Chapter 5
I felt for the red box, and reached under the bed. Lifting the lid, I found the address of the three girls. They must be sisters, living together. I guessed they were a bit older than Diamond and Rose, nowhere near my age. Probably thirteen or fourteen at least. I got out my notepaper and beautiful pen and started to write a short sweet message.
Dear Ellie, Jade and Olivia,
Thank you for your lovely presents. I, Diamond and little Rose Quartz, the two other girls, were very thankful for them. We ate some of the sweets, and had a few of them at night! The paper has come in handy, and we’re so glad to stay in touch with you three. Our performances that night were all right, and we’re all so touched that you like to watch us. We are in Aberdeen today, having performed in a parade for about two hours – it was so tiring! Next week, we are scheduled to move up to Mull, an island in the Hebrides because the landscape is so lovely and it is the perfect holiday season over there now, so Riel (our boss and head of the circus) thought we’d get some sell-out dates.
Where do you live? Are you on holiday? We would be really pleased if you’d care to keep in touch. I’ll send you a copy of the addresses and places we are travelling to. Do come and see us again!
Best wishes,
Sapphire, Diamond and Rose Quartz xxx
P.S: You did not meet all the girls in our tumbling act. Emerald, Gem, Topaz and Marble really look forward to seeing you.
I thought this a rather nice letter. I found the schedules and the different addresses, and slipped those in the purple envelope too. I copied their address down, and left it on my bedside table. I fell asleep, my eyes closing as soon as my head touched the soft pillow.
I posted the letter to Ellie, Jade and Olivia in the shiny red post box at the end of the small road, having bought some stamps in the corner shop. I really hoped they would reply, even though they had only seen us at one show, and we were only on for twenty minutes tops, including the grand finale at the end of the show.
Three days later, a pink envelope came in the post addressed to me, Diamond and Rose Quartz. It was a reply from Ellie and Jade and Olivia!
Dear Sapphire, Diamond and Rose Quartz [the letter said]
Thank you for your fantastic letter. This is not a long one, as we have been very busy. Jade went down with tonsillitis yesterday, and we have been trying to make her better. Her throat is rusty and she cannot speak at all, just a plain mouse squeak. She feels very poorly and has been sick too.
We all thoroughly enjoyed your circus show, and will promise to come again soon. We live in Berwick – on the border between England and Scotland, but today is the last day of our one-week holiday here in Aberdeen. Our grandparents live there, and we were visiting them.
Mum and Dad both need help with poor Jade, because she has been so much worse today. We do hope she gets better.
We hope you are all well, and look forward to meeting the other tumblers. What are they like?
Best wishes
Olivia and Ellie (and Jade) xxxx
I read this many times, sad at how ill poor Jade was. I decided to channel my bad feelings into one letter, post it and it might make me feel better about leaving the circus.
Dear Ellie, Olivia and poor Jade,
I sincerely hope you are feeling better, Jade. I was really sad to find out about your case of tonsillitis, which we have all had here at the circus. I found out it helps when you gargle lemon juice; you may try it if you think it will work. Riel, my boss, has told me I don’t have long until I have to leave. As I have worked here for six years, I do think he may have the grace to give me a leaving fee, but it appears not. Huh! I am saving up, and hope to rent an old flat or something. I hope it works out…
What are you up to?
We haven’t been busy, just practising each day apart from Sunday mornings, which are our mornings off each week. We made a new act, and we have been extra busy practising it each minute of the day.
You’ll like Topaz – she is very natural and carefree but kind, and never shows off about anything, or lies. She is lovely, and you’ll want to be her friend too.
Emerald is quite nice, although a bit shy and timid for my liking. She thinks she and Topaz are best friends, and although Topaz makes it clear to us that she doesn’t like her, Emerald sticks to her like a limpet.
Gem is great too, and always lets you practise with her, and helps you learn all the routines she knows. She is generous too, and buys us sweets or writing paper and envelopes when we run out of money.
I think you’ll like Marble too – she is really strong and sometimes jokes with the little kids that she can throw them right out of the ring. They all like her so much more than me. She calls me Sapphire Blue and says my eyes are ‘brilliant blue, sparkly and glittery’ although they are dull aquamarine, with just a tint of blue. I’m sure you’ll like the rest of the circus too – Madame Lilia and her eight fine horses are magic, and she sometimes lets you ride them, especially Chestnut or Chocolate, the young brown mares.
Riel is the circus master – he probably won’t bother with you, but he never takes any notice of anyone.
I think Robbie and Amelia will like you though – they always love showing their own acts off!
Hope you get better soon, Jade, from Sapphire xxx
Best wishes to Ellie and Olivia, from Sapphire xxx
I sent the letter, and I imagined it slipping into the post box with modesty and grace, twirling down and landing on top of all the other envelopes and small parcels.
As I walked across the one road I had to cross, a red car pulled straight out in front of me, and I screamed loudly as it didn’t stop at the crossing. The driver can’t have seen me, but I saw the car. I was already four steps onto the crossing when it came … and the next moment, all I saw was black. The black sharpened, and turned to blurry, fuzzy grey. My mind went completely blank. But there was one thing I could feel. A sharp, searing pain in my lower leg. After I recovered consciousness, I put out my hands weakly to touch it, but as soon as I did, the searing pain came back, and I screamed in pain.