Jennifer Jane's last twiddle

Miss Bell had had a hard day teaching at the Witches’ Home and was wishing she could go home to her parents’ house and have a good rest. As she walked between the desks in the class room she was dreading the time when she would reach the child the class had nicknamed Treacle because of her slowness and general thick approach to problems.

Still it was only a couple of weeks before the end of term and then she’d reach the age of 40 and was hoping to be made a Dame. This was the earliest age when a witch could be promoted to that grade; after all she knew she was going to be the greatest Human Grande Dame that ever lived, so she had to become a Dame in the first place.

After she’d reached the lofty heights of Dame-hood she would no longer be expected to teach children. Giving lectures to grown-up witches, or going out into the world to solve problems would be very much more satisfying.

Today’s lesson had been making chocolate swiss rolls. Every year the students looked forward to this exercise because they could eat the results and they knew it had been their teacher’s favourite non lethal weapon during her fighting career.

But now she had to watch as Treacle pointed her index and last fingers forwards and then hesitated in the indecisive way that JJ had become so familiar with.

‘For goodness sake child point the index and little fingers straight,’ she thought to herself, ‘and keep the other two fingers downwards’! Then something amazing happened. A perfectly formed small swiss roll appeared on the desk. JJ looked round in case anyone in the class was having a laugh at Treacle’s expense, then realised that the boundary spell she’d had to place round the child’s desk meant that no outside magic could get in

Treacle had accomplished the spell without moving her fingers in the proper sequence! The child herself was only just beginning to realise that she’d successfully produced the object of the day’s lesson and a silly grin was spreading across her otherwise pretty face.

Jennifer Jane thought quickly, there was no way the cake could have appeared without the correct use of magic and a strange idea had come into her head.

“Well done my dear,” she said, “eat your roll then try and then try to produce another one before you forget what you did.”

She left Treacle wiggling her fingers aimlessly, her face covered with the unexpected treat. ‘Oh lord the child was a messy eater as well amongst all her other problems’, thought Jennifer Jane as she went to a quiet corner at the back of the class. Then making sure that no one was watching, she concentrated on the familiar motions to make a chocolate swiss roll.

Instant swiss roll without any finger movements at all!

To the great relief of Treacle, she dismissed the class and went down to her room in the basement of the Witches’ Home. All the old familiar spells were effected instantly as she thought her way through them. Occasionally a recently learned complicated twiddle would go wrong but there was no trouble with that, as the basement rooms were all spell proofed.

She sat for a moment and thought about her future as a Dame. As a child there had always been her safety spell that would return her to the guard house in the Witches’ Home. This had become unnecessary years ago and other than travelling to and from her parent’s home she no longer had any need for every day protection.

As a Dame she would have to travel round the country and there were bound to be several people who hadn’t liked what she’d done as a child and try to get their own back.

Finally the last day of term arrived and the whole school went out onto the ground on the castle side of the Witches’ Home. The Principal Grande Dame made her end of term speech, awarded all the prizes and as usual the whole school mumbled and groaned their way through the school song.

Unusually the Grande Dame remained standing. “There is one further pleasant duty I have to perform before we all go home for the school holidays.”

Jennifer Jane tried hard not to smile too much; she was sure now she would get the Dame’s Silver Star for her hat.

“Now we all know how Miss Bell has served this school, but maybe the younger ones amongst you haven’t heard of the exploits of Jennifer Jane when she was much younger. Not only that, but as we all know she is most unusual in being an ordinary human with no background in witchcraft.”

The Grande Dame paused dramatically partially for effect, and also as if she was waiting for something. The clip clopping of horses’ hooves and the rumble of cart wheels seemed to be the signal she was waiting for.

Jennifer Jane was bursting with curiosity then just when she couldn’t stand it any longer the Grande Dame surprised the school and Jennifer Jane in particular by asking them all to turn round and face Esmeralda’s shop.

Jennifer Jane nearly burst into tears at the sight before her. All her friends in this world were lined up on the other side of the field. Arthur and May towered above the rest, while Sir George and some of his carting company drivers were waving enthusiastically as they drove up. The carts had all been decorated with little flags along the side and a good few of the villagers from Lurbridge were standing expectantly in each one. There was even a small group of Davy Jones sailors led by Captain Fern Marigold Knott cheering and waving their hats. Tornak, Tasmin and Freda had all lined up slightly away from everyone else in case of accidents and were flapping their wings enthusiastically.

Then the most amazing thing happened! A shimmer in the air heralded the arrival of a Merlin Homes cottage. A man who looked vaguely familiar to Jennifer Jane came out of the front gate and walked up to the Grande Dame and had a word in her ear.

The Grande Dame smiled and raised her hand for quiet. “It now falls to me to present Dame Bell with her silver badge of office and at the same time congratulate her on her ownership of a Merlin Home’s cottage!”

Jennifer Jane walked up to get her badge and the key to her cottage. She was crying with happiness as she received the gifts that marked her retirement from teaching. The man from Merlin Homes turned out to be Martin the junior partner who she had met long ago during the first Merlin Homes rally. He had now become the senior partner in the firm.

He waited until Miss Bell had become Dame Bell and then made his own speech in turn. It gave him great pleasure to present cottage number 800 to her free of charge on behalf of his Company.

Dame Bell walked happily to her new home, proudly wearing her witch’s hat with the Silver Star pinned on temporarily. She turned as she walked through the gate and made the most elaborate magical gestures she could think of for the amusement of the witches and the amazement of her crowd of friends.

Small pieces of paper like confetti poured from her hands over the assembled crowd. Each one perforated with the words “Thank you all so much”

Hopefully that would be the last twiddle she would ever have to perform. Then with a final wave she closed the cottage door behind her. Automatically a notice appeared magically, hanging from the door knob.

“Do not disturb”.