Page 98 of Sisters Under The Rising Sun

‘Well,’ says Betty, ‘we cooked the roots from this same vine a couple of days ago – didn’t taste too bad and no repercussions, so we think it’s safe.’

‘Are there any more you can see? We’re desperate to get something for June,’ Norah says.

From the bucket she is carrying, Vivian pulls out several long, thick, dirty roots and hands them over. ‘Take these and get them back to June. We’ll find more, don’t worry.’

Back at the hut with the water, Norah and Audrey twist and snap the roots into pieces, dropping them into boiling water together with a few grains of salt. It takes a while, but eventually they boil down. Both women lift a teaspoon of the concoction to their lips and pronounce it ‘not bad’.

Norah slowly feeds June the soup.

‘This is the best roots soup I’ve ever tasted,’ June says, licking her lips. ‘Thank you, Aunty Norah and Aunty Audrey. I’ve saved a little for you.’

‘We want you to eat it all, dear girl,’ Audrey says.

‘Oh, no, I couldn’t. I’m full. Please,’ she says, handing over her bowl.

‘Inside! Inside!’ yell the soldiers, streaming through the camp, hitting out at any woman or child in their path as they attempt to shepherd everyone towards shelter.

‘Are they planes?’ Norah screams, looking into the sky. ‘Allied planes?’

‘I see them!’ Ena shouts back. ‘Look, above the trees.’

Norah picks out the outlines of planes above the towering jungle trees. But it’s the explosion that follows that causes a panic in the camp.

‘Where’s June?’ Norah yells. She and Ena had been inside when the skies began to rumble and they’d run out of the house to join everyone else.

‘I don’t know!’ Ena says frantically. ‘She went to play at one of the Dutch huts, but I don’t know which one.’

Outside, the aircraft continue to thunder through the skies. It is a chaotic scene; the women are waving wildly, hooting and cheering to attract their attention, while their captors run in all directions, yelling to get inside.

Norah and Ena run towards the Dutch huts on the other side of the street.

As they exit the first hut, two soldiers run at them waving their rifles, ordering them back inside.

‘We’ll find her when this is over,’ Norah shouts, dodging a bayonet.

It is then that the most unusual sound erupts into the camp. An air-raid siren.

The women and children wait indoors until the siren stops. Slowly, people begin to venture outside, looking for their missing children, their friends.

Norah and Ena find an excited June, who proudly tells them she saw the plane and describes over and over the sound of the explosion they all heard.

In their house, Margaret and Mrs Hinch make a headcount and are reminded that the three missing are in hospital.

When the siren stops, all the nurses run back to the hospital to check on their patients. They gather for a quick chat.

‘Is this it? D’you think we’re going to be rescued?’ an excited Betty asks.

‘I don’t know what it means, we can only hope,’ Nesta tells them.

‘Maybe we should make a sign for the pilot?’ Vivian suggests.

Dr McDowell interjects. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, the tree canopy is too dense, and I can guarantee if a guard sees it, there’ll be trouble.’

While they are talking, Mrs Hinch comes into the hospital.

‘I’ve just spoken to the captain,’ she tells them.

‘And?’ Nesta says.