Isabelle Weatherby was a looking forward to starting secondary school. It marked the next stage of growing up, and it opened new horizons for her. A keen actress, she was looking forward to the drama lessons she would be learning, and to getting the chance to perform in front of a “proper” audience.
All that, however, was tomorrow. She had just returned from a two-week holiday in Tenerife with her family, and needed to make sure she had everything she required for her new school. Her mother had given her £20 to go into town and buy whatever was necessary. She had a list of equipment to buy, and an internet search had given her some idea of prices, but she was still looking forward to being able to choose things for herself, rather than just accepting what she was given.
As always, the bus into town was late, and whenever it was late, you could be certain that it would be fairly full, and today was no exception. She paid her fare, then looked in vain for a seat she could have for herself. After that, she looked at her would-be seat-mates to see who looked the most attractive. As she did so, she spotted Mrs. Jones, who was half-hidden behind a large black bin-liner.
Isabelle knew Mrs. Jones vaguely, as she went to the same Scout group as her daughter, Amy. They had not been at the same primary school, but were going to be starting at the same secondary school the next day. Isabelle decided she would prefer to sit next to someone she at least recognised, so made her way down the bus and sat next to her friend’s mother.
“Hello, Isabelle. How was your holiday?” asked Mrs. Jones.
“Wonderful,” answered Isabelle. “We went to Tenerife and spent most of the time on the beach. It was really hot and sunny, and we had a very relaxing time.” Then her curiosity got the better of her. “What have you got in the bin-liners?” she enquired.
“Oh, I’m taking some things to the charity shop. Some clothes, a few jigsaw puzzles, and some of Amy’s old glasses.”
“I didn’t know Amy wore glasses,” said Isabelle.
“That’s part of the problem,” answered Mrs. Jones. “She didn’t, most of the time, so her eyes have got a lot worse rather quickly. She’s just got some new glasses which she has been told she absolutely must wear all of the time, so we decided to clear a bit more space in one of her drawers by getting rid of the pairs she no longer needs. You’ll see her in them tomorrow. We have persuaded her that a new start is the ideal time to start wearing her glasses as very few people will know that she does not like them. Make sure you compliment her on them, if you see her tomorrow.”
“I will,” agreed Isabelle. “Do you know which class she is going to be in?”
“I can’t remember. We have been told, but it didn’t mean anything to me, so I’m afraid you’ll have to ask Amy when you see her. Excuse me, but I need to get off here, as I don’t really want to carry these bags all the way down the High Street.” Mrs. Jones stood up, and took her rather full bags, and made her way down the aisle to get off the bus.
Once she had left, Isabelle moved over so she could sit right next to the window. As she did so, her feet made contact with a plastic bag on the floor under her seat. She bent down to pick it up, and looked inside. In it, she saw five glasses cases of differing sizes and colours.
“These must be Amy’s old glasses,” she thought to herself. She opened one of the cases, and her suspicions seemed to be confirmed. She thought about taking them straight to the charity shop, but curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to take them home so she could have a closer look at them.
The five cases only contained four pairs of glasses. Although she had never seen Amy in glasses, it was easy enough to work out what order they came in. The first pair had a small pink, plastic frame. Amy tried them on, but they were too small for her head, and not very comfortable. Also, they made little difference to what she could see, except for the fact that the lenses were a bit scratched and needed a good clean. The second pair had an oval, purple frame. They were a bit bigger, and Isabelle could see that they made a bit of difference when she put them on, but she could still see clearly enough through them. The third pair had a metallic silver frame. They suited Isabelle’s complexion, and were about the right size for her. She could see fairly well with them on, although she had to focus harder to do so. The fourth pair had a slightly darker frame, still metal, but the lenses were noticeably stronger, and Isabelle found it impossible to focus well through them for anything more than a couple of seconds at a time. The fifth case did not contain any glasses, but had a small slip of paper inside. Isabelle could see that it was Amy’s prescription, and that it was just over a year old, but the numbers meant little to her. R clearly stood for right, and L for left. Next to the R it said -2.75, and next to the L -2.50, -0.25 and 35, but Isabelle did not know whether that was strong or not. Did the prescription belong with the missing pair of glasses, or one of the others? And if Amy’s eyes were a lot worse than the strongest pair of glasses Isabelle now had, how bad could they be?