At the word, Theodore’s face puckered up. “Here, let’s put your mittens on,” Eileen said hastily, kneeling in front of him. “Did you ride on a train when you came to Backbury, Theodore?” she asked to distract him.
“We come on a bus,” Binnie said. “Alf was sick all over the driver’s shoes.”
“You get your ’ead cut off on a train if you stick it out the window,” Alf said.
“Come along, Theodore,” Eileen said. “Let’s go stand out by the edge where we can see the train coming.”
“A girl I know stood too close to the edge and fell onto the tracks,” Binnie said, “and a train run right over her. Sliced her right in ’alf.”
“Alf, Binnie, I don’t want to hear another word about trains,” Eileen said.
“Not even if it’s comin’?” Binnie said and pointed down the tracks. The train was indeed bearing down on them, its massive engine wreathed in steam.
Thank goodness. “Here’s your train, Theodore,” Eileen said, kneeling to button his coat. She hung his gas-mask box around his neck. “Your name and address and destination are on this paper.” She tucked it in his pocket. “When you get to Euston, don’t leave the platform. Your mother will come out to the train to fetch you.”
“What if she ain’t there?” Binnie asked.
“What if she got killed on the way?” Alf said.
Binnie nodded. “Right. What if a bomb blew ’er up?”
“Don’t listen to them,” Eileen said, thinking, Why can’t it be the Hodbins I’m sending home? “They’re teasing you, Theodore. There aren’t any bombs in London.” Yet.
“Why’d they send us ’ere then?” Alf said, “’Cept to get us away from the bombs?” He stuck his face in Theodore’s. “If you go ’ome, a bomb’ll prob’ly get you.”
“Or mustard gas,” Binnie said, clutching her throat and pretending to choke.
Theodore looked up at Eileen. “I want to go home.”
“I don’t blame you,” Eileen said. She picked up his suitcase and walked him over to the slowing train. It was full of soldiers. They peered around the blackout curtains in the compartments, waving and grinning, and jammed the platforms at both ends of the cars, some of them half hanging out over the steps. “Come to see us off to the war, ducks?” one of them called to Eileen as the car slowed to a whooshing halt in front of her. “Come to kiss us goodbye?”
Oh, dear, I hope this isn’t a troop train. “Is this the passenger train to London?” she asked hopefully.
“It is,” the soldier said. “Hop aboard, luv.” He leaned down, one hand extended, the other clutching the side railing.
“We’ll take good care of you,” a beefy, red-faced soldier next to him said. “Won’t we, boys?” and there was an answering chorus of hoots and whistles.
“I’m not taking the train. This little boy is,” she said to the first soldier. “I need to speak to the guard. Can you fetch him for me?”
“Through that mob?” he said, looking back into the car. “Nothing could get through that.”
Oh, dear. “This little boy must get to London,” she said. “Can you see that he arrives there safely? His mother will be at the station to meet him.”
He nodded. “Are you certain you don’t want to come as well, luv?”
“Here’s his ticket,” she said, passing it up to him. “His address is in his pocket. His name’s Theodore Willett.” She handed the suitcase up. “All right, Theodore, up you go. This nice soldier will take care of you.”
“No!” Theodore shouted, turning and launching himself into her arms. “I don’t want to go home.”
She staggered under his weight. “Of course you do, Theodore. You mustn’t listen to Alf and Binnie, they were only trying to frighten you. Here, I’ll climb up the steps with you,” she said, trying to set him on the bottom rung, but he grabbed her around the neck.
“No! I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too,” she said, trying to loosen his grip. “But just think, your mum will be there, and your own nice bed and toys. Remember how much you’ve been wanting to go home?”
“No.” He buried his head in her shoulder.
“Whyn’t you just toss ’im onto the train?” Alf suggested helpfully.
“No!” Theodore sobbed.
“Alf,” Eileen said. “How would you like to be tossed into the middle of a lot of people you didn’t know to fend for yourself?”
“I’d like it fine. I’d make ’em buy me sweets.”
I’ll wager you would, Eileen thought. But Theodore’s not as tough as you. And, at any rate, she couldn’t toss him.