Chapter 12. Barter

  Vie had spent the day delivering eggs and vegetables

  from Nain Joan's garden to families in town. On her way

  home she was looking in a butcher's window when she heard

  a woman's voice call out in fright. Around the corner came

  a small child toddling on unsteady legs.

  Vie crouched down and smiled. "Hello there."

  The child ran into her open arms and she swooped him up.

  "Where might you be off to in such a hurry?"

  Out of breath, Ma Weller came to a stop beside to her.

  They'd met before when Vie and Nain Joan had helped the

  fishing families mend nets at the harbour.

  ''You're an Angel Vie. This little runaway is my grandson

  Liam. He's trying to give me heart palpitations."

  Vie opened her mouth in feigned surprise.

  "Tell me that's not true Liam." She tickled his neck with

  Stolen story; please report.

  kisses. Liam laughed and hugged her.

  It was a sight that almost made Ma Weller weep.

  Since his Mother had passed, Liam hadn't been sure of anyone

  and she couldn't remember the last time she'd heard him

  laugh.

  "Can you spare an hour to help me with Liam, Vie? The bakers have

  made us some bread in exchange or the fish I brought them yesterday,

  and I only have two hands."

  Vie turned on her heel with Liam in her arms

  "I would love to."

  *

  The fishing folk were a tight knit family group and Ma Weller was their

  Matriarch. She was a small dark woman made of the same stone as the

  headlands of the bay, Charlotte was sure of it.

  She watched Ma Weller with a baby on her hip, catch and tie off the lines

  that were thrown from a boat as it came alongside the wharf.

  "Mind your step Charlotte." Ma Weller called out.

  Charlotte was helping to unload incoming boats for the day. Vie was in the

  sheds pickling and curing fish. Stepping onto the boat Charlotte saw the grey

  beards of the crew. Amongst their good natured jibes she could see the

  tiredness in their faces. Some of the men were in their seventies.

  "That's the way of it now." Nain Joan told her.

  "All their young men have gone away to the War."

  Ma Weller called from the wharf. "Are you set Charlotte."

  "I am." Charlotte called back.

  Wicker pots full of catch were being lined up along the deck.

  "We're off then." Ma Weller said. "Wave goodbye Liam."

  The baby waved a chubby hand in the air.

  "Let's go and see how Buttercup is doing."

  Charlotte laughed. That was the nick name the fishing families

  had given Vie.

  *

  Charlotte looked at the crayfish in the basket she was carrying home.

  "Cook them while they're fresh." Ma Weller said.

  She had been on a week's leave from the land army when Vie had

  told her that fishing families at the harbour could use some help.

  "Will you come with me tomorrow?"

  How could she say no? She had gone with Vie and worked side by

  side with the most generous steadfast group of women she had ever

  met in her life. It had been an education.

  The crayfish had their claws closed and tied back but there was

  still enough space in the basket for them to move about. The idea of

  letting them go came to her, then Charlotte thought about the hard

  work of fishing families and the sacrifices they had made.

  She chided herself. "When I was a child, I thought as a child."

  *