“Hold, please, you’ll need the trunk operator to ring that.”
There was silence for the longest time. Then another operator came on the line. “I’m sorry, the number is not answering. The lines may be down. Please try again later.”
Molly sighed, returned the phone to its cradle, and watched the candle on the desk burn down to a mass of wax. It was quite dark outside now, what with the gas streetlamps no longer being lit. She obviously could not travel to Cornwall tonight. And she had no idea where her father had gone, or if he was even alive.
Molly needed someone to talk to. And perhaps she knew just the person.
Parallel Conditions
A faraway clock tower struck the hour. Charlie looked up at the murky sky as he turned down the familiar alley. He had made up his mind to tell Ignatius Oliver that he was one of the lads who had left Eddie and the policeman dead. He didn’t know if Oliver would call the constables on him or not. He hoped not. But he could not keep this inside himself any longer. And he couldn’t tell his gran. He didn’t want to see the crushing disappointment on her face. Charlie wasn’t sure he could survive that.
He stopped as soon as he saw her. “M-Miss?”
Molly turned to look at him as she stood by The Book Keep’s dirty window.
“Charlie? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to ask Mr. Oliver somethin’. What are you doin’ here?”
“I have some letters I want him to read.”
“How’d you get here?” he asked.
“I took a taxi.”
“You shouldn’t be out alone at night.”
“And you should?” she retorted.
He waved this off. “I can take care of myself. But you’re quite different.”
“Because I’m a girl?”
“No, because you don’t know the ways of the city no more.”
“Well, as you can see, I made it here just fine,” she said with spirit. Then she put her hand in her pocket and held up the half crown. “You’re going to take this.”
“No, Miss.”
“If you don’t, I’ll throw it in the gutter drain over there.”
“You wouldn’t do that!” said a shocked Charlie.
“Watch me!”
Charlie slowly reached out, took the coin, and put it in his pocket. Then he tried the doorknob but it was locked.
“What happened to the door?” asked Molly, suddenly noticing the repaired damage.
“Dunno,” lied Charlie. “And he put the bell on the outside.”
“It says to ring it for service. Even though the closed sign is out the lights are on, so let’s do so.”
Charlie tinkled the bell and waited. Presently, through a crack in the drawn curtains, they saw Oliver come out from behind the counter. He walked quickly over and unlocked the door.
“Molly, Charlie, what an unexpected pleasure. Please, come in.”
They did so.
“It’s quite late. Is anything wrong?”
They shook their heads.
“Would you like some tea?”
They both shook their heads once more.
Oliver looked at his front window and said, “Here I am, an air warden, and I haven’t pulled my blackout curtains all the way. I should give myself a notice-of-light-showing card.” He pulled them fully shut before turning back to the pair. “Now, what can I do for you?”
Molly looked at Charlie. “Would you like to go first?”
“No, you go on ahead,” he replied in haste.
Molly took out the letters and explained to Oliver what they were and her mother’s being in a sanatorium in Cornwall. She glanced nervously at Charlie as she did so, her cheeks turning slightly red with this admission.
“Perhaps you could read them and provide some advice,” suggested Molly.
“If I can be of assistance, but I’m certainly no doctor.”
He put on his specs, took out the letters, arranged them, and read the missives from first to last while Charlie and Molly looked on.
Finished, he put the correspondence back in their respective envelopes and passed them over to Molly. He took off his specs and wiped them on his sleeve.
“It does seem serious, Molly. Again, while I’m not a doctor, my brother is. Thus, I have heard the terms ‘social phobia’ and ‘neurosis.’ They can be quite difficult to overcome. And with any illness of the mind it’s not as simple as taking a teaspoon of castor oil or wrapping one’s hand with a bandage.”
“But she could get better?”
“Oh, certainly. I don’t know exactly what sorts of treatment they are referring to but I’m sure they are taking her best interests into account. Now, what does your father think of all this?”
Molly glanced at Charlie to see him staring earnestly at her.
She looked back at Oliver and said slowly, “He... he is very concerned as well. He has been in constant contact with Dr. Stephens, as you saw from the letters. He went out to Cornwall to take my mother there and has visited her often.”
“Then I’m not sure exactly what it is you want me to help you with. He’s in a far better position to answer all of your questions or take any needed action.”
“The fact is, my father is consumed with work at the Ministry of Food. He sometimes doesn’t come home at night. I felt that if I could relieve him of that burden, then it would make things better.”
Oliver frowned and shook his head. “You’re quite young to be relieving your father of such a responsibility, Molly. For instance, no doctor would take direction from you with regard to your mother’s treatment. I’m not sure they would even discuss the case with you.”
“I am her daughter!” Molly replied heatedly. “And I’m not a child. I’m quite nearly sixteen.”
“And if it were up to me, I would tell you everything about her condition. But, unfortunately, it is not up to me. And if my elder brother is any indication, members of the medical profession can be quite patronizing to members of the fairer sex.”
Molly’s spirits dipped. “But do you think it’s possible that I could visit her?”
“I’m sure if there is a way to do so, your father will arrange it and go with you.”
Molly said slowly, “The thing is, he is very busy. Days go by when I don’t see my father at all. I don’t think that it’s possible that he will be able to get away.”
“Perhaps you can ring them?” suggested Oliver.
“I tried but the line was not working.”
“Yes, that does happen very often now. But I’m not sure what I can do.”
“Is it such a long trip to Cornwall?” said Molly.
“Fairly long, yes. Oh, it’s the most beautiful country. People often go there for their health and to take in the sea air. Now, there are trains that leave from Paddington, but there are several transfers along the way, at least there were. But what with the war, I have no idea how long it would take or if it’s even possible right now. The last I heard, all rail lines south were out of commission. Whether that strictly includes Cornwall or not, I’m not certain.”
“So you’ve been there?” asked Molly excitedly.
“Well, in Plymouth in Devon, very near Cornwall. My wife and I honeymooned there.”
“You might have stayed near where the Institute is located,” said Molly.
“We might have done, but I don’t recall any such place. I don’t know how long it’s been there, either. And our honeymoon was fifteen years ago.” His face fell as he said this. “Fifteen years ago... yesterday. We had always planned to go back, but...”
“I’m so sorry for bringing this all up,” said Molly, noting his despair.