Home Front 1942: The Second Act

[Tibxo]

Frank Jnr

I can't eat this!

Watching the others, Frank pushes his plate back and gets up. Seeing that his mother is absorbed doing the cooking, he silently leaves the kitchen.

Upstairs in his room, he hurridly finishes packing.

I got to get away from here!

The thought is almost like a scream in his head. Fighting the raising panic, he ties his duffelbag up and slings it over his shoulder. Luckily, it had mostly been packed, ready for him to report to the army base.

Then, as quietly as possible, he slinks down the stairs and makes for the front door. He only pauses briefly before he turns the handle to leave the house...

 

[ariosto]

Jack stared out at the gray sea for a few long minutes.
Oddly enough he wasn't dwelling on Toni's words. His mind was full of things allright but they were mostly about himself. About a man he had killed, a man a lot like him, a man with a wife and kids...and he thought of prison and iron bars and guilt, a lot of about guilt...

"Hell baby,"
He finally said,
"We all got pasts don't we. Gimme a drag will ya."

Toni handed him the cigarette with trembling fingers and a hopeful smile.

"I'm sorry Jack, I should have..."

He held up his hand.
"No apologies. I'd love to see that kid of yours. I bet you missed him."
More thoughts now...a dim vision of a blonde haired woman, speaking to him in words he could barely understand...Mom.
Dead of dispair and heartache when he was seven...six maybe.

He slipped his arm around her.
"Yep I want to see that kid allright."

He turned her face towards his and his eyes were hard as steel.
"Johnny Bell is another matter. Stay away from him.
Understand Toni?...stay away."