_ page-I¥ ,-Resmatbeo22; 1076 <*Neath Ghote Newo-~ a am A WU TL A un Hit sec UDRRUGUDUGENRRARALEUENRIVGGILE nu 1 i I i Hill UNEAUUUDURA Qé#gwVU TCO TTT By Dorothy Young The smell of goose ‘drop- pings wafted from _ the garden next door and clung » to the cold December air. My father cursed quietly. **Strewth! Old mother Wells should kill those damn birds for Christmas and give us alla break." He tugeed irritably at the pin feathers of our lifeless Christmas bird.1 ‘ookedsad- ly atthesorry fate of the rooster and felt a certain sympathy for Mrs. Wells’ pets. **Mrs. Wells says that the . geese can tell a German bomber from a British plane long before the air _ raid warning goes.” ‘‘Load of claptrap!"” “he snapped. “She uses that excuse anytime someone "complains about the noise or smell.”* He looked enviousiy at the well-fed geese and attacked the tail of the puny rooster. The Wells children wat- ched us from their kitchen window. Old mother Wells was away to the pub for a- Christmas Eve pint. My father looked at their solemn little faces framed in: the | window’ by the -Christmas decorations, made~ from shiny milk-bottle tops strung together. a “Look at those poor little. FE: beggars. They: could do with. a good goose. And what is - she giving them?’ Rabbit He sniffed and wiped a cold hand across his nose. “There she is; off to the pub. If a bomb dropped on that house, she'd be no wiser right now, and where would they be?"’ He jerked his head _ at the children, took a scornful, look at the geese and picked up the rooster. “C'mon, I'll get hell. from . your mother if you catch cold out here.“* “We went into the house. Ours was the only house on . the street to have the air raid shelter inside the ‘house. Mother was convinced that my colds were the result of ‘you ize frequent night trips to the ‘garden shelter during the - night raids and had insisted “that my father dig up the | shelter and bolt it to the - : living room floor. ‘The warmth of the kitchen and the smell. of pies provided a pleasant altern- ative to my father’s. frosty _ mood **What's the matter with Wille’? ss asked my mother. ‘*‘You look as_ if you “d lost. a pound and found | sixpence."* “It's those geese,” che ‘moaned, **Why doesn't she clean them out occasion- . ally?°° “They're a goods warning system ‘will! teeth. Suddenly the geese started to gobble loudly. My | parents exchanged looks and went outside. The geese were prancing in circles, flapping their wings and- arching. their necks. My mother gripped my father’s arm. . will, ‘T- hear. ’ Between _ “Listen something else.*’ the spasmodic gobbling a . buzz could be heard. “Are they our ae =~ “Mrs. Wells — says they - don’t gobble at our planes,”’ | yelled from the door. _ My mother looked at thie Wells children then at me. “Get her into the shelter Will, I'll go after them.”” | She stepped through the hedge and waved the child- ren to get away from the window. They laughed and. . waved back. The buzzing was almost overhead now. eo Four’ ‘dark Metallic: shapes — : came: out: of the clouds. I remember my father shout- - ing, i had “It’s Jerry! and picking up my -sister and myself in one move. He threw us face down on _ the matt*:ss in the shelter as || ~ “the bombs hit. I remember My father rolled his eyes - ‘and whistled through gritted the explosions, all at once, then silence. The dust filled the room. The coloured crepe paper ‘chains were. white with plaster. Our window frames were intact but the glass was now a series: of splinters embedded in the walls of the living room and kitchen. Outside the: window was: smoke and confusion. The entire strect next to ours was rubble and flames. “Dorrie! Dorrie!’ 1 fol- Pes my ‘father’s voice -% _ Merry Christmas _ ‘Happy Chanukah a / - Happy New Year | toa 7 from Fritzie - Ethel 1320 Lonsdale Ave. Rose & Leo at FIT RITE BOOTERY LTD. 028-7819 nn ee eS ee crore Sv through the dust to the ’ Wells’ house. We. climbed through a broken window and found Mother on the floor. Under- , neath her was a small carpet | and under that, two stunned [|_ but unharmed children. My ~ ‘mother’s face was bleeding. o- ’.. The windows had blasted in | ‘her direction. - **Keep still lass,"" my father said, ‘‘You’ve a bit of glass in your face.” I wanted to cry. but she noticed and took my hand. _ **Thank God for the geese. _ Those bombers got clean - through the warning — syS-_ My father didn’t answer. There was..a scuffle as Mrs. Wells pushed open a shattered front door. She was a fat little woman with quick — slant eyes. She was breath- _ ing fast from running. “What the hell...?"” she puffed. r “You can’ thank Dorrie that you still have kids,”’ said my father as he helped my mother up.. We walked home past the . silent geese. They stood proudly amid the rubble of ae q.-t "s : : ’ vA . 7." cg ony ae 34 1562 Lonsdale: Ave., el ‘North Vancouver iY fa, ‘ hoe WeeKeuen or ae en veos bec 7) mb se co bh " " Ne ae Atos . | =n _ Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to our customers and friends from the staff at Sounderaft T.V. Lid., 1820 LONSDALE AVE. -» L.VAN. i appy New Year alll residents oft the’ North Shore NORTH SHORE REALTY 134 East 14th St., N. Ven. $85-7185 SPD seein Paes Jess pee) 5 _ SRETS SEES P EES) PEs) SE) wea DE ak ose, H “ wee Be art 4 Son m3 P THE STORE THAT KEEPS NORTH VANCOUVER _ | a STICKING AND TALKING. |, aan e ; PY te Al ies “, Bishop Jewellers Led. 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