Kerry, Kitty, and the War

By Ruth Bradford and Mary Bradford

World War II changed lives in dreadful ways. Kerry OToole, only five years old, was in their London flat, when a German bomb exploded, killing her Mum.
Kerrys father sent her to Clifden, Ireland, to be raised by her grannies. A little calico kitten hitched a ride in Kerrys carpet bag. When terror crept into her dreams, Kitty cuddled with the little girl. When ten-year old Patrick splashed her with muddy water, anger at everything and everyone in her life burned. I hate you!
Read to find out how a big black fireplace, angels in her dreams, and a new relationship with the Lord Jesus, help Kerry grow into an amazing, giving artist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514473030

Ruth Bradford

Author, Ruth Bradford and her husband, Larry, are retired teachers. They have visited FHL over a period of 4 years, getting to know and love Lorraine, Celing, and the kids. This book is intended to share the blessing and bring glory to our Lord Jesus.

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Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Bradford. 730400

ISBN:   Softcover     978-1-5144-7304-7

             EBook          978-1-5144-7303-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction, with the exception of recognized historical figures and places. Names, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible (1611) King James Version.

Rev. date: 04/27/2016

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Kerry, Kitty, and the War

By Ruth Bradford

Illustrated by Mary Bradford

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

FORWARD

Chapter 1 THE WAR AND THE KITTEN

Chapter 2 KERRY’S NEW HOME

Chapter 3 KERRY’S FIRST IRISH MORNING

Chapter 4 THE GOOSE

Chapter 5 FIRE BURNING

Chapter 6 CLEANING THE CHIMNEY

Chapter 7 GREAT AUNT HILDY

Chapter 8 ANGELS and DREAMS

Chapter 9 CHALK

Chapter 10 PAINTS AND MUSIC TO SOOTHE THE SOUL

Chapter 11 FROGS IN THE BOG

Chapter 12 WAR NEWS

Chapter 13 CHICKEN DINNER

Chapter 14 THE RAINY DAY AND PUDDLES

Chapter 15 MISTAKES AND MEATLOAF

Chapter 16 WINSTON CHURCHILL

EPILOGUE

APPENDICES

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to Ron and Sharon (Bradford) Hassett. We first visited Ireland with them, giving us our first taste of the food, the land, and the amazing people. Now, they are living in Ireland as missionaries for the Assembly of God International. They are reaching people for Jesus, every bit as joyfully as Mary did while she was growing up with the grannies so many years ago. Thank you both for showing us the beauty and intrigue of Ireland, with its ancient history and the very air that permeates all of Ireland.

A special thanks to Larry, the husband of my youth. Without Larry, I never would have known Sharon, his sister, and Dick, his brother, who married Mary, on whose life this book is based.

Debby (Bradford) Emel, our daughter, has done an outstanding job as my editor. Without her, my writing would certainly lack quality.

I am eternally grateful to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. He has brought me along delightful paths in life. At times, the journey, like that of my beautiful sister-in-law, has led through difficult and sad times, but walking with God, has made those times rich for His glory,

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Mary Bradford, the artist, loved our Lord Jesus, and reached out to people all over the world.

FORWARD

Kerry, Kitty, and the War is based on Mary (Spencer) Bradford’s young life. I made it a point to sit by Mary at all our family get-togethers, because I learned early on, that she was an amazing story-teller.

When I told Mary I was writing this book, based on her stories, she said, in her delightful Irish brogue, Don’t be usin’ my name, for I know you will change everything all around. And of course, she was right. All the characters in this story are made up from my imagination, except for Mary’s stories, and those well-known historical figures, who lived during World War II.

However, the stories are Mary’s. Her mother’s death along with so many others in the terrible bombings all over western Europe was tragically true. Mary was, indeed, raised by her grannies in Clifden, Ireland. Her stories of the chickens, the goose, her great aunt, and how she learned to write and draw on the black slate fireplace are all true. Her father did spent little time with Mary, because he did, indeed, work in the same field as Albert Einstein, during this agonizing time in history.

All the artwork in this story (with the exception of the appendices) are copies of only a small portion of the body of amazing artistic works Mary completed in her life-time. One of her paintings hangs in the U.S. Senate building. Mary has done several paintings for a variety of charities, to help children around the world. Mary traveled for UNESCO after WWII with the team of people who gathered artwork that had been confiscated by the Nazis. She also worked with the Audubon Society, doing illustrations of birds, insects, and plants.

Mary was conversant in several languages: both Irish and Scottish Gaelic, German, Polish, Russian, Hungarian, Welsh, Hebrew, as well as English. To hear her tell a funny story, using the accent of the characters involved, was a wonder to behold. As I write, I can still hear her deep mischievous chuckle in my mind.

Not only was Mary a gifted linguist and artist, but she knitted, quilted, sewed, cross-stitched, arranged flowers, and decorated her home in classic blue and white. (I still wear the sweater and cap she knitted for me.)

Mary illustrated my first book, The Perfect Gift and the Perfect Sacrifice. Much to our sadness and great loss, Mary went to join her Mum in Heaven in 2007. She is greatly missed, so this book is all the more to be shared with all who wish to know her amazing story.

This story is yours, my dear sister-in-law, with all my heart,

Ruth Bradford

THE WAR AND THE KITTEN

Kerry Charice, there’s nothing to worry about. Her father didn’t smile. There was no kindness in his voice, just sadness. He was an engineer and mathematician. His job was important to the war effort. So he would stay in London.

He would stay, even though, now in the middle of September, of the year 1940, the German blitz had dropped thousands of bombs on London. Hitler had hoped to break the English spirit, by bullying the small empire into surrender, but Hitler had not figured on English grit and gumption to never give up!

Mrs. Henry and her daughter, Andra, will go with you across the English Channel, then you’ll go by train, and before you know it, you’ll be with the grannies.

He pulled the green wool scarf over his tiny five-year old daughter’s head, and tucked the ends into her brown wool coat. Then he buttoned the top button under her chin. Her pale blond hair stuck out in curly tufts almost like lamb’s wool.

Then he turned and walked away with long strides, not once looking back at his only child.

Come along, Miss Kerry. We mustn’t get separated, Mrs. Henry said in a stern voice. Andra, take her hand. I will just drag her trunk over here!

Tears ran down her cheeks, as she, Kerry Charice O’Toole, stood on the ferry dock. But she was not alone. She knew she was lucky to be with Andra and her mother.

Other children were crowded into groups depending on their destination. Some children were going far-away to America.

The largest group was preparing to board the ferry to cross the English Channel into Ireland. A few children had family in Ireland, but many were going to group homes, with the hopes of returning to their families after the bombings had stopped…if their families survived.

Kerry clung tightly to her friend’s hand, as the ferry rocked back and forth across the choppy waves. Kerry’s stomach felt like a big ball, rolling over and over with each wave. She leaned over the rail, and the small lunch she had shared with her father heaved right into the gray water.

Do you feel better now, dear? Mrs. Henry asked.

Kerry wiped her mouth on her sleeve and nodded her head.

Kerry and her mummy and father had lived in the same building as the Henry family, before the waking nightmare began. Now, Andra and her mother were moving to Dublin to live with her grandparents. Andra’s father, a teacher, and her older brother died, when one of Hitler’s bombs fell on the high school.

Kerry shivered. The very thought brought back the living nightmare of approaching bombs…the blinding flash…broken bricks, concrete and metal flying…the horrid smell of sulfur and death.

The ferry hit the dock with a bump, bringing Kerry’s thoughts back to the present. Mrs. Henry asked one of the ferry men to help her with Kerry’s heavy trunk, but the little girl picked up her own carpet bag.

I’ll write to you when I can, said Andra, after they docked.