Celestial Girl

Celestial Girl

By

Mary Helen Gill

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Foreword

The tiny Celestial spirit, moved downward through the wonderfully bright blue night sky that was lit up by an array of bright stars. It had a planned destination. Memories of this moment were supposed to be erased, but as it happened-they were not. The spirit entered the womb of Jane, taking over the tiny female child, about to begin the unexpected birthing process. Annie‘s life began as a tiny spec in her mother’s womb, which was initially diagnosed as a cyst, and which grew, and kept on growing despite many different medicines the doctor prescribed. When she finally emerged as a full term beautiful but tiny baby girl, her parents and eight siblings were shocked and amazed. Especially the two eldest girls, age nineteen and seventeen respectively.

The memory of falling through the stars, registered in the child’s brain, but only re-appeared many years later in the form of a vivid dream. It remained a mystery of life, never to be explained, until she was told as a grown up, by a Fortune Teller that she was in fact a Celestial Being, and it was very difficult , under the circumstances to read her fortune. The fortuneteller told her that she had a gift of special powers, which she used unknowingly to heal her sicknesses, and could, if she so wished use will power on others, but learned throughout the years never to take that chance. Jane died when Annie was three years old, from Gallstones, which they believed were the result of the numerous medicines she had possibly consumed. Annie had to be, looked after from then onwards by each sister in turn, until the beginning of World War 2, when she was, evacuated.

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Introduction

During World War2- In the old days, children were encouraged to leave school at fourteen years of age and work in essential factories that produced much needed war implements and clothing. Annie Reid is the main character, in this story, that begins, with a life, threatening event. She is 10 years old when her father -brings her back from her evacuation home. He later allows her to live with an aunt and family, in the outskirts of Glasgow presumably-for her safety, but she comes to realize later that it was not much safer there, than living with her father in the centre of Glasgow.

There is no escaping the Blitzes, and Annie escapes death or serious injury on more than one occasion. When she turns 14, her aunt organizes a job for her in an Oilskin factory, which affects her health and she eventually is hospitalized .During the time that she works in the factory-she has to take a different route, home one day. She slips on some loose rubble, while trying to investigate a supposed unexploded bomb, and finds herself trapped there for a few hours. Home guard soldiers try to find a way to bring her up safely without causing the bomb to explode. She is eventually- rescued when the bomb squad arrives.

Annie goes for a much-needed holiday with her sister and two children, and there meets her first boyfriend.-Wounded soldiers begin to return home to thankful families who are so grateful to see them alive, and they are confronted at the cottage by a soldier who walks in on them whilst they are asleep in their holiday cottage. He claims to have a right to be there because he is the owner of the cottage, but did not know it had, been rented out. Before long, ex prisoners of war will be coming home also, but that does not come about until after the successful invasion of Germany, and later, after the drop of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima - resulting in the Japanese Leaders signing a peace treaty and the final end to the World war Two.

The soldiers, in Annie’s family who eventually were able to return home, were never the same again. Horrid gruesome films were, shown in cinemas about the Nazi concentration camps that were unearthed, and of all the dead bodies that were there, piled up in heaps. Pictures -of which unfortunately could not be included in this book. British soldiers were, stationed in Germany after the Occupation, and they had to assist in the clearing up of the many concentration camps, which were horrific. The very strict Rationing book process seemed to go on for years.

People grew so used to economizing with everything that when the rationing finally ended they found it difficult to change. It was considered a waste for instance to butter both sides of bread, or rolls instead of just one. A small amount of mincemeat would-be cooked up with mixed vegetables one day and the next day the left over’s would-be made up into a mince pie. A Beef joint of meat was made to last a few days, and served up in different ways on each consecutive day. People grew tired of eating tins of bully beef, and packets of dried eggs, that had to be, made into omelets. When the war eventually ended, there was great- celebrations all round, but for those who had suffered losses of both homes and families there was no real respite.

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Celestial Girl

Mary Helen Gill

Copyright© Mary Helen Gill 2013

Published By Mary Helen Gill at Smashwords

ISBN..9781301952649

Mary Helen Gill asserts the moral right to be, identified as the author of this work.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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This EBook may not, be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this EBook with another person, Please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this EBook and did not purchase it, or it was, not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

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Table of Contents

Title page

IntroductionChapter1_ref_close_calls

Chapter1ref:_Close_Calls

Chapter2ref:_The Rationing and more

Chapter3ref:_Caught Smoking with Evelyn

Chapter4ref:_Annie and the Oilskin Factory

Chapter5ref:_Churchill’s Announcement

Chapter6ref:_The_ unexploded Bomb

Chapter7ref:_Maggie’s Suspicions

Chapter8ref:_Annie’s _stay in Hospital

Chapter9ref:_The_Aftermath

Chapter10ref:_The Rationing Continues

Chapter11ref_Boat_Trip to Dunoon

Chapter12ref:_The_Atom Bomb

Chapter13ref:_The Celebrations

Chapter14ref:_Ben’s surprise Visit

Chapter15ref:_Visit to Ardrossan

Chapter16ref:_Prelude to the break-up

Chapter17ref:_Annie applies for Nursing

Chapter18ref:_Her new career begins

Chapter19ref:_The strange Nightmare

Chapter20ref:_Ben’s Explanation

Chapter21ref:_The fortune Teller

Chapter22ref:_The Angel Glow

Author’s End Notes

Links to Books Published

Where to Find Me

Forthcoming Editions

Back t o Top

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Chapter1ref: Close Calls

Twelve year old Annie woke up to the horrible crash, and the noise and heat of the grinding red hot steel that came through the ceiling-missing her by a mere Four feet, miraculously careering into the floor of her bedroom, and staying there without having exploded. Screaming- confused- and wondering where the rest of the family was, she climbed out of bed, grabbed her shoes and dressing gown and picked her way past the steaming monster, avoiding the debris it had created, and the pieces of burning plaster board that were falling from the ceiling. Finally making it to the front door she found it was apparently, left wide open by the last person to leave on their way to the Anderson Shelter at the top of the garden. In their rush, they had forgotten Annie, and left her sleeping.

Her 16-year-old cousin, Andy suddenly, came, running accross the garden and grabbing her in his arms, he led her through the smoke and falling shrapnel that was dropping all around them, and setting bushes aflame. Sorry Annie-so sorry! he kept muttering as he picked his way through the flaming bushes and shrapnel, and finally, on reaching the Anderson shelter passed her down to his mother in the shelter, who was in a state of anxiety, thinking they might not make it.

What happened to you? she asked the sobbing child. "We thought you were with us. Did you not hear the Sirens going?

A bit of a mess Ma, but I don’t think it’s exploded. Andy said. I think we were darned lucky there.

What was it Andy-did you see it? Maggie asked; as she wrapped a blanket around Annie and told her to climb up on one of the bunks, and then she lit the primus stove they had stashed there and put a small kettle on to boil. We will make some tea, and there’s some butter biscuits in a tin there that will make us feel a bit better. Thirteen- year old Meg was asleep or dozing on one of the bunks and Liz, the older girl just sat transfixed. We don’t know what hit the house do we? Hopefully it was just an incendiary bomb and we’ll be able to go home once they’ve cleared it away." Maggie said.

If it hasn’t set up the house on fire already, Andy said. I wish dad was here. He’d have known what to do. His father had been, recently killed on the road during an Air raid. They settled down and waited for the all clear siren to sound and waited further (as per previous warnings) until the members of the