Really Weird Removals.com (12 page)

I take a deep breath. Valentina starts eating again.

We got away with it. 

I hate lying to my mum, but if I think of the mermaids – the way we talked, their black eyes and blue skin, and that incredible seaweed hair…

No, I can't give up on the RWR. I just can't.

It’s been a beautiful Hebridean summer, with the sun shining, the sea blue-green and smooth. It’s now August – technically still summer, but we can feel the days getting fresher already. There’s a chilly wind blowing on the holiday makers, and people have started to cover up. Nonna Rina will be heading home to Italy soon. She’s been cooking up extra food and storing it in the freezer so there’s no danger we’ll starve during the next months.

Next week we’ll be back in school. Not Eilean Primary anymore: Adil and I will be starting high 
school. I’m a bit nervous about it, though since Camilla terrified Gary I’ve had no more trouble from him and his gang. Still, everything will be new.

There’ll be no more trips away with Uncle Alistair for a while. Mum and Dad say I must concentrate on my studies now. I suppose they’ve got a point, but I’m disappointed anyway.

Relishing our last week of freedom, Valentina and I head out for a morning wander and drop in on Donald down at the harbour. Valentina always hopes to find some weird creatures in the fishermen’s catch.

“Donald?”

“Yes, pet?”

“Have you ever seen a mermaid?”

I nudge her. She shouldn’t be talking about these things, in case people start to suspect there’s something not normal about RWR.

“No, not me. But a friend of my cousin, over in Castlebay, did. Well, he said he did. Willie Grant was his name. Wait a minute. He was a relation of yours, wasn’t he?”

“My dad’s uncle was called Willie. He died in the war.”

“Yes, that one. He used to See things. Some said he was a bit… you know, soft in the head. I suppose he should have stopped talking about those kind of things, because folk were laughing at him. But he kept trying to convince everyone that what he said was true. Mermaids, sea serpents, the lot. Sailor stories, you know? He was in the Navy…” Donald shrugs his shoulders.

Poor Willie Grant. Nobody believed him. He had nobody to share his gift with. 

I wonder if that’s why Dad has kept these stories from us. He didn’t want people to think our relatives were weird, or mad.

“Why, have you seen a mermaid?” Donald is teasing Valentina.

“No way, nothing like that!”

“No, not even a bit!” We laugh nervously.

“Never saw a mermaid in my life!” adds Valentina, just to make sure Donald is convinced.

“Neither have I. Or a… a…”

I freeze.

“
Luca
?” whispers Valentina, following my gaze. Then she gasps.

“Oh, look!” says Donald. “A seal. Isn’t she lovely?”

“Help me, Luca!” says the seal. But it’s not a seal. It’s a selkie.

I can’t speak, I can’t move a muscle. Surely the selkie knows that I can’t speak to her in front of Donald and the other sailors.

“Come down to the beach. I need help. Please…” she adds. Her eyes are amazing. A bit like the mermaids’, but blacker, softer.

“See you later, Donald. We’re going down to the beach for a bit,” chirps Valentina in a shrill voice. I still can’t speak.

“Right so, see you later.” He waves.

We run as fast as we can along the sand to the rock pools. There are a few children playing nearby, but we manage to find a secluded corner.

After a few minutes, the selkie emerges. She’s leaning on a rock, so we can only see half of her. 
She looks like a normal woman, with very black hair and very white skin. The thing that gives her away is her eyes. No human being has eyes as black and as shiny as that. Seal’s eyes.

“There you are. Hello, Luca, hello Valentina.”

“How do you know my name?” asks Valentina.

“I’ve seen you and your brother playing on the beach many times. I even spoke to your brother, once.”

“You never told me!” exclaims Valentina, outraged. “You saw a
selkie
and you never told me!”

“I wasn’t sure it had happened
for real
…” I protest. A shiver creeps down my spine, as I recall something that happened long ago, something uncertain, that I had chosen to forget…

One day, when I must have been about four years old, I think, we had a family picnic on the beach. It was chilly. Dad was there with us, which rarely happened, and that made the day stand out.

Mum and Dad were playing with Valentina, and I’d gone to explore the rock pools. I was looking at the little shrimps swimming about in the shallow water, when I felt someone watching me. Strange, I know, but I just felt it, somehow.

I lifted my head and saw a pair of black, liquid eyes gazing at me from the swell. At first I thought it was a seal, but then I saw her long black hair floating in the water, and her arms, crossed in front of her as she leant on a rock. We looked at each other for a bit in silence, then she spoke.

“What’s your name?”

“Luca. And yours?” 

“Mary Kenny.”

“Are you not cold?”

“No. The water feels great.” At that moment, someone stepped onto the rocks behind me. “I’ll see you again,
Luca
,” she whispered quickly, and disappeared into the sea, just like that – like it had all been a dream.

As she dived back, I saw her body.

It didn’t look right. It didn’t look
human
. I couldn’t make sense of it. And that meant although the strange woman was nice to me, I still felt scared. I never told anyone about what I saw, and I decided, without really thinking about it, to just forget it.

But it had happened.

“You’re Mary Kenny.” My voice sounds a bit croaky.

“You know each other?” gasps Valentina.

“From way back!” laughs Mary. “Can you See me too, Valentina? For what I am?”

“Yes. I’m lucky that way.”

“You’re lucky indeed. There are many wonders in this sea that most people will never be able to know…”

“I wish I could see
everything
!” says Valentina.

“You will. It’s in your eyes… you’ll unravel many mysteries,” smiles Mary.

“Yes,” Valentina agrees, perfectly confident as ever.

“I called to you because I need your help,” says Mary.

“Of course!” we say in unison.

“I need to come on land. I’ve lost something very precious to me.”

“Oh… What is it?” 

“My mother’s wedding ring. A wee boy has it. Euan McAnena.”

“Oh yeah. He’s our cousin. Everybody here is our cousin, in one way or another! Maybe even you,” says Valentina.

“Maybe. Euan collects treasures from the beach. Sometimes I help him. I leave shells in the rock pools where he can find them. And other things… things from the shipwrecks out at sea – golden coins and jewels…”

“Wow.” I can only begin to imagine what kind of treasures the sea hides. I feel a longing to visit the shipwrecks.

“Can he See you? Euan?”

“I’m not sure. Sometimes I stay for a bit, you know, watch him gathering the stuff I’ve left for him. A couple of times he’s looked at me… in a strange way. Like he knew it was me leaving him treasure. Like he knows I’m not just a seal. But he’s never spoken to me.”

“Why did he take your mum’s wedding ring?”

“He didn’t mean it. The ring slipped off my finger and fell among some little things I’d found for him. I only noticed when he was gone. Look.” She lifts her right hand and I spot a white mark around her ring finger.

“Right. How can we help you come on land?” Valentina sits cross-legged on a rock, a determined expression on her face. She has taken over.

“I need clothes…”

“Of course.”

“Also, I need help to hide my selkie skin. If I lose 
it, then I won’t be able to go back into the sea, and I couldn’t bear that!” Mary shudders.

“We can do that. We know somewhere very safe.” Valentina and I look at each other: we’re both thinking of Weird HQ.

“Thank you. And there’s something more…”

“Sure.”

“After I get my ring back, I plan to live on land for a while. But I’ve never been before. I was born in the sea. My mother never went on land either. I need somewhere to stay… someone to help me. I don’t know anything about your world.”

“That’s not a problem,” I say, with certainty. “We have this uncle, Alistair is his name. He can put you up. He has the Sight too, so you can tell him anything…”

“Are you sure? Can I trust him?” There is apprehension in her eyes. A whole new world for her to discover… She’s brave. If it was me thinking about living underwater, I’m not sure I could take the plunge.

“A hundred per cent,” says Valentina solemnly.

“Should you not ask him first?”

“We’ll go ask him right now. But believe me, he’ll be delighted. Are you ok with ghosts?”

“You mean people who’ve died? Yes, I’ve seen a few, out at sea. Mainly sailors.”

“That’s good. Because there’s a ghost living with him. Camilla. You’ll love her.”

“I’m sure I will.” Mary smiles.

“We’ll sort things out and be back tonight.” “Thank you. I’ll be forever grateful. Come anytime after dark. I’ll be waiting.” 

“This is the coolest thing that ever happened to me,” says Valentina as we walk towards Weird HQ.

“More than the fairies?”

“Yes.”

“More than the troll?”

“Definitely.”

“More than the mermaids?”

“Absolutely.”

“More than Camilla?”

“Mmmm… As cool as Camilla!”

“Uncle Alistair! It’s us!” we call, letting ourselves in.

Uncle Alistair is at his desk.

“Hi, we have something to tell you!”

He doesn’t reply.

“Uncle Alistair? Are you ok?”

“YES, YES, OF COURSE I’M OK!” he booms. He turns around. He looks terrible. He looks… sad.

“What happened?” asks Valentina.

“Oh well, it’s grown-up things really… You know, stuff goes on…” he has a huge bar of chocolate in his hand. He starts chomping it, looking like he’s a million miles away.

A glowing little shadow appears on the sofa beside him. It takes shape. It’s Camilla.

“Hi guys! Oh, Alistair…
Not again
…” she whispers, and snuggles up to him, her arms going through him.

“Can someone tell us what’s up?” says Valentina.

“Alistair is feeling down again,” sighs Camilla. 

“Oh, no!” says Valentina, and snuggles up too. There’s no way I’m snuggling anyone, so I just mutter, “I’m sorry…”

And then I see it, right in the centre of his desk. My grandparents’ photograph. They’re smiling; baby Alistair is in my granny’s arms and a toddler, my dad, is at their feet.

Poor Uncle Alistair.

“RIGHT! NO MORE BROODING!” he shouts, scrunching up the chocolate wrapper. “What did you have to tell me?”

“We spoke to a selkie, down at the beach. Mary Kenny,” I say.

“Oh! A selkie! Your great-great-grandmother Margaret Watson was one. Did you know?”

“See? I knew we must be related to her
too
!” Valentina smiles broadly.

“The Grants have a few interesting relations. I should really show you our family tree… But yes, back to your selkie. Tell me.”

“Mary asked for our help. She needs to get back her mother’s wedding ring. A boy called Euan McAnena took it by mistake.”

“I see. How is she planning to get it back?”

“No idea. She’s never been on land before. She’d like to stay for a while…”

“She can stay here,” says Uncle Alistair immediately. I smile. He has a heart of gold. “Not sure where she can sleep, though. My spare room is full of boxes. Righty-o, I’m off to Parson’s to get some furniture, then.”

“I’ll help,” I offer. 

“Come on, Camilla, we’re going to get some clothes for Mary from my mum’s wardrobe.” Valentina heads for the door.

“Sure!” Camilla twirls towards the ceiling in happiness.

“You can’t do that. If Isabella sees Mary dressed in her clothes, she’ll guess we took them,” points out Uncle Alistair. “We need to buy her some new stuff. There.” He hands her a small wad of notes.

“We’re on it.” Valentina is beaming.

“Ok then. Luca, you come with me to Parson’s. Valentina and Camilla, you hit the shops.”

Half an hour later we’re trying to fit a bed frame, a mattress, a pillow, a bedside table and a lamp into the van.

“Hi! What are you doing?” It’s Mum, walking down the main street with two bags of groceries.

“Sorting a room for a friend. Mary. She’s coming up from London. Starting afresh, a few hard times and all that,” explains Uncle Alistair.

“I’d love to meet her. Tell her she’s welcome to ours anytime.”

“Will do!”

“Is she moving up for good?”

“She’s not sure yet. Everything is… at sea, at the moment.” I stifle a smile. “Let’s just say she’s been in stormy waters, recently.” I can’t help laughing.

“Luca! That’s not funny, poor girl… Anyway, I’m off. Call if you need me.”

Somehow we manage to get everything into the van, although we have to drive very, very slowly.
Well, Uncle Alistair drives, while I walk beside him, checking that the mattress hanging out of the boot doesn’t fall down completely.

I think we can set things up so Mary will be happy on land.