Page 21 - The Spirit of Christmas 1940

The Spirit of Christmas 1940

he still at the station? She walked across to him. As she got closer
she noticed that he was crying. She sat on the bench beside him.

Hello, are you ok?” It seemed he didn’t hear the question. “Is
there anything I can do?” Again, no answer. Ah well, she thought,
I tried. She got up and began to walk away.

The soldier quietly spoke. “I feel their pain.”
Rose stopped in her tracks and turned back to the soldier.

“Whose pain, love?”

Them, out there. Those that have just been hurt and that have
just died.” The soldier’s eyes remained fixed on a point directly in
front of him. “Why can’t they stop?”

Rose was confused, she couldn’t make out what the soldier was
talking about. As far as she knew he hadn’t left the station all day,
how did he know who had been hurt? “Is there someone you can
talk to love? Where do you live? “

The soldier stood up and turned to Rose. “Thank you.” He
turned and walked out of the station leaving Rose bewildered.

* * * * *

The following morning greeted London with bright sunshine
which shone strongly through the roof glass panels of Church
Street warming the platforms below. For the station, life went on
as normal. Unlike so many others in London, there was no rubble
to clear away, no windows to repair, no searches to be carried out
for missing people, just business as usual. Mr Crispin, looked
around the daily hum-drum of the station and thanked God that it
was so. But he knew deep in his heart it was just a matter of time
before the stations luck would turn.

Rose and Jimmy were busy with their stalle. Jimmy’s headlines

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