A Place Called Perfect (5 page)

CHAPTER 10

An Urgent Meeting

Her mother was back by the time Violet returned home and full of the joys of Perfect, she just couldn’t stop describing Mrs Bickory’s apple pie.

“The best I have ever tasted Violet. I promise I’ll make it for you. June gave me the recipe. It’s a family secret but she said she would share it with me. Everybody is so nice in this town.”

Violet nodded as she took out her schoolbooks.

“Oh good,” her mother smiled, “those pills are working. I have never seen you so eager to study dear.”

Violet was silent. She wasn’t anymore or less eager to study than she had been before but her mother seemed happy and hopefully that meant no more pills.

“Here dear,” her mother said, dropping a yellow capsule onto the table, “time for your medication.”

“But Mam please I’m fine on the blue ones. I love Perfect,” Violet smiled.

“That’s great Violet I’m delighted you love it here but that’s got nothing to do with your IDDCS. You do want to be cured don’t you dear?”

“Can we wait for Dad to come home? Please.”

“Okay but your Dad agrees with me. We both want you to be rid of this syndrome. It’s holding you back. Think of how much you could achieve without it.”

Violet smiled, turned back to her books and pretended to study while Rose Brown whistled the evening away preparing risotto. Violet had never even heard of risotto before Perfect, now it was her mother’s speciality.

Hours swept by and her Dad had not returned from work. He never missed dinner. In all the years he had been her father and that was all her life, he had never spent an evening away without telling them. She glanced up at the clock as her mother set the table.

“We can’t wait any longer Violet dear,” her mother sighed, “this apple pie will go soggy.”

“But what about Dad?”

“Don’t worry about your father, he can have my pie another day.”

“I’m not worried about your pie Mam! Where is Dad? It’s not like him to come home late. What if something’s happened?”

“In Perfect Violet!” her mother laughed, “Of course nothing has happened to Dad. He’s just caught up in his work. He has the best job in the world working with the Archer brothers.”

“But Mam,” Violet pleaded, “I thought you didn’t like the Archers. The first night we came here you said they gave you the...”

“Violet!” her mother snapped running for the pill bottle, “stop being so disruptive, I know it’s the syndrome dear but it is getting out of hand. I have never nor will I ever speak of the Archers in such a way.”

Quickly she spilled more yellow tablets onto the table. Violet looked at the pills then back at her mother.

“Now!” her mother snapped.

Slowly Violet picked up two canary capsules and placed them under her tongue. Her mother filled a glass with water and handed it to her.

“Swallow,” she barked.

Violet did as she was told. Her mother smiled, cleaned up the remaining tablets and resumed dishing out dinner. When her back was turned Violet quickly spat out the pills and shoved them in her pocket.

“Now,” her mother smiled a little later, while tucking into her risotto, “I bet you feel better already.”

Violet nodded. If she spoke she wouldn’t be able to hide the teary tremble in her voice. Oblivious, her Mam chatted about her day right through dinner and dessert.

By late that night her father still hadn’t returned and Violet’s stomach climbed right into her neck. She felt sick thinking about her visit to the Archers shop. She’d definitely heard her father’s voice. Why didn’t she question the Archers more? Why did she walk away? Something had to be wrong. Her father was in trouble. Guilt took over as she climbed the stairs to bed.

Just as she reached the top step, the phone rang. She paused. Moving closer to the banisters she sat down and listened.

“Hello,” her mother said, in her phone voice.

“Oh Mr. Archer. How can I help you?”

“Yes I thought as much, Violet here was worried.”

“She was? Oh really she didn’t tell me that.”

“I apologise if she upset you Mr. Archer, as I’m sure you’ve heard she’s been diagnosed with IDDCS.”

“Yes she’s taking the pills. I watched her myself this evening.”

“Oh of course Mr. Archer I know how children can be. I’ll personally see to it myself.”

“Thank you for letting me know about Eugene Mr. Archer. I hope he’s helping your research?”

“That’s great to hear. How long will he be away?”

“That’s great. Thanks for letting me know.”

“Yes I’ll tell her. Goodnight Mr. Archer.”

Why had the Archers rung to tell them her Dad was away? Surely her Dad could pick up the phone? Why couldn’t he ring them?

“Violet!” her mother snapped, pulling her daughter from her thoughts, “were you eavesdropping?”

“Oh no I was...I just wanted to hear if it was Dad.”

“It was Edward Archer,” her mother smiled, “Your father’s going to be away for a few days. He’s gone to an optician’s conference. Very important apparently.”

“Don’t you think he would have told us that himself?” Violet said, her voice louder than she’d intended.

“Violet please you are giving me a headache. Edward Archer rang and kindly kept us informed. Your father had to leave quickly. It was urgent.”

“An urgent optician’s conference?!”

“Violet! This condition is really getting the better of you. It’s exhausting dear. Edward Archer was kind enough to enquire after your health. Everyone in this town is being so helpful and you repay them by being ungrateful. I know you were in the Archers shop today.”

“I was looking for Dad.” Violet snapped.

“You were snooping around in places you shouldn’t be. Edward Archer was very good to tell me and he said he wouldn’t get the police involved.”

“The police?” Violet protested, “but I didn’t...”

“Violet,” her mother sighed, “enough is enough, just be glad the Archers are so understanding. I’m sure your Dad won’t be when he comes home.”

Violet didn’t respond. There was no point. No matter what she said it would get twisted. She rose from her spot, turned and walked down the carpeted hallway to her room. She locked the door and collapsed onto her bed.

Her world was crashing down around her. Her mother didn’t listen and her father had disappeared. She’d been more than mean to him over the last few weeks and now she’d never see him again. She cried until she had no tears left.

She knew the Archers were behind everything, but even if she could prove it no one would listen. It was as if everyone in Perfect was under a spell. Exhausted she crawled in under her duvet and hoped that sleep would find her.

CHAPTER 11

Boy

That night, no matter what, Violet couldn’t sleep. There was a strange lump in her bed. After hours of tossing and turning she got up to investigate.
             

On close inspection she found a thin tear along the top of her mattress. It was about the length of her arm from her elbow to her wrist. She poked her fingers inside, finding there was enough room for her hand she squeezed it through until her fingers brushed off something solid. She pulled the mysterious object from it’s hiding place.

The small, flat box fit neatly in her hand. It was dark blue and covered in a bendy ladder like pattern. As she turned the box over the ladders caught the light giving off a silvery sheen. There was a faded stamp on the cover with the words “Optical Prescriptions”. The box was closed on one side by a small magnet and rusted hinges held firm the other. Slowly she prised it open. The prettiest pair of glasses sat proud on dark blue velvet interior.

The frames were made of wood and she’d never seen wooden frames before. The lenses were oval and the arms of the glasses were flexible to bend round the ear. They looked as if they came from another world. A label, browned by time, sat centre inside the lid. It read Optical Prescription Spectacle Makers, 135 Wickham Terrace. She’d never heard of Wickham Terrace. She took off her specs and fitted the new pair.
It was strange, she could see. The lenses suited her perfectly. She was just scanning past the curtains when a figure caught her eye.

“Ah!” she screamed, throwing the glasses from her face.

The room went blurry and she scrambled for her normal specs.

“You saw me?” a voice shouted.

Violet grabbed her duvet and pulled it quickly up over her head. The duvet flew from her grasp and fell to the floor.

“You saw me?” the voice shouted again.

“I didn’t. I didn’t,” Violet shivered, “I didn’t see anything. I’m not talking to anyone.”

“You did! You saw me,” the voice sounded ecstatic, “You saw me standing by the curtains. Wohoo!”

Violet bobbed from side to side as if someone was jumping on her bed.

“The glasses, it has to be the glasses,” the voice said again.

There was a scramble through the room.

“Here put them back on.”

Her hand was pulled open and the glasses were shoved back into her grip.

“Please put them on,” the voice said, “I promise I won’t hurt you.”

He sounded sincere and Violet had heard this boy’s voice before. Slowly she moved the glasses towards her face and pulled the arms around her ears once more. She kept her eyes shut.

“Please,” the voice said again.

Wind swished past her face as if someone moved their hands back and forth in front of her. Slowly she opened her eyes.

There at the edge of the bed stood a boy.

He looked straight at her. Twelve maybe thirteen and dressed head to toe in black, he looked like the teenagers her friend Emma talked about. They called themselves Moths or something like that. He had jet black hair that flopped round his ears and his white face was dappled in tiny freckles mostly gathered round his nose. His eyes were deep navy almost black like the sky at night. Something about them unsettled her.

“You do, you see me,” he said, jumping into the air.

A smile filled the boy’s face and Violet couldn’t help but laugh, he had the most contagious smile she’d ever seen. They stared silently at each other and a little awkwardness flooded the room. Violet tried hard not to blush as she racked her bed brain for something to say.

“I’m Boy,” the stranger said, breaking silence.

“I’m Violet,” Violet replied, shaking his extended hand, “Is your name really boy?”

“Yes,” Boy nodded.

“But that’s not a name.”

“Yes it is. I’ve always been called Boy. It’s my name like yours is Violet.”

“But do your parents call you Boy? They must call you something like Paul or Brian. I knew a few boys from home and none of them were called Boy. They all had names.”

“I don’t have parents,” he smiled.

“Oh!”

There was a little silence and unsure of what to say next Violet copied what adults said at funerals.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“I didn’t lose them,” Boy laughed, “I never had parents!”

“You can’t never have had parents,” Violet replied, “Everybody has parents!”

“Well I don’t and as far as I’m concerned I’m better off. Look how yours treat you!”

“Hey,” Violet said annoyed, “don’t say that about my parents. They’re the best anyone could ever have.”

“Then why have you been crying for the last few hours. Don’t deny it, I saw you.”

She fell silent and looked away.

“I didn’t mean to upset you Violet,” Boy said, “It’s just I’ve been watching you for a while and I know your parents are changing.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re changing. It’s this place, it does that to people. I’ve watched every new person that came here and it’s happened to them all. After a while they all change. Except you.”

“What do you mean change?” Violet asked, though she knew what he meant.

“Well everyone is normal when they get here,” Boy replied, “they can see me. I’ve even had conversations with some newcomers then after a day or two, they start to change. First I’m ignored, then they begin to change their clothes, their hair, the way they talk, even the way they walk and all of a sudden they become like everyone else in this town.”

“I know,” Violet whispered, “My mam has changed since we’ve moved here. She was never like this at home. I can’t talk to her anymore.”

“It’s the glasses,” Boy said bluntly.

“What do you mean? Without the glasses I can’t see.”

“But without them you can see,” Boy replied, “you can see reality, it’s just a little fuzzy. Haven’t you noticed all the times you’ve heard my voice it’s when you’re not wearing them. Then when you put them on I disappear.

I bet you thought you were going mad!”

“But how can I see you now?”

“I don’t know I think it has something to do with those,” he said, pointing to the new specs perched on her face. “I don’t know how they work but they work and that’s all I care about. It’s not easy being invisible.”

“I knew it,” Violet said sitting upright, “it’s my Dad! He must have left them here.”

“But why would he do that?” Boy asked.

“I don’t know,” Violet shrugged, “maybe it’s a message. I think he’s in some sort of trouble. I have to help him. Maybe he’s trying to tell me something.”

“I think you’re a little dramatic,” Boy laughed, grabbing her hand. “Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”

“Can’t it wait until morning?”

“No it can’t it has to be at night. They patrol in the day.”

“Who patrols?”

“You’ll see,” Boy winked as he threw Violet’s clothes at her and ran out the door.