“Take that dirty thing off your head child”
Louis chin fell. He had been so excited to show his mother what he had found in the field.
“It is stuck, it won’t come off.”
“Silly boy of course it’s not stuck” Catherine Devereaux left the sink where she had been washing the pots and dried her hands on a towel. The old piece of tin rested on her son’s head almost covering his eyes. Lifting it off gently careful not to let the jagged rusty edges touch his skin she turned it over in her hands.
“Where did you get this Louis?”
“In the field. The one with all the red flowers.”
“Take me Louis, take me to where you found it.”
It was a warm summer’s day as the small child held his mother’s hand and led her out of the villa and across the field with the red flowers. The sky was cornflower blue and dotted with little patches of marshmallow clouds. The air still and the only sound was the low droning of an engine somewhere above.
“Here… in this ditch mama.”
Catherine walked over to the side of the field and knelt down on the grass. She leant across the ditch and peered into the dry crusty earth. She gave a sharp intake of breath, it came out as a gasp and Louis looked at his mother. Had he done something wrong? Had he upset her? He watched as she brushed the dry crumbly soil away from a small mound of bone just visible in its grave. It reminded him of the alabaster paper weight his papa kept on his office desk.
“Louis this tin hat needs to stay here. It belonged to a very brave soldier from a long time ago, who left it to remind us that we are all free to play in the fields of France.”
Catherine scooped back the earth and replaced the old tin helmet further covering it with earth from nearby. Louis gathered an armful of the red flowers and placed them on the mound.
“I won’t forget the brave soldier mama, I will bring him the red flowers every summer.”
(c) 2024 Lillian Bradbury.
Through delicate prose and evocative imagery of red flowers and cornflower blue skies, the narrative captures a poignant moment of historical connection between present and past. The story culminates in a beautiful promise of remembrance, as Louis vows to honour the fallen soldier’s memory with flowers each summer
About the Book
“Welcome to my World” is a captivating collection of short stories by Yorkshire author Lillian Bradbury. This anthology weaves together tales of human connection, history, and memory, each story offering a unique glimpse into different worlds and experiences.
If you enjoy stories that blend historical significance with emotional depth, or if you’re drawn to tales that connect past and present, you’ll find yourself immersed in these thoughtfully crafted narratives. Why not discover more of Lillian’s touching stories?
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Thank you for the feedback. I’ll update the ‘plug ins’ and check it. 🙏❤️