By @silenttomorrows

Arthur got out of the taxi and looked down the hillside to the town nestled on the banks of the Tonge. Leaning against the side of the black cab, he wrestled for his breath and gathered himself for the effort ahead.

The driver turned off the engine, rolled down a window, lit a cigarette and studied his phone. Sometimes Arthur wondered if one day people would be born with a phone in their hands. So different from his time. When he was a boy there had been a phone in his village but his family never used it. They didn't know anyone who owned a phone, so there was no one to ring.

During the two hour journey they had passed the time of day. The cabby sounded Eastern European, and Arthur had asked where he was from. The driver replied, 'Bolton sir, like you sir'

'Arthur was interested in the mans background but didn't press him as he didn't want to sound rude. The cabby was a pleasant enough chap and these conversations reminded him about the reasons he had joined up and fought all those years ago. Freedom, peace and an England that accepts people for who they are.

Arthur propped himself upright with his walking stick and stepped carefully and deliberately along the lay by. A carrier bag swung gently from his other hand as he looked along the verge for the right place.

The shrine commemorating the death of his friend was overgrown again, litter caught amongst the foliage, a dirty half eaten bun lay at the base of the commemorative shrine.

Arthur kicked at the bun in anger and despair. He started to topple. Arthur was taken by surprise as he was steadied by a hand. Luckily the cabby had decided to stretch his legs and in doing so had caught up with Arthur and prevented him from falling.

'Steady Sir'

'Thank you' said Arthur catching his breath.

'Leszek, my name is Leszek. My friends call me Lenny, you may call me Lenny'.

Arthur replied, 'It breaks my heart to see it like this. No respect for the dead, for a hero.'

'I help you Sir, what is this place.

'It's a shrine to a brave man who died trying to save lives. Look.' Arthur swept some of the undergrowth back with his stick and then brought some secateurs out from the carrier bag, he tried to cut away some of the briars and nettles but the arthritis in his fingers made it difficult.

Lenny pulled out some of the weeds and broke stems to help clear away the tangle around the shrine. Arthur had some soapy spray and a cloth at the bottom of his carrier. Soon the marble was clear and polished and they could see the inscription carved into the stone.

In commemoration of
Captain William Pace of 35 Squadron
Born 14 January 1922 Died 17th April 1942
He gave his life so others could live
R.I P

There was a short pause why the men looked at the memorial stone. Then Arthur said, 'You see, we,were coming back from Hamburg.' It had been a tough raid, we ran into a lot of flack. How Will got the crate back across the channel, god only knows.

'The crate?' Lenny enquired.

'We were coming back from a bombing raid on Hamburg Germany, on that date, 17th April in 1942.' Arthur pointed at the stone with his stick. Will was the pilot, I was the navigator and there were five more crew. We were shot up bad, the flack had got us, our rear gunner Bob didn't stand a chance, and we were chased by a Messerschmitt and took a hit from its cannon. Still don't know how he didn't finish us off. We were flying In a Halifax. Tough old bird the Halifax, people talk about the Lancaster but Barns-Wallace helped design the Halifax and they were just as important during the war.

Arthur realised that Lenny looked a little baffled. 'I know' Arthur continued, 'All very long ago, a different time, a different life. Bombers were slow and vulnerable, we needed all the help we could get. The frame of that plane was strong because Barnes Wallace designed it, he called it a geodetic fuselage; what I mean is the body frame was criss cross, it made it stronger.' Arthur gestured crosses with his finger. 'Well anyway the plane took a lot of punishment but we still got back to England.'

'Wow, that's some story sir. So what happened.'

There was a pause
'Call me Arthur'. We were coming back, heading west and losing fuel. 'Will, told us all to bale out. I wanted to stay with Will, but he said it was an order and to get out. He was going to follow but he just had to make sure the plane missed the town down there. That's the last I saw of him.'

'Sir, he was a brave man'

'Yes he was'

'Arthur, I'm sorry you lost your friend. War is a terrible thing'

'Yes it is. The thing is Lenny, and I've never told anyone this, Will was more than just a friend. We were very close friends.'

'Ah, you mean he was your boyfriend. I'm so sorry for you loss Arthur. To lose a friend is hard enough, but to lose someone you love is heartbreaking.'

'Yes, that's what it was Lenny, heartbreaking. And I couldn't tell anyone, that sort of thing wasn't allowed in those days. We had to be so careful, we could have been court marshalled.' And with that Arthur took from his carrier bag a red rose and laid it on the stone. 'I shan't be making many more trips up here I guess, my health is failing fast. Suppose the stone will get overgrown and lost in the end.

Lenny once again put his hand on Arthur's arm. 'If you need a taxi, ring Lenny. Your Will was a hero. I'll help keep it tidy and I'll keep an eye in it when you can't.'

'Thank you', Arthur smiled with a tear in his eye. 'Guess we better be on our way now.'

I leave in a box for naomimrshl

A piano key
A door bell
And a hair roller.