Short Story 1 - The Wooden Toy Tank
THE WOODEN TOY TANK
by
Magdelin Rodrigues
Mary did not have time to grieve. With two young kids under the age of ten and a frail mother to care for, she persevered in the cold wind to carry out her shift at the local laundromat. Her husband, Army Corporal James Lennard, was killed in Nazi Germany just before the war ended in 1945.
Harry’s 5th birthday was fast approaching and he wanted a wooden toy tank. He had seen it in a window display when they walked past a department store a few weeks ago. During the war, many families were short of money and only the rich could afford toys. Things had not improved much for Mary after the war. Mary tried to persuade her youngest to change his mind in favour of a cheaper alternative – a paper plane – but the little boy would not budge.
At eleven shillings for a week’s work and four mouths to feed, Mary knew it would be hard to save enough from her wage for the toy. Not wanting to disappoint him, Mary decided to skip breakfast and lunch for herself to reduce spending on the weekly household groceries.
“1....2...3....4 shillings. Yes, that will be enough.” Mary smiled as she counted her savings on the afternoon of Harry's birthday.
Mary held her purse tightly to her chest as she quickened her pace to purchase the toy before the department store closed for the day. She entered the store ten minutes before closing time, grabbed the toy from the window display and took it to the counter. Her heart was beating with excitement at the thought of seeing Harry opening his birthday present later that evening, as the shopkeeper wrapped the last of the wooden toy tank carefully in brown paper and tied it with a ribbon.
Mary was in awe as she inspected the wrapped present. Harry had never received a birthday present since the war broke out and her late husband was called to duty. Stepping out of the store, she followed her well-trodden path towards home.
Dusk was approaching as Mary made her way home down an alley, when a tall man with beady eyes and raggedy clothes stepped onto her path and blocked her way. He reeked of depravity and alcohol. Brandishing a small knife, he eyed the large parcel in her hands and demanded her purse with it.
Mary took a sharp breath. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as the image of Harry looking sad and broken flashed across her mind. Home was just a few doors away.
A sudden gust of wind blew some leaves up into the air. Everyone was locked indoors so Mary was on her own.
The man lunged at her, bringing the knife millimetres away from her eye. He grabbed her wrist with his other hand and yanked it in the air. The wrapped toy slipped out of Mary's grasp and whacked the man in the face before clattering onto the pavement. Shocked, the man let go of her and stepped back.
“My children have suffered enough. They have already lost their father,” Mary whispered to herself.
An overwhelming sense of unexplainable strength suddenly shook through her entire being and she looked straight into the man’s eyes without batting an eyelid. With renewed bravery, she stomped on the robber’s foot and gave him a huge hard shove. Already half drunk and unsteady on his feet, he fell quickly onto the cold hard stone ground. Mary ran as fast as her feet could carry when she heard a whistle blown as she disappeared round the corner. A policeman must had seen the incident.
Safely inside, Mary rushed to her son. Harry squealed with delight as he tore away the brown paper. He hugged his mother extra tight in gratitude for granting his birthday wish.