In today’s episode we read Chapter 12 – A Special Guest -in which Magpie and Lucas entertain someone very special at Carnifex House, and Magpie gets some devastating news.
Brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.
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Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com
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FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 12 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.
In our previous episode, Magpie had a scary experience at the Lark Festival in a vision in which she was crowned the Skye Lark Belle.
In today’s episode we read Chapter 12 – A Special Guest - in which Magpie and Lucas entertain a very special visitor.
Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.
Lucas expertly flips the egg in the pan just as the toaster pops.
“Like clockwork!” says Magpie, walking into the kitchen, “I’m ravenous and that smells amazing!”
“So, when you say “like clockwork”, are you referring to the timing of the toaster and egg flip, or are you referring to you walking into the kitchen at the exact moment that breakfast is ready?” he asks, leaning over and giving her a teasing poke in the arm.
“A Little bit of both?” she replies, winking.
“What time does your mom arrive again?” he asks, placing a heaping plate of food in front of Magpie and filling her mug with hot, dark coffee.
“She’s taking the 9 o’clock ferry, so she should be here around 10:30 or 11 depending on the weather!” says Magpie, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.
They wrap up their breakfast and Lucas heads out to tend to Cormorant while Magpie does the washing up. She puts the dishes away and starts slowly walking through the house room by room, ensuring everything is perfect for her mother’s arrival. She smiles at the fresh wildflower bouquet sitting in a vase by the living room window, Manon had brought it over the previous evening before she and Alfred left town to visit their son Julien in Paris for the week. “I’m very sorry we will not get to meet your mother, if she is anything like you, she must be a wonderful lady,” she had said, handing the flowers to Magpie.
Now Magpie walks upstairs to check on the guest bedroom. The floral print of the handmade comforter on the antique four-poster bed brightens up the room. The late summer sun filters through the suncatcher hanging in the window, casting a rainbow onto the hardwood floor. Magpie had ventured into Crake’s Odd’s n’ Ends looking for the perfect finishing touch for the room, and as Mr. Crake had told them on the very first day, he had exactly what she needed. Magpie is placing a small vase of daisies on the nightstand when she hears the sound of the back door.
“Cormorant is all good,” says Lucas as Magpie walks into the room. “How are we doing for time?” he asks, pulling off his rubber boots and fixing his socks.
Magpie glances at the clock. “It’s 10:20 already, I suppose she could be here any minute!” she says. Right on cue, the sound of a car coming down the lane sends her heart pitter-pattering. Magpie races to the front door and watches the car come to a stop just a few yards away. She races outside, barefoot, and gets to the car just as her mom steps out. They fall into each other’s arms, laughing and crying at the same time, talking over each other excitedly.
“It’s been so long I – “ “How was your tri-“ “Oh sorry you go ah-“ “Oops, you go fir-“
They giggle and finally Magpie takes the lead. “How was your trip?” she asks.
“Long, and a little lonely, but good,” replies Mrs. Phaeton before glancing over Magpie’s shoulder, “Lucas! Oh my, you’ve turned into a grown man over the summer!” she exclaims.
At this Lucas blushes slightly, “It’s nice to see you Mrs. Phaeton,” he says.
“Please, call me Danielle. We’ve known each other long enough, and Mrs. Phaeton makes me feel older than my years if I’m being honest,” she says warmly.
“Come see the house!” says Magpie, grabbing her mother by the hand and pulling her along. “It’s lovely mom, it’s got so much history, wait ‘til you see the stone walls, and the wooden beams!” Magpie starts rattling off all her favourite things about Carnifex House as they walk toward the door, Lucas trailing behind with a suitcase in each hand.
“It’s unfortunate the caretakers are out of town!” says Mrs. Phaeton, walking into the living room.
“They planned their trip months ago, and they were very sorry they wouldn’t get to meet you. In fact, Manon brought this bouquet of flowers over last night just for you,” replies Magpie.
Mrs. Phaeton looks at the flowers and smiles, “It looks like you’ve really settled in here.”
“It’s strange mom, I just feel at home here. I don’t really understand it, but I feel like I’m supposed to be here,” says Magpie.
“Sometimes we feel pulled toward something and it’s not our job to question it. That’s how I felt about moving to Pocket, about that farmhouse specifically… and look what happened, it turns out we are related to the people who built it!” Mrs. Phaeton heaves a sigh, “I don’t have all the answers, but if you feel drawn to this place then you should stay here. I can’t say it’ll be easy to live so far apart though…” at this Mrs. Phaeton gets a sad, nostalgic look on her face. She walks over to Magpie and holds her tightly in her arms. “You are not my baby anymore; you’ve got your wings and now it’s your turn to fly. I am so very proud of you,” she says, causing Magpie to blink back tears. They sit by the fireplace and chat, catching up on an entire summer’s worth of adventures, as the hours trickle by.
“Okay, Cormorant is settled in for the night, shall we go have dinner?” asks Lucas, walking in from the dining room.
“Always thinking about food this one,” says Mrs. Phaeton, pointing her thumb sideways at Lucas, “some things never change!” At this the three of them laugh.
“How is it dinner time already?!” exclaims Magpie.
“Time flies, my beautiful bird!” says her mom affectionately as they gather their things and walk out the door.
The Red Kite Café is alive with music and chatter, nearly every table occupied. Magpie, Lucas, and Mrs. Phaeton sit outside on the patio, the sound of the waves crashing into the concrete wall across the street the perfect soundtrack to their dinner.
“What in the world is Cullen Skink?!” asks Mrs. Phaeton, glancing at the menu with her brow furrowed. Magpie and Lucas exchange a look and break out in laughter.
“We asked the same question on our first day here!” says Lucas before launching into an explanation. They sit outside chatting about their respective adventures and enjoying the view, the sounds, and the amazing food, before heading back up to Carnifex House.
“This will be your room for the week,” says Magpie, showing her mom into the guest room, “Just let me know if you need anything at all.”
Mrs. Phaeton enters the room and sits down on the bed, patting the empty space next to her. Magpie walks over and sits next to her mother.
“Magpie, there’s something I have to tell you,” she says, looking deeply in Magpie’s eyes. Magpie instantly feels a heaviness forming in the pit of her stomach. “It’s about your dad…” Mrs. Phaeton’s voice trails off. She takes a deep breath before continuing. “I got a phone call a couple of weeks ago from an old mutual friend. He was able to contact me when he saw an advertisement for my gallery exhibit after doing an online search. Honey, I’m so sorry, but your father passed away 3 weeks ago. I wanted to wait until we were together to tell you.”
Magpie sits, staring at her mom, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Her dad had left them when she was a baby. She’d never received a birthday card, or gift for the holidays, or even a phone call, not a single one! So… why does she feel so devastated?
“What happened?” she asks, her voice trembling.
“Apparently he had been quite ill the past several years,” says her mother quietly. “I never kept in touch with him after he left us. The truth is, the thought of being in contact with him hurt too much. I never stopped loving him. It’s hard to move on from your first real, true love. We were young, we made mistakes, I said things I shouldn’t have said, some really awful things. Then I told him to leave and never come back…and he did just that.” She pauses, a faraway look in her eyes. “I’m not excusing him. He should have been there for you. But I can see why he didn’t want to be with me.” Now tears are streaming down Mrs. Phaeton’s cheeks too. “What I’m trying to say is, we all made mistakes back then, Magpie. My one regret is letting so much time go by without reaching out to make amends. Which brings me to this…” Mrs. Phaeton reaches into her pocket and pulls out an envelope. “Your dad left this letter for you. There was one for me, too. His friend shipped them to me in London so I could give it to you in person.”
Magpie holds the plain white envelope in her hand. She runs her finger over the letters of her name written on the front in block letters.
“You should read it in a quiet, private place when you feel ready,” says Mrs. Phaeton gently.
Magpie nods solemnly as she stands up and walks to the doorway. “Thanks mom,” she says, “I love you. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight my beautiful bird. I love you too,” says her mom solemnly before turning off the light.
Magpie watches as darkness washes over the room, the letter from the father she never knew clutched tightly in her hand.
Thank you so much for listening. Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 13, Love, Dad – in which Magpie reads a letter from her estranged father.
Before I go, I’d like to thank Phaeton Starling Publishing for this fantastically eerie story, as well as Cannelle for composing eerie, mood-setting music for this podcast.
If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating or a review, they’re both greatly appreciated. You can also support my work through a donation via your podcast provider or by subscribing to my Patreon where you get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, writing, recipes, and more! Checks the show notes for links.
Thank you.
