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©Kirton News 2024
Regret for a Life - A short story by Bill Crewdson
Harold Jacobs walked up the road to his house, his day's work at an end. It was only 5mins walk from the tube station, from which he had just emerged to his home, which was just as well for it was snowing quite hard, he longed to get indoors and warm himself by the roaring fire that would be burning brightly in his Sitting room hearth, before getting out of his work clothes, having a bath, and sitting down to a hot supper that his wife Brenda would have prepared for him." Hmm!" He thought It's Friday so it would be Beef Casserole ...... "lovely!".
Harold had been married to Brenda for thirty years, they had what might be called a "comfortable" relationship, there wasn't a lot of romance, but they got on well together and were always there for each other in times of crisis.
Harold was a Clerical officer in the Civil Service, and was in charge of small dept at the Ministry of Defence, a position which he had gained after that major incident all those years ago. He was now about to retire, in fact today was his 60th birthday and his last day at work.
As his house came into view he was dismayed to find that the place seemed to be in complete darkness. His house was a solidly constructed Semi built in the thirties, and totally in character with the man himself.
As he strode up the garden path he felt a distinct sense of foreboding and his mind went back to that terrible period in his life when his world was turned upside down.
As he turned his key in the lock he dreaded what might be happening, "Oh no!" He cried , "It can't be true!"
In 1969 Harold was serving as a soldier in the British Army, it was a time of great unrest in Northern Ireland, and British Troops had been mobilised into the province as aid to the civil power, Harold's unit had been one of the ones selected for this grim duty.
A soldiers life was very hard in that first year, they were practically living on the streets, sleeping on the pavements in their sleeping bags, Gradually over the months things got a little easier when accommodation was found for them in abandoned wareh uses and factories. It was still a squalid existence all living on top of each other.
The soldier in the bed space next to Harold was a bloke called George Evans, George had a special duty, he was escort to the Brigade Commander, and in company with the Brigadier's driver, a Chap called Bill Bryans, was tasked to watch the Commander' s back whenever he was out and about.
