Chapter – 2 

The man stared up at Mary, his eyes a deep hazel brown colour.“ What are you doing here Mary!” said Mrs Smith puzzled,“Calm down Jane!” said the man as he introduced himself, “I’m James” He then stood up. Mary shivered from the  coldness and from fright,she then ran up to the top of the staircase, Mrs Smith’s words are still  in her head. Is she a nuisance?  She wants to get rid of her? What was getting rid of her supposed to mean for Mary? To Mary’s surprise,he greeted Mary with a warm smile “Leave at once Mary!” Shouted Mrs Smith. Mary rushed up the stairs and sat on her bed, her head still spinning at the thought of Mrs Smith lying to everyone. 

Mrs Smith soon came chasing after Mary “ I’m sorry, I lied to you Mary,” she said in a sorrowful tone as she approached Mary’s room and opened her closet door pulling out the box of folded clothes. Then she rummaged through the box and picked up a dusty old picture whilst blowing the  dust off it. She went over to Mary’s bed, pulled out another box and sat on the bed. “ Come sit here, Mary,” she said. Mary approached Mrs Smith, “ Why did you even lie to me, what was the reason?” she shouted at Mrs Smith but only tears fell from her eyes. “I used to have a beautiful daughter and a wonderful baby boy.They were the joy of my life when I had them. Their names were Joseph, Lindia. They Were both so young they didn’t deserve what faith had brought to them,” said Mrs Smith, her tears of sorrow soon turning to anger. “There was an air raid here and they were crushed to death by the walls of our old house collapsing the only things left of them are the happy memories in my heart I don’t want my husband to go to war as he is my only family alive please may we keep this between the two of us Mary,” Said Mrs Smith wiping her tears. Mary had hundreds of questions still wandering around her head. Was hiding him really her only option? How long had he been down there? She still had not explained what getting rid of her was?    

Mary soon began to visit James nightly, bring down food and other supplies down to him. They soon began to bond a slight friendship and Mary always took scraps of her writing to take to him along with the occasional  book she  signed out from the public library in the nearby town. She enjoyed reading to James as he always listened  to her  reading books.

One night Mary saw Mrs Smith leaving the house with a candle and flowers 

She decided to follow her and grabbed her coat. Where was she going? Is she seeing someone else?  Flowers but who for ?  She tiptoed after her with a dim lantern slowly but carefully making her way through the forest. She heard Mrs Smith crying at the remains of a fallen house Mary wondered if this was her old house but before she could move Mrs Smith turned around. “Who is there?”  shouted Mrs Smith as she rose off the ground. “Come out whoever you are,”  she said, wiping her tears. Mary revealed herself, “ What are you doing here?” Mrs Smith said as she interrogated Mary “I just wanted to see where you were going?” said Mary as she lowered her head. “ This was the place, they both died here and I couldn’t save them, it’s my fault”  cried Mrs smith. Mary was silent and hugged Mrs Smith as she mourned the death of her children.