Helen Speaks

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

Lucy and Suniya’s vegetable garden gone wrong: https://helenspeaks.com/2025/05/10/lucy-skylark-entry-13-10th-may/

Dear Vera,

It was so good to see you last week. I’m sorry I was so quiet – Teddy says he really enjoyed meeting you though. He was also a bit quiet and thoughtful. We’d originally planned that I’d introduce him to Mum and Dad after I’d settled back in, but both of us ended up changing our minds.

Mum and Dad seemed so pleased to have me back… At first. And I thought they’d be interested to hear my adventures, hear about Suki, Maksym, Bea and Olive, but whenever I started telling them, they just glazed over or changed the subject.

Over dinner on Sunday, I mentioned that I’d like to see a couple of old school friends and Dad made a comment that he doubted they’d be free as they were all working hard on exams. And then Mum said, “Pass the salt” and “You missed the apple blossom this year – it was beautiful.”

Later on Mum told me I was going to help wash up – just as I was about to offer. I started to dry and tentatively mentioned that I know I’m on an unusual path, but it’s important to me, and she smiled brightly. “Yes, and it’s only a year, Vera says,” she said. “You can always pick up the exams after that. The college is very good – I don’t want you to limit your choices.”

Teddy came downstairs for a bit. My parents shivered slightly as he passed, but noticed nothing. He looked at me – and I shook my head.

I wanted to tell them about the storm, and the time I helped the family from their car – or perhaps just how I’d helped Maksym. But they don’t seem to want me to be doing anything that’s brave or challenging. It just seems very important to them that I’m safe and secure, even if that means never really spreading my wings or exploring my talent. Goodness Vera, this sounds so glum and it wasn’t an entirely miserable visit. We had some more enjoyable moments, playing card games and down at the nature reserve. I’ve missed Dad’s cooking and Mum’s flower-arranging. But the happiest moments seemed to be when we all forgot that I’m a witch in training and I was just their daughter again. And it was nice that I could bring Teddy, because the two of us were able to talk and mostly they didn’t notice or assumed I was calling a friend.

I did go see Zainab and Pippa from school as well – they were glad to have a break from revision and they liked Teddy an awful lot. I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to see him, but maybe because they’re younger they didn’t have too much trouble.

It was lovely to see that Mr Akhtar is doing so well. It’s good of you to look in and he said he’s doing some English classes, which seem to be good for building friendships as well as getting by on his own. His garden looks beautiful – I think he’s gained a passion for gardening himself.

I realised while I was away how much I miss Suniya. I miss having a friend who accepts me as a witch. It was good seeing Zainab and Pippa but we still had these strange moments where they seemed so much younger than me, and they expected me to want to gossip about school or talk about television and I didn’t want to be sniffy but I felt like I had to pretend to be a bit more interested than I was. Oh Vera, being in Grainthorpe felt like that devastating moment you realise you’ve grown out of a prized jacket or maybe your comfiest trainers. Will I ever fit again?

It felt like a relief to get back into Barkmouth on Thursday evening. Mrs Webfoot made a fuss of me and cooked a delicious pie for dinner with buttered new potatoes and green beans. Teddy seemed much freer with our own space and Suki had missed us – both of us. She pretends she’s just flitting in and out now, but it seemed that she’d had a good long chat to Mrs Webfoot in the garden, who had told her that as long as I ensure there are no unsightly messes, she can stay as long as she likes. Perhaps we can visit Jacob and Hazel some time. Or perhaps she’ll find a new mate. But it’s nice to know she’ll be staying a bit longer.

Then yesterday I heard the doorbell ring and the dog bark – one of the other lodgers has a Labrador. Mrs Webfoot is really very tolerant of animal companions! And Mrs Webfoot called up to me – and it was Suniya at the door.

We sort of stared at each other awkwardly, and then I started – I did need to tell her in person. “I’m so sorry about shouting at you, and everything that went wrong. I was trying to impress you with my magic and it all got a bit out of control.”

She shrugged. “It’s ok. It was pretty impressive. I felt really silly for being scared.”

“No, you don’t need to!” I said. “Magic can be scary. Do you want to come in?”

Mrs Webfoot smiled to see us talking and even let us take tea and cakes up to my room. I felt a bit shy – it was tidier than it has been and no mice anymore, but it still felt like it was showing a lot of myself. Like my room in Dune House is more me than even my old room in Grainthorpe. But when she settled in on a chair and looked around, it started feeling all right… No, it felt good to feel seen. Is that strange? But it was like she got to see who I am, who I choose to be, rather than who I feel I should be, for everyone else.

After a few minutes, she looked pointedly at Teddy’s case. “I’ve been meaning to ask…”

“He’s my friend. The ghost that haunts the case.”

“I thought… a couple of times it was like my brain wouldn’t let me see or hear. And I thought that was a bit weird for a friend of a witch, so I was trying to make myself see… Is he… is he scary?”

I giggled at that. “No, not at all! Do you want to come out, Teddy?”

And Teddy seemed really shy too. That made me smile. He was awkwardly trying to remove his cap and saying it was nice to meet Suniya properly at last.

I remembered talking to Zainab and Pippa – then suddenly thought that maybe Suniya should be revising. “No, I did the last exam this morning,” she smiled. “I came as soon as I could – my mum and aunty wouldn’t let me come out any sooner.”

I don’t know if I’ll go back, do exams and get a “proper job”, Vera. I know you said some witches do. Jacob even became a professor… But right now, it feels more important to be on the path I’m on.

“Anyway,” she said, “I wondered if you wanted to come out to this ice cream place that opened this week? Everyone says it’s amazing… Like they’re doing something magical to the ice creams.”

I thought about the Fae cinema. “I’ll come, but maybe we should be careful about having any ice creams until we know more. Make sure you don’t take any free samples.”

She looked shocked by that, then smiled. “I’m glad we’re friends again Lucy.”

It was a pretty little shop, old fashioned and pastel, with a steady stream of customers lining up as well as several sitting inside with delicious looking sundaes. I didn’t feel anything in particular, apart from impressed at how beautiful and clean everything was. Teddy hadn’t come – he’d smiled and said, “Oh you two go and have your girly tea party,” clearly pretending that he wasn’t interested. But I know he was just giving us time to catch up.

A large family were just leaving as Suniya and I got there so we managed to swoop in and get their table. I looked down the menu. It did seem old fashioned – I would think the menu was handwritten, but for how very neat the writing was. The ice creams all sounded delicious… Honeycomb and chocolate, lemon and raspberry sorbets, mint with toffee sauce. And yet I didn’t feel sure. I didn’t want to leap right in when there could be some kind of spell at work.

When a server came over to ask about our order, I waved them off asking for more time. But how could I know? I looked around, hoping for something that might give me an idea.

The shop itself was very shady, with a big awning protecting the customers outside from the sun.

From time to time, a chef, in a bright white uniform and a large chef’s hat, would come out with another indulgent dessert, piled high with sprinkles and sauce and wafers.

The servers looked normal, but this chef… She looked strangely glamorous, even in her plain coat and trousers, her face perfect like she was wearing make up and yet she didn’t look like she was wearing make up.

But why use a glamour if you’re working in the back?

People were clearly eating, paying and going… It didn’t look like any sort of Fae entrapment… But I needed to know more.

I leaned forward. “There’s something strange about the chef,” I told Suniya. “I’m going to go and check. Could you keep watch?”

She nodded conspiratorially, eyeing sadly the free bowl of creamy vanilla they’d given us as an appetiser.

More loudly I said, “I’m just going to find the loo” and then I set off.

It was busy enough that I managed to sneak into the kitchen without anyone noticing. The chef was near the back, putting some artful finishing touches to a glittery caramel sundae. I watched her. She seemed happy and like she was enjoying her job… Taking satisfaction from it. Or from what she was actually doing?

I watched her a little longer, hidden behind a unit.

The kitchen was less traditional than the shop – a generic stainless steel set of worktops, a large glass steriliser.

And as I looked at her, I saw that the chef’s white coat was gleaming back at her from the stainless steel cupboard in front of her… But her face seemed absent.

It had to be a glamour. Surely the chef was Fae. And maybe not all Fae were as playful as the cinema lot. Maybe some of them still liked to kidnap and hurt mortals.

I took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

“Stand in the light, fiend. I am a witch of Barkmouth and I protect this town.”

Which sounded very impressive when I thought of it, but the chef, initially alarmed, span round, saw me and started to laugh. “Oh calm down, sweetheart, it’s only ice cream. Unless you’re from some whole foods extremism group, or maybe an diabetes support group? In which case we have many low sugar options…”

At this point, Suniya clattered rather ungracefully through the door. “Back off, monster,” she said, which only made the chef laugh harder.

“I told you to keep watch,” I said.

“You’d been gone ages.”

“I’d been gone two minutes.”

The chef raised an eyebrow. “I don’t believe I invited you in, girls. If you want to order some ice cream, go ahead, but otherwise step outside. I don’t want you letting the sunlight in.”

Letting the sunlight in?! I had some theories at this point, but both of us were a bit worked up for ice cream. There was something unusual about the chef, but she didn’t seem to want to rise to a challenge, show her true colours by transforming into a giant scorpion or trapping us in a spell and honestly, I wondered if I’d gotten a bit overexcited. I remembered Bea’s comments about the scary myths about Shimmers and I felt a bit ashamed.

“I feel like a fool,” I told Suniya, as we walked along the pebbles, each eating an ice lolly from a corner shop instead.

She grinned. “Nah, it’s ok. This was the most excitement I’ve had in weeks. Would you like to come over? I’ve been trying to grow things in my mum’s garden.”

“Oh yes – my mentor sent me something that could help keep the magic under control. I’ll bring some along.”

We spent the afternoon giggling as I mostly made magic candy pop but we did manage to revive a few sad plants languishing on Suniya’s mother’s windowsill.

It’s been a confusing day and I hope I can go back to the ice cream parlour. And maybe it’s honestly none of my business what’s going on with the chef.

Well, take care Vera and thank you as always for being my mentor.

Your friend,

Lucy.

Question: Are you still friends with people you went to school with? How has your relationship changed?

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Next entry (Olive’s next letter): https://helenspeaks.com/2025/06/09/olive-framley-entry-15-9th-june/

Lucy’s next letter: https://helenspeaks.com/2025/06/18/lucy-skylark-entry-19-18th-june/