Omdurman, page 2
I was pleased that Griff was able to wash and undress himself. He donned pyjamas and climbed into my mother’s bed. I lay next to him and then read the chapter. When I was young I had not enjoyed such things. With my arm around Griff, I wondered if my life would have been different if my father had done this with me. I dismissed the idea immediately. You cannot change the past and it is foolish to do so. You can only learn from it.
Closing the book, I pulled the sheet up around him and kissed him on the forehead, “Good night son, it is good to be home.”
He smiled, “And I am glad that you are here too. We shall have such fun.”
My mother and my aunt were sat before the fire in the small sitting room. Both were sipping the inevitable cup of tea and they had left the best chair for me. There was little point in objecting. I was the head of the house and it was my right as they saw it.
I took my pipe and lit it. My mother said, “Sorry, there is no beer in the house for you.”
I shook my head, “No matter, I will go to the off-licence tomorrow. Tonight,” I waved the stem of my pipe around, “this is enough.”
They let me get the pipe going before Aunt Sarah said, “Now, tell us about your injuries.”
There was no arguing with Aunt Sarah and I told them of the wounds. I saw them looking at my stomach and I smiled, “I am over them. In truth, I do not need the leave but I will take it nonetheless.” I then told them about Jamie. “His wound may end his career and he is a young lad who wants to be in the army.”
“Surely he could get something else.”
I shook my head, “It is not as easy as you think, Aunt Sarah. In the army, you have men around you who are as close as your family, In some cases closer. Dad and Trooper have been dead so long that I can barely remember them and our Bill, well, it is different but the men with whom I eat, sleep and serve are like brothers. You don’t find that in a factory. What we do is specialised. You can’t simply transfer what you have learned from the army to civilian life. Jamie may struggle to make a living.”
“And you, Jack, what about you? Is the army going to be your life? Will Griff grow up with a father living halfway around the world?”
I didn’t answer for the simple reason that I had no answer.
The next day I walked Griff to school. I wore old clothes that did not mark me as a soldier. Griff was disappointed. My gait, however, told everyone what I was, a soldier. I chatted with Mr Myers. I liked that he greeted every child each morning. The prompt ones would be greeted with a smile but the tardy ones and their parents would be subjected to a withering glare.
“Griff, run along inside.”
“Yes, Mr Myers. Will you be here to pick me up?”
I snapped a salute, “Of course, sir! Yes sir!”
Giggling my son ran off.
“Your son is gifted, Sergeant Major.”
“It is Jack.”
The teacher shook his head, “You have earned an honourable title and I respect both you and your uniform more than you can know.” He nodded at another child who arrived and ticked their name off on the register. “Yes, your son devours knowledge like others do food. He grasps difficult concepts quickly and is so far ahead of others that he often helps those who are slower at such things. Even there he excels for he is both kind and patient. Those are rare qualities in one so young.” He sighed, “If I had been granted a son I would hope for one like Griff.” He smiled, “How long are you home for, Sergeant Major?”
I knew they meant well but each time the question was asked I felt as though they were trying to get rid of me. I knew it was not what they intended but that was the way it felt. “Three months.”
“And then back to Africa.” I nodded. “Can the Mahdists be defeated? When General Gordon was abandoned it caused great sadness here in England for he was a righteous and noble man.”
“It was not the fault of the soldiers. We did all that we could to save him but we are directed by politicians. It was the policy of the Government that caused the fall of Khartoum but I am confident that we have the men to undo the work of these Dervishes if those in London have the will.”
He held out his arm, “Let me shake your hand, Sergeant Major. Know that there are many of us in this great land who also thank you for your service. I only know what goes on because of what they write in newspapers and, as we all know, journalists have their own agendas. It is good to talk with someone who speaks the truth.”
My aunt told Bill that I was home and that evening he sent a message via my aunt that the whole family was invited to his house for a Sunday lunch. I smiled at the wording of the invitation. It was as though Bill was the head of the family and not my younger brother. I did not mind. I was the one who had chosen to be absent. It would be good to see my sisters and their families too.
My mother and son insisted that I wear my uniform when we went to the suburbs to see my brother and his family. He lived in Walton, close to Stanley Park and so close to the countryside that you could see the farms. We had a bus ride and a walk to get to it. I smiled when Aunt Sarah told me that my brother had recently bought one of the new safety bicycles and he cycled into work each day. The house was not as grand as most of those we saw but it had a front and rear garden and stood alone. More importantly, it was quiet. One drawback was its semi-isolation and my two sisters, Alice and Sarah, had declined the invitation because their husbands both worked and they had young children. My mother decided to host a gathering at Aunt Sarah’s before I returned to Africa.
Griff was delighted that there was a bell that you pulled. Billy looked prosperous when he opened the door with a fine waistcoat, watch and chain, good suit and now sporting a rather serious-looking moustache. I guessed we would be the only ones who called him Billy. William or Mr Roberts would be the more likely appellation. I saw why my mother had insisted upon the uniform. The clothes I had worn since returning home looked shabby by comparison.
“Jack, how splendid to see you.” I grasped his hand and shook it as firmly as he did but I kept the smile from my face. He sounded twenty years older than I knew him to be. He looked down, “And Griffith, how you have grown.”
Griff looked as though he did not know what to do and so I said, “Shake your Uncle Bill’s hand.”
Griff did so.
“Elizabeth is with Jack. Now that he is a toddler it takes her all her time to keep an eye on him and with the new baby just a couple of months away…”
My mother said, “Jack is home for three months. I could come and stay with you until the baby arrives.”
He hugged my mother, “A kind offer and I will put it to Elizabeth.” I noticed that he no longer called her Bet. The promotions had changed Billy. He put his arm around my shoulder, “It is a shame that Sarah and Alice could not make it, eh, brother, still, it will be cosy.”
“You have a fine home, Billy.”
“I thought when I bought it that I would struggle to make the repayments but my promotions now mean that I am one of the best-paid men in the company. The chairman took over the mortgage and made it a company loan. The rate of interest is quite low and the house will be ours five years from now.” He leaned in, “I have some shares not only in our company but others and they bring in an income that is greater than the money Aunt Sarah earns.” He frowned, “Best not to mention that, eh?” He ushered us towards the main room. I will get us some drinks while you greet my wife, eh?”
There was a large sitting room and the luxury of a dining room. It was not large and I reflected that if my sisters had come we would have struggled to fit. Elizabeth was in a nursing chair and Jack was playing with a puppet of some description. He saw Griff and squealed. He said something but I made out not a word. Griff didn’t seem to mind and he squatted happily next to his cousin, the two of them playing as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Congratulations, Elizabeth.”
She smiled, “It is still Bet.” She shook her head, “Money and comfort have not changed me, Jack.” I bent to kiss her on the cheek. “You look well. The African sun suits you. It is hot is it not?”
I nodded, “Unbearably so. You have to make your life function around it.” She cocked her head to one side. “When you are able you stay indoors between noon and three. We soldiers do not have that luxury but we learn to adapt.”
Aunt Sarah asked, “How?”
I shrugged, “We have a puggaree, a sort of cloth which goes around our helmet. We can use that to cover our faces. I sometimes use a keffiyeh, a cloth which can wrap around my helmet, neck and face. There are all sorts of tricks. Now that we are no longer constrained to wear red wool, life is easier.”
Billy had re-entered, “I think that is a shame, Jack. The red tunic marks our soldiers as British.”
I sighed, “And here in England, it is comfortable to wear but if you are trying to keep hidden from enemies it is more of a hindrance.”
He handed me a glass of beer and gave glasses of what I took to be sherry to my mother and aunt, “But the British Army does not hide. We stand and fight.”
I controlled my temper. On the train north, I had heard such views expressed by civilians who had not the first clue about war. He was spouting what he had read in the newspaper.”
Aunt Sarah recognised the problem and she smiled and changed the subject, “You have made this a lovely home, Elizabeth.”
She gave Billy a curious look and just said, “Oh, I try. I do miss working though. I enjoyed the company of the other girls.”
“The wife of a senior manager does not work. You know, Aunt Sarah, that I am the only manager who does not have servants. It is too bad but Elizabeth does not want them. We could easily afford them. Still, it won’t be for long before there will be huge changes.”
The words jarred for the three of us and we all stared at my brother. He grinned, “I cannot contain it any longer. I intended to tell you when we dined but I shall tell you now.” He paused and said, dramatically, “I am to run the African part of the company. The chairman himself said I was the perfect man for the job and young Mr. Hargreaves is very keen for me to go. He is the future of the company. I leave,” he looked at me, “Well, around about the same time as you, Jack. I will get the house and servants sorted and then Elizabeth and the children will follow. Isn’t this grand news?”
Elizabeth’s face told its own story while my mother and her sister simply looked shocked. Aunt Sarah recovered first, “I knew that an office was being set up but I did not know an appointment had been made.”
“It has all been done in secret, Aunt Sarah. The chairman did not want our competitors to get wind of it. There is a house for me in Alexandria and there will be an office in Suez.” He nudged me with his elbow, “I shall need to pick your brains before you leave, Jack.”
I shook my head, “Alexandria is not the place to bring up children, Billy, and Suez… it is perilously close to where there is danger.”
“Nonsense. The chairman has been assured that Egypt is now British and as we hold the canal then it is important that there is an office there. I believe they have finished the railway line from Alexandria to Suez?” I nodded, “Well there you have it. When I need to visit the office in Suez, I shall catch the train.” I could see that he was disappointed, and it was confirmed when he said, “I have to say I thought for a better reaction to my news. Your son, Mother, is rising like a star. Who knows where it will end? I can make my fortune there and when I return, I shall be rich beyond measure. I have spoken to others who worked for the East India Company, and they have told me of the bounty that can be made. A few years, while the children are too young to go to school, will see me rise even higher.”
He did not see it. He had no concept of the danger in which he was putting his wife and children. I knew there were fine sections in Alexandria where other Europeans lived but Elizabeth would be largely on her own. I looked around the well-furnished home. Here she was alone too.
“And you cannot get out of this, Billy?” I was still the elder brother and I had advice to give.
“And why would I want to?”
“Because I have to be there as a soldier of the queen and I have no choice. You do.”
His scowl told me that the conversation was ended.
There was a damper put on the whole visit. The food was delicious. Elizabeth was a good cook and both Jack and Griff behaved impeccably but my mother was upset and Billy seemed to think that it was all my fault. When we had finished the meal and the two of us went out for a smoke, I decided to clear the air.
“Billy, have you really thought all this through?”
He sucked on his cigar almost angrily. I waited for him to blow out the smoke and answer me, “I have, brother. We are no different you and me. You wear the uniform and fight with a gun. I wear this,” he gestured to his suit, waistcoat and watch, “I fight, not with guns, swords and bullets but with money. We both serve England but do so in different ways. I know that life will be different in Egypt but we shall have advantages there that we do not have here. There will be a palatial house, servants, a tutor for the children and we shall be rubbing elbows not only with other merchants such as me but lords and their families. This is a step on the ladder to a better life.”
I did not pick him up on the fact that if I failed I could lose my life. He would just lose money. “I do not think Elizabeth sees it the same way as you.”
His face hardened, “She is my wife and she will see, eventually, that it is for the best.”
“And Mother? Aunt Sarah?”
He turned and almost spat the words out, “You hypocrite. You chastise me for going abroad. You abandoned your son and rely on my mother to look after him and yet you have the gall to tell me off.”
I felt my fingers clenching into fists. It took all my self-control to hold in check the desire to punch him hard. He was my little brother but he had stepped over the line. In that single moment, our relationship changed. I realised that people like Jamie and Middy were closer to me and the way I thought than my little brother.
“Very well.” I tapped out the pipe and tucked it in my tunic pocket, “You want to know how to prepare for life in Egypt? Buy yourself a gun and learn how to use it. While you are in England buy cool and light clothes. Find a good solar topee. Acquire as many medicines as you can: quinine, antiseptics, and antacids. The food and the drink you will endure are totally different from what you are used to. Most of all, our Bill, realise that you are going to a completely different world.”
He laughed and smiled, “If you can handle it then so can I, our Jack.”
I did not think he was right. For one thing, I had not endured Africa alone. I had the regiment around me. For another, I knew who my enemies were. Jack was in the world of business and who knew what your enemies might do.
As we headed home the three of us were silent. Griff chattered away for he had been oblivious, as all children were, to the tensions in the house. Mother and Sarah had spoken with Elizabeth when I had been in the garden with Jack and I think they had plans in place. As they say, the best-laid plans …
Chapter 2
The visit to my brother effectively ruined my leave. He had planted unwelcome thoughts in my head. He was right, I was using Aunt Sarah and my mother. He also made me think about my mortality; I could live my life knowing that Griff was cared for but what would his life be like if something happened to me? Even though I smiled, laughed and was generally affable, especially with my family, inside, turmoil boiled within me.
When Griff was in school then my mother and I could discuss the problems my brother’s decision had created. Of course, she would go to live with Elizabeth once Bill left for Africa and despite his words, he would be leaving before I did. That became clear within a couple of days of Aunt Sarah returning to work. She was to be retired. She was old enough but I knew that she was not ready. She had a month to work and then would retire with a small pension. It was less than a third of her pay and whilst that was far more than most received, she was not happy about it. She discovered, when she had the meeting, that it was Bill’s doing. He would now be leaving England a fortnight before my leave was up and he wanted another in place at Walton and that would be my mother. My little brother had changed and was making his world suit him. Aunt Sarah’s retirement would remove her presence from the office and ensure that Elizabeth had all the help she needed.
After Griff had gone to bed we sat and discussed the future. My mother was torn, “I cannot leave Elizabeth and two bairns on their own. I don’t know how Billy can.”
Aunt Sarah smiled less these days, “He has changed. I should have seen it but after he was promoted, two years since, I have had little contact with him. He has been seduced by the board. He is clever.” She smiled at me and patted the back of my hand, “Not as clever as you, Jack, even though he thinks he is cleverer. He has learned to be ruthless. He had two girls sacked because they didn’t meet his high standards. I think they are sending him there to make as much money for them as he can.”
I lit my pipe. Mother said, “Poor Griff, when I go to Walton he will think I have abandoned him.”
Aunt Sarah shook her head, “I have a month to work and then I shall be home. The one good thing about this untimely retirement is that I can spend more time with Griff. He will not be neglected, Jack, that I can promise.”
“Perhaps I ought to get a transfer to a home depot.”
Aunt Sarah shook her head, “And uproot, Griff? Take him to, God knows where? It is not fair on him, Jack. He likes the school. He has his friends and this is his home. I will be here for him.” She patted my hand again, “And for you. Of course, if you left the army then you could be here for him but I don’t think you are ready for that yet, are you?”
She knew me as well as anybody and I shook my head, “Not yet. I left a job half done and that is not my way.”
When my sisters and their families came on Sunday, for lunch, we told them all. We had to. Bless them, they rallied around immediately. Alice and Sarah still lived in St Helens but the railway service meant they could get to Liverpool easier than getting to Walton, which needed a good walk.
