Magic at Silver Spires (6 page)

It was ten o'clock in the morning, the day after my operation, and I felt a lot better. The nurses couldn't believe the improvement I'd made, so they'd happily agreed to letting me try out the crutches.

“Excellent!” said the physio, because I found it easy and had gone halfway down the corridor and back. “Now for the stairs. They're a bit trickier.”

And they were, especially as I had to be careful to hold the right-hand crutch in a particular way, so it didn't hurt my hand. But still I managed, and afterwards, when we went back to the ward and met up with my parents, the physio told Mamma and Papà that I was a “natural”.

“So why don't we go and have a drink at the café,” said Mamma, “to celebrate?”

But I was desperate to get ready to go back to school. All we were waiting for was to see the doctor one final time, and the nurse had told us she was certain he'd let me go when he saw how much better I was.

“I'm not really hungry or thirsty, Mamma. Shall I pack my things together?”

Mamma turned anxious eyes to Papà and I felt confused for a moment. What was there to be anxious about now I was better? Or was she worried about how I'd manage on crutches at school?

“When I get home to Silver Spires, I'll have loads of people to help me carry things, won't I?” I said in my brightest voice to try and reassure Mamma. Then I couldn't help a giggle spluttering out. “Isn't it funny the way I keep saying ‘home'? I suppose it's because school
is
my home in term time. And of course there's always someone on duty, like Matron or Mrs. Pridham. They can help with—”

“Antonia, we need to talk.”

I got a shock at those words of Papà's, because they'd come out so strongly and seriously, and he hadn't called me Toni. There was something in his tone that reminded me of the time last spring in Italy when he'd first mentioned Silver Spires. And why was Mamma looking down? What did we need to talk about? Whatever was the matter? Mamma sat on the edge of my bed and Papà sat in the chair next to it.

“So perhaps we should go to the café?” he said more calmly.

I shook my head and he sighed.

“Antonia, your mother and I have made a decision.”

My mouth felt suddenly dry and I sipped at the water on my trolley as my father kept talking.

“We didn't want to say anything until you felt well again, but this whole experience has made one thing quite clear to us. It was such a shock when we heard the news that you'd had a bad accident on your bike. We felt so worried and so powerless and helpless with the enormous distance between your school and our home. And I can't tell you how difficult and complicated it was to make this journey to England at such short notice to be with our precious daughter, which was all we wanted to do…”

He paused and my heart pounded and pounded with fear and yet I didn't know what there was to fear.

“…So we are taking you back home with us to Italy.”

I swallowed. His voice and his face were too grave for the words that had just come out of his mouth. I wasn't sure what he meant. Or was it that I
was
sure but I couldn't face it? My voice shook as I asked the question that had found its way from my racing mind to my mouth. And my insides trembled with dread at what his answer would be.

“Do you mean you're taking me home early for the holidays or…” It was no good I couldn't say the rest of the sentence.

“No, we're taking you out of Silver Spires altogether. It's for the best.”

My heart stopped pounding and squeezed with misery.

For the first time in my life I was about to cross a line with my father. I was going to question his decision, because it was stupid and just…wrong.

I raised my voice. “You can't do this to me!”

Mamma quickly pulled the curtains round the bed and told me to be calm.

“How can I be calm? You're making me cross. It was you two who wanted me to come to Silver Spires in the first place. You said I had to improve my English…”

“Yes, you're right,” said Papà. “And that job is now done. You speak English wonderfully well. Better than we had hoped for.”

I wished I hadn't said anything about English now.

“But it's more than just the language. It's the whole…culture. That's what you said. I remember.” I felt close to tears, because I didn't have enough arguments. Not ones that Papà would listen to anyway. This had to be a terrible dream that I was about to wake up from.

He was nodding. “Yes, I agree that culture takes a while to absorb, but you have had a good taste of it.” Then he sighed. “Look, Toni, we know how much you love your school, and if it were in Italy then everything would be fine. But it is simply too far away. Your mother and I had no idea what it would be like if you had an accident or an illness. That was short-sighted of us. But now with all this…” He held up his hands and cast his eyes around the ward. “…It's frightened us. It's changed our view. We can't take the risk of something like this happening again. You need to be with us in Italy to recuperate.”

I tried not to shout. “But I can recuperate at Silver Spires! Or even if I recuperate in Italy, why can't I come back to Silver Spires next term?” I knew I was sounding desperate, but that was because I
was
desperate. “I mean, think about it, what if you two were both away on business and I was at a school in Italy and I had a terrible accident? You'd still have a great long journey to make.”

“We have all the family in Italy, Toni. Nonno and Nonna, your uncles and aunties. There will always be someone to look after you. We are a close-knit family. We look after each other. That's what families are about.”

I didn't know what to say to that so I just stared at him, and the look I got back said,
I'm not changing my mind
. But surely he didn't understand how important Silver Spires was to me.

“My school is like my home, Papà!” I said, raising my voice again.

“Yes, it is a very caring community, I agree,” he said calmly.

“And what about my friends? What about Nicole, my best friend? I can't leave Nicole.”

“Nicole and your other friends can come to visit us in Italy,
cara
,” said Mamma in her gentle voice.

“It's not the same. The friendship won't be the same if I only see them once a year or something. I don't want to lose Nicole.” I could feel myself getting close to tears.

“You won't lose Nicole, but you will gain other friends,” said Mamma.

“We'll find you another perfect school in Italy,” said Papà.

I felt myself kind of shutting down. I wanted to block my ears like I did when I was a child and an older boy in the playground used to tease me with talk of slimy frogs and toads because he knew it made me feel ill. I hung my head.

I didn't care about any stupid Italian schools. All I cared about was Silver Spires.

“We know it's hard to make changes,” said Mamma, “especially big ones like switching schools. But once you've got used to the idea you'll be fine, because although you can't see it now, it's all for the best.”

“Best for
you
. Not for me,” I said flatly.

“No, we're thinking about all of us, but especially you.” Mamma reached for my hand. “You were happy to have us here with you yesterday when it was your operation, weren't you?”

I nodded forlornly, because that much was true. I
had
been pleased to see them. Obviously. They're my parents.

Papà suddenly stood up and spoke briskly. “We have an appointment to see Ms. Carmichael and Mrs. Pridham now, Toni. We've already explained our feelings briefly to Ms. Carmichael, but there are things to finalize.”

“You have to give a term's notice anyway, so you can't just take me straight away!” I said in a bit of a screechy panic.

“We're going to pay for the term,” said Papà firmly, “but you won't be staying to complete it. I'm sorry, Toni, the decision is made, and one day you'll realize it
is
for the best, even though, as Mamma says, you can't see it now.”

He paused and gave me a kind look, but I couldn't take a kind look from such an unkind person so I looked away and listened to his horrible words going on and on.

“By the time we're back, hopefully the doctor will have seen you and we'll collect you and take you back to the hotel. You're not allowed to fly for at least two weeks, so we've booked the train for Thursday. That will give us time to get all your things from school packed and you'll able to say goodbye to your friends…”

My eyes filled with tears and Mamma gave me a tight hug, then stood up. “We won't be long,
cara
,” she said in a shaky voice, as Papà beckoned the nurse over and had a quick word with her, which I couldn't hear. “I'm sure you'll feel pleased when you're used to the idea.”

My father bent to give me a kiss but I didn't move at all. I just stared straight ahead.

Then they were gone. I pulled the top pillow from behind me and flopped back on the bed, the pillow over my face to stifle my sobs.

From somewhere outside my horrible tear-soaked world I heard the soft voice of one of the nurses.

“Antonia? Phone, dear. Are you awake?”

My eyes were open in a flash.

“It's your friend, Nicole.” She was handing me a hospital phone. At the sound of Nicole's name I felt like crying all over again. How ever was I going to tell her the terrible news?

“Hi.”

The nurse smiled and walked quickly away with silent footsteps.

“Hi, Antonia! I got the ward phone number from Mrs. Pridham, because you didn't answer your mobile.”

“Oh sorry…I didn't…hear it ring.”

“Have you got your crutches?” she went on, excitedly. “When will you be back?”

I swallowed. “Something terrible has happened.”

There was a gasp, then I heard her repeat my words in an anxious whisper. The others must have been standing round.

“What, Antonia? Are you okay? Whatever's happened?”

“My dad is taking me out of Silver Spires.” My throat started hurting.

Her voice sounded suddenly very small. “What do you mean, taking you out?”

“For ever. He and Mamma are on their way to see Mrs. Pridham and Ms. Carmichael right now. They don't want me to come back to school, because they feel too far away from me in Italy now that this accident has happened.”

I started crying then and from the other end of the phone I could hear Nicole whispering the news to the others in the very fastest gabble, and in the background Emily was saying something, but I couldn't tell what. Then Nicole was back with me again, sounding as though she was in tears herself.

“That's absolutely awful. What are we going to do?”

“There's nothing we
can
do. He's made his mind up.”

“So…aren't you coming back here at all…?”

This was the worst conversation I'd ever had to have with anyone. “I've got to stay at their hotel tonight. Then tomorrow my parents are planning to bring me back to school to collect all my stuff. Papà's booked the train for Thursday as I'm not allowed to fly. There's nothing we can do.” I dissolved into tears.

But Nicole sounded suddenly stronger. “We can't do
nothing
. We have to make him change his mind. And Emily says what about the Chin song and the whole Italian evening this Saturday? You can't miss that. You're the main person.”

I'd completely forgotten about the Italian evening. It didn't seem very important compared to everything else that was happening. But wait a minute… Emily was right. I was supposed to be in charge of the food and the play and the song. I'd been hoping to teach the actions to everyone in the whole house. How could I miss the Italian evening? An idea was starting to form in my head. It wasn't a brilliant one, but it was the best I could come up with, and it might work.

“Nicole, listen…”

“Yes…”

“You need to get to Mrs. Pridham before Papà does,” I told her urgently.

“Y-yes…” she said more hesitantly.

“And ask her if she can tell my dad how important the Italian evening is…”

“Yes, that's a good idea. If he'd just let you stay for that…”

“It would give us a bit of time together… Only, make sure you remind her how much I'm supposed to be doing for the evening, like the food and the play and everything…”

“Yes, and then she'll realize you have to be at school with me and Matron to rehearse… Otherwise your parents might say you can stay till the weekend as long as you're in the hotel with them.”

My heart sank like a stone when Nicole said that. It was no good. Even if a miracle happened and Papà agreed that I could stay till the weekend, he was sure to book me into the hotel with them so I wouldn't have to cope with all the stairs and everything at Silver Spires. And I couldn't bear to be so near to Silver Spires and yet not actually there.