The Fairy Godmother Part 5

“He can’t see you,” said the man as we headed back to the bus shelter.

“I can be small, very small,” I said.

“No, he can’t see you at all,” he insisted. “I’ve tried bringing people along to watch and follow him, but he always knows that they are there.

“I am under strict instruction not to let those gems out of my sight,” I said.

“But,” he stuttered.

“This is not negotiable,” I said as I got an angry look from the Head Fairy.

“If he notices something suspicious,” he said.

“He wont,” I replied, my fingers crossed behind my back.

“I saw that,” muttered the Head Fairy.

“I can be invisible,” I said looking at the Head Fairy.

“If you must,” she muttered.

“That might work,” he said, putting the box of jewels into his pocket. I waved my wand and slipped in the pocket alongside the box.

“How does this work?” he asked.

“Simple,” I replied, the Head Fairy joining me in the pocket. “You go along to the bus shelter, as per usual and act the same way as you normally do. Leave the rest to me.”

“OK,” he said. “And afterwards?”

“You go home,” I said.

“What about my wife?” he asked.

“We’ll let you know as soon as we find out anything,” I replied.

“But what do I do in the meantime?” he asked.

“You could start off by cleaning the house up,” I suggested. “There’s one thing feeling needed, but she’s going to feel like she’s the unpaid servant if she comes back to a mess like that.”

“I don’t know how to even start on it all,” he sighed.

“Chuck out the rubbish, wash the muckies, run a duster round things and sweep the floor, that would be a good start,” I said.

“But that’s women’s work,” he muttered.

“You make a mess, you clean it up,” I replied.

“But,” he started.

“Do you want her to take one look at that lot and decide to go elsewhere?” I asked.

“No,” he muttered as the bus shelter came into view and the man was waiting for him.

“He’s obviously interested,” I said.

“Either that or she knows what’s been offered,” muttered the Head Fairy.

“So we will get there quickly,” I said.

“Good luck,” he muttered.

“Have you got them?” the strange man asked.

“Here,” said our man, taking the box out of his pocket and opening it.

“They are more beautiful than even your photo led me to believe,” he sighed taking hold of the box and stroking the gems. The Head Fairy grimaced as if he’d stroked her and heaved a sigh of relief when he closed the box.

“My wife?” asked our man.

“Now why should I hand her over when you bring me things like this?” he asked, putting the box in his pocket, we went with it.

“Because you said you would,” our man whimpered.

“You know I am not a man of my word and still you keep hoping,” he laughed.

“What if I stopped bringing things?” our man asked.

“I know plenty of people who would pay a pretty penny for her,” he smiled.

“No, please don’t,” our man pleaded.

“No the best pleader I’ve heard,” muttered the Head Fairy.

“You keep on finding things for me,” the strange man said. “And I’ll think about it.”

“We’ve got to get the shoe makers wife back to him,” I said.

“Might be an idea to relocate them as well,” said the Head Fairy. “When we have the jewellery back.”

The dawn was just beginning to break when we got somewhere, not quite sure where, but he climbed out of his car checked his pocket for the box and headed towards a rather large and ornate door which looked as if it could hold back several hordes rampaging or otherwise.

The door opened wide and a rather menacing man stood in it.

“I believe you have something for my lady,” he said.

“Yes,” he stuttered, handing over the box. The man opened it for a quick glance.

“Those gems are not for your eyes,” said a voice from within the building.

“I recognise that voice,” muttered the Head Fairy. “Now what was her name.”

The door slammed shut and we slipped quickly into the building.

“What do you want me to say to him?” asked the man who opened the door.

“I don’t really care,” she said, then paused. “But I suppose he might still be useful, say something to keep him on side.”

“OK my lady,” he said smiling.

“I’m not sure that I like the look on his face,” I muttered.

“He isn’t the problem,” said the Head Fairy. “She is!”

“I know you are here,” said the woman. “That invisibility spell wont hide you from me Enid.”

“Enid!” I giggled.

“So, that’s my name,” the Head Fairy snapped. “It isn’t like a choose the stupid thing.”

“Of course not,” I said, trying not to giggle and failing.

“And that little friend of yours,” she added.

“Apprentice,” said the Head Fairy stiffly. “And if you let her go now, I wont tell her what your name is,” the Head Fairy added, her arms crossed and a look on her face that I wouldn’t want looking at me.

“Apprentice,” the woman said. “I hope you treat her better than you treated me.”

“I wouldn’t say you’ve done badly for yourself,” said the Head Fairy. “Do we have a deal?”

“Of course,” smiled the woman. “I have you, what use is an apprentice. Tell her she has ten seconds to get out of here.”

“Go,” the Head Fairy snapped. “No questions.”

“OK,” I said, waving my wand.

“I thought you’d been told to limit wand use,” said the woman.

“That’s my problem, not yours,” said the Head Fairy.

“That and a few other things,” said the woman. “Unless, of course, you help me and you’d better think about that carefully before you make any rash comments.”

“Sybil, you are the most,” the Head Fairy started to say.

“Remember what I said,” Sybil replied. “You don’t want to say anything rash, you might regret it later.”

“They didn’t want you in the college,” the Head Fairy replied. “But I went out on a limb for you.”

“Bet you wish you hadn’t,” Sybil laughed.

“It gets thrown back at me each time I back someone they don’t like,” the Head Fairy replied.

“That includes you,” the Head Fairy mouthed to me as I hovered near the window.

“I’m going to follow him,” I mouthed back. She nodded in my direction and I hurried away before Sybil noticed.

“Whatever you’re planning, it wont work,” Sybil said smiling at the Head Fairy.

“I am not planning anything,” the Head Fairy replied.

“I do believe you are not,” said Sybil. “This should be interesting.”

The man stood outside wondering what to do next.

“Your lady is not so keen on you as you are on her,” I said hovering just a few feet from him.

“This is your doing,” he snapped, spinning round.

“I wouldn’t say that,” I replied. “She didn’t even want to see you.”

“She can be like that sometimes,” he said walking back to his car. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“It means she doesn’t feel the need to keep you onside,” I replied.

“I do everything and more that she asks of me,” he said.

“And yet she doesn’t seem to think that is enough,” I said. “What does she do for you?”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“You scurry round trying to find things to please her, but is she happy, no,” I replied. “So why do you keep doing it?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” he muttered.

“Then explain,” I said.

“Why?” he asked.

“It seems to me that we if we work together we could come up with a solution that would be equitable to both of us,” I replied.

“What has she got that you want back?” he asked.

“The Head Fairy and the gems in that box,” I replied.

“What’s she to you?” he asked and then shook his head. “Don’t bother, fairies are a bit of a law unto themselves.”

“So what has she got on you?” I asked.

“She has cast a spell on the village I come from, it is like a shadow, held is suspense, I can see them, but they can’t see or hear me,” he sighed.

“You want the spell raised,” I said. “Has she given you any clues on how that may be done.”

“No,” he sighed, starting the car up. “And try as I will, she says nothing about what I can do to free them from this curse.”

“Where is the shoe makers wife?” I asked.

“I brought her here,” he said. “She is the one who put her in stasis.”

“Stop the car,” I said, as the man who opened the door walked up to it.

“She’s thrown me out,” he said. “All these years of service,” he added as a bag flew from the door in his direction. “And this is all I have to show for my unquestioning devotion.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“That blasted mirror,” he said. “She told me to hang it on the wall, I did, just as she asked.”

“And?” I asked.

“The mirror told her about a ball at the palace tomorrow night, it is to be attended by a King from a near by country,” he said. “She saw his arrival, in the mirror and fell for him.”

“What about his wife?” I asked.

“She died a few years ago,” he said. “Anyway, with those gems she’s got he doesn’t stand a chance. He’ll fall for her and whisk her away to his kingdom.”

“Do you want to bring her down?” I asked.

“Just tell me what to do,” he asked.

“Get in the car,” I said. “We need to do a bit of plotting, we need to put a great big spanner in her plans.”

by Janice Nye © 2019