Short Story
ABRACADABRA
O
Jan Pain, Sherborne Scribblers
f all her charges in the Sunnyside Home for Retired Gentlefolk, 18-year-old Lisa liked Frank Pearce the best. Over the period of three months working there, she had observed the foibles of most of the residents, such as the snobbish and demanding attitude of Mrs Chatwin-Jones, the irascible nature of retired army officer, Major Jackson, and the simple trusting soul of Miss Briggs, who wandered around clutching an outsized Tweetie Pie, which bird even accompanied her at mealtimes. It could be said these residents had whims to which Lisa had to defer, whereas Frank never displayed any unpredictable traits and was always friendly and cheerful. He was a snappy dresser too, who fussed about his carefully ironed shirt and change of natty bow tie, every day. A trouser press stood in the corner of his room; Lisa noted. ‘Come in, sweetheart,’ he would say, when she tapped on his door. The bedsit had a welcoming feel, despite the dated 1960’s décor. Colourful posters adorned the walls and cherished knick-knacks littered the windowsills. The first time she’d met him he’d been playing Patience. As she bent forward to put his cup of tea on the table, he reached upwards and, with a chuckle, withdrew a playing card from behind her left ear. This little exercise was repeated a few times before she asked, ‘Frank, are you a magician and do you have any other tricks?’ Needing no second bidding and giving her a knowing wink, he rummaged in the duffel bag beside his chair, revealing three plastic flowerpots, which he inverted onto the table, and a ping pong ball. ‘Come on then sweetheart, which pot’s the ball under?’ Lisa failed to guess at every turn, collapsing with a fit of the giggles, as Frank eventually withdrew the ball from his mouth. ‘Ha! Ha!’ he said, ‘I’m glad the hand hasn’t lost its cunning. Yes, I’m a magician, or rather I was. I shall be ninety soon, but I still remember most of my act. I had my first conjuring set when I was ten and soon mastered the basics. By the time I was 13, I was entertaining at kiddies’ parties. That was the biggest test; the little boys in particular always hoped to trip me up and expose my tricks, so I quickly learned to build up an aura of mystery. By the time I was 18, I’d been accepted into the Magic Circle.’ ‘Wow, Frank,’ exclaimed Lisa, ‘did your career take off ?’
126 | Sherborne Times | March 2021
