War and the part he didn't play

Mum gets up at six o'clock to get my brothers ready for school, leaving me to cuddle with dad while he waits for her to bring him coffee and I let him tell me all the stories of the adventures he's had.



They're not my real brothers only half brothers. Which half is my brother and which half isn't I don't know. I like to think it's Kop's feet and the rest of Pang. Pang is really funny and chases after me, pretending to be a frog. Kop is twelve and doesn't really like me much. They're little buggers too, though not very clever.



Dad tells me everything when we're in bed together and I'm his 'little India Princess' and not a little bugger. Well, he doesn't tell me everything exactly, he never talks about love affairs which is a shame as that's what I'm really interested in.



He tells me about when he was a little boy and about the war. I don't say anything to spoil it for him but I know he's not that old. Yes, he's really old but not that old. Grandad was in the war when he was a little boy. I think he's telling me what his dad told him and gets confused. Mum was in the war too and she's not old. I think it was a different war.



I've Googled war and know a lot but I don't like it. War is stupid and people shouldn't have war.



Did you know that in the war, babies didn't have what they like to eat? Everything was powdered and mixed up into a gooey mess and that's all they got with their milk. They didn't have ice cream and nuts and pork sandwiches and potato chips and Coca Cola.



You did know? Well nothings changed in this house.



Dad says he'll kill anyone he caught giving me Coca Cola. He meant any fizzy drink but he actually said "Coca Cola". Actually he said "bloody Coca Cola". His friend Gary was at our house, he has a baby too. His name is Manchester and he's 4 months older than me. "Stupid bloody name if you ask me." dad says, "Ugly little bugger as well." I have to agree with that. Anyway, he was at our house and was drinking cola in his bottle.



"Any bugger gives my India bloody Coca Cola and I'll kill them."



"What the fuck do you mean by that?" said Gary.



"What I mean is, what kind of dumb idiot gives bloody Coca Cola to a baby?" He didn't shout or anything. I don't suppose dad really cared if Gary gave Manchester a gin and tonic but Gary gets on dad's nerves and always makes him angry.



"Well the kid likes it, I'll give my kid whatever I wants." Gary replied.



"I suppose you'll have him tattooed and have his nose pierced next, so's he'll be just like his stupid father."



"Yeh, if I wants." It was getting good, I like it when dad has an argument with Gary but this time it didn't go any further. dad just walked away and pretended to work on his 'puter. Gary shuffled around getting red and custardy and shouted at his wife, Samanee to "get the bloody stuff together, we're bloody leaving."



I can't wait to try Coca Cola. It sounds lovely. It must be lovely if dad won't let me have it. He won't let me have lots of things. He's really horrible at times.