Helen Speaks

Lucy Skylark Entry 22, 11th August.

Dear Vera,

Guess what, Suniya and I actually went and got ice cream. I can’t believe it took us so long and we had to find out Kim and Tanya’s life stories first. We got so much ice cream that we felt a bit sick afterwards. It was worth it! We wanted to try so many different things so Tanya ordered us a tasting platter and Kim kept popping out to ask if we wanted to try some experimental flavour she was working on, like Matcha tea or raspberry and sage or pumpkin spice, and we wanted to be helpful and to have more ice cream, so we tried those too, and afterwards Tanya made us both a cup of tea and and ushered us to the sofa in the corner where we both just laid there while we recovered.

When there was a quiet moment, Kim came and joined us. She looked a little pale – even for a vampire – but she smiled at Suniya and me struggling through a food coma.

“Any particular favourites?”

I told her I liked the honeycomb. It was so crisp – I’d never thought that it was something you could make, with sugar and baking soda. Suniya said she liked a lime and mint flavour – the mint was from fresh leaves.

“Ah, we might not get much more of that – there are only so many ingredients we can buy.”

“You don’t need to buy mint,” Suniya said. “It grows like a weed.”

“We don’t have a lot of growing space…”

“Lucy can help with that,” Suniya said. “She’s been making magical growing pellets!” She looked at me slyly. “And if you only had one plant at a time, you might not…”

I blushed, and told Kim about the vegetable garden gone wrong. Suniya seemed so excited about the prospect of a little herb garden. Of course we got started right away.

We went and got pots and seeds and Tanya found us a spot in the little yard they had out the back. Kim had the blinds down – of course – but the radio was on and the sound drifted out to us.

Suniya started singing along. She has a beautiful voice, Vera. I hadn’t realised. After we’d worked for a bit, she suddenly said, “You’re being quiet, Lucy,” and I blushed again.

“Just enjoying the music,” I told her.

“Oh – sorry – you didn’t need to hear me singing over the top, then,” she said.

“No – I mean, I enjoyed you singing.”

“Oh,” she said, laughing. “I used to have such dreams, you know. But I need to focus on my studies.”

“Why can’t you study and sing?” I said. “I like to draw – I don’t use it for magic. And I don’t do magic to do it… But I’m sure it makes me a better witch.”

She smiled. “Perhaps. I gave up my lessons – I had so much revision. I do want to go to university. I want to learn about science even if one of us can break the laws of nature.” She nudged me.

That seemed a little sad to me, Vera. But I remember when Mum and Dad sat me down and spoke to me about doing my Magical Year – they weren’t keen. I think they hoped that magic could be my hobby. I knew I had to choose being a witch no matter what they said.

Suniya really does love science, and I tried to reassure her that she was right to – like my friend Jacob who is a witch but also a professor of natural history. Knowledge helps us understand what our magic can do. It seems that scientists are finding out about the natural magic in the world – all the things here long before witches and that will be here long after the last spell has been cast. But hasn’t music been a part of us for as long as science and as long as magic?

We got the seedlings started with some of the magic pellets I made. Suniya came back to Dune House with me and we sat in my room with Suki and Teddy – I even showed her my drawings. But she was the quiet one for a while. I hope I haven’t offended her, Vera.

Your friend,

Lucy.