The Fairy Godmother Part 26

Ian’s mobile phone rang, just as they had finished taking the samples for the DNA tests and I was trying to explain to Ella that she had to go back to the orphanage till they found out the results.

“I’d better take this,” said Ian, looking at the phone. “It’s your Dad,” he told Jessie.

“Hello Mark,” he said to the phone.

“Ian, do you really think this might help find Jessie and Ella?”

“I know it will,” Ian started to say.

“Joan’s got her hopes up so many times, it’s hard for her when they come to nothing,” Mark continued, not really listening to Ian.

“We’ve just finished here, there’s someone I’d like you to see,” Ian said.

“I don’t know, Joan’s not been so well lately,” Mark said.

“We can meet down the road, at the newsagents,” said Ian. “If you don’t think it’s a good idea, we wont come.”

“OK,” said Mark. “Give me a ring when you’re there. I’ll think of a reason to nip out,” he added and then hung up.

“What’s wrong?” Jessie demanded.

“Your Dad’s just worried about your Mum,” Ian explained. “She’ll be fine once she sees you.”

“I’ve got to go and see my Mum,” Jessie explained to Ella. “But I will be back and we will be a family again.”

“Can’t I come with you?” Ella wailed.

“If it was my decision,” I said to Ella. “But you know how things are.”

“But,” she said her eyes watering up.

“Your Granny hasn’t seen your Mum in ages, it’s going to be a lot for her to take in just seeing her,” Ella’s Dad tried to explain.

“Wont she want to see me as well?” asked Ella.

“Yes she will,” said Jessie, looking at me. I was busy ringing back to the orphanage.

“Hello,” I said.

“We are a bit busy here,” said the head of the home in a bit of a hushed voice. “Is there any way you can keep Rosie occupied till after five?”

“Yes,” I replied. “There’s a trip being organised.”

“Take her on it, I’m sure she’ll have a good time,” she said and hung up.

“Right,” I smiled. “If you don’t mind me coming along, we can go.”

“No time like the present,” said Ian leading the way to his car.

An hour later we were parked next to a newsagents and Ian was ringing his Father-in-law.

“We’re at the newsagents,” Ian told him.

“I hope this isn’t a wild goose chase,” said Mark.

“No,” said Ian as Mark hung up.

“How are we going to do this?” asked Ian. “We don’t want to give your Dad too much of a shock.

“Perhaps if we go into the shop,” said Jessie.

“But he’s expecting someone with me,” said Ian.

“I’m here,” I said.

“You go in the shop with Ella,” said Ian.

“Can I have some ice-cream?” asked Ella.

“We could have a look at the ice-cream and see what they’ve got,” said Jessie, leading her daughter into the shop. “We could get a tub and share them with your Grandparents.”

“That would be good,” said Ella. “Can we have tinned peaches with it. I love tinned peaches.”

“So who do you want me to meet?” a grumpy looking man asked Ian. I assumed it was Mark, Jessie’s Dad.

“They’re in the shop,” said Ian.

“I can’t be long, Joan’s expecting me back,” he muttered and then stopped short as Jessie and Ella walked out of the shop.

“We got ice-cream and peaches for Nana Joan,” said Ella skipping up to the old man.

“Then we’d better take them to her before it melts,” he said taking hold of her hand. “Jessie?” he said looking at his daughter.

“I didn’t know who I was and neither did anyone else,” she said hugging him.

“Your Mum,” he started saying.

“Will be wanting her ice-cream,” said Ella, pulling on his arm.

“We’d better go then,” he said smiling.

“Is that you Mark?” asked Joan when she heard the front door opening.

“Yes dear, I’ve brought some people to see you,” he replied.

“I’m not sure,” she started saying, walking towards the front door and then stopped in her tracks. “Is this a dream? Please tell me it isn’t a dream,” she said. “Then again, if it is, I don’t want to wake up.”

“Nana Joan, we’ve got ice-cream and peaches,” said Ella, taking the bag from her Mum and walking towards her Nana. “We should eat them before the ice-cream melts.”

“Ice-cream and peaches,” she said. “It’s what I’ve dreamt of all these years,” she said hugging Ella and hugging Jessie. “It’s you, it’s really you,” she kept saying. “You’ve brought them back to me,” she said to Ian.

I felt like walking away and leaving them to it, but I knew that I would have to get Ella back to the orphanage for 5pm even if I had to fly her there. I did feel a bit like the bad fairy with that, but procedures have to be gone through, they wouldn’t thank me if they ended up on the run from the law for kidnapping their own daughter.

“Do your parents know?” Joan asked Ian, as she found the bowls and started serving the ice-cream and peaches.

“No, I haven’t told them yet,” he said. “It’s all happened so quickly. I was thinking, we could do that next, if you don’t mind this being a bit of a flying visit.”

“I understand, you must see your Mum and Dad,” said Joan.

“After the ice-cream,” said Ella.

“Of course,” said Jessie.

“It’s been so long since we’ve had ice-cream and peaches,” said Mark, getting out the spoons.

Soon the ice-cream was finished and it was time to go.

“It’s just so good to see you all,” said Joan. “But your Mum and Dad, should see these two as well.”

“And we have to get Ella back to the home for five,” I said. Joan and Mark turned to look at me as if they hadn’t realised I was there.

“Why?” asked Mark. “Ella belongs with her parents.”

“I agree totally and there are DNA tests being run at the hospital to prove that she is Ian and Jessie’s daughter, but until the results are in we have no prof,” I explained.

“But,” Mark started.

“It is the way things go,” I said. “As soon as they have prof and know Ian and Jessie can look after Ella she will be able to go home with them. I shall hurry it up as much as possible, but if we are not back at the home by five then Ian and Jessie could be accused of kidnap and that would draw the whole procedure on which is the last thing anyone wants.”

“I’ll hate to see you go back there,” Jessie said to Ella. “But it wont be for long and we’ll visit.”

“I understand,” said Ella.

“We’d better get going if we are going to see my parents and get back for five,” said Ian.

“Yes, of course,” said Joan.

“I’ll bring Jessie back after we’ve, you know,” Ian stuttered.

“We can have a good talk then,” said Jessie hugging her Mum and Dad.

I felt like shit, but I couldn’t just wave my magic wand and give them the happy ending I thought they deserved.

By Janice Nye © 2020