Then Stella sensed her cape being opened. And she loved that even more.Club Foyer>Rainwear Vignettes>John's Armless Fun
Stella lived in a council house in King's Langley, an up-market village in Hertfordshire. She liked working with children and her first job was with a Day Nursery, established so that mothers could go to work to help the war effort.
It was a time of 'make do and mend' and clothing was on coupons. However she had the essentials. They included a brown winter coat and a brown mackintosh cape.
As she had no summer coat, she would wear her cape even in the Summer and she loved to team it with a summer dress and wear it undone. On cold winter days when the wind was blowing, she would put on her cape over her coat and was as warm as toast.
One Saturday afternoon in May, she decided to go to Watford. The rain was coming gently down so on went her cape with the hood up and she set off to the bus stop. At the bus stop she accidentally dropped her umbrella and it was retrieved by a pleasant faced young man in RAF blue. He was so natural and put her completely at her ease. He was on leave from his base in Lincolnshire.
They boarded the bus and sat together. On arrival at Watford they stayed together.
They looked around a few shops until Syd said they should have a cuppa. They were in a departmental store and found a table by the window.
Stella took off her cape, revealing a red jersey and a black skirt. Syd told her how nice she looked. He also told her how he liked her cape. He said it made her look mysterious.
Afterwards he helped her on with it but asked her to leave it undone as he wanted to buy her a present. He bought her a silk scarf which she put round her neck. It was cream coloured made a beautiful contrast.
They decided to go and see 'Theirs is the glory' at the Odeon. It had stopped raining but a chill wind was blowing so Stella buttoned her cape except the top one so she could flaunt her scarf.
She enjoyed the film - especially as Syd was so well informed about it - he had actually worked on Dakotas.
As they made their way to the bus stop Stella put on her cape and buttoned it against the chill evening air. She explained to Syd how she loved having her arms inside.
And then one hand found its way out and fastened onto Syd's.
They rode back to King's Langley and Syd walked her home. Her Mum had gone to bed so they crept in silently and stood together in the dark hall. Stella's arms were imprisoned within her cape, so to begin with Syd had to embrace for the both of them - which she absolutely loved.
Then Stella sensed her cape being opened. And she loved that even more.
It was a wonderful beginning, and over the months, as Syd returned to King's Langley whenever the RAF allowed, so it continued, with Stella and her brown mackintosh cape, always waiting for him by the ticket window, ready to fly her RAF man as no Dakota ever did, as his train, whistling and hissing and throwing off clouds of steam in its excitement, drew itself massively up in front of her.
John
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