“Good morning, Lil. Big day for you today, isn't it?”

Lillian Jackson smiled up from her bed at the young man in the white coat, who was holding a cup of tea.

For five years, she had lived at the Castle View Rest Home, ever since she had fallen and broken her elbow and shoulder. Crippled with arthritis, she was no longer able to look after herself, and so, after much soul-searching, she and her son agreed that it was for the best.

Lillian, or Lil, as she was known, actually enjoyed her time there. The staff treated her well, with great respect. She had made some new friends from some of the other residents, too.

The only thing that saddened her was that so many of them died.

You see, the rest home was like God's waiting room. Folk came there because they were too frail to live alone. Once they realised that they were never going home, they just seemed to give up and fade away.

So many times, Lil had seen bedroom doors that were normally open, closed. She knew then that it was another 'friend' who was leaving for a better place.

“You enjoy your tea and I'll get Janie to come and sort you out for breakfast, alright?” Lil noticed the twinkle in his eye as he continued. “Oh, and maybe there will be some post for you, eh?”

Thirty minutes later, Lil's dedicated carer, Janie, pushed Lil in her wheelchair into the breakfast room. As soon as they appeared, a great cheer went up.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIL! HIP, HIP, HOORAY. IT'S A CENTURY TODAY!”

She couldn't have been happier. If only Charlie could have been here to see this. Of course, he would have been one hundred as well!

Just then, from a hidden corner, the manageress of the home appeared, and she had a handful of envelopes. One in particular, however, was different to the others. It stood out quite distinctly, and it sent a shudder down her spine. It wasn't the first time she had received a special delivery. Instantly, her mind went back to that fateful day, eighty-one years ago. To the summer of Nineteen-Forty-Four.

The day passed quickly, and that evening the staff held a birthday dinner for her. The cook even baked a special centenary birthday cake for her. It took pride of place in the centre of the dining room, and, alongside it, the special card she had received from His Majesty King Charles the Third.

Back in her room, exhausted from the day's activities, Janie prepared her for bed.

Placing a cup of warm milk beside her, the young woman's curiosity overcame her.

“Lil, may I ask you something?”

“Of course you can, Sweetie,” Lil replied.

“What were you remembering this morning?”

For a moment, the old lady was quiet, lost in thought. But then...

“I was thinking of that wonderful summer when I met my Charlie. I was celebrating my nineteenth birthday down the pub, you see. When he walked in, I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was so handsome in his RAF uniform. Funny thing was, he noticed me too, and our eyes met. I'm sure my heart missed a beat. At least, that's how it felt. He was with some other blokes in Air Force uniforms, too. Oh, it was a lovely summer, that was. We was inseparable, at least when he wasn't flying.”

Janie was engrossed. “You said he was in the RAF. What did he do?

“No,” she said wistfully, “He was a radio operator. Flew in those transport planes with the two engines. The American ones. He called them 'Dakotas'.”

“Anyway, it was the summer of Forty-Four. He had been flying non-stop for weeks, and he had a few days rest. He asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes. Didn't have to think about it, I knew he was the one for me. We had only been together for a month, but it was enough.”

Lil fell silent again, just for a moment.

“It was a lovely wedding. Nothing fancy, there was a war on after all. Everyone put their coupons together for the cake and reception food, and, just for a few hours, the war was put to the back of our minds.”

As Lil gazed lovingly at the wedding picture, a faraway smile on her lips, Janie said,

“That's a wonderful story, Lil, but I don't understand about this morning. What troubled you?”

“It was the card from the King. You see, one week after our wedding, the postman brought a telegram. It said that Charlie was missing, believed killed. It turned out that he had been flying soldiers across to France, and his plane had been shot down on the way back. One of the others had seen it crash in dense woodland. There were no parachutes. That envelope reminded me of that day.”

Janie felt a lump forming in her throat, and she blinked away a tear. She didn't know what to say. A heavy silence descended on the room.

“Lil,” she said eventually, “That's... that's awful. I can't imagine how that would feel.”

Lil took a tissue from the box beside her bed and handed it to Janie.

“It was a long time ago, but I'll never forget it.”

“Did you marry again, then?” Janie asked. “I know you have a son.”

Lil laughed. A gentle chuckle

“I couldn't marry another man, Janie. I would never find another Charlie. Besides, who would want me at my age?”

Janie was confused. Maybe Lil got pregnant before Charlie was killed...?

Lil chuckled.

“Oh, Janie, sweetheart! Charlie wasn't killed! After the crash, the crew all got out alive. Although they were in enemy territory, they managed to hide from the Germans until they were found by an American patrol. Charlie had broken his leg. Because it took almost two weeks before they were found, it healed badly, and he was discharged from the RAF. He died ten years ago!”