The Girl Who Dreamt of Dolphins (2 page)

‘
Oh you know, I just thought why not?’ said her aunt vaguely as
they left the classroom, having asked Mr Baines to tell Ben the
after-school club supervisor that she wasn’t coming
today.

‘
Well you don’t just drop by when you live in Cornwall’ Lucy
pointed out, ‘that’s over two hundred miles away!’

‘
Well I guess you haven’t seen the way I drive when I’ve a mind
to’ joked Bethany. ‘It’s just round the corner really.’

‘
It’s so nice to see you’ said Lucy warmly, giving Bethany a
big hug, ‘I’ve missed you.’

‘
I’ve missed you too Kiddo’ said Bethany hugging her back,
‘it’s been too long.’ She tousled Lucy’s hair as they walked
along.

Lucy’s aunt Bethany was a good head or so taller than Lucy and
had an unruly mass of curly blond hair. She wore no make up, but
she didn’t need to, Lucy always thought as she was pretty in an
overgrown tom-boy kind of a way. Bethany always wore colourful, but
practical clothes in a casual style that Lucy liked. Lucy liked
most things about Aunt Bethany and thought that she was pretty
cool. She was one of a kind, though Dad said Bethany was a bit of a
hippy.

Bethany was her Mum’s sister, younger than her by some six
years. She’d lived down by the coast in Cornwall since before Lucy
was born and Lucy was dying to go down there on holiday again,
though Dad, as ever, seemed dead-set against it. ‘Dad’s such a
kill-joy’ thought Lucy as she walked happily home with her aunt.
Bethany was an artist and painted pictures of the sea; of stormy
waves crashing on rocks, or seals basking on sandbanks in the wet
afternoon sunshine. Bethany had said many a time that she couldn’t
live anywhere but near the sea and that it was the drama of life on
the coast’s edge that gave her inspiration for her work. If she
didn’t see the sea everyday she said, she’d die. Down in Cornwall,
it was all rocks and cliffs, caves and small sandy beaches. Bethany
liked it best in the winter and spring when there were fewer
tourists about and nature felt more immediate and raw. Life wasn’t
always easy for Bethany as an artist and sometimes she’d have to
take a second job to keep things together, but she always said she
wouldn’t swap her life there for the world.

Bethany told Lucy that she’d called ahead and spoken to Dad on
his mobile and so everything was okay and they had the rest of the
afternoon to themselves. Bethany would be staying over, just for
the night and Dad had called and cancelled Maureen, the dreaded
baby-sitter. Lucy wondered why Dad had been so cooperative, but
didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to put a dampener on any
fun.

‘
So what do you fancy doing then Kiddo?’ asked Bethany as they
strolled along with Bethany’s arm draped casually across Lucy’s
shoulders.

‘
It’s just not the same’ Lucy told Bethany later over the
remains of her pizza, ‘Dad’s always so miserable now and he never
seems to be around anymore’ she continued.

‘
Well it’s hard for your Dad you know, after everything that’s
happened. And of course he’s got to work Lucy’ Bethany replied with
a sympathetic look on her face.

‘
But even at the weekends he’s really distant’ protested Lucy.
‘We used to do lots of fun stuff together before, well before
you-know. He could do that now with me if he wanted, but he’s
always got some excuse. I wanted him to take me to the seaside over
the summer, but now he’s got this thing about the sea. I asked him
to take me to Sea-World, but he’s got something against that too.
It’s hard enough getting him to come out and kick a ball around
with me’ she went on. ‘And when he does, it’s like he’s not really
quite there. It’s more like his mind is on other things and then he
doesn’t even notice the ball when I kick it to him.’

Bethany pressed Lucy’s hand sympathetically. ‘I know it’s been
hard on you, but it’s been hard on your Dad too over the last year.
You know he just wants to look after you, but maybe he has
difficulty showing you how much he cares sometimes.’ Lucy took
another sip of lemonade.

‘
Look at that face of yours’ Bethany laughed. ‘That’s not the
expression I was hoping to see on a fun night out.’ ‘Look, let me
talk to your Dad. Maybe I can persuade him to let you come down and
stay with me in Cornwall in the half term. I’ll get you on a
surfboard again. You were pretty good a couple of years ago if I
recall. I bet you’ll really be a surf dude next time.’ Lucy
smiled.

‘
Yeah, next time I won’t fall off quite as quickly’ she joked,
remembering how she’d spent more time under the surfboard and in
the sea than on top of it. But she had been getting the hang of it
and she was sure she’d master it next time she’d give it a
go.

‘
Yes, I’ve got a photo of you in a wet-suit and covered in
seaweed’ laughed Bethany. ‘And do you remember the time you buried
your Mum in so much sand she couldn’t get up? I had to dig her out
in the end.’

‘
That’s right’ Lucy went on, ‘and Mum said she’d buy me a
surfboard next time, if I promised not to bury her again ……..’ She
broke off mid-sentence.

‘
Don’t worry Kiddo, you and your Dad will get through. It’ll be
ok, you’ll see.’ Lucy smiled bravely.

‘
I guess he’s not too bad, sometimes. I just wish things were
like they were before.’ She sniffed and a tear pricked the corner
of her eye.

‘
I know Kiddo’ Bethany said ‘but we can’t turn the clock back,
no matter how much we wish we could. We’ve got to go forward and
you know what? Things always get better.’ She squeezed Lucy’s hand
again.

One of the good things about Bethany was that she wasn’t
worried if Lucy stayed up a bit later than normal on a school
night. But even she was startled when she suddenly realised the
time.

‘
Hey we’d better get you back or your Dad’ll have my guts for
garters.’ They paid and left the pizza restaurant, strolling back
home in the dark, giggling and telling each other silly jokes as
they went. It was late when they got home. Lucy was soon washed and
in her pyjamas, and Bethany perched on the corner of her bed to
kiss her goodnight.

‘
Tell me about when Mum was a little girl’ Lucy asked with a
smile.

‘
Oh that sister of mine was a real tear-away, so full of life.
In our summer holidays when we went to the seaside, she would
scamper over the rocks like a little mountain goat and she was more
at home in the water than on land. Once she brought an injured crab
home and put it in the bath while she made a splint for its damaged
claw. I can tell you that Gran was not pleased when she found it.
That crab wasn’t where your Mum had left it and it almost bit Gran
in a very painful place!’ Lucy giggled. ‘Gran was furious and
grounded your Mum for a week. But she shinnied out of the window
and down a drainpipe and came back two hours later drenched in
rain.’

‘
Dad would kill me if I did that’ said Lucy suppressing a
smile.

‘
And you’d better not try’ added Bethany only half seriously.
‘Goodness knows what he’d say if he realised I’d been putting ideas
into that head of yours.’

Bethany planted a kiss firmly on Lucy’s forehead. ‘Goodnight
Kiddo. Sweet dreams.’

Lucy was so full of the day that she had trouble drifting off.
Twenty minutes or so later she heard the door click shut as Dad
came in and the murmur of conversation between him and Bethany
downstairs. She heard him pad up the stairs and he shyly peeked
around the door in case he woke her.

‘
Hi Dad’ she said.

‘
Hey Luce’ he replied. ‘I thought you were asleep. Did you have
fun with Bethany?’

‘
It was great Dad. I didn’t know she was coming
over.’

‘
Neither did I’ he said, pulling a bit of a face. ‘You get to
sleep now. I’ll see you in the morning.’

‘
Night night Dad’ she said. But even though she was tired, she
couldn’t help but wonder what he and Bethany were saying
downstairs. Eventually her curiosity got the better of her. She
tiptoed to her door, eased it open slowly so that it wouldn’t creak
and crept to the top of the stairs so she could hear what was going
on down below.

Lucy heard the sound of chairs scraping, the tap running in
the kitchen and the clatter of plates. Dad coughed and she heard
the murmur of voices, both Bethany’s and his, though she could not
hear exactly what they were saying. Then the voices moved into the
living room directly below.

‘
So Bethany’ she heard Dad saying, ‘I know you said you were
just passing by and wanted to drop in, but I just don’t buy it. It
looks to me as though we were the object of a special
visit.’

Lucy could imagine Bethany putting on a thin, brave smile
before replying.

‘
You know John, I shouldn’t need an excuse to come and see you
both…It’s just that you don’t always exactly make me feel welcome
when I do.’

‘
I don’t think that’s fair’ her Dad responded
guardedly.

‘
Well, I don’t get the impression that you want me here this
evening.’

‘
I can’t pretend I wasn’t surprised when you called this
afternoon and told me that you wanted to pick Lucy up from school’
said her Dad. ‘And sometimes I wonder just what you’re filling
Lucy’s head with.’

‘
You know I love Lucy.’ Lucy felt a surge of emotion to hear
Bethany say so. ‘Why wouldn’t I want to spend time with my niece?
She’s the only one I’ve got.’

‘
It’s not that which I’m worried about’ said her Dad. ‘It’s
what you tell her, what you say to her that worries me.’

‘
Ok, so I know what you think about me, that I’m some sort of
hippy and I know what you think about my opinions, but I have said
nothing to Lucy, nothing at all. I have done exactly what you have
asked me to do. I’ve been the model of discretion. I may talk to
Lucy about Cornwall, I may tell her about how I love painting the
sea, but that’s as far as it goes John. I don’t say one word
more.’

‘
Well I’m glad to hear it Bethany, I really am, but I can’t say
it puts my mind at rest.’ Lucy could hear the strain in her Dad’s
voice. She imagined him frowning as he spoke, pacing the room.
‘What worries me is that Lucy is bound to get drawn towards you and
to get pulled into your world. Now you tell me she wants to come
and stay with you in the half term. What am I supposed to say to
that?’

‘
You could say yes John. I’d love Lucy to come down and stay
and I think it’d be good for her. She needs a break. Lucy’s not had
much fun over the last year or so.’ There was a pause.

‘
Oh, I’m sorry John, that was stupid of me to say. It’s been
pretty hellish for the both of you. Maybe you could come down too.
Why not?’

‘
No, I can’t’ her Dad replied quickly. ‘I just can’t get away.
There’s just too much going on at work.’

‘
So what do you say? Can Lucy come down in half term? You put
her on the train. I’ll collect her at the other end.’ Again Dad
paused.

‘
No, no I don’t think so’ Dad answered eventually. ‘Especially
not down there in Cornwall.’ Dad hesitated a moment. ‘I just can’t
take that risk.’

Lucy winced at the news, as she sat in the darkness at the top
of the stairs. But what on earth was Dad talking about?

‘
Look’ her Aunt said with an edge in her voice. ‘I’ve got to
say this, now that Lucy’s in bed and that it’s just you and me
talking. You know what I’m going to say. Lucy’s not just another
kid ….and I’m not just saying that because I’m her aunt. She’s got
the gift. She’s a …’

‘
I don’t want to hear that!’ broke in her father sharply.
Lucy’s heart pounded in her chest as she sat huddled at the top of
the stairs in the darkness. ‘I don’t want to hear that
nonsense.’

‘
It’s not nonsense John’ pleaded Bethany. It’s….’

‘
Not in my house Bethany, not under my roof. She’s my daughter
and I’m going to bring her up to be a normal happy child. She
doesn’t need to know about all…. all that.’ Lucy felt a sudden note
of suppressed anger in his voice.

‘
Oh John’ exclaimed Bethany. ‘We both want her to be happy, but
you can’t hide things away from her forever’ she implored
him.

‘
It’s like sending your child out to play in the middle of the
road’ retorted her Dad forcefully. ‘That’s just something no sane
parent would do.’

Lucy was huddled in a tense ball at the top of the stairs. She
lent forwards as she tried to absorb all that was being said. As
she did so, the stair on which her feet were resting creaked. The
conversation paused and she could imagine both Dad and Bethany
looking up, wondering if Lucy was up there, wondering what she had
heard.

‘
Look, its late’ her Dad continued. ‘This conversation is
getting us nowhere. I’m tired and I’m going to bed. You’ll be okay
on the sofa bed won’t you? You know where everything
is?’

‘
Sure thing’ said Bethany. ‘I’ve got it sorted. I’ll make up
the bed in a jiffy.’

‘
Well goodnight then’ said her Dad gruffly, making towards the
stairs. ‘We’ll speak in the morning.’

‘
Goodnight John’ said Bethany.

Lucy scrambled back to her bedroom as quickly and as silently
as she could and eased her door shut carefully so it wouldn’t
click. She lay back in her bed, her heart still thudding in her
chest, her mind a tangle of unanswered questions. Most of all she
felt sick in the pit of her stomach at the idea she wasn’t going to
get to go down to Cornwall and see Bethany there. She wondered just
exactly what they’d been talking about.