Closing Doors

By Heidi Louise Williams

FUNNY, SAD, SHOCKING, AND SCARY, THIS WONDERFUL BOOK WILL TAKE READERS ON A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE OF EMOTIONS, AND OPEN MINDS TO A NEW WAY OF THINKING.

SADDENED FROM WARS CAUSED BY RELIGIONS, LEAF GOLDEN STARTS HER OWN ALL-INCLUSIVE BELIEF SYSTEM CALLED UNIVERSALISM, DISCOVERS THE ANSWERS TO LIFE AND DEATH, AND LEARNS HOW TO DEAL WITH TRAUMAT

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gem-in-Eye Productions
• Release date: Mar 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781649709479

Book preview

PART 2

8. AUTUMN OF LIFE

9. THE WINTER OF BERNADETTE LATOURE

10. DRESSED IN BLACK

11. MOVING INTO THE PAST

12. THE ENVELOPE

13, SUNFLOWERS

FIFTH SUMMER AT KEY CAMP

14. BACK TO CAMP

15. SHADOWS

16. THE KIDNAPPING OF MRS. WONG

17. CONFESSION

18. TIME TO LET GO

Chapter One

POOL PARTY

Leaf went back to school at North Hampstead High on Monday the 4th of September.  Kyra hugged her in the hall and they sat next to each other in every class.

Three days later was Lilly’s thirteenth birthday but as that was a Thursday Lilly was throwing her pool party on Saturday the ninth of September.  Leaf felt nervous and excited all week. 

She had asked her dad the previous weekend for some money to buy a new swimming costume, and she had found the perfect one for nine pounds that had slits in the breast section so she could add some more padding. 

      Leaf had called Lilly on her birthday.  The two of them had squealed in delight over their plan of Leaf coming to California but of course Leaf was going to have to tell her mum that she was going to Grammy’s house for the day.

On Saturday morning, she kissed her mum goodbye and walked Bubba across the heath to Grammy’s house with Lilly’s present, a towel, swimsuit and factor-fifty lotion, all hidden in her rucksack. 

      After a quick cup of tea with Grammy, she left her grandmother to babysit Bubba, and used the downstairs toilet door to get to Lilly’s address in California. 

She came out in a spacious white hallway with high ceilings, and an elaborate staircase that spit halfway up and ended on two separate floors.  The back wall of the hall was made of glass and looked out onto the pool.  Leaf could see the festivities outside.  About thirty young people, ranging in ages of twelve to fifteen, were relaxing on the sunbeds or splashing in the large pool filled with ice cream and donut floaties and long noodles that resembled giant packets of colourful gummy sweets.  Leaf could see the fun but she could not hear it as the double glazing was so thick.  For a moment it was like watching a silent movie in Technicolor. 

LEAF!  Lilly exclaimed, wiggling into the house in a towel for a skirt and pink bikini top.  There was a blast of noise before she slid the glass door shut behind her.  They hugged even though Lilly was still half wet but Leaf did not care.  They jumped up and down and hugged again, and Lilly’s towel almost fell off.

      Your house is amazing, Lilly!

      Thanks.  You need to get changed.  Luke and Sam are here.  I invited Sam as the party photographer, and we have a selfies backdrop set up on the lawn.  You can get changed in the shower room in the pool house, come follow me.  First, I have to pick up a watermelon punch from the kitchen, so we need to go this way, Lilly told her, securing her towel.  She wiggled down the hall to the tall white swinging doors that opened onto an industrial sized kitchen. 

      Lilly opened one door of the large silver fridge and retrieved half a watermelon that had been scooped out by the maid that morning, and then the pipless fruit had been blended with lemonade.  Lilly had put small pieces of watermelon, blueberries, raspberries, cubes of pineapple, small pieces of strawberries, and slices of star fruit into the scooped out skin, using it as a watermelon tumblr bowl.  Under Lilly’s supervision, the maid had filled it halfway with watermelon lemonade before it went in the refrigerator three hours ago.  Now Lilly was using one of the dispenser pumps on the other door of the huge fridge to pour ice slush all over the top. She added a significant splash of blueberry juice for natural colouring and flavour. 

Leaf followed Lilly and the delicious looking healthy slush-punch out of the back door, round the side of the house and across a lawn to the tumblr selfies stand.  It had baby blue and white striped wallpaper on a wooden facade with tumblr floaties propped up against it.

      Do you have a phone? Lilly asked her.  Leaf dug her phone out of her bag and put it on camera mode.  With her watermelon aesthetic, Lilly sat down in front of the selfies stand on a pile of pastel coloured stripped tumblr towels between the floaties, and Leaf, still over dressed in Jeans and a T-shirt, sat down on the pastel purple deck chair beside her and positioned her camera on a selfie stick .  They smiled genuine smiles, so excited about the day and seeing each other.  They pinched the largest chunks of watermelon out of the punch and posed for the photo.  Leaf pressed the button several times and hoped for the best.  The second photo of them laughing was cute.

      Leaf could hear Billy Eilish songs coming from the garden speakers around the pool area.

      I love Billy Eilish!  She is my favourite singer at the moment, Leaf exclaimed.

      Yeah, mine too, replied Lilly.  Lilly got up, trying not to spill the punch, and continued leading the way to the pool house which was as big a Leaf’s whole house but on one floor.  It was styled like a Roman palace and faced the pool. 

      Guys, this is Leaf, Lilly said to the group of young teens sitting on the steps of the pool house.  They were all about thirteen, and from different ethnic backgrounds but all American.  Most of them were rich kids who went to private school with Lilly.

      Hi Leaf, they replied in unison.  Leaf raised her hand shyly.

The pool house was beautiful with an extra fluffy white carpet fitted throughout, except for the wood flooring in the kitchen, and the black tiles with golden sparkles in the bathroom.  There was a large and impressively deep white stone fireplace, tasteful taupe leather furniture with copper cushions, and expensive crystal and bronze knickknacks stylishly placed around the living room. 

Lilly showed Leaf the shower room she could change in.

      Take anything you want from those baskets. It is all for the guests, Lilly told her, waving her hand in the general direction of the long counter next to the sink, and then she left Leaf to it.  Leaf looked wide-eyed at the square glass bowls of makeup, soaps, mini hairsprays, mini deodorants, and different coloured plastic flowers that bloomed into mini hairbrushes. There were rows of delicate little bottles that all contained the same elegant perfume.  There was no name on the bottles but whoever had chosen it had exquisite taste, for it was strong enough to be long lasting yet fresh enough to not be overbearing or appear heavy.  It smelt expensive. 

      Leaf thought being in that small room was like having a joyous free day at the beauty counter of a department store.  She popped one of the free chocolates in her mouth, locked the door and wriggled out of her clothes and into her swimsuit.  She applied factor-fifty, chose a purple flower brush and put her hair up in a free butterfly clip, applied a bit of free waterproof eyeliner, free waterproof mascara, and factor-fifty lip-gloss.  She put her new make-up, and a small perfume for Grammy, and one for Mum, happily in her bag with her clothes.  She really wanted a perfume for herself but felt taking three was being greedy.  Grabbing her towel, she went to find Lilly who was outside by the buffet table helping herself to one of the fruit kebabs that the maid Maria was arranging on a plate.

      Leaf, this is Maria, a good friend, and she also helps out our family.

      I am pleased to meet you, Maria, Leaf said, shaking the Mexican woman’s hand and returning her kind smile.  She was dressed in black jeans and a black shirt with a white apron around her waist.

      Encantada, Leaf Maria replied, and then turned and grinned at Lilly.

    Que mala la niña, she teased, and pinched︢ Lilly’s cheek affectionately before walking back to the kitchen.  Lilly finished her mouthful of fruit, and then dived into the pool between her friends and floaties.  Leaf edged to the steps but then noticed a group of handsome fourteen year old boys watching her.  She dived off the side into the water.  When she surfaced Lilly was treading water, waiting for her to come back up. They swam over to a long pool bar shaded under a roof covered in palm leaves. Guests could swim right up to it and help themselves to pots filled with multi-coloured gummy worms, glass vases filled with long sticks of bright-coloured liquorice, clear cups of blue jelly, and bottles of blue coconut lemonade. 

      Did you see my birthday gift from my parents?  Actually I got two gifts but I will show you the other one later.  Look over there by the palm tree, Lilly told her.  Leaf looked in the direction of Lilly’s pointed finger as Lilly doggy paddled with her other hand to stay afloat.  Under the tree, there stood a beautiful old fashioned ice cream cart.  Lilly told her it was filled with all types of ice lollies which Lilly called popsicles, and it had a Mr. Whippy machine attached for making delicious soft ice cream.  Mr. Whippy with a flake was Leaf’s favourite, that and blackcurrant ice lollies.  Over the cart a sign read, LILLY’S LOLLIES.

      Wow! was all Leaf could say.  She swam to the edge of the pool to get a closer look.  Lilly swam after her, and supported by their elbows on the poolside they stared in wonder at Lilly’s marvellous gift, a child’s heaven on wheels.

      It comes with a summer’s supply of ice cream and popsicles for five years.  My mom says that my friends and I always cost a fortune in ice cream every summer so this year she saved money getting me this cart for my birthday.  It’s so cool, coz I am so into making tumblr popsicles this year.  I made some for the party. You should try one. They are delish, and they look so sick!  My mum had two hundred Lilly’s Lollies wrappers printed, so when I make my own I can wrap them. I can seal them with a small machine I have, they look really professional.  Printed on the inside of the wrapper is a tongue twister! I bet you can’t say it fast! My mom gave me this present in June. It was an early present because I had a few small pool parties before camp started.  On Thursday I got another present, something so cute!  Come, let’s get a tumblr popsicle, and then I will show you my other present.  Lilly climbed out of the pool, calling for some other girls to follow her.  Lilly took them over to the cart.  She handed out tumblr popsicles wrapped in colourful packaging that read, Lilly’s Lollies.  Leaf carefully opened the wrapper and tried to read the tongue twister out loud as fast as she could but found it impossible. Lilly showed off by saying it perfectly: "LILLY LIKES LILLY’S LOLLIES

LILLY’S LOLLIES LILLY LIKES

LILLY’S LOLLIES, LILLY’S LOLLIES

LIKE LOLLIES BY LILLY"

      The actual ice lollies had different colours frozen together and you could see a whole raspberry or blueberry or mini star fruit through the transparent parts.  Lilly had made them herself that morning with juices and exotic fruits. 

All the girls were wearing bikinis and most of them had boobs.  Leaf felt all flat chest, long legs, and awkward in her swimming costume but no one else seemed to care, they were all so nice.  She was popular with her English accent and a couple of the boys had smiled at her.  They went to the sunbeds to eat their cool-looking lollies. 

      Sam and Luke showed up.  They had been playing snooker in the games room of the main house.  Both of them were wearing Bermuda shorts and no T-shirts. Sam already looked burnt as he had already been hanging out at Lilly’s house for three hours, so he put a T-shirt on.

      Sam, you are supposed to take photos for me, Lilly reminded him.

      I will.  I will.  Don’t get your bikini in a twist, the day is long. Sam replied, and helped himself to a chicken pinchito from the within reach buffet table.

      You wanna come see the other thing I got for my birthday?  You have to put shoes on though, Lilly asked Sam, Leaf and Luke.  They nodded and found their shoes.  She led them down some steps, across a lawn and through a fence into a high walled yard with a remote controlled door that opened onto a long tree-lined driveway ending at the nearest public road.   

      In the middle of the yard was a large white stone statue of a woman standing in a pool, hitching up her toga and supporting a water vessel on her shoulder from which a fountain of water poured down into the pool.  On the side of the yard was an open garage displaying ten super expensive cars.  Lilly’s dad was busy polishing a black 9.1925 Rolls Royce Phantom 1. All the children, except Lilly who was used to seeing the beautiful cars, said Wow! 

    Yeah, the Phantom is cool but this is my favourite and my dad said I can have it when I turn eighteen, Lilly told them, leaning up against a black 1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra.

      Hello Mr. Fontaine, Leaf said, politely.

      Hello Leaf.  Everyone having a good time? Where are you all off to then? He did not ask how Leaf got there from England, he just assumed her parents must be rich and she had flown over for the party.  He was a man who asked few questions about important things as he was happier remaining ignorant.

      We are having a great time, thank you Mr. Fontaine, replied Luke, hoping Lilly’s father would like him as he intended to be his son-in-law one day.

      We are just off to see Nutcracker, Lilly replied, and Sam wasn’t sure if he still wanted to continue on this journey.

      Is your mother back from the cake shop yet? Lilly’s dad asked.

      No, not yet, probably slipped off to a wine bar to get away, Lilly smirked.

      Well you know she doesn’t like a lot of kids around.

      I know she doesn’t like kids, full stop, Lilly told him.  He frowned and went back to polishing his car. Lilly took her entourage through another gate into a stone courtyard with stables on two sides, and on the right, there was an archway that lead to a field.

      This is Pika who has been mine since I was five, Lilly told them. The white horse put his nose over his stable door to say hello. Lilly stoked his soft muzzle.  A very large black horse put his nose over the door of the next stall and snorted at them.

      This is Buckingham.  He belongs to someone else who uses our stables.  This is Bluebell she is my mom’s horse, Lilly told them, moving along. They peered over a lower stall door at a beautiful grey-blue horse.  Leaf found it amusing how Lilly sometimes called her mother mum because she was influenced by her English friends by when she when surrounded by American’s she reverted back to mom.

      And this is Nutcracker, Lilly said at the final stall, and she opened the door.  Her friends did not move along but remained frozen expecting to see a huge stallion charge out, instead a sweet little honey coloured dwarf pony trotted out to greet them.

      Aww, he’s so cute, said Leaf, reaching out to stroke his golden mane.

      Why is he called Nutcracker? Sam asked warily.  At that moment the pony rushed forward and headbutted Sam in the groin.  Sam fell over backwards groaning. Luke took a step backwards. Lilly pushed the naughty pony back in the stall and locked the door. Leaf helped Sam up and allowed him to lean on her to hobble back to the poolside.

    Goodbye Mr. Fontaine, Luke called as they passed.  Lilly’s father waved goodbye without asking what had happened to Sam.  The children continued on their way, Leaf still supporting her injured friend. 

      After a swim, collecting swollen Orbiees from the bottom of the pool, Sam recovered, and once dried, took on his role of party photographer.  He used his friendly charm and had groups of pretty girls posing and laughing in front of the selfies facade or on floaties in the pool. 

A friend of Lilly’s who was a D.J turned up. Lilly waited for the last Bruno Mars song to finish and then turned the stereo off.  Meanwhile the D.J, who attended the same school as Lilly, set up his equipment. As soon as he started his set everyone was either dancing on the lawn or involved in the noodle fight taking place in the pool. 

After three hours had past, Leaf said she had to leave.  She did not want to go at all.  It was the best party she had ever been to.  She got changed in the pool house, checked her appearance in the mirror, and slipped another perfume for herself into her bag.  Then felt bad and put it back. 

      She returned to the pool to hug Sam, Luke and her new friends, goodbye.  Lilly walked her to the powder room in the main house.  They hugged, and Lilly promised to see Leaf the next week for her birthday outing to the Escape Room. 

      Leaf gave her the gift.  Lilly tore off the wrapping and was delighted to see it was a book that explained how to digitally design your layout for your own newspaper.  Lilly gave her another hug. 

      Leaf put her Key in the door, gave Lilly a quick kiss on the cheek, and went back to Grammy’s house to pick up Bubba.

Did you have a nice time? Grammy asked, bending to put Skip on the kitchen floor so he could play with Wilbur.  She straightened up and switched the kettle on.  Leaf smiled at Grammy’s T-shirt which read:

I DON’T NEED YOUR ATTITUTED, I HAVE MY OWN!

      It was the best party ever! Leaf exclaimed, sitting down to nibble on a homemade butter biscuit and tell Grammy all about it over a cup of tea, before Grammy gave Leaf and Bubba a lift home.

Chapter Two

THE ESCAPE ROOM

Leaf’s thirteenth birthday fell on the Thursday after Lilly’s.  She also celebrated it on the following Saturday.  Leaf lied, and told Mum that Lilly’s parents were coincidently visiting London, and Lilly was coming down to Hampstead on the train. Of course Lilly was Key Jumping straight to Hampstead. Mum was surprised that Lilly’s parents would let her take the trains from London by herself but she had noticed that Lilly seemed very mature and independent.  Mum worried that Lilly’s parents spoilt her with gifts to compensate for the very little time they seemed to spend with her.

      They picked Lilly up from outside Hampstead Underground Station at half past ten that morning.  Kyra and Sarah were also in the car.  Leaf was happy for them all to finally meet, and they seemed to get on well. 

Mum drove them to a dodgy looking warehouse in Tottenham and parked in the spacious car park in front.  The five of them walked at an excited pace to the large metal door. 

      A happy teenage girl was working at the reception desk.  She welcomed them, checked their booking, and asked them to sign forms to confirm they did not suffer from asthma, heart problems, or any allergies, and that they agreed to enter into the room at their own risk.  Her blue T-shirt had the name of the company, Escape the World, printed on it. 

      Mum had booked the African room for their group as it was the only available room for three-quarters of an hour that Saturday.  Mum was allowed to go in and participate with the girls which made Leaf feel safer and made Mum feel part of her daughter’s birthday. 

      The happy girl showed them down a corridor of doors with names such as The Moon Room or The Roman Garden.  The girl opened the door of The African Room