Tester by HJ Macey (nonfiction book recommendations .TXT) 📖

sorry about what's happened. Couldn't believe it when we heard, did you get the box of get-well cards, everybody put one in," he said pumping my hand.

 

 "Yes thank you, sir, did Captain Andy Southwark get posted here?" I asked, taking the seat he offered.

 

 "Yes Joseph he did and he showed me the photo you gave him, I do believe he's won her over, but are you planning to see them?" The captain asked looking a bit wary, I had wondered that myself.

 

 "Can I speak to Andy on the quiet, I doubt if my presence hasn't been broadcast. I've seen a few wrens that know me, so I'm sure the whole garrison knows by now." I said hoping I was wrong, and Captain Foster picked up his phone.

 

 "Get me Captain Andy Southwark office Doris, and stand by for borders," he said then put down the phone.

 

 "What happens if she comes up here Joseph, it's a long way down for you to jump from this window." He was Indicating the window behind him, which was on the outside wall of the barracks, and had a seventy-foot drop down to the rocks and sea. Then pick up the phone as it rang, he asked.

 

 "Hello Captain; oh you've heard; yes he is here, if you would I'll tell him." He put the phone down and looked at me sideways.

 

 "She knows and he's bringing her up now, do you want to use the conference room?" he asked pointing to a door to his right.

 

 "No sir that won't be necessary, but I'd like to contact Robert and Susan while I'm here if I can," he immediately picked up the phone.

 

 "Doris get me the gym, right send them in please," the phone went down.

 

 "Margret's here!" he said as the door opened, and she stood looking at me. God, she was a lovely girl, but she was just not my lovely girl.

 

 "Hi Joe didn't expect to see you here, what do we owe this to," Andy said holding out his hand, but looked a bit curious.

 

 "On my way to Australia ship docked here, had to look up old friends that's all. Hello Margret looking lovely as ever, have you forgiven me yet your sister has?" I said as she walked towards me, and I didn't know if it was going to be a kiss or slap, until she said 'hello Joseph', and kissed my cheek.

 

 "Madeline mailed me told me you were going to Australia, she said now she understands! What, did she mean by that?" I shrugged my shoulders and looked vacant.

 

 "Search me," I replied, but she squinted her eyes and looked at me suspiciously.

 

 "Were getting engaged Joe, I'm not letting her get away from me," Andy said taking Margret's hand.

 

 "Will you wish us well?" he added.

 

 "I will indeed, and as soon as I am settled I'll send the captain my address, I want an invite Andy, no matter where you tie the knot."

 

It looked like everything was hunky-dory, and we all had a chinwag until lunchtime. I made a promise to see the captain, and Andy again before I left, then went to meet Robert and Susan in the cafeteria for lunch, as arranged by the captain's Doris.

 

 "God your embarrassing Susan, stop climbing all over him," Robert said as Susan jumped into my arms, and gave me a flurry of kisses. She hadn't changed, and she said it again like she used to.

 

 "You can start to worry when I don't do this in front of you, and take him behind the bike shed instead."

 

 "How's my Hannah?" I asked as we sat with your meal, at one of the long tables.

 

 "At school now she'll be here soon, they come up for lunch at twelve-thirty." Sure enough dead on the dot, in came a paraded of tiny people. She had grown a lot, but she was still my Hannah, I wondered if she remembered me, but I shouldn't have worried. She saw me kneeling with my arms outstretched and came running, and just like her mum, jumps into my arms. We had a lovely chat until she had to go back to school, and she made me promise, I would visit her again.

 

 I had to be back on board at four, by way of Mr Wang's to pick up my jackets. They all wanted to make sure I got on the ship, so I had a two-car escort to the docks. After handshakes and kisses, I stood at the rail waving the two Navy cars away. I was thirty minutes early, and as I turned the officer on the gangplank said smiling.

 

 "A military escort sir, now what did you do ashore?"

 

'Your presence is requested at dinner, captain's table at seven if you please,' read the note; Gary gave me as I entered the cabin.

 

 "Steward came an hour ago with it, they can't be kicking you off the ship unless they want you to swim, that's an hour after we sail." I checked out my new jackets, and as always Mr Wang had been precise, they fitted like they were a second skin, with just enough room to let you move.

 

 "Wow, where did you get them?" Gary asked feeling the material and shaking his head.

 

 "Never seen anything like them before, they must have cost a packet," he said, standing back to admire the one I had on. I also got an admiring look from Anna as I entered the dining room.

 

Chapter 26c 

 

"My you do look smart Mr Joseph Lacey, let's see if Mrs Barrington looks down her nose at you tonight," she said taking my arm, so I could lead her to our dining table, where the captain, looked at my jacket and said.

 

 "Now that's an improvement on Mr Tankard's jacket, did you get it back from the cleaners," he said smiling, throwing back the jib I had made.

 

 "No sir my tailor in Singapore made them for me, from designs we sent to him," I answered, and saw Mrs Barrington look at me suspiciously.

 

 "No doubt you knew him when you were stationed here, Joseph," his lordship said smiling at me, and I thought yes and how do you know that.

 

 "That is true sir, but may I ask how you know?" I asked, and the whole table looked at him.

 

 "You may Mr Joseph John Lacey, formally Petty Officer Lacey of the Royal Navy. When we were first introduced, your name rang a bell in my memory. Although I couldn't place the source of that memory, it had bothered me all the way here. Today I found the answer to that question, in the British embassy in Singapore. We went to pay our respects to the commissioner, and his daughter took Anna on a tour. She came back very excited, to where we were having tea. 'There's a photo of Joe Lacey, hanging in the gallery Dad,' she said taking my hand, and the commissioner asked 'do you know him.' When we went to look at it, it showed you in uniform, between the commissioner and the premier of Malaysia, receiving a medal from the Malaysian government."

 

 "They were building an extension to the school when they dug up a Japanese world war two bomb. You sat for an hour alone defusing that bomb, and they called you the angel of Singapore. When I told him that it wasn't, what I was trying to remember. He told me you were the commonwealth, combined forces boxing champ and the far east fleet champ, as well as the home fleet champion. It still didn't ring the bell, and then he said you went to Israel and that was it. We had just come back from Kuwait, and I was in the government house in London. There was a flurry of messages, coming and going from Israel Singapore and London."

 

 "From Israel, there was a message about a Petty Officer, being in a hospital there after a bomb blast. From London a message asking for confirmation, of the Petty Officer identity. Then to Singapore to confirm said Petty Officer, had left by ship to return to England. The last message I can remember coming from Singapore said the Petty Officer had flown to Israel to get engaged, I can't remember any other communication after that, but that was almost a year ago. I just could not put your name to it until now, but am I right Mr Lacey."

 

 "You are indeed Sir; I am guilty as charged although I don't broadcast it normally." Anna opened her mouth, but Mrs Barrington beat her with a question.

 

 "Your here on your own Mr Lacey, I take it the girl didn't accept your proposal?" She asked with a smile and an arrogant tone, and I wiped the smirk off her face.

 

 "No Madam, she died in the blast before I could ask her," I said it calmly, but loud enough for all to hear. It went deadly quiet, except for the sound of a chair being pushed back. I hadn't heard Mr Barrington speak before, but as he pushed his chair back from the table he said.

 

"Excuse us, ladies and gentleman; I think I need a few words with my wife." As he stood she looked up at him and was about to say something, but his stare and his head to one side told her to shut her mouth and he led her away. The rest of us eat our meal in relative silents until coffee.

 

 "Sorry Joseph I had no idea, please forgive me I was so pleased with finally working it out, I never thought." Said his lordship, holding his hand out to me over the table, I excepted it willingly and saw him looking at my left breast pocket.

 

 "Is that a shuttle display of your medals ribins Joseph, or it a smudge of colour on your top pocket." I smiled at him and undid my jacket, and opened the left side. To reveal my row of miniature medals, a third of the normal size pinned to the top of the inside pocket, then turned to Anna as she asked.

 

 "How long were you in the Navy Joe," then she turned to her dad and said.

 

 "He told us to call him Joe dad," when he went to correct her.

 

 "That is true sir, and I would extend the same protocol to all, and Anna, I was in the service for seven years. Seen all the world and fell in love with Australia last year, I'm about to find out if Australia is going to fall in love with me," I said smiling at her, and her father said.

 

 "I'm sure they will and if I can open doors for you, please knock on mine Joe," his lordship said and lifting his glass, he stood looking at me.

 

 "Ladies and gentlemen I'd like to propose a toast, the Angel of Singapore a hero amongst us," he said and I quickly held up my hands.

 

 "No please I am no hero if you want to toast a hero, toast the one, at the head of this table. I spent an hour sitting on one bomb! According to his medals, he spent years sitting on ticking time bombs. On the convoys to Murmansk, I will toast these unsung heroes, without them we would have lost the war! Please the Captain!" They all held their glasses high, and said 'the Captain' and drank his health. He looked lost for words, way out of his comfort zone, but he soon recovered and lifting his glass said.

 

 "When I first saw you, Mr Lacey I didn't like you, you had just beaten my boy in a boxing match. My boy has humbled me, by saying he had been beaten by a gentleman. Since you have been on my ship, you have proved my son right, ladies and gentleman, to a gentleman!"

 

 I hadn't indulged a lot in the onboard entertainment, and there was quite a good selection. Apart from the theatre that put on shows, and individual acts, there were several bars and a nightclub with entertainers. Daytime quizzes and bingo for the