shone as he leaned over the counter and grasped Danny’s hand. ‘Hey, Mamma! Tony! Come a see what’s a come in