**Childhood Love**
“Mum, can I wear the blue shirt to nursery tomorrow?”
“The blue one? Why that one?”
“Because Katie Wilson said it looks nice on meit matches my eyes!”
“Well, if Katie said so, then of course you can wear it.”
Little Jamie, satisfied, ran off to play with his older brother, Tom, who was already in school. That evening, Mum told Dad about the blue shirt and how it brought out Jamies eyes.
Dad chuckled and ruffled his youngest sons hair. “So, lad, do you like Katie?”
“Yeah. Im gonna marry her.”
“Oh? Well, first youve got to finish school, get an education, then think about marriage.”
“Blimey, thats ages away…” Jamie frowned.
“Dad, can I marry Katie tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? Where would you live, son?”
“At home, obviously,” Jamie answered, puzzled.
“Whose home?” Dad pressed. “Katies?”
“No, Daddy!” Jamies eyes widened. “Katie at her house, me at ours!”
“Thats not how it works, lad. When you marry, you take Katie home with you. Youd have to work, and shed go to nursery, then school, then uni.”
“And me?” Jamies eyes welled up.
“Youd have to work, son, to take care of your family.”
“Whats wrong? Why are you crying?” Mum knelt beside Jamie.
“Mummy, I want to marry Katie, but I dont wanna work now. I wanna stay in nursery, then school. And Dad saaaid waaaaah!”
“Dont cry. Marry her when youre older.”
“But by then, someone else might take her!”
“Who would?”
“I dunnooo maybe Jack or Liam.”
“Well, if she can be taken that easily, maybe shes not the one.”
The next morning, Jamie marched up to the girl in the red velvet dress, her long blonde hair tied with a big bow. He took her hand and declared, “Im gonna marry you, Wilson!”
Katie stared at him for a moment, then turned away. “No!”
Jamie stomped his foot. “I said Im marrying you! Just not yet, alright, Katie?” He grabbed her hand, searching her eyes. “Later, yeah?”
“Why not now?” she asked. “Jack and Lily got married already.”
“Theirs isnt realits pretend! Ours will be proper!”
“Alright!” She nodded, and hand in hand, they ran off to play.
At school, Jamie demanded the teacher seat him next to Katie. She refused, placing Katie beside another boy. Jamie stubbornly sat down beside her anyway.
“Im marrying Wilson when I grow up.”
The class burst into laughter. “Jamie and Katie, sitting in a treeK-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
“Quiet, children!” the teacher snapped. “Jamie, youre too young for such things. Go to your seat.”
“No! Katie, tell her Im marrying you.”
Katie just smiled.
“Well, miss, what do you say?” the teacher asked.
“Were getting married properly when were grown. Not like Jack and Lilytheirs was just pretend in nursery.”
The teacher studied them thoughtfully. “Fine. Sit together.”
Katie was the queen of his heart. He carried her bag, protected her from dogs, bullies, even teachers. Once, when she fell and scraped her knee, he dragged her all the way to the nurses office.
In secondary school, he confessedproperly.
And Katie?
She just smiled and walked away, head held high.
“Im still marrying you, Wilson!” he shouted after her. “Hear me?”
Then Liam, a boxer who drove his own car, started courting her. Jamie took the bruises but never backed down.
One day, he spotted three lads loitering. He knew what was coming.
“Oi, kid,” one sneered, peeling off the wall. “Come ere.”
“You want me, you come get me.”
“Cheeky little git.”
“Ive got a name, mate.”
“Listen, ladstay away from that girl. Shes our mates.”
“Wheres your mate, then? Too scared to say it himself?” Jamie squared his shoulders. “Tell him if he doesnt back off my girl”he stressed the words”hell regret it.”
Then he turned and walked away, feeling their anger like heat on his back.
Once, they jumped himcowards, from behind. He was outnumbered, then
A scream.
Katie, swinging a fence picket like a sword, charged into the fray. She shrieked like a banshee, whacking left and right. Tom and his mate came runningLily had fetched them.
That night, after washing under the tap, they slathered each other with antiseptic, laughing through the sting.
Walking Katie home, she turned to him at the doorstep.
“Did it hurt?”
“Nah,” Jamie lied.
She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him. The lads tactfully looked away.
“Sorry, Jamie.”
“For what? You were brilliant! Terrifying, but brilliant. Im marrying a warrior.”
She laughed.
Then came the army send-off.
Katie didnt weep or clingjust stayed close.
“Remember, Ill marry you when Im back, yeah?”
For the first time since nursery, she said, “Yes.” Then, shyly, “Jamie dyou love me?”
He grinned. “You daft? Ive been set on marrying you my whole life. Course I do.”
Letters flew back and forth, each whispering love.
Thensilence.
No word for weeks. The telly showed boysdirty, ragged, but alive. Fighting.
Then three letters arrivedone for his parents, one for Katie, one for Tom.
Jamie wrote cheerful liespenguins on assignment up north. His family laughed through tears.
That night, Tom pulled Katie aside. “Penguins dont live up north.”
Only Tom knew the truth.
Their childhood code hid one wordone word that stole mothers sleep.
Tom sobbed into his pillow. He couldnt protect his little brother now.
He wrote back, teasing, “Dont forgetyouve still got to marry Katie. Or shell grab that picket again.”
More silence.
Thennews footage. Boysno, soldiershardened in battle.
“Mum!” Jamies mother clutched her chest. “Thats himthats our boy!”
He turned, smiling wide, dimples flashing.
The ambulance came for his mum. The doctor sighed. “Hes alive. Wait for him.”
Katie couldnt sleep. Her mother dosed her with drops.
Jamies dad smoked on the balcony with Tom, silent.
“You knew?”
“Yeah.”
“Right.”
Katies dad rubbed his old bullet wound. “Hold on, son.”
He came home.
Dawn. A soldier sat on the bench, listening to birdsong, savouring peace.
Tom stepped onto the balcony, cigarette in hand.
“Smokings bad for you,” Jamie called up.
“Sos being a nuisance. Might get punched.”
“Missed you, brother.”
“Welcome home.”
A few hours later, slightly tipsy on joy, Jamie shouted up at Katies window, “Wilson! Im here to marry you!”
No one scolded him. A soldier was home.
“Mum, Dadcan I marry her now?” Jamie spun before the mirror.
“Get dressed, groom,” they laughed. “Before she changes her mind.”
“Not a chance. Ive waited forever!”
***
“Mum, Im getting married.”
“Oh? When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Really? And whos the lucky girl?”
“Emma Wilson.”
“Who?”
“From my class.”
“Does Dad know?”
“Yeah. He said talk to Grandad first, so Im marrying her tomorrow.”
***
“Well, Grandad?” Jamies mum smiled.
“Spoke to the lad. History repeatsanother Wilson stealing our boys hearts.”
Jamies dadnow Michaels grandadlaughed. “Bloody Wilsons.”
