Helen Speaks

Lucy Skylark Entry 10, 12^th May.

Dear Vera,

Thank you so much for the yarn and threads and the advice to help my young miracle friend, Maksym. I hope this parcel arrives all right – please do be careful with the encyclopaedia!

I have been helping Mrs Webfoot in the garden lately and I feel that I’ve been “hearing” the plants and trees more and more. She is happy for me to help her with anything except her herb garden, which she is very protective over. And it feels good to help – she charges so little rent, saying that it’s important to help a young person starting out. Mrs Webfoot has very odd assorted mix of gardening products and tools. I have surreptitiously removed all the weed killer and managed to persuade the dandelions and clover that she seems to have a grudge against to bloom elsewhere.

I talked to my friend Suniya, whose exams start really soon, about various minerals that plants need, and I realised some of the things that the garden was craving. I took the bus to a garden centre in Linford, which is just to the west of Barkmouth.

It seemed so huge and busy when I got there. I’ve been so isolated in Barkmouth and I forget what it’s like to be in a crowd! I felt overwhelmed and wished I’d brought Teddy with me, but he stayed home with Suki – they really are good friends now.

There was a greenhouse with a number of huge plants in pots and I sat in the green for a bit, when Suniya herself came around the corner.

“Oh, Lucy! It’s funny that you’re here, I was just thinking about you.”

I felt a bit shy to admit I’d been thinking about her too!

“We’ve got a gardening club at school – I told the teacher and she said that you could join as a guest if you wanted. I told her how amazing you are with plants… I mean, I didn’t say you could talk to them…”

“It’s not quite like that…” But it sort of is, really.

“Anyway, you should definitely come. Twice a week – you could come tomorrow if you’re free.”

I felt really nervous about the idea, Vera. I don’t seem to really relate to people my own age. I always seem to find a space with the strange types! Even my fellow witch Olive Framley doesn’t seem to like me. But I like Suniya a lot and maybe it would be fun. And I’d learn more skills to help Mrs Webfoot.

I told Teddy about it and he was intrigued. He has been delighting in his little window garden – he is so happy that even as a ghost, he can help keep something alive. His little garden is flourishing with him keeping a close eye and even “misting” it every now and again.

But I felt so nervous the next day that I told him I wasn’t going to the club after all.

“Aw, but I was hoping you’d take me.”

“You really want to come?”

“Oh yeah. I know they wouldn’t see me – and I’d be quiet as a mouse – but I wanna see the gardens.”

He let me put some supplies in his suitcase and off we both went. I felt very awkward at first. Everyone was talking about things that had happened at school or sharing inside jokes that I didn’t understand. It was nice having Teddy there – he was excited by the flowers and interested in all the modern tools they had. And no one noticed him – I think most people lose the ability to see ghosts around about the age of 12.

Then Suniya introduced me to everyone and they all seemed happy to have me. They grow a lot of vegetables, unlike Mrs Webfoot, who likes a picture-perfect ornamental garden. And this meant that I learned some good tips on growing things like strawberries and carrots.

Dune House has a lot of land around it, and there are a few scrappy corners that Mrs Webfoot has been meaning to trim back, so when I got home, I asked her if I could have a vegetable garden. It would be good to plant things and not just get to know the plants that grow!

I’m so glad I met Suniya. She insisted I come again and she said she’d help me with my own vegetable garden. It feels like a good project for a witch!

I do wonder if I could introduce her to Teddy. It seems rude to bring a friend she can’t see… but I don’t know how that would work.

I went to see Maksym and his father Artem again yesterday and I took along some bracelets I found at the market. I had spent some time practising with a dictionary from the library and we managed to talk a bit more. Artem didn’t seem to understand about magic, or at least he was just very keen that I could stop Maksym’s stormy outbursts from happening. I tried to explain that he has a gift but ended up just reassuring him they’d both be safer.

But I sat with Maksym quietly for a bit as Artem made us some tea and told him that I was giving him some bracelets that would not block his magical power, just soften it until he’s more able to control it. He’s young and I would hate for him to ever feel ashamed of his power. He’s only ten now, and I remember how difficult high school can be for a young witch. You taught me not to be scared of my gift – I want the same for him.

Maksym seemed really happy when I explained that his magic will be a source of good, and I think I sensed him using his magic to help me enchant the bracelets. I hope he’s able to use his powers well as he grows older, and be the witch that he was born to be.

I asked about the storm that had occurred on the other side of Dune House, the one that had nearly washed the car away and it was Maksym who’d caused it – they’d gone for a walk when a large dog had frightened him and all the power started coming out of him. They don’t talk about it, but they saw horrible things before they travelled here. Maksym is a brave boy and he’s trying so hard to control himself which might be why his feelings burst out of him with so much force. I think if he could let himself be less brave, he wouldn’t find it so hard.

But the oak tree did seem to have remembered a previous storm that was nothing to do with Maksym and I don’t know what that was. I’ll go for a walk in the woods, and I’ll listen. I don’t want to be too demanding, but sometimes maybe even trees appreciate a listening ear.

I checked in the next day and it turned out that Maksym had had another outburst – there had been a noisy row between neighbours in the block – but he had made a roll of thunder, then sat down and fell asleep. I’ll keep checking, but I think we really helped, Vera.

Thank you for everything.

Your friend,

Lucy.

PS. Oh, a funny thing happened, but I don’t know what it means – maybe you would know. When I asked Mrs Webfoot if she would let me have a vegetable garden, she thought about it and then said I could. “You wouldn’t mind?” “Oh no dear, I’m sure I’ll find it delightful,” she said and then her eyes flashed purple. What could this mean?