She was never easy to cope with, and without a doubt, and today was no different. “Emily!”, she screeched from down below, “What did you plan on doing with these linens!?”. In fact, I had a very specific plan for those linens, but it was far too early for her to find out about that. I spent another moment staring out at the Irish Sea through my open window, and resigned to deal with my mother, closing the bay windows with a sigh.
“Emily!”, her royal highness bellowed as I wandered down the stairs, “Take these sheets down to the linen closet and afterwards run to the butcher for some sausage for supper. Make sure to smile; he might give us something extra again. And don’t forget the ration cards!”. You know, she was always a hassle but since they started the rationing, my mother had become a real monster. I leave the house and walk the three blocks to the town butcher. As I make my way down the small cobblestone streets, I can smell the combination of the fresh sea spray, this morning’s catch, sitting in large boxes in front of the market, and the chemical fumes from the nearby factories. Dalkey was never known for much more than its port and its fishing industry before the war, but now we’re one of the largest producers of cloth for military uniforms.
I order a half pound of blood sausage in the small, but clean and well-lighted butcher shop, and stare out the window aimlessly as the butcher measures out the ambiguously-colored links. Across the street the ever-present military recruiters eagerly hand out leaflets. The recruiter for Britain’s Military Nurse Corps catches my eye and gives me a knowing look, I nod my head; tonight’s the night.
—————————————————————————————
So I did it, I really did it! As we speak I’m off to medical training in London, one suitcase to my name, my boring seaside life far behind me. I swear mother is going to blow a gasket when she finds out, but that’s not my issue anymore. I can’t even believe that I did this, and by scaling down the side of the house with a sheet of all ways! It’s as if I’m a spy from one of those novels! I couldn’t have done it without my little sister, Kitty. She insured that the knot I tied the sheet to the bedframe with held as I climbed out the window. Can you imagine how horribly embarrassing it would have been if I was caught on the front stoop with my packed suitcase and a broken ankle? Nonetheless this is the right move for me, I can feel it. London here I come.
—————————————————————————————
We’re about a month into nurse’s training, and I’ve decided to write a letter home to mother just so she knows that I’m surviving all right. They’re teaching us all the important things: how to treat wounds and wrap bandages and administer painkillers. And tomorrow we’re learning how to set up stretchers!
In even more exciting news, I have met the nicest, most handsome guy! His name is Henry Milton and he’s a second lieutenant! We met at an army dance a couple of nights ago and he’s come to call on me twice since then! I’m definitely not including him into my letter to mother, what she doesn’t know can’t hurt her.
—————————————————————————————
America. My little sister Kitty said it was her idea, but Father would never admit that he was moving his entire family across the world based on the idea of a fifteen year old girl. I’ve been debating going home to visit them one last time before they leave. When people in our family leave Ireland they never come back. Take Father’s sister Dotty who moved to Australia five years past, a letter or two is all that remains of her to us now. I should really go home to visit one last time. I shall tell Henry tonight of my plans. Oh! Henry! I almost forgot to mention, Henry and I are to be married! In three months time, for a May wedding! I never did tell Mother or Father but seeing as he’s an English Protestant they would never allow it. I figure once they’re in America and I write to them about it, there’s really nothing they can do about it.
—————————————————————————————
I have never been this furious, never in my entire life. I feel as if I am going to collapse, but then again it’s not like I can dirty these clothes seeing as I have nothing else, since I have been kidnapped! My final visit back home to Dalkey became my final time in the United Kingdom forever! Mother and Father decided for me that I was going with them to America. Despite the fact that I am twenty years of age with a fiancé and a career in London, they have forced me to go to New York with them. Once I arrived home they locked me in the spare (windowless!) bedroom until the departure day, only opening the door to bring in food or bath water. At the very least I begged Mother to let me write to Henry to inform him of my dire situation so he would know I wasn’t abandoning him by choice. To be completely honest with you a small piece of me was hoping he would swoop in on a white horse and save me from this nightmare. New York. Have you ever heard of a place that sounds so dreadful? I shall never forgive them for this.
—————————————————————————————
After weeks at sea, we’ve finally arrived in New York. Despite all of esophageal pills I’ve taken it still feels as if my stomach is trying to escape my body out of my throat. I don’t know if I’ll ever rid the nauseating, swaying motion of the ship from my mind’s eye. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to mourn the loss of my Henry while simulteaously refusing to look in either one of my parents’ directions. Under all of my fury and despair I must admit that I am a bit excited to get a look at this new world, where all the streets are said to be paved with gold. However as we step off the ship for the first time, I look down at the first solid ground we’ve stood on for weeks and I’m almost surprised to see cobblestone instead of precious metal. Cobblestone streets that somehow, look just like those at home.
