Helen Speaks

Introduction: https://helenspeaks.wordpress.com/2025/04/06/lucy-skylarks-magical-year/

Vera’s letter: https://helenspeaks.com/2025/05/16/lucy-skylark-entry-15-16th-may/

Bea Furness: https://helenspeaks.com/2025/04/07/lucy-skylark-entry-5-2nd-april/

Dear Vera,

Thank you so much for the “magic candy”! I was still a bit confused after reading the description but I’m glad it reminded me about Shimmers because Bea came into the coffee shop during my shift yesterday and we got chatting.

She got a bit excited about the beads even though she’d not heard of them before. “We don’t all know each other,” she told me, when I mentioned Carlo Fitz. But she was really intrigued. It’s nice having a friend a bit older than me – just like I always appreciated having you and Mr Akhtar in Grainthorpe. I still haven’t seen Suniya – she has exams – and Olive’s been making herself scarce since her argument with Mrs Webfoot. And Mrs Webfoot has been a little warmer with me but, all the same, it’s nice having a wise friend who’s seen a bit of the world and who isn’t mad at me.

Bea looked over the instructions. She was really intrigued. “This is really a kind of data storage,” she said. “The fact that they’ve essentially got protection against malware… and limited memory.”

I blinked at her.

“I’ve often thought that it would be possible to use magic like we use code in computers. It says there’s a limit in potency to the spell – your mentor says they’re a training tool?”

“She wants me to use them with my growing magic.” I told her about the garden. She thought it was hilarious. This made me happy, actually, especially when she said that Mrs Webfoot was a hard-hearted old biddy if she couldn’t see the funny side. I won’t tell Mrs W that though!

“Well, this I want to see,” she said. It was quiet in the café by that point but the manager was starting to look pointedly at me to get on with mopping up. She handed me a business card. Should I get business cards?! “Call me later if you want moral support. Besides your ghost friend, although I’d love to meet him too.”

I like Bea. It was good to see her again. You’re right, Vera, I don’t think I need to fix everything that I thought I had to fix.

Thank you so much for the letter and gift.

Your friend,

Lucy.

PS. Oh, something strange happened when I got home – I’m sure it’s just a coincidence – Mrs Webfoot has hired some gardeners to get rid of all the wild growth in her garden and at first I was a bit upset to see how they ripping everything out and cutting it back… and then a cloud appeared and it started to rain.

Not like Maksym’s power, I don’t think? But I was only a few feet away and I barely got splashed, even though they had to stop work altogether.

I won’t mention this to Mrs Webfoot, just in case!

Question: Is it important to have friends of all ages?

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Next entry (Olive’s next letter): https://helenspeaks.com/2025/05/21/olive-framley-entry-10-21st-may/

Lucy’s next letter: https://helenspeaks.com/2025/05/25/lucy-skylark-entry-17-25th-may/