The Fairy Godmother Part 74

I tried Juliet and Georgie’s flat first, I didn’t think that they would still be in work, so it seemed the logical place to start. The lights were out and the flat was empty and cold.

Next I tried the book shop, on the off chance that they were working late, for some reason, maybe a late delivery of books. Likewise, lights out and no one home.

I went to the magazine’s offices. The editor was working late, but then he tended to.

“Looking for the young ones?” he asked, looking up from what he was doing.

“I had an idea for the next magazine,” I said.

“Good job someone has,” he smiled. “One magazine might make a splash, but you have to follow it up.”

“I agree,” I smiled. “And with something better, if possible.”

“So what’s this idea?” he asked.

“I was wondering if there was any scope for something on interior design,” I said, beginning to think that my idea was sounding a little lame to say the least.

“I don’t know anything about interior design,” said the editor. “But my wife is always talking about it, trying to get some ideas on how to put something into our home.”

“I know an interior designer,” I said slowly.

“Are they all superior attitude and know it all?” asked the editor.

“Very much so, unfortunately,” replied.

“Then they’ll be perfect,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to do a before and after article.”

“It could take a while,” I said.

“All the better, a room a month, she’ll be in her element,” he smiled.

“How did you know she was a woman?” I asked.

“She’s my wife, I’ve been married to her for,” he paused for a moment. “A long time, in fact our anniversary is in a weeks time. I can tell her it’s an anniversary present, she’ll be over the moon.”

“Should we mention this to the others?” I asked.

“If you could send them a text?” he asked hopefully. “I would do, but I’d end up swearing at my phone again, my Grandson’s told me how to use it, several times, it makes me feel such an idiot when I forget and have to ask him.”

“How about we send it on your phone, I can give you a quick reminder on how to use it and your Grandson will think you’ve got the hang of it,” I said.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” he smiled handing over the phone.

Two days later Enid and I were standing outside her parents home.

“Are you sure you want her doing this?” asked Enid.

“The Editor didn’t think that his wife would take an interior designer seriously if she didn’t come with an ego the size of mount Everest,” I said.

“That describes her,” said Enid, knocking quietly on the door.

“They wont hear you knocking like that,” I said, as the volume of the voices from the back of the cottage rose at least another twenty decibels.

“Perhaps we should try another day,” said Enid, whilst I banged on the door hard enough to drown out what Enid and her parents were saying.

“Are you going to answer that door or do I have to,” I heard Enid’s Mother shrieking, a couple of minutes later her Father opened the door.

“I hope we haven’t come at an inconvenient time,” said Enid apologetically.

“Who is it?” yelled Enid’s Mother, before her husband could get a word out.

“It’s Enid and her daughter,” he said, sounding slightly shell shocked.

“Myrtle,” she yelled back. “God knows it’s a stupid enough name, I would’ve thought even you would remember it!”

“Hello Granny,” I shouted.

“Don’t you ever call me that,” she shouted back, running through to the front door.

“So what should I call you?” I asked.

“Natasha,” she snapped. “It is my name!”

“I didn’t know,” said Enid.

“It’s a nice name,” I said.

“Thank-you,” she replied. “Your great grandmother, Myrtle, chose it.”

“It’s better than Enid,” said Enid.

“I can’t help it, you looked like an Enid,” said Natasha.

“I think, if I have a daughter, I shall call her Natasha,” I said smiling. That got everyone’s attention.

“You aren’t are you!” asked Enid’s Father.

“No, but I might think about it one day,” I said.

“Thank God,” said Natasha and Enid together.

“So why are you two here?” Natasha asked.

“You are a interior designer,” I started.

“I am the best interior designer ever,” Natasha replied.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I have been working with a magazine editor,” I said.

“I’ve seen the magazine, you’ve made a great start, but you will need something special for the next one if you want to keep the new readers,” Natasha said.

“That’s why I was thinking of you,” I said.

“What would you like me to do?” Natasha asked.

“The Editor’s wife wants their home revamped,” I smiled. “You could do a room per magazine for as long as it takes, before and after stuff and the reasoning behind the designs, that sort of thing.”

“And you thought of me!” said Natasha.

“You are the best interior designer,” I said.

“I’d be delighted,” said Natasha. “I must get to work straight away.”

“I’ll take you to see the editor and he can introduce you to his wife and their home,” I said waving my wand.

“I hope she knows what she’s doing,” said Enid’s Father.

“If anyone can pull this off it’s her,” said Enid.

“Didn’t you know your Mother’s name was Natasha?” he asked.

“I don’t remember her being anything other than Mother,” Enid replied. “And you were always Father.”

“Malcolm,” he said. “My name is Malcolm.”

“I’ll have to tell Myrtle,” Enid said. “She likes to know names.”

“Back again,” said the Editor. “And is this the interior designer you were telling me all about?”

“Yes,” I said. “This is Natasha.”

“I didn’t think she would be so young,” he said smiling. “Not that that is a problem, I don’t think my wife is the jealous kind.” They both laughed lightly and I began to wonder what I had let myself in for. “I’ll take you over to meet my wife and leave you two to it. I’m sure you wouldn’t want me getting in your way.”

“Which room do you want us to start with?” asked Natasha.

“I think my wife has a lot of ideas on that subject,” he smiled.

“Shall I whisk you both over?” I asked. “Then I can whisk you back here once the introduction have been made.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” the Editor smiled, so I waved my wand and there we were.

“Hello,” said a little old lady. “You are the most interior designer,” she stuttered, then paused for a moment. “You must forgive me, but I am stunned, to see such a talented and glamorous lady in my humble home.”

“Your husband said that you wanted to shake things up in here,” Natasha said. “Let me help you.”

“Thank-you so much,” said the Editor’s wife. “I didn’t know where to start.”

“Which room do you think is most in need of change?” Natasha asked.

“Let me show the house and we can work for there,” said the Editor’s wife.

“We’ll leave you two to it,” said the Editor.

“Of course dear,” said his wife. “He’s not very good when it comes to homes,” she said to Natasha.

“Men seldom are,” said Natasha.

“Sorry about that,” I said waving my wand.

“Don’t worry, I’m used to it,” said the Editor when we got back to his office.

“I’d better leave you to your work,” I said.

“Don’t you want to talk to the others?” he asked.

“If you don’t mind,” I said. “I’m sure you can explain it just as well, if not better than me.”

“They said there’d been a row,” the Editor said. “But they didn’t say what it was about.”

“It’s stupid, I suppose,” I said. “But they went off celebrating the success of the first magazine and I know it was very successful.”

“But one success isn’t everything,” said the Editor.

“Yes,” I sighed.

“And they didn’t invite you along,” he added.

“I don’t suppose I’d have gone,” I said.

“But you wouldn’t have sat around waiting for them to tell you the good news either,” said the Editor.

“No,” I replied.

“And that’s why you don’t want to face them?” he asked.

“That and I’ve been up to my ears and beyond with family and I could do without having my judgement questioned for once,” I said.

“OK, I understand,” he smiled. “What will you do now?”

“Sort things with Mother,” I said.

“Good luck,” he said as I waved my wand.

By Janice Nye © 2020

The Fairy Godmother Part 73

“I get the impression you weren’t best impressed with Enid’s parents,” said Eve, putting a mug of tea on the table in front of me and pushing an opened packet of milk chocolate digestive biscuits towards me.

“Thanks,” I said taking a biscuit. “They wouldn’t have liked this,” I sighed.

“What do you mean?” asked Eve.

“Enid was with me, she made them tea, they objected to mugs and threw a plate of biscuits across the room, they wanted cake!”

“Do you want cake?” Eve asked.

“I just wanted to see you, the tea and biscuits are good, a bonus,” I said.

“Why did you want to see me?” asked Eve.

“Because you are a good person,” I said. “Perhaps you could help me see a way forward with my family or at least Enid’s side of it.”

“Why don’t you call her Mother?” asked Eve, sitting down across the table from me.

“She doesn’t feel like a Mother,” I sighed. “You are more of a mother to me than she has ever been, she can’t replace you.”

“That doesn’t alter the fact that she is your Mother,” Eve replied.

“I also work with her,” I said. “If I called her Mother at work, people would think I was only there because she was my mother.”

“No one who saw you work would think that,” said Eve. “You have your job because you are good at sorting out other peoples problems.”

“So why can’t I sort out my own?” I asked.

“Perhaps you are too close to the problem,” Eve suggested.

“So you think I need to take a step back?” I asked. “Put the problem into perspective?”

“Something like that,” Eve said. “What did you learn from Enid’s parents?”

“That they are worse than she is,” I said. “I wouldn’t have thought that was possible, but, their behaviour, it does rather explain the way Enid is.”

“How?” asked Eve.

“Doesn’t matter what she does, they pick fault in her and everything is her fault, even the way I reacted to them. She didn’t seem to know what to do right for doing wrong,” I explained.

“You’re not feeling sorry for her are you?” Eve asked smiling.

“It’s hard not to,” I sighed. “I just don’t know what to do next.”

“Do you have to do something?” Eve asked.

“The way I left things with Enid’s parents, it wasn’t satisfactory,” I sighed.

“What did you do?” Eve asked. “I mean, I know you, you wouldn’t, couldn’t be really nasty, it isn’t in you.”

“I told Enid to get them out of where we were,” I said.

“I was right then, nothing that bad,” said Eve.

“But not a good way to end a meeting with your grandparents,” I said.

“Do you want to see them again?” Eve asked.

“I don’t know,” I said.

“And your Father’s side of the family?” Eve asked.

“They’re nice,” I said. “Being with them is easy, I don’t have to watch my every word, they just seem to accept me for me.”

“Where as Enid’s parents?” said Eve.

“She wanted to know if I’d inherited any of her talent,” I sighed. “He seemed to regard family as something to do with women, he wasn’t interested.”

“You have a great talent for harmony amongst people,” Eve smiled. “Always have had, you were the one to get to sort out the squabbles with the kids in the nursery, better than any of the staff members.”

“You wouldn’t have thought that if you’d seen me laying down the law to those two,” I replied, shaking my head.

“And now you want to make peace with them,” Eve smiled. “You want harmony.”

“I just don’t see how I’m going to do it,” I said.

“How’s Enid?” asked Eve.

“I didn’t want her to be alone,” I said.

“Why not?” asked Eve.

“Her parents said things about her and Lily that she didn’t know, it seemed to hit her hard,” I replied.

“Don’t worry, I know all about it,” said Eve. “It’s just they never told the girls and wouldn’t let me tell them.”

“This family has more secrets than, I don’t know what,” I snapped.

“Which is why she is the way she is,” said Eve.

“I’d better go and check up on her,” I said. “Thanks for listening to me ranting.”

“I’m always here for you,” Eve smiled.

“It’s good to have someone I can rely on,” I smiled.

“And it’s good that she can have someone she can rely on,” said Eve.

“I don’t think she sees it that way,” I sighed.

“If she didn’t she wouldn’t keep coming back to you,” Eve replied.

“She tried to get rid of me, but it hasn’t worked, that’s all,” I explained to Eve.

“No, there’s a bond that even she can’t ignore,” said Eve. “And that is the bond that is telling you that she needs you.”

“Thanks. I’d better go,” I said, waving my wand.

“Where did you go?” asked Enid quietly.

“I went to see Eve,” I replied.

“To check up on me, make sure I was telling the truth?” asked Enid.

“No,” I replied. “I just wanted to make sure she was OK.”

“Why?” asked Enid.

“She was the mother you never were,” I said. “I get the urge to check up on her occasionally.”

“Was she OK?” asked Enid.

“Fine, she was pegging out the washing,” I told her.

“They should find something less strenuous for her to do,” said Enid. “She isn’t as young as she was and she is too valuable a person to waste her time on washing.”

“She likes to get it right,” I said.

“Then she should teach others to do it right,” said Enid. “And I shall tell her that next time I see her.”

“Do you think she’s going to listen?” I asked.

“She hasn’t done before,” said Enid. “But one day she will and I will remind her till then.”

“I suppose that is what we have to do with your parents,” I said.

“Tell them to delegate the laundry, I think they did that before I was born,” said Enid.

“No, I meant persist in trying to make them part of our family,” I said.

“And how do we do that, she couldn’t even be bothered to carry us and he didn’t want anything to do with babies,” Enid reminded me.

“And yet you wanted to carry and give birth to me, why?” I asked.

“Because I didn’t want things to be the same as with my parents,” said Enid. “Who am I kidding, I thought if I did all that, he would stay with me. I was obsessed with him, but it didn’t work.”

“Is that why you hate me?” I asked.

“I couldn’t hate you,” said Enid. “I was annoyed that he used you to distract himself from his work, but, if it hadn’t been you, it would have been something else. Some artists allow themselves to be distracted and then they blame anyone and everything for their failings.”

“When did you realise that?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” Enid said. “I think it is something that gradually dawns on you, or it could have been something that Eve said. Does it matter?”

“I don’t know,” I replied. “Though it would have been nice to know that you’d stopped blaming me for distracting him.”

“I never blamed you for distracting him, I blamed him for allowing himself to be distracted,” said Enid. “Mother was never distracted by us.”

“I don’t think anything could distract her,” I said.

“Your right there,” said Enid. “Our home was washed away by a flash flood one time, she was more interested in getting her latest work out than worrying about us. Fortunately Eve was there to make sure we were safe.”

“What sort of work does she do?” I asked.

“Interior design stuff, she’s very good at it,” said Enid.

“I wonder if she would do something for the next magazine,” I said.

“She’s always happy to spread her ideas around,” said Enid.

“Could you ask her?” I said.

“I think it would come better from you,” said Enid.

“You know what Eve would say,” I replied.

“She’d tell us both to go,” sighed Enid.

“Tomorrow,” I said. “I’d better go and see how Juliet and Georgie are doing first.”

“I thought you were going to let them stew?” Enid reminded me.

“They’ve had a bit of time and they may not have my phone number. Anyway, this might help get your Mother on board,” I said.

“The only thing I’d like her to get on board is a slow boat to wherever is the furthest away from where I am,” said Enid. “But I know what you mean, she is my Mother and I shouldn’t be avoiding her.”

“So, I shall check the idea out with Juliet and Georgie and then tomorrow we’ll talk to your Mother,” I said. “By the way, what is her name?”

“She’s Mother,” said Enid.

By Janice Nye © 2020

The Fairy Godmother Part 72

The evening meal we had prepared for their return had to be turned down to prevent it from burning, unfortunately it wouldn’t stop it from drying out, so I waved my wand and put it on hold.

“Shouldn’t they be back by now?” asked Enid as the hands of the clock moved closer to midnight.

“They should have been back hours ago,” I sighed.

“Are they in any danger?” asked Enid.

“I don’t think so,” I said checking my phone, when a text arrived.

“GONE TO CELEBRATE WITH THE EDITOR AND HIS GRANDSON. DON’T WAIT UP FOR US,” sent by Georgie.

“Couldn’t they have sent it earlier?” asked Enid.

“They did,” I replied. “But it’s only just got through to my phone, text is not a guaranteed instant service,” I replied.

“So we went to all this trouble for nothing,” said Enid.

“We can box it up and put it in the freezer,” I replied. “It can be eaten latter.”

“Aren’t you in the least bit disappointed?” asked Enid. “You went to all that trouble and they go off celebrating with the Editor and his grandson!”

“I can’t say that I’m not disappointed,” I sighed. “But they have done a lot of work as well, the Editor and his grandson have committed a lot to this.”

“Cobblers, if it wasn’t for you this would have been the last edition of that magazine and they would have struggled to recoup the cost of publishing it. What you did has probably helped wipe out a large proportion, if not all, of the debts they have accrued,” snapped Enid.

“I am too tired to argue,” I replied, waving my wand at the food which divided itself into boxes, labelled themselves up and leapt into the freezer.

“So what are you going to do?” asked Enid.

“I’m going to curl up on this chair and go to sleep,” I said, sitting down and closing my eyes.

“And what about me?” Enid asked.

“You can sleep on the sofa or you could go back to your rooms, the choice is yours,” I replied yawning.

“You were the one who thought I shouldn’t be alone,” Enid reminded me.

“If you stay here with me,” I said. “Then they will feel guilty when they turn up.”

“That sounds good to me,” said Enid. “I think that they should be made to feel guilty for leaving you out of the celebrations.”

“Also, we’ll find out what it is that they are celebrating,” I replied.

“What do you mean?” Enid asked.

“I think they may be celebrating too soon,” I replied. “I suspect they have had good sales today, but one days sales, that isn’t enough to me for a celebration. I could be missing something, but I don’t know what.”

“So we wait here for them to see what they have to say,” said Enid.

“About sums it up,” I said yawning.

Did I sleep? It’s hard to say. At three thirty in the morning I heard a key in the door of the flat, followed by it being opened with a rush and banging against the wall. There was a lot of giggling.

“You could sleep on the sofa,” said what sounded like Georgie.

“I’d rather sleep in your bed,” said what sounded like the Editor’s grandson.

“You make your minds up,” said Juliet. “I’m going to make a cup of tea,” she added and then opened the door of the living room.

“What the hell are you doing here?” shouted Georgie.

“You were going to tell me how things were going, if you remember,” I said.

“We didn’t expect you to wait here,” said Juliet. “And who’s the old bag snoring on the sofa?”

“I hope she’s clean,” said Georgie.

“A dam sight cleaner than you were when I met you,” I replied, standing up and waving my wand. Enid and I were back in her rooms.

“I hope you didn’t mind me leaving you to deal with that,” said Enid.

“I thought you were asleep,” I said.

“I was tempted to say something, but it was your job,” she said.

“And what would you have said?” I asked. “Just out of curiosity.”

“I’d have turned them into toads, they were acting like them,” she said.

“I’ve generally found that toads tend to be grateful of anything you do for them,” I said.

“So what will you do next?” asked Enid.

“Leave them to stew,” I replied. “I have a feeling that this is only the first battle in the war, they haven’t won yet, they’ve only got the attention of the other magazine. They aren’t going to take this lying down, they will fight back and when that happens they are going to need me.”

“And you will go along to do whatever they want,” said Enid.

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

“For about two seconds,” said Enid. “And then you’ll help. I know you.”

“You’re probably right,” I sighed. “But they’ve got to come to me. Meanwhile, I think we need to talk about your parents.”

“Do we have to talk about them?” Enid asked.

“My instinct is to cut them out of my life, but,” I sighed.

“But?” asked Enid.

“The first thing you did when Lily died was contact your Mother,” I said.

“So?”

“It means there has to be more to her than just a self obsessed egotist,” I replied.

“Why?” Enid asked.

“Because you thought she’d want to know about Lily,” I replied.

“And do you know what she said?” Enid asked.

“Of course not,” I replied.

“Her first words when she answered the phone were “Who is this?” I spent five minutes reminding her I was her daughter, Enid. She asked why I’d rung, I told her about Lily and she said “Lily who?”. I then spent a couple of minutes explaining that she had a daughter called Lily, who had killer herself. She said, if Lily’s dead then she no longer has a daughter called Lily and hung up.”

“Did you tell him what had happened?” I asked.

“I tried,” Enid sighed. “But you heard what he had to say about babies.”

“They are women’s work, nothing to do with men,” I said.

“His attitude doesn’t change when they get older,” Enid sighed. “He told me to talk to my Mother about it and not bother him with trivialities.”

“How do you feel about that?” I asked.

“I think, all in all, I would have preferred to have been dumped in the nursery and ignored,” Enid sighed. “It would have been better than being ignored at home.”

“There must have been someone there who looked after you,” I said.

“Yes, Nanny,” said Enid.

“Would it be possible to meet her?” I asked.

“Do you remember Eve, at the nursery?” Enid asked.

“Of course I remember her, she worked in the kitchens and was the only nice person in the place, I used to go to her whenever I got upset or put upon,” I replied. “What’s Eve got to do with anything?”

“She was my and Lily’s Nanny,” said Enid. “Of course, when we grew up she wasn’t needed so she went to work at the Nursery.”

“Why didn’t she say?” I asked.

“I told her not to,” said Enid. “I said that if she ever told you who I was, that I’d make sure she lost her job and that she wouldn’t get a job anywhere near children ever again.”

“She was always good to me, wasn’t she good to you?” I asked.

“She was the Mother I wished I’d had,” said Enid.

“So why the threats?” I asked.

“She’d have told and I couldn’t bare for you to know who I was,” said Enid.

“You hated me that much?” I asked.

“You don’t understand,” said Enid. “I couldn’t have you around, but things have changed since then, we work together quite well, sometimes.”

“So now I’m tolerated! Thanks,” I snapped and waved my wand. I appeared in the back garden of the nursery, Eve was pegging out the washing on the first of many lines. There always seemed to be a never ending pile of washing to do at the nursery.

“Myrtle,” said Eve smiling. “It’s good to see you. How have you been?”

“It’s a long story,” I sighed.

“I heard you’d found out who your Mother is,” said Eve. “You do know I couldn’t tell you.”

“Probably a good job that you didn’t,” I smiled.

“I’m making a cup of tea after I’ve pegged this lot out, would you like to join me?”

“That would be nice,” I smiled. “Do you want a hand with the pegging.”

“Many hands make light work,” she smiled.

By Janice Nye © 2020

The Fairy Godmother Part 71

“You must have a lot of questions for us,” said Enid’s Mother. “Why do you live here, it’s such a squalid place?”

“I don’t live here,” I said. “It’s part of my work as a Fairy Godmother, I’m in the middle of sorting something for someone and this is their home and they like it.”

“Low expectations,” Enid’s Father grunted. “Is it safe to sit on this sofa?”

“It and all the rest of the furniture is perfectly clean,” I said, as Enid came in with a tea tray.

“Mugs! You expect us to drink out of mugs!” Enid’s Mother exclaimed.

“That’s what was in the kitchen,” she replied. I waved my wand to change it to the finest china.

“You could have done that,” said Enid’s Father. “You just don’t make the effort.”

“I made the tea!” Enid snapped.

“And cakes! You could have provided cakes, instead of these things,” said Enid’s Mother picking up the plate of biscuits and throwing them across the room.

“She didn’t have to provide anything,” I snapped. “You were brought here to answer my questions.”

“Of course,” said Enid’s Mother, not bothering to let me finish. “You must want to know all about us. Well, as you can see I was very young when Enid was born, but I didn’t let that stop me pursuing my career as an advisor.”

“What sort of advice do you provide?” I asked.

“I advise people on the important things of life, their homes, clothes, hair,” Enid’s Mother started.

“Did you advise Enid to have me put into the nursery?” I asked.

“You were in the way,” said Enid’s Mother. “It was the best place for you. I didn’t think having you was a good idea in the first place, but she would insist. I don’t know why she wanted your Father, he was a talentless waste of space compared with me. It didn’t work, you distracted him from what he called work and so you had to go. I’m sure you understand that.”

“Why did you want to see me?” I asked.

“Just curiosity, I’ve heard so much about the things you have done, I wondered if you had inherited any of my talent,” she sniffed. “Looking at this room, I don’t think you have, I could never put up with that colour combination. As for the lighting, it doesn’t do the room any favours and it could do with a few, it needs to be larger, at least twice the size.”

“What did you think of it?” I asked Enid’s Father.

“Babies! That’s women’s work, nothing to do with men. I told your Father this and he told me I was missing out on a lot of things. I told him it was a load of nonsense and he should leave all that stuff to the women, it’s what they’re suited to,” he said.

“Take them away,” I said to Enid. “They are worse than you!”

“You ungrateful little,” Enid’s Mother started.

“Ungrateful! Can you name one thing that I can be grateful to you for?” I asked.

“You were born,” Enid’s Mother replied.

“I didn’t tell you about the pregnancy till after the birth,” said Enid.

“And why was that?” I asked.

“I knew they’d try and talk me out of giving birth,” said Enid.

“Birth is so undignified,” Enid’s Mother replied. “I never chose to go through with it myself.”

“So who were your biological parents?” I asked Enid.

“Does it matter?” asked Enid’s Father.

“It does to me,” I replied.

“I provided the fertilized egg,” Enid’s Mother replied. “She incubated it.”

“Why?” I asked.

“She wanted a job in the Fairy City, it was a way she could get in,” Enid’s Mother replied. “She could also give the baby she was expecting a better life.”

“I have a twin?” asked Enid.

“Co-habitant of the womb,” said Enid’s Mother.

“Do I know her?” asked Enid.

“Of course you do, she’s married to Myrtle’s Father,” laughed Enid’s Mother. “Didn’t you know?”

“How could I you’ve never mentioned it,” snapped Enid.

“I think they’d better go,” I told Enid.

“I said this was a waste of time,” said Enid’s Father as they vanished back to wherever they had come from.

“I’m beginning to see why you are the way you are,” I said to Enid.

“We need to talk,” said Enid.

“Probably,” I replied. “But not now, I have things to do and I think you need to let all that lot sink in. Do you have anyone you could be with?”

“Only you,” Enid replied.

“Fine, but you’d better make yourself useful,” I sighed.

“I could just wave my wand and get this place tidy,” she suggested. “I noticed you did that for the living room before my parents went in.”

“They weren’t impressed,” I sighed.

“They’d have been less impressed with how it looked before,” she smiled.

“OK, so we’ve been hitting the pizza’s a bit,” I said.

“You could have binned the boxes,” said Enid.

“We’ve been busy,” I replied.

“I never let that stop me keeping things tidy,” said Enid.

“I read up all your case notes,” I replied. “You turned up, waved your wand around and then left. I have been working through the problem with these two humans and helping them solve it, that involves long hours of work and doesn’t give you a great deal of time to organise meals. So after we have got this lot tidy and clean, we are going shopping and then we are going to cook something good and tasty for them for tea.”

“I don’t know why you have to go about things in such a labour intensive way,” sighed Enid.

“Because they have to know that they could have done it without magic, all I am providing is the ideas,” I replied. “After all, you are the one who was complaining about my excessive use of the wand.”

“You’re taking the mystic out of being a Fairy Godmother,” Enid complained.

“You can’t have it both ways,” I replied, getting together a stack of cardboard for recycling.

“There has to be a middle ground,” said Enid.

“It’s a judgement call,” I said. “Sometimes you need to use magic, sometimes you need to show it isn’t always necessary.”

“I suppose so,” sighed Enid. “It’s just difficult to adjust.”

“It’s not that hard if you try,” I said. “Of course, having your wand taken away does help you come up with alternative solutions.”

“I gave it back to you,” Enid muttered, as I got the vacuum cleaner out from the cupboard, plugged it in and started hoovering the floor. “Does that thing have to make so much noise?” she shrieked.

“You’d make a lot more noise in it’s place,” I said.

“It is a machine,” Enid replied waving her wand to reduce the sound to a purr. In an office block three miles away someone thought that their printer had malfunctioned because, although the prints looked perfect, the printer sounded like an ancient vacuum cleaner. They contacted the maintenance company, who sent out an engineer, who found nothing wrong with it and so charged them for the call.

By Janice Nye © 2020

The Fairy Godmother Part 70

“What happened?” Enid asked as I left Georgie and Juliet’s flat.

“What are you on about?” I asked.

“You said you wanted to meet my parents, gave me a week to sort it, if you remember,” said Enid.

“I remember,” I replied. “Violet said she’d keep an eye on things and let me know when they turned up, but they didn’t.”

“You were working, I didn’t want to disturb you when you were on a job. How’s it going, by the way?” Enid replied.

“You can’t have it both ways,” I replied. “Either you’re annoyed that I didn’t turn up or you understand that I was working. I had arranged to be told the moment that your parents arrived so that I could come over. They didn’t turn up, so I didn’t come. I was going to talk to you about that when I had finished with this job, but as you are here now, I’m not impressed.”

“I didn’t want to interrupt you whilst you were working,” Enid repeated.

“I’m still working,” I replied.

“It looked like everything has been done,” said Enid.

“It has only just been put into motion,” I replied. “The rival magazine is out, we just have to see what effect it has when the readers see it. If this doesn’t work we shall have to try something else.”

“It isn’t as if there is anything you can do though,” Enid sniffed.

“I can be here to provide moral support,” I replied.

“What!” exclaimed Enid.

“Moral support, being there in case someone needs you,” I replied.

“I don’t understand,” Enid replied. “Leave them a contact number, if they need you they can ring.”

“Moral support means they don’t have to ring you, you are there for them,” I replied. “I understand that this concept is alien to you, you’ve never been that brilliant on it.”

“When have I ever let you down!” Enid snapped.

“When you dumped me in the nursery,” I replied.

“You aren’t going to hold that against me?” she laughed. “It was a long time ago.”

“I needed you and you chucked me out,” I snapped.

“Boo whoo, pity me!” snapped Enid. “I did you a favour!”

“Yes, you probably did, I avoided having you as a Mother!” I replied. “Now take your sorry arse and get out of my life because I don’t want you in it,” I added, waving my wand and sending her back where she came from.

“That went well, NOT,” Enid’s mother shouted at her.

“I did my best,” Enid sighed.

“No you didn’t,” Enid’s Mother snapped. “But then you never did, especially when it came to her and why you saddled her with that ridiculous name, God only knows.”

“It was Grandmother’s name,” Enid sighed.

“And she hated it, but then you’d have known that if you’d listened to a single thing she told you. You were a great disappointment to her,” Enid’s mother shouted back at her.

“Aren’t you going to say something in my defence?” Enid asked her Father.

“She’s right,” he said. “You messed it up as you always have when it comes to our granddaughter. We wanted to meet her,” he added and turned away.

“Now you’ve upset your Father, I hope you’re proud of yourself,” Enid’s Mother shouted.

“What can I do about it?” wailed Enid.

“You are a fairy godmother,” Enid’s mother replied coldly. “You can sort it out.”

I had breakfast ready for Georgie and Juliet as soon as they woke up.

“It’s such a shame we have to go to work,” said Juliet. “I wish I could find out how the magazine is doing.”

“The editor is keeping a track of things,” I said. “He’ll let you know of anything when he hears. Meanwhile, you may as well be at work rather than pacing the floor here.”

“It’s so exciting,” said Georgie. “But Myrtle is right, there isn’t anything we can do till the sales figures come out and we can’t really do much then.”

“You’re right,” said Juliet, glancing at the clock. “And we’d better not be late,” she added and swallowed down the last of her cup of tea. Five minutes later they were both ready.

“We’ll have to fly to even stand a chance of getting there,” said Georgie, so I waved my wand and they were gone.

“Better unlock the shop and let the customers in,” said Juliet from inside the shop door.

Meanwhile, back at the flat, I decided to tidy up the place and give it a good clean up.

“I’m sorry,” said Enid.

“Anything in particular and everything in general?” I asked, turning to the kitchen sink.

“You don’t make things easy,” Enid snapped.

“Like Mother like daughter,” snapped another voice as someone appeared next to Enid. “Well, aren’t you going to introduce us or do we have to tell her ourselves,” she added as a man appeared next to them.

“We, for our sins, are Enid’s parents, your grandparents,” he smiled. “She said you wanted to see us.”

“I have seen my Father’s side of the family, I thought it was about time I met Enid’s side,” I replied.

“You have some questions to ask?” Enid’s Father asked.

“I think that goes without saying,” Enid’s Mother snapped.

“I think too many things have gone without saying,” I replied. “That is why I have some questions for you, however, at the moment I was just about to tidy the place up,” I replied looking round the room, housework had been a bit low on the list of priorities for the last couple of weeks.

“It could do with it,” said Enid’s Mother. “Enid, you can do that whilst we talk to our granddaughter.”

“Yes, Mother,” said Enid, picking an apron out of mid-air and putting it on. It was bright pink and matched the rubber gloves that appeared on her hands, but clashed with everything else she was wearing. It was hard for me not to laugh.

“Don’t forget to empty the bins,” said her Father. The look on her face said she knew where she would like to empty them, I just hoped it wasn’t on me.

“Would you like to come into the living room,” I suggested, gesturing towards the kitchen door.

“Very civilised,” said Enid’s Mother. “A cup of tea and some biscuits wouldn’t come amiss,” she added, looking at Enid.

“They’ll be in shortly, Mother,” said Enid, looking round the room for the teapot and kettle.

“We’ll leave you to it,” said Enid’s Father as we all headed towards the living room, I gave my wand a quick wave to sort it out before we got there, somehow, Enid was beginning to make a bit more sense and I hadn’t even started asking my questions, whatever they where, I had made a mental note of them, but my first sight of Enid’s mother sent them straight out of my head.”

by Janice Nye © 2020

The Fairy Godmother Part 69

Georgie, Juliet and I were sat outside a run down office in a very run down part of town waiting to talk to the editor/owner of one of the rivals to the magazine a week after we first hatched the plan.

“Can you tell me again, what are we doing here?” asked Juliet.

“It’s very simple,” I said. “The magazine needs to have a rival, something that will take readers away from them.”

“And you think this bunch could do it?” asked Georgie, looking round at the piles of dust and flaking paint. If they had a cleaner, there wasn’t much evidence that they did any work.

“They just need a few ideas,” I said.

“They need a firework up their,” Georgie was saying when the ancient secretary walked in.

“The Editor will see you now,” she said, opening a door and ushering us in.

“Good afternoon ladies,” said an old gentleman. “Charles, could you get some chairs for the ladies,” he said to a young man sitting to one side of him.

“Yes, Granddad,” he said his face lighting up when he saw Georgie and Juliet.

“Now what can I do for you?” he asked when we had sat down.

“I think it’s a case of what we can do for you,” I said.

“I don’t understand,” he replied.

“A short time ago the photographer of this magazine,” Juliet said, holding up the edition of the magazine with the photos from the book shop in. “Came to the shop I was working in, locked me out and proceeded to trash the place in the process of taking these photos.”

“I would never do such a thing,” the editor replied.

“Of course not,” I said. “That is because you are a gentleman.”

“And much good it is doing us,” said Charles.

“We think this magazine needs taking down a peg or ten, they need to know that they can’t go round doing things like this,” said Georgie.

“I don’t see how we can help you,” said the editor.

“We need to hit them where it hurts,” I said. “We need to take away their readers.”

“That would be very painful to them,” said the editor.

“We should know that,” said Charles wistfully.

“What can we do to help?” asked the editor.

“We need to put a rival magazine on the newsagents shelves,” I said. “Something to make the readers look and swap their allegiance.”

“And how are we going to do that?” asked the editor.

“Look at the photos taken in the book shop,” I said. “The models don’t even have the books the right way up. In this one she is pulling the books off the shelf and dropping them to the floor with little regard to the damage she is causing. Anyone who has any love of reading would cringe when they saw these photos, but the person taking them didn’t even think that would be a problem, obviously he doesn’t have any great expectations on the intellect of his readers.”

“I don’t see how this can help us,” said Charles.

“We appeal to the intellect of the readers,” I replied.

“We show that a woman can have brains without any loss of femininity,” said Juliet.

“I like the idea,” said the editor. “But how are we going to get them to pick the magazine up in the first place?”

“We need a front cover that stands out, even next to that one,” I replied.

“That could be a problem,” said the editor.

“The photographer left a couple of months ago and took his models with him,” said Charles. “Not that they were very good.”

“Were these the models?” Juliet asked holding up an old copy of their magazine.

“The current fashions don’t do them any favours,” I said. “Or at least not the ones they’ve been dressed up in.”

“It’s hard to think of what would,” said Charles.

“I didn’t see you telling them that,” said the editor.

“I like living,” Charles replied.

“We need to show fashion as inclusive and not only those who conform to the current idea of the body beautiful,” I said. “So we will be bringing these ladies back to show the readers that everyone can look good and we will show them how.”

“I like the idea of this,” said the editor. “But we only have money for one more edition.”

“I’m sorry to say, but he’s right,” said Charles.

“How many people know this?” I asked.

“Just the bank, at the moment,” said the editor.

“So don’t tell anyone,” I said.

“I’m not likely to go out shouting it in the streets,” said the editor.

“This edition will be like a great explosion on the newsagents shelves. It will shout read me to everyone who sees it,” I said.

“Going out with a blaze of glory,” said Charles.

“If this works you will have advertisers queuing up to place adverts in your next magazine,” I replied.

“And if it doesn’t?” asked Charles.

“We will go out with a bang and not a whimper,” said the editor, leaping to his feet. “I like this, I like this a lot.”

The next two weeks we worked harder than I would have thought possible. The book shop owner gave us permission to take photo’s there, whilst the girls were working, on the provisor that no books were damaged in the process. Charles did the photographs and he was surprisingly good at it, then again, he did seem to have a soft spot for Georgie.

The front page had a photo of Juliet handing a book to Georgie, obviously deep in conversation about it and they where holding it the right way up. To add to the authenticity of the scene, they were both wearing glasses, their clothes were simple, but flattering, no great displays of jewellery or make-up, everything understated but elegant. The magazine contained articles on being comfortable with your body image, dressing to make you feel good, fashion that doesn't cost the earth. By the time we had finished it, we were exhausted, but happy that this was the best we could do, at the moment. We watched as the magazines were printed and then loaded onto vans for delivery.

“This time tomorrow we will either be celebrating victory or drowning our sorrows,” said the editor.

“I think it is tomorrow,” said Charles.

“I need to sleep,” said Georgie.

“I think we all do,” said the editor. “I’ll just finish off here, you get off home.”

“I’d take you home,” said Charles, looking at his grandfather disappearing off into the building.

“We understand,” I said. “We will be fine getting home by ourselves.”

“If you are sure?” he said.

“Certain,” I smiled and he headed off after the editor.

“So how do you propose to get us home?” asked Juliet yawning.

“I am your Fairy Godmother,” I smiled and waved my wand.

“You are good,” said Georgie as we appeared in the living room of their flat.

“Good night,” I said and vanished.

By Janice Nye © 2020

The Fairy Godmother Part 68

“You are a Fairy Godmother?” the girl asked.

“And you are a homeless unemployed girl,” I replied. “By the way, what is your name?”

“Georgina,” she replied. “But my friends call me Georgie.”

“Could these friends put you up till I’ve sorted out alternative accommodation for you?” I asked.

“OK, so I don’t have any friends,” she snapped. “Not any that could put me up at any rate. Can’t you magic something up for me?”

“Hello,” said the girl from the bookshop. “Have you thought of any ways of getting back at that magazine yet?”

“Not yet,” I sighed. “But I’m working on it.”

“You’re also working on finding me somewhere to live,” Georgie reminded me. “I think that has to have priority.”

“I’m looking for someone to share my flat,” said bookshop girl.

“I don’t have any money and I’ve just lost my job,” said Georgie, not the most helpful of things to say.

“I work at a bookshop, the owner is having problems finding people to staff it, he thought it would work with one, but after the problems with the magazine,” she sighed. “He said that if he doesn’t get someone soon he’s going to have to close it.”

“I would love to work in a bookshop,” sighed Georgie.

“Sounds like we have some solutions,” I said.

“I don’t understand,” said Georgie and the girl from the bookshop together.

“You need a home,” I said to Georgie. “You need a flat mate,” I said to the girl from the book shop.

“But I don’t have any money to pay my way,” said Georgie.

“The book shop owner needs more staff and you’d love to work in a bookshop,” I explained.

“He’d take one look at me and escort me out of his shop before I made anything mucky,” Georgie sighed.

“The newsagents didn’t,” I replied. “Anyway, I’m sure we could get you washed up ready to meet him tomorrow.”

“We could do that,” said the girl from the book shop. “You look like you’re about my size, so you could borrow some of my clothes. It would be simple.”

“Do you think he would employ me?” asked Georgie.

“He’s desperate,” said the girl from the book shop.

“Let’s get started then,” I said “We can work on a plan to make sure that magazine thinks twice before it trashes a shop the way it did.”

“They do seem to think they can just take over and tell people what to do,” said Georgie.

“Have you had any run-ins with them?” asked the girl from the book shop.

“Oh yes,” said Georgie. “Or at least with that egotist of a photographer.”

“He seemed to be the nicest person amongst them,” sighed the girl from the bookshop.

“My names Georgie,” she said. “What’s your name?” she asked the girl from the bookshop.

“Juliet,” she replied. “And no jokes about Romeo please, I think I’ve heard them all.”

“The photographer’s name is Romeo,” Georgie replied. “Romeo Smith.”

“My name is Myrtle,” I said.

“Didn’t your Mother like you?” asked Georgie. “Sorry, that wasn’t nice.”

“Good question, she saddled me with that name and dumped me in an orphanage,” I sighed. “But that is a problem for another day. Romeo Smith is today’s problem and how to bring him and his magazine down a peg or ten.”

“We could go there and talk to them,” suggested Juliet.

“They wont be listening to anyone today,” said Georgie.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because today is the day that the readers figures come out,” Georgie explained.

“And that is important?” I asked.

“A large proportion of their income comes from advertising,” Georgie explained. “If the readers numbers drop then the advertisers will go elsewhere and if enough of them do that, it could sink the magazine.”

“So that is their weakness,” I said.

“But how do we attack it?” asked Juliet. “Their readership is loyal.”

“Is it?” I asked and both girls turned to face me. “This is a fashion magazine, their readers will be followers of fashion, we just have to move the fashion away from that magazine to something else.”.

“Easier said than done,” sighed Georgie.

“There has to be a way,” I said. “We need to study the magazine.”

“I have copies for the last two years,” Juliet admitted.

“We need to get started,” I replied. “How far is it to your flat?”

“We are here,” said Juliet, pressing some buttons to open the door into a tall, nineteenth century terraced house. “My flat is up in the attic,” she added starting up the stairs. Georgie’s luggage followed behind.

“These are the magazines,” said Juliet as soon as we walked into her home. “And these are some of their competitors.”

“How about I start looking at these whilst you get Georgie ready to see the bookshop owner tomorrow?” I suggested.

“I’ll probably need a hand with my hair,” Georgie admitted and the girls headed off to the bathroom, I sent the luggage to the spare room.

Nearly two hours later Juliet came back with a girl who must have been Georgie, but didn’t look anything like her.

“You needn’t worry about the newsagent recognising you,” I said.

“The bookshop owner likes girls with black hair,” said Juliet. “I think it helps them blend in with the background.”

“Does that mean your hair isn’t black?” I asked.

“No, I’m a natural blond,” Juliet replied.

“Why did you dye it?” Georgie asked.

“Because blonds are supposed to be dumb,” she said. “Not a good look for someone in a bookshop.”

“Well, black suites both of you,” I said. “You could almost be sisters.”

“Maybe that will impress the shop owner,” said Georgie.

Then the door bell rang.

“I’d better get that,” said Juliet, pressing a button.

“Pizza delivery,” the voice came over the intercom.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I thought we would need to eat,” I said. “I’ll pay, of course.”

“Come on up,” said Juliet to the delivery person. “We are on the top floor.”

by Janice Nye © 2020