The Gift of Magic Pt. 02

Chapter 6: Peter's story

Peter Neilson was tending to his garden. Now the very long days had arrived he enjoyed putting in a couple of hours hard work during the early morning, when the air was still crisp and cool, before he was due at school for the morning staff meeting. The storm the previous day had battered some of his plants, and Peter was busy re-staking them, but he was pleased that there had been no permanent damage.

Peter's parents and extended family were part of a farming community that believed in a simple life. They had smallholdings where they farmed organically, growing vegetables for the local market and rearing a few goats for milk. Peter's parents were pleased when Peter had decided to become a teacher, and attended the teachers' college in the city. Peter had not liked the noise and pollution of the city, but he had enjoyed meeting different types of people. He had joined the Eco Party where he had met Emil.

At the time there had been talk of war with the fascists, and Peter and his friend Emil had many lively debates about when it is acceptable to go to war. Peter's views reflected those of his family and community and he believed that nothing ever justified war. Emil considered himself more of a realist and believed that people and planet would suffer under fascism, so in this case a war was necessary.

Peter had been invited to dinner several times to Emil's place, where he had met his young wife Sophie, the artist. The calm and easy going way that the couple communicated contrasted with the hectic nature of his own marriage - a bad mistake as he saw now, based as it was simply on physical attraction, with no real common ground.

"The problem with you Peter, is you're just boring." Peter's wife Anna had said this to him in the doorway of their small apartment, her bags packed, waiting for the taxi that would take her to her new lover, nearly a year after they had been married. Peter pointed out the irony in this accusation, given that she was leaving him for a balding middle aged accountant, the type who would wear a dark suit and tie to a party - and possibly even in bed. Her reply gave him more insight into her true character than he had really wanted to know.

"Felix isn't boring." she said. "He owns a Bambigini and a yacht in the Seashells."

"I see. Silly me. I thought it was his scintillating personality you were in love with." Peter turned his back on his wife and walked back up stairs, thinking how much she and the accountant deserved each other.

As he rhythmically hoed between the rows of vegetables Peter remembered the overwhelming loneliness he had felt at that time. His wife had at least been someone he could spend the time with even if they did little else but argue, but she was gone, and his only close friend Emil had been away fighting in the war. Sophie and her baby daughter were still in the city, but Sophie had her own circle of artistic friends and without Emil present, Peter felt like an outsider visiting their place. Peter had flung himself into his studies as an outlet for his loneliness, and had hired an allotment, exhausting himself in physical labour as a way of working out his frustration.

Peter then learned that Emil had been killed in action, typically for him, doing something heroic. Sophie had been given a widows' pension and had shifted out of the city to the village near where Peter's family and community had their farms. Peter mourned for his friend, attended his military funeral and memorial and even contributed an obituary for the Eco Party paper, but he also felt angry. With a wife and baby at home depending on him, surely Emil should have kept his head down and not thrown away his life so irresponsibly.

After graduation, Peter had to work for a year in a city school in a rough part of town as part of a bond agreement with the state in return for them funding him through teachers' college. Peter tried his best with the children, but found the surroundings in the insalubrious down-town area quite oppressive. Then a vacancy had come up in the same village that Sophie had moved to. Quite fortuitous. Especially when he applied and was offered the position.

Sophie's daughter was one of his pupils; a charming and engaging child if sometimes garrulous and wayward, and Peter became reacquainted with Sophie through Lucy. Peter's disastrous brief marriage had not helped his confidence with women. His growing friendship with Sophie therefore progressed slowly. Peter hid his true feelings while he made excuses to visit Sophie. Lucy's behaviour towards Peter was most unusual. It almost seemed as if Lucy was encouraging him; getting into trouble for spurious reasons so the teacher would have to visit her home, and making sure they were alone together, showing a surprising insight in one so young.

Then that creepy Nees had come on the scene. Their families were acquainted. When Peter had been a boy and not paying much attention to anything outside boyish things, there had been a dispute between one of the members of his family's community and the Nees family. Something about spray from the Nees's farm drifting into the organic farm of the neighbour and threatening to ruin its organic certification.

Even at the time Peter had thought it strange that organic farmers have to go through a long winded certification process, but anyone could poison the neighbourhood as much as they liked without any tedious and expensive paperwork involved. Peter was not sure what the upshot of the dispute was, but he did vaguely remember money changing hands.

Anyway, Hans Nees had been sniffing around Sophie, and since he was young, charming, well connected and part of the landed gentry, Peter did not fancy his own chances much. Peter resigned himself to receiving a wedding invitation a few months down the track.

But he had reckoned without Lucy. The girl was amazing. Peter heard rumours from some of his Eco Party mates that the girl was actively blocking Hans's suit, influencing the mother in a positively uncanny manner. What is more, Lucy kept his own hopes alive by continually contriving reasons for him to visit; on a few occasions Lucy had even persuaded his mother to ask Peter around for dinner.

Peter was grateful to Lucy for taking his side, but at the same time he felt some resentment that a child of nine should have a more solid grasp on adult romantic relationships than Peter himself.

Over the past year, Peter had been making progress with Sophie and had even steeled himself to ask her to marry him. Then a couple of weeks ago things had changed for the worse. Nees had presented Sophie and her daughter with the latest Smartphone device. Lucy had started using it whenever she could, neglecting her home work. Peter had needed to speak sharply to her on a few occasions.

More to the point, Lucy had been neglecting her self-appointed role as guardian of her mother's love life. With Lucy out of the picture, Nees had become far more assertive, and on one occasion when Nees was present, Sophie had told Peter she was busy and could not see him. Why did Nees have such a hold over Sophie? - Peter could not understand it. Peter had seen through the doorway that Lucy was texting, and did not even seem to notice him.

Such cavalier behaviour towards him was so unlike both Lucy and Sophie. Peter had wanted to ask Lucy what was happening between Sophie and Nees, but then decided he would be demeaning himself by asking a nine year old. And besides, Lucy seemed so distracted recently, always day dreaming, probably thinking only about when she could get her phone back after school.

Yesterday something had happened that made Peter think his luck had changed again. The elderly woman who had moved into the old house had called him to say that Lucy had been sheltering from the storm at her place. Lucy had caught a cold and would not be coming to school the next day. When the woman had finished speaking, Peter somehow got the urge to put on his storm gear and trudge over to Sophie's house.

As he walked up the path, he heard a woman's voice raised in anger. Strange, he thought, Sophie never raises her voice usually. He had heard Nees said something in reply, too softly for him to hear, then Sophie shouting again.

"Well that's really selfish of you. That means I am going to have to walk there, in this weather. I've changed my mind about the camp. I'm not having my daughter go to any camp that you suggest. You don't care about her or you would give me a lift and wait for me. Lucy could have died from hypothermia. All because of your infernal machine. Take it back. I don't want it."

Again Peter could not hear Nees's reply, but it seemed to mollify Sophie somewhat, because her reply sounded calmer.

"All right, I'll keep it. But I only want Lucy to use it as a phone. It would be best if I swapped them for a pair of simpler phones that do nothing but phone and text."

Peter rapped on the door. Sophie broke off her conversation and opened it.

"Oh, Peter, thank heavens you've come." she said. "Lucy is holed up in that old house. The new occupant, a nice sounding woman called Jade, has called to say that Lucy is spending the night at her house, and she caught a bad cold and won't be going to school tomorrow. I want to go over and see if she's all right, but Hans doesn't want to give me a lift in his car."

"I don't think you understood me, darling" interrupted Hans, and Peter winced on hearing the endearment. "I'm quite prepared to go with you if you insist, but you told me yourself she's in good hands. This storm will have blown over by tomorrow morning, so why don't you wait until then? I also don't see why you can't phone her."

"I've already told you, she called off before I could get her number. I called Lucy's mobile but she's not replying. And yes Jade did seem perfectly presentable but nevertheless Lucy is my daughter, I need to check she's all right."

Peter glanced at Hans, wondering why he would not drive to the house. After all, whatever Hans's personal feelings, he would certainly have wanted to ingratiate himself with Sophie by doing so. What Peter saw in his rival's face shocked him. It was fear. Hans was obviously terrified of the place, or of the occupant, or maybe both. Although Peter did not see why - the old woman after all seemed perfectly respectable when he had spoken to her, he was grateful for the opportunity to get one over on his rival.

"I'll go there now if you wish," said Peter. "I'm already dressed for the weather. I can wait while you get changed and come with me. Or we could go in a taxi if the weather is too rough for you."

Sophie looked at him gratefully. "Oh would you Peter, that would be great. There's no need for a taxi, it's not very far. Would you be able to go ahead? I'll get my storm gear on and catch you up. The woman Jade seemed very solicitous and I'm sure Lucy will be quite all right there, but it would certainly put my mind at rest."

Peter set out at once, with a warm feeling inside, in spite of the hail pelting his waterproofs and stinging his face. A late model car passed him. Hans was driving, his face in a disagreeable scowl. Peter started to whistle and skipped down the deserted street.

It was getting dark by the time he had walked to the house and knocked on the door. The weather had turned even colder and there were flurries of snow - very unusual this late in the spring. Jade had opened the door, and led him inside into the warm kitchen. "I was expecting you," she said as she picked up a candle. "Lucy and I had a very long talk. A lot of it about you, Mr Neilson, or may I call you Peter."

Peter nodded.

"Lucy is a very engaging child, and she thinks a lot of you. She would love to have you as a step-father, but you've not been very assertive up to now, I think." Jade had by now climbed the stairs to the spare room, Peter close behind her.

Jade very quietly opened the door to the spare bedroom and beckoned Peter inside. Peter stared at the sleeping child, snug and warm under the quilt. He had never seen any of his charges asleep before. Peter realised that this was a privilege reserved for parents. As a teacher his influence was quite considerable, and he always strove to be worthy of the great responsibility the parents and the state had laid upon him, but these very intimate moments had passed him by.

Peter's determination to marry Sophie and have the family he desired grew in him as he stepped away from the bed and followed Jade back to the kitchen. "You've certainly looked after her well," he said. "I see you've even washed and ironed her school clothes. Do you have children yourself?"

A strange look came into Jade's eyes, that frightened Peter a little. "I was not able to bear children," she said. "But I did adopt a number of orphans, who I loved as my own." Peter felt that Jade did not want to say any more about her family. Maybe the subject was too painful for her.

"You have been thinking how much you would like to have children of your own, especially with Sophie, haven't you," Jade added. Peter gave a start. The old woman seemed to know exactly what he was feeling. His face must have betrayed his emotions.

"Well I know I'm not very confident with women - I've had some bad experiences - but I was making good progress until Hans Nees came along. He's clever and charming, but Sophie doesn't seem to know it's all a façade. I don't know why he's interested in her either. She has a little money from her widows' pension, but she's hardly rich. And they're totally unsuited in any other way."

Peter stopped talking. His face reddened. Why was he telling this stranger his personal details? And what had she and Lucy been discussing about him? His confusion found a voice in rising outrage. "Not that it's any of your business. And it's certainly not Lucy's business. She's just a child."

"Oh tssk, tskk, Peter, don't come over all pompous with me. I thought you knew about children. So it should be obvious to you that when it comes to knowledge about human feelings and emotions, Lucy is certainly not 'just' a child. She has far more insight than most adults." This was something that Peter had often thought himself, so he remained silent as Jade continued.

"As for it not being Lucy's business, don't you think it's important to her who she has as a step-father. She has chosen you over Mr Nees, who she thinks of as 'creepy', and she has been helping you as best she can. I think you need to take advantage of her favour."

"So what has this to do with you?"

"Well, Lucy and I have been talking for hours. We're friends now. And I always help my friends. But there are more complex factors involved that are bigger than any of us, which I explained to Lucy. Lucy and I have a plan to help you and her mother get together, but you really need to play your part as well. As you said yourself, Hans Nees is a charmer, and he's not going away.

"Anyway, I can hear Lucy's mother coming up the path. If you wait here I will show her to Lucy's room."

Sophie was smiling as she and Jade came into the kitchen a few minutes later. "Thank you Jade," she said. "Lucy looks very peaceful sleeping in the little room. You've been quite wonderful to her, we're very lucky to have met you. Oh, Peter. I got a call from Lucy just after you left, to say how much she's enjoying it here. That must have been just before she went to bed. Anyway, I'm quite satisfied that Lucy is safe, so shall we be getting back?" Peter got up from the chair in the kitchen and the two took their leave.

Sophie had taken Peter's arm as the pair walked back to Sophie's house, noting that the wind had abated somewhat, though the temperature was still chillingly low. Peter felt emboldened enough by Sophie's obvious affection and gratitude to ask her out to dinner and a movie in town, if they could get a baby-sitter for Lucy, and Sophie had accepted.

Now as Peter stopped his hoeing he thought ahead to his planned date with Sophie, and felt more hope than he had since his courtship began. He burst into song as he put his tools away and prepared himself for school.

Chapter 7: The romantic date

A few days after the storm, the evening was sunny and warm, but with a cooling breeze that took some of the edge off the heat. Jade and Lucy were sitting on the veranda sipping cold drinks and watching the sun set through the trees. Jade was wearing her wrap around dark glasses. She had been singing and playing her lute for Lucy, and the girl had been absolutely enraptured. "You must let Merrin hear you." said Lucy. "She plays the violin, really well. Though not as well as you. You could play duets together."

"My music has always been part of my magic," said Jade. "I would like to meet your friend some time. But now let's talk about your mother and Mr Neilson. Your mother told me they are out on a romantic date in town, which is why I am looking after you today. I'm pleased for them."

"Yes, Mr Neilson was very excited at school today. I even saw him skipping when he was on playground duty. But his face went red when he caught me staring at him. 'Go away Lucy,' he said, like I was a dog. I don't understand grown-ups. Why don't they like anyone to see they are happy. Us kids don't mind at all."

Jade smiled. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. Best that you find out for yourself when you are older. But tell me what you've been doing about the Smartphone."

"Well when I left your place that time, I met Nils after school and asked him about Smartphone. 'Is there anything about Smartphone that grown-ups wouldn't like'. I said.

"He thought it rather strange that I should ask, because why would anyone want to give a grown-up an excuse to take their phone off them, but when I pressed him he said that there were some sites to do with chess, that grown-ups didn't like us looking at, but they were blocked so we couldn't look at them even if we wanted to and he didn't want to because they sounded boring anyway."

"You've lost me there, Lucy," said Jade. "What are these chess sites that everyone is concerned about?"

"Pawn sites. Apparently they're really bad."

"Of course," Jade smiled. "So did you show these sites to Mr. Nees?"

"No, I couldn't find any. When I did a search for 'pawn' I just got a whole lot of online auctions. I don't know why anybody would be upset at that. Maybe Nils got it wrong. Oh and by the way, he told me none of those boys had ever hassled him again after Mr Neilson spoke to their principal. Anyway, where was I," Lucy looked at Jade.

"Pawn sites," she prompted.

"Oh yes. Well anyway Nils talking about forbidden sites gave me an idea, because I remember father Olaf telling us about forbidden devil worship, so I looked that up on the search engine, and I came across some sites about demons and devils, including that Spider you told me about." Lucy shuddered.

"They were so creepy, and the legends all said that the Spider ruled over the dark elves and they had this society run by women and it was incredibly cruel and lots of people were kept as slaves and beaten... you told me you were a slave, Jade. Were you ever beaten?"

"More times than I can count," said Jade. "The beatings damaged me - in my body and my mind. They were cruel times. But I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry, Jade," said Lucy. "I've upset you. It must be terrible to be beaten. I've never been beaten myself. My mum doesn't hit me, and Mr Neilson says spanking children is just child abuse and he supports the Eco Party who want to make it illegal and put abusive parents in jail and ... where was I?" she finished lamely.

Jade sighed. She enjoyed Lucy's company but the half-elven enchantress, whose life had often depended on her being able to tell a gripping and entertaining story to a hostile audience, wished that schools spent more time teaching narrative skills. "Forbidden devil worship," she prompted.