Seven for a Secret Never to be Told

The next day Mia was quiet at school. She couldn’t get the day dream she’d had in the bath out of her head. And what about the icicle? She was beginning to wonder if she’d imagined it. To make matters worse she hadn’t even got to talk to her mum as the connection was down. Safi had asked her what was wrong but she just shrugged. She felt guilty about that. Maybe she should have told him. He was her friend after all.

That night she sat at the table in the back room trying to finish her homework but she was thinking about what had happened in the bath the night before. She held the wooden token she and Safi had found and traced the carving of the magpie with her finger.

Mia’s Nan was in the garden having a cup of tea with Miss Jaggers who had brought a pile of old photographs of the village for Mia’s Nan to go through. They were organising a history group open night in the church hall. Mia could hear their voices drifting in from the garden.

‘Old Mr Bassett had a bad night on Sunday,’ Mia’s Nan was telling Miss Jaggers. ‘Poor chap has nightmares. He kept ringing his buzzer. I didn’t know whether I was coming or going. Thing is he was waking up some of the other old folk. I didn’t even manage to sit down in my break.’

‘Bassett? Bassett? That name rings a bell,’ said Miss Jaggers. ‘Is that Bobby Bassett?’

‘That’s the one, do you know him?’

‘Well if it’s who I’m thinking of I do. He used to live in the High Street a long time ago. His wife was lovely. A bit loud. Canadian!’ she added as if that explained her loudness. ‘Yes I remember now. Bobby Bassett was a village lad. I don’t remember him very well I think he had a brother, but they were a lot older than me. His whole family upped sticks and immigrated to Canada when he was a teenager. He came back to the village about 20 years later with a wife and a couple of kids…’ she sighed. ‘Well I never…Bobby Bassett. Always had the weight of the world on his shoulders that boy.’

Mia had an idea. She stood up quickly and went into the garden.

‘Hello young lady,’ said Miss Jaggers as Mia came out into the evening sunshine.

‘Are you stuck on your homework?’ asked Mia’s Nan. She took a sip from the mug of tea she cradled in her hand.

‘No, I…um, sorry to interrupt but I was wondering if Miss Jaggers knows what this is?’ She offered Miss Jagger the wooden disc to examine.

‘Oo…what’s this? Let me get my glasses on.’ She rummaged in her large hand bag and produced a pair of snazzy red reading spectacles. She put them on and Mia gave her the token.

She examined it very carefully, turning it over several times. Mia explained what she thought the images were.

‘…and where did you find it?’ asked Miss Jaggers.

‘Over in the field by the willow trees.’

‘In the corner of the field?’

‘Yeah, where the ground slopes down. Bear found it really, he was digging in an old badger hole.’ Bear, who was half asleep on the grass gently thumped his tail on the ground at the mention of his name.

‘Well, there is something familiar about it.’ said Miss Jaggers rubbing her chin. ‘Can I take a photo of it? I can ask my brother. He lives in Spain but we chat every week. He might be able to jog my memory.’ She handed it back to Mia. ‘…and you say you found it by the willows on the field?’

‘Yes. In the dip.’

‘That’s where we used to play as kids,’ smiled Miss Jaggers as she unzipped a side pocket in her bag and took out her mobile. ‘That’s where the lake was we used to swim in, -though I suppose it was really a large pond. We called it the bather.’ She found the camera app on her phone. ‘Now Mia if you put the talisman on the table I’ll take a few pictures of both sides and we’ll decide which ones to send.’

‘What’s a talisman?’ asked Mia as she placed it on the table.

‘It’s like a lucky charm,’ said Mia’s Nan.

‘And the place we found it…it’s where your bather lake was?’ Mia asked. Miss Jaggers finished taking pictures of the token and nodded.

‘Yes. It sounds like it from your description. We played there after the war, that’s the Second World War I’m talking about Mia. Although the lake was filled in during the 1950’s. That small slope with the bent willow trees where you found the talisman is all that’s left.’ Mia’s gaze moved to the garden table. It was covered in photographs of men and women wearing clothes from older times and streets and buildings she thought she recognised.

‘Are there any photos of our house or our lane here?’ asked Mia.

‘There are some photos of around this area Mia,’ said her Nan, ‘when Miss Jaggers and I have sorted them I’ll put them aside for you to see. In the meantime haven’t you got some homework to do?’

‘I’ve done it. Well almost…can I ring Safi? Please Nan.’ Mia did her best pleading expression. Her Nan tutted but nodded.

‘Thanks for taking the pictures Miss Jaggers. I really hope your brother recognises it.’ But before Miss Jaggers could answer Mia had run back into the house to call Safi.