End of the Line

Chapter Thirty-four. Homecoming

Chapter Thirty-four

Homecoming  

The return of the troops made front-page news in the Montreal Daily Star of December 16th 1944.

                                         Veterans Arrive Home for Christmas Leave.

                      Cheers and Tears Greet First Group of Soldiers Back for Yule Holiday. 

The first group of Canadian soldiers returned to Canada for 30 days leave under the "rotation leave" scheme announced early this month by the Minister of National Defence. They arrived in Montreal last night. 

The second group arrived shortly before noon today, while, in between over 500 members of the R.C.A.F., mostly N.C.O.s and airmen arrived at Lachine repatriation depot after varying periods of service on battlefields ranging from Western Europe to the Middle East. 

Old Bonaventure station gave last night's arrivals, including 24 N.C.O.s and men from Montreal and district, a thunderous welcome as the crowd broke through the ropes and wives greeted husbands, and fathers kissed children they had not seen for five years. Most of them were too charged with emotion to express their sober thoughts as they reflected they were to spend the Christmas at home for the first time since 1938. 

The first arrivals were men who had fought through the blistering Sicilian and Italian summer and trekked across the swollen torrents of the grim Apennines. 

They included one Montrealer who had been decorated with the Military Medal for personal bravery and devotion to duty. He was Sgt. W. Benson. R.C.A.M.C. of the 9th Field Ambulance. The happy sergeant, who lives at 1408 Pierce Street, was met by his smiling wife and readily agreed that "Santa has been very kind to him this Christmas." 

The report was replete with pictures of the crowds scrambling wildly to meet the incoming veterans as the train pulled in to Bonaventure Station. One showed Bill with arms clutching his beaming fur clad wife.  

Bill did not intend to spend his precious thirty days in the crowded chaos of 1408 Pierce Street. There was no chance of privacy with two screaming infants given the freedom to roam at will through the apartment. It was no place for husband and wife to make up for five years of enforced separation. One frustrating night was enough. 

The next day June went to work as usual. Bill spent the day anxiously waiting for her shift to end. Just as five years previously, he waited for her on the sidewalk outside the Ritz. Together they walked arm in arm to the same delicatessen, and after a brief wait sat in the same booth. The meal was incidental. They sat facing, feasting on each other with their eyes, both bodies aching in anticipation. 

The meal over, Bill reached in to his pocket and pulled out a key that he dangled in front of June. 

"Guess what this is?" 

"Could it be a key?" 

"A key to what?" 

June played along. "I have no idea." 

"Don't play coy with me young woman. This is a key to a hotel room. You may think me forward, but I would like to share this room with you tonight." 

"But I'm a married woman." 

"So much the better." 

"But I haven't a thing to wear." 

"That's even better."