The Fairy Godmother Part 36

“Where have you been?” snapped an angry voice as soon as we reappeared in Enid’s office.

“We have been working,” Enid replied coldly. “What business is it of yours?”

“I am a member of the Fairy Council and we demand your presence in the Hall now,” she replied, looking from Enid to me as if she wasn’t sure which of us she was talking to.

“The Fairy Council has no right to demand my presence or that of anyone working under me,” Enid replied.

“At the moment,” came the reply

“And what do you mean by that?” Enid asked.

“Things may change when a new Head is appointed,” the fairy replied, trying to sound threatening, but somehow, the lopsided ring of wilting flowers on her head did rather spoil the effect.

“Things change whenever a Head is elected,” said Enid. “Why should this be any different?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But they want you there and you weren’t in your office.”

“I don’t sit in my office waiting for the call,” Enid snapped, pointing the fairy towards the door. “I have work to do.”

“But,” said the fairy starting to look bewildered.

“I will come this time, as will my assistant, but do not use the word demand in my presence ever again,” said Enid.

“I just thought,” the fairy stuttered.

“Well, don’t think, it doesn’t suit you,” Enid replied. The fairy looked about to burst into tears and I was glad that we had come to the doors to the Fairy Council Chamber. The footman standing by the door opened it and the fairy ran off sobbing.

“Was that necessary?” I asked as we stood waiting to be announced.

“No,” said Enid. “But neither was demanding my presence.”

“Enid,” said someone sitting where Lily normally sat.

“Yes,” replied Enid walking towards the table.

“We have been looking at a list of the names put forward for the appointment of Head of the Fairy Council,” said the Fairy whom I think had been sitting two seats to the right of Lily.

“What has that got to do with me?” asked Enid.

“Your name has been put forward by at least six members of the council,” she told her.

“I thought you had to be a member of the council to be a contender?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Strict rule of the council, speak when you are spoken to or not at all,” Enid told me.

“Thank-you,” said the fairy, but we can enforce our own rules. “One more word from you,” she added looking at me, “And you will be asked to leave.” Personally I didn’t think it was much of a threat, but I decided it was best not to argue about it.

“I am not a member of the Fairy Council,” said Enid. “So why was I nominated.”

“We have decided that as Head of the Fairy Godmothers, it is about time you had a seat on the council,” she replied. “And so, as a member of the council you are eligible for election as head of the council.”

“So you gave me a place on the council just so that you could make me it’s head,” Enid snapped.

“It might sound like that,” said the fairy looking uncomfortable. “But Lily was the only one who stopped you being on the council, she vetoed it every time it came up.”

“And you think that now my sister is dead, I’m going to leap in and take her place,” said Enid. “Well she didn’t want me on the council, for whatever reason that was, so I shall respect her wishes.”

“What do you mean?” asked the fairy councillor.

“You can take your seat on the council and,” Enid started to stutter. “Give it to someone else.” With that she turned round and walked out of the door, I followed closely behind. It was only the presence of two footmen holding tightly onto the Chamber doors that stopped Enid slamming the doors behind her.

“I suppose you think I should have taken the seat,” said Enid an hour later, when she finally stopped walking. I hadn’t realised that the gardens went on quite so far.

“I wouldn’t have done, had I been in your position,” I replied.

“That is unlikely to happen,” Enid replied. “And anyway, you didn’t answer my question.”

“I would have been very surprised if you had taken the seat,” I said, hoping that I was going to get the right answer this time.

“You are still avoiding the question,” Enid snapped.

“As Head of the Fairy Council you could have changed a lot of things,” I said.

“That’s what Lily thought when she took on the post,” Enid sighed. “She soon found out that what she could do and what she thought she could do where two different things. The more she tried to change things the more she found out that they couldn’t be changed. She was getting bogged down in the whole red tape of the thing.”

“Is that why she vetoed you taking up a seat on the council?” I asked.

“Yes,” Enid replied. “At least I think that is why, she was never much on talking to me,” she sighed and sat down on a bit of moss.

“Is that why you are so upset about all of this?” I asked.

“No.” Enid snapped. “She never once acknowledged who I was when she was alive, why on earth should I be upset about her passing.”

“I, I’m sorry,” I muttered, it was hard to know what to say without putting my foot in it.

“She didn’t want me as a sister,” Enid sighed.

“She might have been trying to protect you,” I suggested. “You know what councils can be like, all that infighting, she probably didn’t want to have you dragged into it.”

“We could have worked together on things,” Enid replied. “And now we never can.”

“Shame” I said.

“Yes, but we are fairies,” said Enid. “We do not do family ties.”

“Don’t we?” I asked, wishing I knew who my family were, assuming I had some. “At least you knew she was your sister and you know who your Mother is.”

“So?” she asked. “This would not have been a problem if it wasn’t for family ties.”

“But it wouldn’t have been solved without them,” I replied.

“Human’s, just because they give birth to someone, they feel that they must take care of them,” Enid sighed.

“If you gave birth to someone wouldn’t you want to make sure they were OK?” I asked. “Even if it wasn’t your baby.”

“I do,” she snapped. “I take care of you,” she snapped. “God knows how many times I have saved you from the Fairy Council.”

“Your my Mother?” I asked stunned.

“Not exactly, Lily and I had another sister, I’ve forgotten her name, anyway, she was frail, she wasn’t well enough to carry you, so I carried you for her,” said Enid, looking at anything but me.

“Why was I never told?” I asked.

“It wasn’t important,” Enid replied. “Anyway, we’d better get back to the office, see what is going on.”

by Janice Nye © 2020