The Boys from the Valley

Thomas and Billy sat by the fireplace, the soot that their father had carried into the house on his boots had found its way to their dirtied faces. Billy was the younger brother, at 15 he had always looked up to Tom who was now 18 and had started working in the local pub The Swan. 

Rhodri, Billy and Tom’s da, rested with his feet on a chair letting his toes breath before he was back off to work. The sun was shining on another beautiful august day. 

‘Can you hear tha?’ Billy asked his welsh accent strong, his ears perked up. 

Thomas strained to hear what his little brother was listening out for but couldn’t hear anything. Billy had always had incredibly good hearing, da always said that Billy must be related to a rabbit with ears so good. 

‘What is it Bill?’ Rhodri asked, he didn’t adjust his position to listen. Rhodri was almost deaf after so many years working in the mines. 

‘I think someone is shouting out there’ Billy jumped to his feet but was pulled over by Thomas who leapt past him and ran to the door. Rhodri slowly pulled himself to his feet and followed on behind them. 

The door swung open and standing outside was ma, Angharad, she had a loaf of bread in her hands and a paper bag. 

‘Something is going on’ ma said, she gestured behind her down the slope of the valley toward the centre of the village. 

‘Go find out for us Tom’ Rhodri called from the other room. 

Thomas barged past Angharad and Billy was quick to follow in his footsteps, not quite being able to keep up with his older brother but loving the thrill of the chase. 

There was a large crowd in the village centre as Billy and Thomas arrived, people gathering around what looked to be a car driving through the village. 

Thomas cursed under his breath as he couldn’t see a way through. ‘Billy, try and bury yourself under them there, get into the crowd and find out wha they are saying’ 

Billy darted off weaving through the miners who were too slow to move in the way of his winding body. Finally he made his way through to the front of the crowd. A man stood up in the car and cups his hands around his mouth. 

‘Britain is at war with Germany!’ He called, there was gasps and cheers from the crowd. Billy turned to see a mix of emotion sewn across the faces of those behind him. 

Billy darted back through the crowd uninterested in what else the man had to say, they were going to war! He darted back and found his brother still on the edge looking in, he didn’t look as though he had heard the news. 

‘Wha is it?’ Thomas said, ‘I yerd the gasp just didn’t yer wha was said’ 

‘We’re’ Billy put his hands on his knees a moment to catch his breath. 

‘Come on Bill! Spit it out!’ 

‘We’re going to war with Germany’ Billy didn’t have time to get a response, Thomas turned on his heel and sprinted back toward home. Billy looked after him and felt the adrenaline kicking back into his muscles and chased after his brother. 

When Billy got back inside Tom had already shouted it into the house and both ma and da were by the door. Ma looked anxious as though she could cry but Da was almost jumping with joy. 

‘We’ll show those Germans! We’ll give them a taste of welsh iron ay boys!’ Rhodri shouted, he punched his hand into the sky in a victorious cheer. 

‘You won’t be much use to them love’ Ma said, she put her hand gently on Rhodri’s shoulder who shot her a furious look. 

‘Wha do you mean ma?’ Thomas asked

‘You won’t hear the bullets love, you won’t hear the commands, you won’t know you are in battle until you have felt the sting of a shot in your leg or worse’ she replied imitating being a German shooting him in the leg and then head. 

‘Sweet woman, you worry too much!’ Rhodri said he lifted her in the air and danced her back into the other room as though she weighed less than a feather. ‘The Germans won’t be able to shoot me, I am too fast and their eyes are too wonky!’ 

The two boys laughed with their father, it wasn’t often that they got to see him so excited and happy. Angharad tried to hold a stern look to her husband but couldn’t hold it any longer at the sound of joy and laughter from her boys. 

‘We might even be in the same battalion!’ Shouted Billy getting caught up in the excitement, but as soon as he said it he felt as though he had said something wrong. 

Rhodri closed his eyes and placed Angharad down gently. ‘I’m sorry my boy, you won’t be coming, not to this one’ he said, he ruffled Billy’s hair who looked up to his da as the hope and joy faded from his eyes. 

‘Wha do you mean? You cant both go without me!’ 

‘You are too young Bill’ Thomas said from over da’s shoulder. 

‘But tha’s not fair!’ Billy yelled, 

‘Now don’t you raise your voice in yer!’ Angharad said pointing her stern pointer finger at Billy, he was always scared of her pointer finger. 

‘No its alright love’ Rhodri said and he pulled Billy in close. Billy wasn’t going to cry, he felt angry, angry at how unfair it was the his da and brother were both allowed to go to war but he wasn’t. But he felt a lump begin to form in his throat and he felt water begin to sting his eyes. Then he sobbed. 

‘Its alright boyo’ Rhodri consoled Billy pulling him in tighter, wrapping him in the warmth of his fathers arms. 

‘Oh my sweet boy’ Angharad said and joined the embrace. 

‘You might yet get your turn little brother’ Thomas said from the outskirts. 

‘Get on in yer Tom’ Rhodri said finally and Tom joined the embrace. ‘We will come back and we will tell you all the stories Bill, it’ll be like you were there with us the entire time!’ 

‘But I want to be there!’ Billy said between ragged breaths. 

‘I know, I know’.