Free Remembrance Day by Leah Fleming

ride and walk up to the far ridge from where they could see the whole valley spread out before them.
    Last week Guy sat staring out over the hills. He’d just heard that one of his school friends had been killed while on training with live ammunition. His name would be the first Sharlander to go on the Roll of Honour but not the last. Both of them sensed that this war was changing lives for ever and Selma felt a flash of fear that this was only the beginning of things to come. They sat under the shelter of a huge piece of granite rock; an erratic, Guy called it.
    Selma noticed how when she talked to him her voice softened and her vowels rounded and deepened away from broad Yorkshire, taking her cue from his own refined accent. They were reading from his pocket Palgrave’s Golden Treasury.
    ‘You read so well and with such meaning like an actress,’ Guy said.
    ‘I’ve never been to a proper theatre,’ she confessed.
    ‘Then you must go…perhaps to Bradford or Leeds on the train.’
    ‘I don’t think so…we don’t go to those places.’
    ‘Not even to Shakespeare? You just have to see one of his plays. School’s going to do Hamlet next term but I won’t be there.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘I was thinking if we got up a party now, a crowd from the village for a train trip or something, your pa’ll know you’d be safe. It’ll be fun before I…’ Guy paused. ‘It’s no good. I’ve got something to tell you…’ He was looking at her with such serious eyes and she knew what was coming.
    ‘Oh no, not you and all? You’ve never joined up, have you?’ Selma’s heart sank as Guy winked and smiled.
    ‘Officers can join at seventeen, you know. I can’t sit about and do nothing when other chaps are getting on with the job.’
    ‘My brother lied about his age and joined up too and now our Frank is going round with a face like a wet weekend and Dad threatening to chain him to the horse’s stall if he does the same. Why do you all want to rush off? Your mother will be as worried as mine is now.’ Selma felt sick at this news just when they were getting to know each other. What would happen to their Sunday walks?
    ‘Actually she doesn’t know yet. We’ll pick our moment but she can’t stop us. We can get written permission from Papa if she won’t agree. Secretly, she’ll be very proud. We’ll be in training for months so she’ll get used to us being away before we’re sent off somewhere.’
    ‘It won’t be the same though, will it? I mean our walks and talks…’ Selma blushed, knowing how much she’d miss them.
    ‘I’ll be home on leave,’ he offered.
    ‘It won’t be the same though, will it?’
    ‘Why not?’ He looked puzzled.
    ‘It just won’t, I know it. You’ll be doing manly things while I’m stuck in school with the baby class to teach.’
    ‘That’s important work too,’ he said with such a look of tenderness in his eyes. ‘I’ll be larking about marking time,playing pranks with Angus. It’ll be just like school. We have to do our bit.’
    ‘I’ll miss you.’ Selma felt tears of disappointment rising up as she gazed back at him.
    ‘I’m glad to hear it,’ he whispered, his face drawing ever closer so they were almost touching. His lips found hers in a soft kiss and they stared at each other with surprise.
    ‘I’m sorry…I’ve never done this sort of thing before,’ Guy apologised but, tipping her chin towards him with his finger, he kissed her again and they clung to each other, breathless.
    ‘Me neither,’ Selma whispered. The look between them stirred her to the pit of her stomach as they drew close again, kissing and hugging.
    ‘You are my best girl, Selima Bartley, do you know that? My best girl.’
    She drew back,laughing.‘How many others do you have?’
    ‘You know what I mean. Ever since I saw you rescuing my brother…’
    ‘Ever since I saw you in that bathing costume,’ she giggled. ‘But I don’t want you to go away…’
    ‘I’m here