Finally! I’m home! Although I’m happy to be back, something doesn’t seem right. The air seems empty; like it’s longing for something that left years ago, that never came back.
‘Jude!’
I snap out of my thoughts as Nana comes up, her eyes sparkling.
‘I’ve missed you!’ she says, ‘And you’ll never guess what? The Regatta is on Saturday! Everyone should be excited, but it’s as if there’s a heavy cloud over us all.’
I smile. A solemn expression plastered over his face, Aaron smiles when he sees me looking.
It’s the next day when I finally got to talk to Aaron. I had so many people wanting to talk to me about my two year sailing trip around the world that I hadn’t had a spare moment. I was hoping that all the fuss would die down soon, with the Regatta coming up.
‘So,’ Aaron says, ‘your Nan happy to see you? I imagine she must be, what with all that happened a few years back.’
He’s right. Two years ago, we left to sail just after the Regatta, me hoping to catch Dad. But his ship never came into the harbour. Nana took it badly. She lay in bed for a week. We left a month later than we planned. I wanted to stay with Nana, but she begged me to go. Now she’s back on her feet, and smiling just as happily before Dad disappeared.
‘How are you taking it?’
He’s staring at me contently, and I don’t know what to do. I haven’t spoken. Not a word for two years. There’s a hole in my heart that hasn’t healed.
This isn’t the homecoming I expected, especially as it’s the Regatta on Saturday. And then it comes to me, as if by magic. Falmouth is sad, like I am. My heart has been broken for two years, and I’ve remained silent. I don’t know why Falmouth is sad, but I need to find out.
I scribble on a piece of paper to Aaron, and he nods, saying he will help. I look around for inspiration, but there’s nothing. Nothing out on the sea but a bit of paper floating at the edge of the estuary where I stood. I make a grab for it. It was a sodden letter. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help it. I flip it over to look for an address, but there isn’t one. Slowly, I unfold the paper.
Dear Monica,
I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I feel imprisoned. I can’t find who I am any more, and I need to be there for Mum, while Jude’s away. Can’t you just release me? Please?
Love,
Dave.
Dave! That was my dad! And he was seeing Monica Yoman! That’s where I need to go; I need to find Monica. I look up at Aaron, who’s reading over my shoulder.
‘Go for it,’ he says. ‘If not, you’ll regret it.’
A few years ago, I’d visit Monica everyday. Now, as I walk up the driveway, the memories come flooding back; the way Dad used to look at her, the way she used to talk to me, the food she gave us. My dad used to knock on the door in a special way, and I find myself doing the exact same thing.
The door opens a crack, and an eye peeps out. ‘Yes?’
‘Good morning, miss. Are you Monica Yoman?’ Aaron asks.
‘Yes.’ she replies.
‘May we possibly come in? We have some business we would like to discuss.’
‘I suppose. What’s Jude Waters doing here?’ Monica says, and the eye swivels towards me. ‘I thought you were on a boat!’
‘We were,’ Aaron steps in. ‘We got back yesterday.’
‘Right.’ She opens the door a crack to let us in. ‘Go through to the living room. I’ll be there in a second.’
We do as we’re told, but when we get to the living room, it’s completely different to how I remember it. She has paper scattered all over the room, full of writing and sketches. The furniture is battered and falling to pieces. It always used to be such a tidy room, with everything arranged in an orderly fashion.
‘Jude.’
I want to stay in the past, but Aaron brings me back to the present by the urgency in his voice. He’s holding a plan in his hand, and looking alarmed. I wade through a sea of papers over to Aaron, and peek at the piece of paper. It’s then that I see the reason to be worried.
On the plan is a list of spells to use. Many of the other plans are to do with spells. The sketches are of ship wrecks and collapsed hotels. The last sketch is of a tumble-down town, and it’s then that I notice the sign. Falmouth. I show the paper to Aaron, and he notices the sign post straight away.
‘Does this mean that Monica wants to destroy Falmouth?’ Aaron asks, his eyes opening wide. ‘But why?’
‘Because I want everyone’s life to end like mine did two years ago.’ said a voice from behind us. We turn around, and come face to face with Monica. There’s an evil glint in her eye as she walks slowly towards us, a knife in one hand. ‘Dave Waters was always there for me, even when we were children.’ she carries on, ‘When you were born, Jude, and your mother died, I was so happy, but then I realised he would never come to me just after he lost his wife. So, a year later, I invited him for a drink, and slipped a love potion in his glass.’ She sighed. ‘As time went on, the love potion started to wear off. I thought he might love me enough to stay with me. But no.’ A tear slid from the corner of her eye. ‘I felt him slipping away from me. He went off on his travels with the girl who worked in the flower shop. I knew I could never get him back, and I hate him for that. I bet him and that woman are at home and married. They are, aren’t they?’
‘No, miss!’ Aaron cries. ‘He never returned. His ship was lost at sea, and the woman’s body was found on an island.’
‘Liar!’ Monica snapped. She grabbed Aaron by the neck of his shirt and held the knife to his throat. ‘My life ended all those years ago. I curse this town and the people in it, and you dare to lie to me? I’ll kill you now!’
‘NO!’
It can’t be me yelling. I don’t talk. Yet Aaron is staring at me with his mouth hanging open, and Monica is smiling.
‘So now you decide to speak,’ Monica says. ‘Do you seriously think I’d believe this boy’s lies?’
I want to hide away in a hole, but I know I have to be strong, for Dad.
‘What he says is true,’ I say quietly. ‘Dad’s ship never returned, leaving me without a mother or a father. I know he died that night, and I know he felt awful about leaving you. He says so in this letter. Please let Aaron go, and lift the curse off this town. Not everyone is the same. You have a life to live, and you can’t just throw it away like this. Please, Monica!’
I saw her weakening, and I knew then that I had won. She brought her hands up and away, and the sadness in the air disappeared. She smiled sadly, and sat down heavily on the sofa. I sat next to her and put my arm around her.
‘It will be all right, Monica,’ I said. ‘I promise.’
Saturday dawned beautiful and bright. The whole town was getting ready for the evening when the ships came in, and I was caught up in it all, decorating the boat with banners and streamers. I put up lights that Aaron had fixed, then prepared the feast for the evening. When the evening did come, everything was lit up with colourful lights.
Just then, everyone started cheering, because the first of the tall ships had just entered the harbour. This moment made me think of Dad, because at this point, he’d always start to sing the same song. His voice would cut the night sky with his clear, haunting voice, and everyone would fall silent and listen.
I listened carefully to see if anyone was singing, and I was sure I heard a faint whisper on the wind. I knew then that he was watching over me, and I felt a warm glow inside of me.
Then, with a smile, I opened my mouth and started to sing.