Rosa and the Golden Bird. Darcey Bussell

“Girls, this is Mikhail who I was just telling you about.” She turned back to the man. “Mikhail, this is my daughter, Rosa, and her friend, Olivia.”

      “Your daughter.” Mikhail’s eyes swept over Rosa. “She looks like you, Eleanore.” He smiled at both the girls. “Did you enjoy the ballet?”

      “Oh yes!” Rosa exclaimed. “It was brilliant!”

      Olivia just nodded, seemingly lost for words at meeting such a famous ballet star.

      “I want to be a ballerina one day,” Rosa told him.

      Mikhail smiled at her. “Then I hope you are as talented as your mother. Maybe you will dance for me one day.” He looked at Mrs Maitland. “I would love to stay and catch up, Eleanore, but I have a meeting. Maybe you would like to bring the girls back to see The Firebird – the other ballet the company is performing? I can get you tickets.” He pulled a wallet out of his jacket pocket and took out a card with his name and telephone number on it. “Let me know when you would like to come, and I will make sure I am free to meet up afterwards.”

      Rosa caught her breath. Now they would get to come to the ballet again! She turned to her mum in excitement. “Oh, wow! Wouldn’t that be…”

      “It’s very kind of you, Mikhail,” her mum interrupted, “but I’m not sure we can manage it.”

      Mikhail looked surprised. “But you must.”

      Just then a taxi drew close. “Rosa could you get that taxi please?” Mrs Maitland said swiftly.

      Wondering why her mum was being so strange, Rosa ran to ask the taxi driver to wait as her mum wheeled herself over.

      “Here, let me help you,” offered Mikhail as the taxi driver came round to let down a ramp to get the wheelchair into the back.

      “I’ll be fine, thank you,” Rosa’s mother said abruptly.

      Mikhail’s hands dropped from the chair.

      The taxi driver shut the door and Mikhail came to the open window. “Goodbye, girls. Hopefully I will see you again at The Firebird.” He looked at Rosa’s mother. “Please come, Eleanore.”

      Mrs Maitland smiled stiffly and the taxi drove off.

      “Oh, Mum! Can we go? Please!” Rosa said eagerly.

      “We’ll talk about it later. I’m tired.” Mrs Maitland put a hand to her forehead.

      Rosa sat back in her seat. I’ll talk to her tonight, she decided. She’s got to say we can go…She’s just got to!

      

      “But why can’t we?” Rosa demanded later that evening. Olivia had gone home and Rosa and her mum were talking about the ballet again. “Mikhail said we could have free tickets. You wouldn’t have to pay.”

      “It’s not about the money, Rosa,” Mrs Maitland said briefly, busying herself in the kitchen with the washing up.

      “So what is it about?” Rosa frowned, as her mum picked up a tea towel and started to dry the dishes.

      She sighed. “It’s complicated, sweetheart. I haven’t kept in touch with any of my dancing friends because I don’t want them pitying me for not being able to dance when I don’t pity myself. You see, I think of all the good things that have happened since the accident – like having you. But they wouldn’t see it like that and I don’t want free tickets because they feel sorry for me.”

      Rosa thought about the man they had met at the theatre. “But Mikhail didn’t seem to be offering you tickets because he felt sorry for you. He just said he wanted a chance to meet up.”

      “That may be what he said,” Rosa’s mother said, “but I think he felt differently.” She sighed. “Look, it’s late. Go and get ready for bed. I’m not going to talk about it any more.”

      Rosa couldn’t believe her mum was going to turn the offer of tickets down because of this. “But Mum, what if Mikhail was just being nice and did just want to see you!” she said in frustration.

      “Bed, Rosa!” her mum said.

      Rosa knew that when her mum spoke that firmly there was no point arguing and so she turned and left the room. As she reached the door she glanced back. Her mum was staring at Mikhail’s card, turning it over in her hand.

      That night in bed, Rosa opened her Stories from the Ballet book and turned to the chapter on The Firebird. The ballet was about a princess who had been imprisoned by a magician. Whenever anyone tried to rescue her, the magician turned them to stone. But then one day a prince came along with a magical feather from a firebird which he used to rescue the princess and turn the stone statues back into people. Rosa shut her eyes, imagining what it would be like to watch someone dance the part of the Firebird…

      She drifted off to sleep, dreaming of fantastic birds and stone statues. When she woke up a little while later, it was dark and there was a faint tinkling sound as if someone was playing a piano very softly. Where was it coming from?

      She sat up in bed and gasped. The red ballet shoes at the bottom of her bed were sparkling! Rosa leaped up. This must mean she was going to Enchantia again! She pulled on the shoes excitedly. Who would she meet this time? What would she do?