Finding Dawid by Elizabeth Obadina

          From her vantage point above Waterloo Terrace, Jean could see and hear everything going on. She opened her bedroom window as far as it would go. She wanted to soak up and remember every minute of today. This was history in the making, a special day for all the allied nations, a special day for the country and the town and an extra special day for Jean. For today, the day that peace was declared, Jean and Dawid had decided to make their engagement public and face and overcome whatever objections her parents, well her father really, wanted to put in their way. 

        Maybe there wouldn’t be any, Jean thought. Today was a day to melt the hardest of hearts. Perhaps her father would forget for a moment that Dawid was a foreigner and see him as the hero he was who had fought as much and as hard as any British soldier, sailor or airman to end this war and for freedom.

          Jean scanned the crowd for his familiar face. Last week they had shared a magical reunion in London, she was beginning her leave from RAF Hurn and on her way back from Hampshire to Shropshire and he, well he was just in London for a few days before flying back to Europe. Although Hitler was dead, the fighting wasn’t all over and some German units were making a fierce last stand. Dawid was still flying or she thought he was. No one asked exactly what anyone else did. Careless talk did cost lives. A week ago their talk hadn’t been of the war, but after the war. It was only a matter of time before the allies were victorious and the happiness of anticipation warmed their hearts against the cold wind blowing off the Thames and the chilly showers that sent them scurrying for the nearest tea room. Too soon their paths parted as always on the station platform. But they had agreed on their engagement plans and Dawid had promised to follow Jean to Bridgnorth this week.

          This week! Jean marveled at so much happiness coming at the same time and pinched herself to be sure she was real. She scanned the faces that were tumbling out of the pubs and drifting into the High Street from the adjoining streets. Mainly she was fixed on watching the corner of Waterloo Terrace. That was where Dawid would appear if he was going to arrive today. It was the road up from the station. She hadn’t heard from him yet but deep in her heart she believed he would arrive today and it would be just like him to surprise her.

          Her stomach knotted with anticipation. A shaft of sunlight lit up her room and she looked up dazzled by the glory of the day. Fuzzy sunshine auroras floated across her eyes, blurring her vision. She tried to focus on the sunlit scene below. Bunting fluttered in the breeze and now a sea of uniforms swept into the street turning it air-force blue. The boys from Stanmore had arrived. And then, and then like a boulder in the tide was an officer standing stock still. He turned and looked up to where she was sitting.

“Dawid!” she screamed as the beloved face smiled up at her.

“Dawid! Stay right there, I’m coming down,”

She pulled her cardigan tightly around her and hurtled downstairs, calling to her parents as she passed, “Going out. I’ll be back later!”

“Jean! Wait!” her mother’s voice hit a slammed front door.

                                                                             ……….

Outside Dawid was waiting. They only had eyes for each other.

“My parents can wait. We’ve all the time in the world now!” said Jean and with arms wrapped around each other’s waists they melted into the exuberant sea of air-force-blue, khaki and red, white and blue.

Dawid bent down to whisper in her ear. “You look beautiful, I’ve hardly ever seen you out of uniform.”

“Are you saying that I didn’t look beautiful in uniform Squadron Leader Romanski? Live up to your name now …” They laughed remembering all the times, often the bleakest of times that Dawid’s Polish name had brought a smile to the people around him.

“Be quiet now Romanski whilst the Prime Minister’s speaking.”

The church bells fell silent, and the hum of the crowd died down to a hush. The speakers crackled into life as the bells of Big Ben chimed three across the airwaves.

The announcer spoke,

“This is the BBC broadcasting from Alexandra Palace in London. This is a broadcast by the Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, Sir Winston Churchill.”

Time stood still as everyone listened to the familiar voice formally telling them that the German surrender had been signed yesterday and that from midnight tonight Europe would be at peace.”

A moment of silence greeted the broadcast and then a cheer rolled from one end of the High Street to the other and suddenly everyone was singing, “For he’s a jolly good fellow.”

          For Dawid and Jean the events of the late afternoon and evening blurred into blissful happiness. The singing, the dancing, the being in love and at peace with the world. Finally they walked in silence around the Castle Walk as the sun set rosy over the river drunk with the beauty of the day and the sunlit days to come.

          As they rounded the corner on to Waterloo Terrace, ready to greet Jean’s parents a noisy conga of drunken revellers split the lovers apart and the tide of humanity pushed Jean into a shop doorway and spun off Dawid to the other side of the path. He waved and pointed towards her house. She nodded and waited for the conga to subside, greeting familiar faces with hugs and kisses as it inched its way past her.

                                                                       ……….

Finally she made her way home and let herself in.

“Oh Jean,” her mother’s tear stained face greeted her.

“Oh Jean, I called for you to wait but you didn’t hear me. Come and sit down.”

Jean’s mother shepherded her into the darkening sitting room.

“Sit down.”

“Where’s Dawid?” Jean asked, puzzled.

An officer in uniform like Dawid’s unfolded himself from a corner chair. The standard lamp lit up the ‘Poland’ flash on his shoulder as he rose and moved towards Jean.

“Aleksander? Please say no …”

“I’m so sorry,” said Dawid’s best friend. “He made you a promise that he would come. I know that but …”

Aleksander leapt forward to catch Jean’s fainting body as she fell.

“I’m so sorry,” he repeated.

(first published May 2020)