Chapter 10
A thin figure stood at the gates of the farm. She shivered in her thin summer jacket that she had brought with her to work, the day the bombs fell. She rattled the gate but a chain and padlock prevented her from opening them. They were tall wrought iron gates and she knew that she couldn’t climb over them. She chewed the sin on the side of her thumb as she considered what to do.
A group of about six people walked past her on the lane. One of them stopped. His broad London accent and clothes told Gwen that he was not from around here.
“What’s in there?” He pointed at the gates.
“A farm. I know the people who live there.” Said Gwen innocently. She was weak with hunger and freezing cold. Her long dark hair with blue streaks hung lank around her shoulders.
“I’m Jack.” Said the man. The others in the group had come back to join him. “Was it a working farm before the bombs?”
“I think so.” Said Gwen
“They’ll probably have some food. Farmers hoard food. It’s a well-known fact.” His desperation was evident and his beady eyes were looking around for a way in. The hedgerows on either side of the gates were too thick and too tall to climb through or over. He rattled the gate and shouted loudly.
“Hey! Anyone in there?” His voice bounced of the mountain rock in a short echo.
Then, everyone started to shout except Gwen. She was a quiet person who didn’t do shouting. Anyway, she didn’t feel like she had enough energy to shout. She hadn’t eaten anything for three days. Gwen had become stuck at the village shop where she worked and she couldn’t get back to Aberporth where she lived. There had only been her and Bleddyn working when the news of the bombs came in. They had immediately closed the shop and Bleddyn had tried to start the van but it was dead.
Neither of them knew if there was radiation in the air so they went into the windowless back room where the excess stock was kept. Between them, they fashioned a makeshift shelter with the boxes and the table that the staff had their lunch on.
For four days, they sat, shivering with fear. They occasionally discussed what was outside and Bleddyn had ventured out a couple of times to look out of the window. He reported back to Gwen about the smog and smoke that had covered the world outside. They had decided that this must be radioactive and they should stay in their shelter.
They ate cold baked beans and pineapple chunks from the stocks that they found in the boxes surrounding their shelter.
On day six, they heard the first window being smashed in the shop. Bleddyn, who was a tall, athletic man decided that he would go and see what was happening.
“Stay here.” He told Gwen.
Gwen stayed huddled in the shelter listening to the sounds of loud voices coming from the shop. Her eyes were full of fear as she heard Bleddyn shout “Just take what you need and go.” She knew that from the looters accents and voices, they weren’t locals.
August always brought many tourists into the village. They stayed on the two small caravan parks. They came from all over the UK to stay in Cenarth because it was so picturesque and was close to the sea. They would have only had limited supplies and now they were desperate.
The shop had been fully re-stocked after Ray and Annie had done their shopping and there was plenty of food on the shelves. During their discussions in the Shelter, Bleddyn and Gwen has talked about how they could best serve the villagers in this time of crisis. They had thought of making up food parcel boxes and if the villagers couldn’t pay, they could sign an I.O.U.
Bleddyn’s father Andrew, who owned the shop had told them about the strange conversation he’d had with Ray four days ago. It was so difficult to believe and he had decided to wait and see what was in the news before he acted. Surely, if the government knew that this was coming, they would give the country fair warning? Andrew and his wife Carole had taken a trip to Newport, near Cardiff to collect some new stock for the shop. Bleddyn knew they wouldn’t be coming back.
Around eighty people had looted the shot that morning and Gwen whimpered as she heard two men kicking at the stock room door where she hid. They soon gained access and began carrying boxes out. She was still under the table but as they removed the boxes, she knew that she would be exposed. She held her breath as long as she could.
Her thoughts of that day were interrupted by the sound of the London man shouting again.
“Hey look! Someone’s coming.” The group jostled forward and pushed Gwen against the gate. Annie had heard them and had walked up the drive way.
“Gwen!” exclaimed Annie. She could see that Gwen was in a bad way. She unlocked the gate. The group poured through it, surrounding her.
“Have you any food?” asked the man. “We haven’t eaten for three days.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” Said Annie, who was now cuddling Gwen. “Follow me.” She said to the rest of the group.
Patrick and Ray saw Annie and the group of people walking down the drive. They glanced at each other in horror. Ray took a deep breath. He knew that Annie would have taken pity on these people but he also knew the dangers of allowing strangers into the farm. That was why he and Patrick had locked the gates.
“Take Gwen in the house, Annie.” Said Patrick. “We’ll deal with our visitors.”
Once Annie and Gwen were indoors, Patrick spoke with the Londoner. “We’ve nothing for you, I’m afraid. We’ve barely enough for ourselves. I’m sorry.”
“Anything. Can you give us anything? Please, mate, for the women, at least.” The man was pleading. His eyes full of desperation. Annie had heard his words from the kitchen and came outside.
“Of course we can let you have some food! For goodness sake, Dad! Are we going to leave these people to starve?” Annie’s face was like thunder and she gave a reproachful look at her father. Patrick, in return gave a warning look with his eyes. She ignored this and carried on.
Annie asked the group to wait whilst she went into the house. As she was collecting tinned food from the cupboard and placing it in a bag, Ray stormed in.
“What the hell are you doing?” He asked her.
“Don’t start with me Ray! This is my decision and I’m not going to be bullied.” She carried on collecting tins.
“Just wait a minute.” Said Ray, realizing that she hadn’t got a clue about the consequences of her actions. “If you give them food today, they will be back tomorrow but there will be more of them and then more the next day.” He tried taking some tins out of bags but she slapped his hand.
“Rubbish!” she snapped. “We’ll just tell them that this is all we have to spare.”
Ray wanted to shake some sense into her but he watched her small frame work diligently and had to admire the kindness that she showed to others.
Outside, Patrick had found out that the group had been staying in a holiday cottage in the next village along but the owner had thrown them out this morning because their holiday rental had ended. He wanted to move other members of his family into the cottage. They had run out of food several days ago.
Annie walked out of the kitchen with two full bags of food and handed it to them.
“I’m afraid that’s all we have got to spare but you’re more than welcome to it. Where are you staying?”
Patrick intervened quickly because he didn’t want Annie to offer any more assistance. “Right! I must ask you to be on your way. Try down in the village. There might be someone who will have a spare caravan or cottage.”
Ray had joined them outside and he and Patrick began to walk forward towards the group, forcing them back up the drive. They locked the gate behind them and looked at one another. They both knew that the people would be back. The people would soon work out that if Annie could afford to given them two bags of food, there must be more food to be had.
“Annie has always been head strong.” Patrick said to Ray as they walked back down the drive.
“Oh! I know!” replied Ray. “I found that out within one hour of moving in with her!” Ray shook his head at the memory of being squirted with furniture polish because he was smoking in the house.
“Do you love my daughter?” Patrick asked. The directness of the question shocked Ray.
He paused for a moment before answering and then quietly replied. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
The two men walked back to the house in companionable silence.