The Fairy Godmother Part 53

“What time is it?” asked Enid, looking at her watch for the umpteenth time and taping the grandfather clock for reasons I really don’t know.

“Five minutes latter then last time you asked me,” I replied.

“Right,” she said, looking at Jim and Derek. “When I tell someone to come, that is what they do.”

“He isn’t here and I don’t suppose he’ll come,” said Jim.

“It was expecting a lot of him,” said Derek.

“His Father said that he would come,” said Enid. “And come he will,” she added waving her wand. The rich man’s son appeared, in his pyjamas, looking rather stunned.

“What the hell!” he shouted picking himself up from the floor.

“You were supposed to come here to help get this hotel and it’s grounds sorted,” said Enid. “Oh and by the way, I wont have any of that sort of language round here.”

“I was asleep, in bed!” he said.

“What is your name?” I asked. It hadn’t been mentioned and it seemed rather long winded to think of him as the rich man’s son.

“Liam,” he replied.

“Nice to meet you,” I said.

“Have you finished?” asked Enid.

“Yes,” I smiled.

“Good,” said Enid, giving me a bit of an odd look. “The idea was that you arrive here in the morning and help sort this place out.”

“I was going to come straight after breakfast,” said Liam, yawning. “But you brought me here before I even got out of bed.”

“Morning means before mid-day,” Enid replied. “We could do without spending half the day waiting for you to emerge.”

“I didn’t realise you wanted me here so early,” he smiled. “I promise to do better tomorrow. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go home and have my breakfast.”

“Yes, I do mind,” replied Enid. “You are here now, so you can start working.”

“But, I’m not properly dressed,” Liam replied.

“There are only us here,” said Enid. “Does anyone mind what Liam is wearing.”

“No,” replied Derek and Jim.

“Myrtle?” Enid asked, looking at me.

“What?” I asked, my mind had got rather distracted and I hadn’t been listening.

“Do you mind what Liam wears?” Enid asked, that odd look was there again.

“No,” I said, trying to agree with everyone.

“Good,” said Enid. “So we should get to work.”

“So what should we do?” asked Liam, looking at Jim and Derek.

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Derek replied. “I’ve been to busy trying to keep the place to think about what to do to get it back into business.

“Not much point in me staying if we don’t know what needs to be done first,” said Liam. I could see where he was coming from, but I didn’t want him to leave, not yet.

“We could start by clearing out the mess in the bar,” I suggested.

“That sounds like a plan,” said Enid. “And whilst we are in there we could throw about a few ideas on how to get something happening in here so that it can bring in some money. I’m sure that would help both of you,” she added looking at Jim and Derek.

“It would be good to have some money,” said Jim.

“I will pay you as soon as I can,” said Derek.

“I know that,” said Jim.

“My Dad could,” Liam started.

“What?” I asked. “Throw enough money at the problem and make it go away?”

“Well,” said Liam trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone.

“That would teach you nothing,” I said.

“But it would get things up and running quicker,” said Derek.

“That’s true,” Enid agreed. “There is no reason for Jim and Derek to suffer getting things sorted just to teach Liam a lesson.”

“Especially as I understand that what I did was wrong on so many levels,” said Liam.

“Fine. You solve it how you want to,” I told Derek, waved my wand and vanished.

“I think you have upset her,” said Jim, looking at the space where I had been standing.

“She’s just a bit headstrong,” said Enid. “She’ll get over it.”

“So, you’re going to do nothing?” asked Liam

“I don’t see that there’s anything to do,” said Enid looking from Jim to Derek. “You need to get this place up and running as quickly as possible, getting him to help with the work would add years to the project.”

“Because I’m so useless,” said Liam.

“I don’t see you as being a hands on type,” said Derek.

“No,” said Jim. “But you might have a few ideas on what needs to be done to bring in the customers.”

“I’ve stopped in lots of hotels,” said Liam. “I know what’s good and what’s to be a

avoided. How about we take a walk round the place and see if we can come up with some ideas, meanwhile, you should talk to Myrtle.”

“I don’t need you to tell me how to treat my daughter,” snapped Enid.

“She’s your daughter!” Liam exclaimed. “And I thought my lot were dis-functional.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Enid. “Your Father is one of the most successful people I have ever met.”

“Yes and he has a PA to remind him when my birthday is and to go out and find a present for me,” said Liam.

“What’s so bad about that,” asked Jim. “At least you get a present.”

“Yes, but it’s nothing personal, nothing he’s put any thought into, some years he didn’t even sign the card, he was too busy,” said Liam.

“But he’s a good man,” Enid persisted.

“How would I know, he’s never had time for me,” said Liam.

“He has bailed you out of more problems than I can remember,” said Enid.

“He’s thrown cash at the problem and made it go away,” said Liam. “And then, as far as he was concerned I merged into the back ground till there was another problem to turn the spot light on me.”

“And Myrtle wanted to change that,” said Derek.

“Except it isn’t you that needs changing, it’s your old man,” said Jim.

“I’d better go and talk to him,” said Enid.

“I think we can do that,” said Liam looking from Jim to Derek. “You need to talk to your daughter.”

“I don’t see why, she’s just had a bit of a hissy fit,” said Enid. “She’ll get over it when she’s calmed down.”

“That never solves anything,” said Liam. “I should know, I’ve been left to get over things tons of times and it’s never work.”

“And what have you been left to get over,” snapped Enid. “Your Father always does the best for you.”

“When Mum died, he just sent me back to school, didn’t even let me come to the funeral and afterwards, she was never to be mentioned,” said Liam.

“Your Father found that whole thing difficult,” said Enid. “There were a lot thought that he should remarry, but no one was good enough to fill her shoes.”

“And me?” asked Liam.

“You reminded him too much of her, he couldn’t be around you,” Enid replied.

“Did you tell him to send me back to school?” asked Liam.

“It was for the best,” said Enid. “You weren’t getting used to her being gone, it was making things difficult for him.”

“No wonder you’re no good with your daughter,” said Liam. “We’ll go and talk to Dad and you can talk to Myrtle, the least you can do is apologise for giving her such a crap name.”

By Janice Nye © 2020