The Girl Who Dreamt of Dolphins (8 page)

Lucy’s mind kept returning to her dreams that morning just
before she had woken up. It hadn’t felt like it was just a dream,
or even a vivid dream. It felt as though Lucy was actually there.
More than that, she hadn’t just observed the scene as it unfolded,
she felt as though she’d been able to reach out in some way and
actually speak to the little dolphin. When she came to she’d felt
okay, but by half past nine she’d felt more drained than she had
ever felt in her life, as though she hadn’t slept at all. Mrs
Penhaligon had had to speak to her sharply to get her attention.
She’d missed swimming that lunchtime and had been embarrassed when
Ms Baldwin had caught up with her at the end of the day and asked
her if she was unwell.

The minutes ticked on slowly and the other kids started to get
picked up by their parents. ‘Come on Dad, come on Dad’ muttered
Lucy under her breath. Soon they were down to three children and
the carers started looking at their watches and eyeing the main
door. By ten past six, Lucy was the only child left. She felt
tired, hungry and fed up.

‘
Have you got a mobile phone Lucy?’ Ben asked. ‘Maybe your
Dad’s sent you a text or left you a message.’

‘
No sorry’ Lucy replied. ‘I had a mobile phone but it fell out
of my bag a couple of weeks ago and smashed on the ground. Dad said
he’d get me a new one but he hasn’t got round to it
yet.’

‘
Ok Lucy, I’m going to call your Dad now’ said Ben. He went to
the office and dialled Dad’s mobile number. There was no answer.
Ben came back in.

‘
It just rings and rings Lucy’ said Ben. ‘Doesn’t your father
have voicemail?’

‘
He should do’ she replied. ‘Maybe it’s not working’ she added,
concerned and worried. ‘I expect he’ll turn up in a few
minutes.’

By half past six Dad still hadn’t arrived. Everyone else had
gone. It was just her and Ben sitting there in their coats, half
the lights switched off, with Ben jangling the buildings keys
impatiently in his pocket.

‘
I can’t very well just leave you here Lucy’ he said. ‘I’ve
tried your Dad ten times in the last fifteen minutes and it just
rings and rings. No one picks up at your home and there’s no one
else on your contact sheet to call. Surely there’s someone else I
can get to collect you?’

‘
Nope,’ said Lucy. ‘there’s no one else in a hundred and fifty
miles of here.’ She thought wistfully of Bethany, far off in
Cornwall.

‘
What about one of your friends?’ asked Ben. ‘Do you have a
number for one of them?’

‘
I do at home’ replied Lucy, ‘but not here.’ The minutes ground
on slowly. Before long, it was nearly seven o’clock.

‘
Well I’m really at my wits end Lucy’ said Ben. ‘I can’t reach
your father on the phone and I’ve got no other numbers to call.
Surely there must be someone else?’ All Lucy could do was to shake
her head slowly. She was practically sliding off the chair with
tiredness and she didn’t know what else to say.

‘
I’ve got a family to get home to myself’ added Ben, getting
increasingly fidgety. ‘Unless you can think of someone else, I’m
going to have to take you to the local police station soon.’ When
Ben said that, a feeling of empty desolation came over her. The
room seemed very cold and empty, but then when Lucy thought of the
house, her home seemed cold and empty too. Suddenly Lucy felt as
bad as she had when Mum had gone. She didn’t cry; she couldn’t, but
she wanted to.

‘
I suppose you could drop me off at Amy’s house’ she said
hesitantly. ‘Her Mum might not mind.’

‘
Right!’ said Ben, seizing on the idea. ‘Does your Dad know
where Amy lives?’

‘
I’m not sure’ said Lucy. ‘He should do but he might have
forgotten.’ Lucy did know the address though, it was just round the
corner from her street. Ben left a note on the door, telling her
Dad to call his mobile number. He scribbled the address on the
note, made sure it was securely fixed and they set off. Lucy
slumped wearily in the passenger seat. Normally she’d be delighted
to go round to Amy’s house, but not tonight. All she wanted tonight
was her own bed.

Ben stood on the doorstep of Amy’s house, with Lucy a small
huddled figure just behind him. By now it was quarter to eight.
Amy’s Mum opened the door. Ben explained the situation and
gratefully ushered Amy into Mrs Hodge’s care. Mrs Hodge closed the
door.

‘
Goodness Lucy, it’s time for bed. Amy’s upstairs cleaning her
teeth!’ Mrs Hodges hurried through the lounge to call her Dad, but
there was still no answer.

‘
Hi Lucy’ said Amy, toothbrush in mouth, looking down through
the banisters of the stairs. ‘What’s up?’

‘
Guess who’s forgotten about me again’ responded Lucy,
mournfully.

‘
Well Amy, you can come downstairs again and keep Lucy company
for a while until her Dad turns up’ said Mrs Hodges. ‘Aren’t you
hungry Lucy?’ she asked.

‘
Yes, no, well I was’ said Lucy.

‘
Well I’m going to the kitchen to rustle something up for you’
said Mrs Hodges. The two girls sat on the sofa, watching a sit-com
on TV. Lucy was so tired she slumped into Amy, head lolling onto
her friend’s shoulder, fighting to keep awake. She could just about
make out Mrs Hodges speaking in a low voice to Amy’s Dad in the
kitchen.

‘
I don’t know what could have happened to him’ she was saying
to Mr Hodges. ‘Do you think we should call the police? Or should we
ring round the hospitals?’

‘
Not yet’ replied Mr Hodges. ‘I’m sure he’s just been held up.
There’s probably some innocent explanation.’

Mrs Hodges brought Lucy some beans on toast from the kitchen.
Lucy picked at them, but she didn’t really have the energy to
eat.

‘
Eat up Love’ said Mrs Hodges. ‘You’ve got to get some food
down you!’ Lucy smiled wanly. She could just see Mr Hodges trying
her Dad’s number yet again through the doorway. No answer. He shook
his head slowly, brow furrowed and put the receiver
down.

By nine pm both girls were dozing on the sofa and Mrs Hodges
sent them upstairs to Amy’s bed.

‘
You’ll just have to sleep in your underwear’ she commented,
pulling Lucy’s sweater up over her head and tugging off her socks
and trousers, before inserting her under the duvet next to Amy.
‘Don’t worry Love, your Dad’s going to be just fine.’ Lucy was
worried, but she was just too tired to care right now. Mrs Hodges
kissed them both lightly on their foreheads, before switching the
light off and heading downstairs.

Despite her tiredness, once she got into Amy’s bed Lucy
couldn’t sleep. She lay there, a knot of anxiety in her stomach,
not knowing what to think about anything. Eventually she dozed off
again, then suddenly she was aware of Mrs Hodges gently shaking her
shoulder.

‘
Hey Love’ she whispered, so as not to wake Amy up. ‘Your Dad’s
here.’ Lucy pulled herself out of bed and Mrs Hodges scooped up her
clothes, which Lucy pulled on blearily. She stumbled sleepily down
the stairs. Her Dad stood there in the hallway, in his suit and
greatcoat, a stricken look on his face.

‘
I’m so sorry Luce,’ he said, half making to step forward and
hug her. Lucy shrank back away from him. ‘I thought Mrs Johnson was
baby-sitting tonight’ he continued. ‘I thought she’d picked you up
from after-school club and taken you home.’ Lucy glanced up at the
clock behind him. It was half past eleven. Mr and Mrs Hodges stood
by, disapproving looks up their faces.

‘
Mrs Johnson’s been on holiday for the past fortnight’ answered
Lucy shortly. ‘You’ve known she’d be away for months. There’s no
way you ever thought she’d baby-sit.’

‘
I don’t know what to say Lucy’ said her Dad. ‘I just…..’ He
tailed off, uncertain what to say. He looked embarrassed and small
under the gaze of Amy’s parents. Soon she and her Dad were outside
and in the car to drive round the corner back home. The dark house
did not seem inviting to Lucy and she’d rather have stayed at
Amy’s.

‘
Listen’ Dad said. ‘You sit there on the sofa. I’ll get you
some hot chocolate before I put you back to bed.’ She sat there
dazed and tired. Dad came back with a warm mug and she sat there
sipping it slowly. Dad perched next to her uncertainly on the edge
of the sofa, but Lucy felt as though he’d never been further away
from her.

‘
Look’ he said. ‘I’ve let you down. I know I have. It’s work
you see. I….’ Lucy said nothing. She looked down at her mug. ‘I’ll
get you to bed’ he said.

That night Lucy dreamt of waves, but could not see the
dolphins under them. Even the little dolphin seemed far away from
her.

The next morning was a Thursday. Lucy woke up stiffly. It was
bright in her room. She glanced at her clock. It was a quarter to
ten. She started from her bed and stumbled onto the landing. Dad
was coming upstairs.

‘
It’s okay Lucy’ he said. ‘I’ve called the school and told them
you’re not coming in today.’

‘
What about you?’ she squinted at him while her eyes
adjusted.

‘
Well I was going to call in sick’ said her Dad, ‘but in the
end I phoned my manager and got him to agree to me working from
home today. I won’t be working all day though’ he added. ‘Maybe we
can do something together this afternoon.’ Lucy looked
unenthusiastic.

Once he made her breakfast, Dad went upstairs to tap away at
his laptop in the spare bedroom. Lucy sat on the sofa, reading her
book, wondering what her class was doing at school and whether she
should still go in and join them. She wouldn’t speak to Dad, or say
anything more than she had to and every time he came close, she
shrunk away from him again. She just couldn’t believe he’d
forgotten about her the previous night. She kept thinking of Ben’s
keys, clanking on their chain, as she sat there in that draughty
half-dark room in the after-school club while she waited in vain
for her Dad to turn up. She thought about Dad standing in the hall
of Amy’s parent’s house, in his suit and overcoat, looking sad and
crumpled. She thought of Mr and Mrs Hodges’ disapproving faces. She
just wished she could get away from him. She wished that Bethany
was there to look after her.

The phone rang and she could hear her Dad upstairs talking to
some manager or other about the figures on a spreadsheet. Out in
the garden, she could see that it was raining and the sky was grey
and uninviting. It felt grey indoors as well. Even when Dad was at
home with her, he wasn’t really there. He was never really
there.

Lucy thought about the little dolphin and what had happened
only the night before last. It seemed so long ago now and she
started to doubt her own memories. She’d love to tell Dad all about
it, but she knew that she couldn’t. He’d just stand there looking
disapproving. He wouldn’t understand. He didn’t even want to let
her go and see Bethany in Cornwall over the half term. It wasn’t
fair. It just wasn’t fair.

Dad appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He rubbed his hands
together and put a carefully prepared smile on his face that
indicated to Lucy that he intended to be jolly.

‘
Right Lucy,’ he said ‘let’s have lunch and then do something
nice this afternoon.’

‘
Like what?’ asked Lucy unenthusiastically.

‘
Well, we could go for an ice-cream or go to the cinema or take
a walk or…...’ Lucy shrugged. She’d been engrossed in her book and
didn’t really want to do any of those things.

‘
I was thinking about seeing Amy after school
today.’

‘
Do you have to see her today?’ asked Dad uneasily. ‘It’s,
well…a bit embarrassing you know… after last night. How about the
ice-cream or cinema idea?’ he asked, forcing breezy optimism into
his voice. Lucy wasn’t really feeling too keen on spending time
with her Dad after the night before.

‘
Maybe…’ she said non-committaly. Dad didn’t look that
enthusiastic either. It seemed like he was just saying it because
he had to. Lucy wouldn’t mind going swimming with him, but she knew
he wouldn’t want to.

‘
Anyway,’ she added ‘it feels sort of funny to be going out and
doing stuff when all the other kids are at school. It’s not like
I’m sick or anything. Maybe someone will spot me and wonder what
I’m doing out during school hours….’

‘
Hm, yes,’ Dad agreed as he moved towards the kitchen, ‘I see
what you mean.’ Lucy had the feeling it didn’t take him much
persuading. ‘I’ll just rustle up some food and we can think about
it some more.’ Lucy knew that was the sign that he would let the
subject just slip quietly away unnoticed. She was glad to stay in
and remind herself that home actually was home, not just a cold
empty house with no lights on.

Whilst Dad clattered away in the kitchen, tidying up and
making lunch, she half closed her eyes and imagined the little
dolphin swimming through the endless waters of the salty ocean.
Sometimes the waters were a brilliant blue. More often the sea
where her dolphins swam was a soupy green colour and, when the rain
lashed down, sky and sea seemed to merge into one grey sheet of
water. She tried to will the dolphin into existence, to speak to
him, but really she knew that all she was doing was imagining him.
It wasn’t the same as it had been the morning before last. Then, it
felt more than a dream. It had been as though she were almost
there, swimming next to the dolphin as he swam away from the orcas.
She tried to stretch out with her mind and imagination, in the hope
that her own world would slip away and the watery world of the sea
would replace it.