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