Jessie's Ghosts

by Penny Garnsworthy

  ‘Sorry,’ Harmony whispered, ‘I couldn’t see you.’

  ‘It’s okay – and we don’t have to whisper anymore. Did you see the portrait?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Harmony said as they turned to walk back to the bedroom, ‘I saw it. And that’s why I ran into you. I guess I didn’t really believe you when you told me about it, but now that I’ve seen it for myself … well ...’

  ‘I’m glad you saw it and heard the voices. They may not have woken you, but I’m not a heavy sleeper and I can’t stand this much longer. There has to be a way to stop them.’

  ‘I think it’s kind of cute they talk like that.’

  ‘But what about Harold and the remorse he’s feeling?’

  ‘He’s dead, Jessie. What difference does it make?’

  ‘Well, I’m sure it makes a difference to him, and I want to find a way to make his remorse go away.’

  Harmony yawned. ‘Yeah, well, can you do it tomorrow? I’m beat.’

  Nanna came into Jessie’s bedroom as the girls were waking up.

  ‘Harmony, your mum just called. She’s going into town and wondered if we’d like a lift. I wouldn’t mind picking up a few things so I said we’d go with her.’

  Fleur’s car came bouncing down the drive, leaving a trail of dust behind it. Nanna got in the front and Jessie and Harmony in the back. Nanna asked Fleur if she could drop her at the supermarket.

  ‘No problem, Ruth. I needed to meet with the exhibition co-ordinator, and since I’ve just about completed the four paintings I plan to show this was a good opportunity to talk about their placement at the gallery. I wondered too if you’d be interested in helping out during the exhibition.’

  ‘Me?’ said Nanna, her voice sounding a little concerned, ‘what could I do?’

  ‘I thought about a public relations type role. You know, just talking to the customers, showing people through the gallery, that sort of thing. It’s only a small space and they won’t be expecting hosts of visitors. What do you say?’

  ‘I think I might enjoy that,’ Nanna said, sounding brighter. ‘When would you need me?’

  ‘The exhibition isn’t for another three weeks yet so you’d have plenty of time to brush up on your knowledge of art.’

  ‘Which is practically nothing,’ Nanna said and laughed.

  ‘Never mind,’ Fleur responded, ‘a lot of people don’t understand art and those of us that do have different interpretations. It’s all very individual. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.’

  Jessie found it too hard to concentrate on her own thoughts with the conversation going on in the front seat of the car. Finally she said, ‘You should do it, Nanna, I wish I was going to be here for it.’

  ‘I don’t,’ muttered Harmony, ‘I’ve seen it all before.’

  ‘Well, Jessie, since it’s on a weekend,’ Nanna said, ignoring Harmony’s comment, ‘Perhaps Sarah could drive you down and the two of you could come to the exhibition. Fleur, could we take a look at the gallery this morning, and I’ll pick up my groceries on the way home?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘That’d be great!’ said Jessie.

  CHAPTER 10

  Fleur parked the car behind a small rounded building that had a big sign GALLERY over the door. Inside the full length windows Jessie could see all sorts of colourful pottery vases and teapots and as they entered the front door a bell chimed.

  A lady wearing a ‘Nancy’ name badge came up to them and smiled. Fleur spoke to her as if they were friends and introduced Harmony and then Nanna and Jessie.

  ‘Is Michael here yet?’ Fleur asked.

  ‘Yes, he’s in the back. Just go through.’

  Jessie and Harmony wandered through some metal sculptures, trying to guess what each one was. Nanna was way behind, studying some colourful glassware as the girls found their way to the paintings.

  There were all sorts of paintings in here, some were landscapes that looked exactly like the countryside around Nanna’s and Jessie thought she understood them quite well. But others were portraits of people or still objects like fruit and flowers, and still others were more like Fleur’s - bright colours but a little difficult to identify.

  ‘Do you like any art?’ Jessie said to Harmony.

  ‘Mum’s is okay I guess. But like she said in the car, we each have different ideas about it.’

  ‘Do you like our paintings, girls?’ Nancy asked as she came up behind her.

  ‘Some of them,’ Jessie replied, ‘but some I don’t really understand.’

  Nancy smiled and whispered, ‘Either do I’, and wandered away.

  Jessie found herself lost in thought as she stared at the paintings and remembered the portrait in the hall at Nanna’s. It was a real problem. Those voices were going to keep waking her up at night - but worse than that, Harold was never going to get his peace unless she could communicate with him. But how?

  She couldn’t speak - because even a cough had silenced them. So how could she tell Harold that it was all okay and that he didn’t have to keep talking about it and making himself sad?

  Maybe she could write something, a note perhaps and leave it in the hall for them to read. No, that wouldn’t work, how would they see it in the dark?

  Her thoughts were interrupted by Nancy again who said she had a special treat for them both.

  ‘What is it?’ Jessie asked.

  ‘Well, it’s a new style of painting. By a local artist. He had this idea you see, that it’s a shame paintings can only be viewed during daylight. So he decided to paint something that could be seen at night. He’ll be showing some paintings when Fleur is exhibiting - except his paintings will be shown outside the building, in the dark.

  ‘Why would anyone want to look at paintings in the dark?’ Harmony asked.

  ‘You’ll see,’ said Nancy. ‘Jessie, I understand you might try to be here for the exhibition – but just in case I thought you might like to see a couple of these special paintings now.’

  ‘Okay,’ said Jessie, as she and Harmony followed Nancy into a back room and watched as she pulled two paintings out of a rack and laid them on the ground up against the wall. They looked like any ordinary paintings; one was of a fancy dining room, with an ornate chandelier and a really long dining room table, covered in plates of delicious looking food. Jessie counted twelve chairs around the table but there weren’t any people in them.

  The other painting was of an old fashioned horse and carriage, on a country road. Again, there were no people in the painting.

  ‘As you can see, Jessie, both paintings have something in common.’

  Jessie stared at them both for a few seconds and then said, ‘There aren’t any people in them.’

  ‘That’s right. They’re part of an exhibition could Luminesque’.

  ‘So where are the people?’ Harmony asked.

  ‘Well, that’s the surprise, Harmony. Now I’m going to turn off the lights, just for a minute, and you both look at the paintings very carefully.’

  The lights went out and suddenly it was as if the paintings came to life. Jessie could barely make out the dining room table now, but she could see people seated all around it. She counted twelve, six women in formal full-length gowns, in a variety of colours and six men in black suits with white shirts and bowties. And they all held drinks in their hands.

  Harmony was looking at the other painting - the carriage was just a shadow, but now there was a driver, and four passengers behind him in the carriage, also in formal dress, as if they were on their way to the dinner.

  ‘Wow,’ she said, ‘this is cool!’

  ‘Yes, I thought you’d like them,’ Nancy said as she flicked the light back on. ‘It really is a most unusual method of painting. I certainly hope he’s successful. So now, even if you can’t be here for the exhibition you’ll have an idea of what we’ll be showing.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Jessie, her lips pursed as her mind went into overdrive.

  ‘Not bad,’ said Harmony as they walked b
ack through the pottery and out into the street.

  ‘And,’ Jessie said, ‘I think I can use this, to help my ancestors.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Well, my ancestors only come alive in the dark, right?’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘And these lu-min-es, whatever they’re called paints only show up in the dark, right?’

  ‘Yeah, so?’

  ‘So, maybe my ancestors would be able to see the lu-min-es, whatever it is, paint. Don’t you get it?’

  Harmony shrugged. ‘Not really. Are you going to buy one of these paintings?

  Jessie shook her head in frustration as Nanna and Fleur appeared beside them. ‘Well, what did you think of the gallery, girls?’ Fleur asked.

  ‘It’s okay I guess,’ said Harmony.

  Fleur creased her brow. ‘And you, Jessie?’

  ‘I thought it was great!’

  Fleur smiled.

  ‘And what about those luminescent paintings?’ Nanna said, ‘weren’t they unusual?’

  ‘Weird,’ replied Harmony.

  ‘Fantastic,’ said Jessie as they followed Fleur and Nanna back to the car.

  ‘You’re been very quiet back there Jessie,’ Nanna said as Fleur dropped them at the house, ‘Are you okay sweetie?’

  ‘Yep. Just thinking, Nanna.’

  ‘Are you having a good time?’

  ‘I’m having a great time.’

  After lunch Jessie took a walk through the fruit trees and idly picked a peach she thought looked pink enough to eat.

  What if I could give Harold and great-grandmother a message they could see in the dark? she wondered as she took a bite. But the peach was sour and she grimaced and threw it down on the ground.

  What if I got some of that paint, like in those Lumi… whatever paintings, and painted them a message on the wall? But of course I couldn’t do that, Nanna would freak. And what would I write anyway?

  Deep in thought, she wandered back to the house, said goodbye to Nanna and walked across to Fleur’s house. Maybe I could ask Fleur about it, maybe I could paint something myself …

  Fleur was packing some paintings into the car. Jessie assumed Harmony would be at the computer, emailing her dad, or Kurt.

  ‘Did you see anything you liked at the gallery? You sounded quite impressed.’

  ‘Yeah, I really liked those Lumi-nes … paintings.’

  ‘Luminesque.’

  ‘Yeah, that’s right. They kind of glow in the dark.’

  ‘Yes, David Mahoney’s work. He’s a wonderful artist - like me he moved down here from the city. He said that one night he was lying in bed, unable to sleep. Apparently he’d been having a problem with a current work in progress. So he decided to get up and go to his studio. And as he walked down the hall he remembered thinking how wonderful it would be to be able to see his art at night, without turning the lights on, just like in daylight.

  ‘So, he got on the Internet that night and found a supplier selling luminescent paints, and ordered them in a dozen different colours. He’s already sold quite a few and when I was asked to exhibit at the gallery here in town, I suggested David might like to exhibit with me. My paintings will be indoors, his will be outdoors with lighting that will go on and off during the evening. It will certainly be a first for the town, we’re both really excited about it.’

  ‘So what is lumines …?’

  ‘Luminescent paint has particles in it that absorb light and this causes them to glow in the dark. It’s used quite a lot in products, for example, they paint strips of it on life jackets so that if you are stranded at sea at night, you are able to be seen.’

  Suddenly Jessie had an idea. What if she painted a whole painting and put a message in the painting - in luminescent paint, that only great-grandmother and Harold could see at night?

  ‘Fleur, would you teach me to paint?’

  Fleur smiled. ‘I’d love to teach you Jessie, but you’re only here for another couple of days. Maybe next time you visit Nanna we could start lessons straight away.’

  CHAPTER 11

  Jessie thought her heart would beat right out of her chest. Panic gripped her. She had to do this painting, she just had to.

  ‘Do you think we could just do one painting together - something really simple?’ she said, her eyes pleading, ‘I’d really like to leave Nanna something.’

  ‘To remind her of you?’ Fleur asked.

  Jessie felt her face flush. ‘Yes!’ she said.

  Fleur smiled again. ‘Well okay then. You’ve been such a good friend to Harmony, how can I say no. So, what would you like to paint?’

  ‘I … don’t know … but can we use those luminescent paints?’

  ‘Well, I don’t have any Jessie - but I suppose I could get some tomorrow. Don’t you want to paint a normal painting though?’

  ‘Yeah, but I’d really like to put some of that luminescent paint in it. Just to be different.’

  Fleur laughed. ‘Okay then. Why don’t we do a simple painting this afternoon and when I go back into town in the morning I’ll get a couple of tubes of luminescent paint and we can put the finishing touches on it tomorrow afternoon. How does that sound?’

  ‘Perfect,’ Jessie said, as she pictured her own painting in Nanna’s hall, with a luminescent message on it, and smiled to herself.

  By mid afternoon, Fleur and Jessie had painted a lovely country farmhouse, complete with lace curtains, a big open verandah and a chimney, with a cottage garden out front. The garden was a sea of colours - pinks, reds, yellows, blues, the sort of colours Fleur loved and a cottage garden Jessie thought Nanna would like. And painting with Fleur had taught Jessie a little bit about shapes, colours and perspective. Now she thought she might even be able to see what was in all those paintings inside Fleur’s house.

  Jessie was just filling in the pathway from the house to the gate when Harmony appeared beside her.

  ‘There’s only so many computer games you can play on your own, you know,’ Harmony said, ‘are you two going to be all afternoon?’

  ‘We’re just about done, Harmony,’ said Fleur, ‘Look, isn’t it lovely?’

  ‘Yeah, I guess,’ said Harmony as she looked at the painting one way and then tilted her head to the left.

  ‘Tomorrow, how about we put a couple of people into the painting, Jessie? Using the luminescent paints?’

  ‘Yeah, that’d be great,’ Jessie said as she stood back to admire the painting.

  ‘It’s not the best I’m afraid, Jessie, given that we only have limited time. But I’m pleased with it - I’m sure your Nanna will love it.’

  Jessie beamed. ‘I really enjoyed doing this Fleur. Next time I come to Nanna’s can you teach me some more.’

  ‘I’d love to,’ Fleur replied, ‘Now, let’s get packed up and I’ll see you same time tomorrow?’

  ‘Thanks, Fleur. Thanks heaps.’

  ‘Why did you want to do that painting?’ Harmony asked irritably as she and Jessie went back into the house.

  ‘Because I had an idea. What if I painted a message on the painting, in the luminesc … ent paint, and then my ancestors could see it at night, in the hall?’

  Harmony looked impressed. ‘That just might work. You won’t see it during the day but then it will really stand out at night. But how are you going to stop your Nanna from seeing it?’

  Jessie frowned. ‘I don’t know, I’ve been thinking about that. All I know is that I have to give Harold the message. I’ll worry about the painting later. If I have to,’ she stated, ‘I’ll destroy it so nobody will ever know.’

  That night Jessie closed her door so that she wouldn’t be woken by the voices, but even so she still heard Harold’s pleading voice in the middle of the night and crossed her fingers that the message that she was composing in her mind would ease Harold’s guilt.

  ‘I hope your mum is able to get those paints,’ Jessie said to Harmony, as they walked amongst Nanna’s fruit trees.

  ‘If anyone knows about paints,
it’s mum.’

  ‘But what if she can’t get them? What if the shop doesn’t have any? What if …’

  ‘Oh, stop stressing. Mum always says that what’s meant to be, will be.’

  ‘I guess.’

  Nanna had provided lunch for the girls and made sure she catered for Harmony, with fresh salad sandwiches. Jessie said she’d have the same.

  ‘That was really nice,’ Harmony said as she finished the last mouthful of her sandwich, ‘I didn’t know you guys were vegetarians too.’

  ‘We’re not,’ said Jessie, ‘But we still eat salad sandwiches.’

  ‘I only eat vegetarian when I’m with mum and it’s so boring. At home we have steak and chicken, and all that. Dad even takes me to Hungry Jacks and MacDonalds. He says he can’t live without meat. I often wonder if that’s why my parents split up.’

  Nanna looked shocked. ‘I’m sure that wasn’t the reason, Harmony. There are lots of reasons men and women don’t get along. But in any case, next time you come to visit I’ll be sure to make some ham sandwiches.’

  ‘Do you think that had anything to do with their split, though?’

  ‘Oh, look,’ Nanna said brightly, ignoring Harmony’s question, ‘I think your mum is home.’

  ‘Great,’ said Jessie, ‘we have a painting to finish.’

  ‘And there’s another car pulling up as well.’

  Harmony raced to the window.

  ‘It’s my dad. What’s he doing here? He’s not due to pick me up until tomorrow. Let’s go!’

  ‘I see what you mean,’ Nanna whispered to Jessie as she followed Harmony out the back door.

  ‘I so hope your mum was able to get those paints,’ Jessie said as rushed to keep up.

  ‘Yeah, whatever. I’m more interested in finding out why my dad’s here.’

  When they arrived Fleur was out front holding the painting they had produced the day before. Harmony’s dad was standing off to the side, moving his weight from one leg to the other, and looking out of place in a suit and tie.

  ‘Hi dad,’ said Harmony as she went up to him and they hugged, ‘why are you early?’