Chapter 71

9 May 1945 – Liberation Day

So much had happened in the past few weeks that Helen could barely take it all in. She hadn't heard from Richard again and worried that something might have happened to him. Some news had given them hope though, which helped keep them going. Mussolini had been captured and killed, and then the Germans had finally surrendered.

Surrendered. She could scarcely believe it was true.

Yesterday had been Victory Day and the war in Europe was over at long last. Earlier, Peggy and Ida had tried their best to persuade her to take Bobby to the Royal Square with them to watch the island being formally liberated, just as Guernsey had been the previous day.

‘I daren't,' she said, wishing she wasn't so scared of something going wrong. There were still thousands of German soldiers on the island and she was concerned that some might want revenge for losing the war. What if one of them came for her and Bobby? She had been in hiding far too long to chance being caught now.

‘I'd rather wait until the British soldiers are here.'

‘They'll soon be everywhere on the island, I imagine.' Ida took her hands as they sat in the kitchen. ‘There's nothing to be fearful about. The Germans have surrendered and that's all there is to it.'

Helen wished she could believe that to be true. ‘I know what you're saying, Ida but what if something goes wrong at the last minute? What if the British don't land here? What then? I can't risk them discovering our whereabouts. Not until I'm completely certain we're free from them at last.'

Like the other women, she had heard singing and laughter since the previous day and she realised she was possibly being overcautious, but she hadn't come this far or endured what she had, watching so much of her little boy's life being spent in hiding, to slip up before British forces arrived to liberate them properly.

‘I know you think me silly, but I've made up my mind. I'll stay here with Bobby for now.' She thought of another reason to give them. ‘He's only ever met a few people and might be frightened by the crowds that are bound to congregate in town.'

She saw Peggy's expression change as she accepted her reasoning. ‘We'll come back and tell you everything. Then, if you're happy to, we can take Bobby for a walk somewhere. Not far, if it makes you uncomfortable. We'll see how you feel.'

Helen thanked her, grateful for Peggy's understanding. She wished her friends well.

They had only been gone a short while when someone knocked on the front door. She took hold of Bobby's hand. ‘Come along, Bobby,' she said, leading him to the attic quietly and closing the door after them. ‘Let's settle down and I can read you a story if you like.'

‘We can't go with them?'

His sad eyes implored her to change her mind, but Helen had no intention of doing so. ‘Not this time, but later, maybe. Would you like that?'

He nodded enthusiastically.

‘Then that's what we'll do.'

She hoped the others wouldn't be too long because, regardless of what she had said, the thought of escaping this attic and never returning was something she had dreamed about almost every night. Freedom was coming and she was terrified something would go wrong before they could experience it properly.