9. Train Station (1/2)

chapter ix

on the next day, walt, rose and blythe said their 'goodbyes' and 'see you laters' to their family, and left glen st mary, heading towards the redmond college for their final year. on the same day, but on a different train, shy and nervous owen started his journey to queen's. it was a quick farewell yet quite different to all the other farewells the blythe, meredith and ford family has ever had because all of them were terribly afraid that someone will give either walt or blythe 'the white feather' at school and that they might enlist, not even telling anyone about it. and that would be the worst thing they could possibly do to

eak their family's hearts.

but julia knew they would never do such a thing, not walt and definitely not blythe, besides both of them vowed to her the day before that they won't enlist or, at least, not without first informing her about the idea. it was still weird for julia, to think that her

other merry and cousins gilly and jake were already overseas, fighting for their country ever so

avely, and that she would be very close to all of them soon.

she was incredibly excited about going to england and nursing, but she knew that she would be homesick and terribly scared at times. when julia said her farewells to walt and blythe, she felt like a big stone was put on her heart, not knowing when she will see both of them again, her "two bosom friends" whom she loved very dearly and who always gave her courage to be strong and independent. it was always the two of them, the "quieter ones" of the family who always understood her better than anyone else. how will she survive without them by her side? she thought, but she knew that she will because she will survive for them.

through the rest of the day, julia seemed as if she was 'there' and yet wasn't at all. as blythe would describe her: "she was drifting in the clouds, listening to how the angels sing". she didn't say much when she played with cee and nancy or when she sat down in the ingleside's living room between leslie, luna and cilia. she was thinking about her uniform which was hanging on the door of her wardrobe in the house on the hill. she thought that she was ready, she told everyone that she was, yet it seemed as if she was just partialy ready for the journey across the atlantic ocean because she realized that she won't have anyone from her family sitting next to her on the train or that she won't have her own cosy room or that… she won't know when she will see her family again.

"julia, sweetheart, tell me: what's on your mind?" una asked kindly. it was just a coincindence that julia and una stayed together in the kitchen and were both doing the washing up after the dinner when the others stayed on the ingleside's verandah, talking over the newest letters from merry, jake and gilly.

julia looked shyly at her aunt under her long eyelashes "auntie, i'm so afraid…" she

eathed out eventually.

una grinned to her gently "i know, dear sheba." she said "but don't worry so much, you always do most extraordinary things without any mistakes at all."

"it's not exactly what i'm mostly scared of…" she answered in a whisper, looking at the bowl which she was holding in her hand.

una put down her towel and made julia to sit down on a chair next to the kitchen table, facing her aunt's worried face "what is it then? you know you can tell me anything, sweetie." she said.

"i'm afraid…" julia started and clasped her hands together "-i'm afraid of changing and of all the things i will see and that i don't know when i shall see each of you again." she said feeling how her pale hands started shaking.

una put her own small hand on julia's hand and squeezed it tightly. una always thought that julia, although having a spirit of her mother, was as sensitive as she herself was. that's why una was always like a second-mother to julia.

"i talked about it with mother and i felt better for a moment." julia continued "but i fear that i won't get less stressed no matter what someone will tell me."

"dearest," una whispered and looked in her niece's eyes caringly "of course you will change. every one of us will change because of this war. we will all be affected by it no matter how hard we will try to escape it, but i will tell you from my experience that it's usually a good change." she said.

"i really hope so." julia replied and sighed.

"you will see that after some time you will feel greatful for going overseas and seeing the horror of this war. because what you will do, will help other people and that is the most precious gift you can ever give to another human being." una smiled to her niece.

julia grinned back and stood up from her chair. she went over to the sink and took another bowl in her hands "if so, then let us help others by washing the dishes." she chuckled, thinking that everything will be alright after all.

it was a day before julia's leaving for england when julia finally thought of packing her suitcase. she wasn't allowed to take lots of clothes but even though she invited cilia, luna and leslie to help her pick her four outfits for the "glourious london adventure", as the three girls called it. when julia's suitcase was finally closed and her uniform ready to put on, along with her thin coat and comfortable shoes standing by her bed, julia sinked down between her girls "tell me, my darlings, what are your plans for the future." she said suddenly.

"you know what our plans are." leslie said joyfully, with a raised

ow.

"oh, i'm not too sure about that." julia answered and smiled in a funny way.

"well, i'm planning on staying at home for a while and helping mum and dad to cope with gilly at the front." leslie started quickly "then, maybe… maybe one day i will join you in england, jules." she grinned lightly.

"oh, do! yes, that would be splendid!" julia exclaimed and shaked her friend's hand.

"and i," said cilia "-i will marry marshall when he comes back." her eyes started to shine for one second and darkened after two "if he comes back."

"why, cilia, stop being so pesimistic!" julia said and put her arm around cilia's shoulders "i won't promise you that he will come back, but have hope, for him." she squeezed her friend's arm assuringly.

"i have hope, but it's so hard not to think that i could not see him again." she whispered with tears in her eyes.

"he'll be fine, you'll see." luna said gently and kissed her older sister's cheek.

"what about you, luna-moona," julia poked her friend playfully in the arm "-what are your plans for the future?"

"i'm not too sure yet, to be honest." she said shyly "i only know that i don't want to move anywhere far from home."

"yes, glen is the sweetest place in the whole world, no matter what other people say." leslie said decidedly.

"says the person who told me not so long ago that she wants to move to the states!" julia chuckled.

"oh, bathsheba!" leslie laughed "the united states of america is not so far away from the island, you know."