The Fairy Godmother Part 60

“This has failure written all over it,” said Enid, at 6am whilst I was putting the finishing touches to the spread.

“Only if you say something you shouldn’t,” I replied.

“Are you saying,” she started.

“That you would sabotage this just to score points?” I asked.

“That isn’t what I was going to say,” snapped Enid.

“Maybe not, but I wouldn’t put it past you,” I replied. “You have a history of that sort of thing.”

“How could you say such a thing to your own Mother!” Enid replied trying to sound shocked.

“My own Mother, the one who dumped me in the fairy nursery as soon as my Father walked out on her,” I replied.

“I couldn’t cope without him, I don’t expect you to understand,” she said. “It was a very difficult time for me.”

“You didn’t try to cope and you didn’t make any effort to let me know who you were when I was old enough to look after myself,” I replied. “And anyway, you are doing what you always do, trying to divert attention to you. Well today isn’t about you, it is about Ella and Rosie, the two birthday girls.”

“I think you are being very cruel,” said Enid.

“And you are being selfish, trying to hi-jack today, grow up and let someone else be centre of attention for once,” I replied, checking the food for the umpteenth time and then moving on to the decorations. They were perfect, as they had been late the previous day when we put them all up and I added a spell to make sure they stayed in place.

“This is also a day for reconciliation,” Enid reminded me.

“Yes, between Jessie, Ian and their parents,” I said.

“I don’t see why it can’t be between us as well,” Enid replied.

“Because you have never said sorry for anything you have ever done,” I said.

“But,” Enid started. “I don’t think I have anything to say sorry about. Whereas you, I can think of tons of things that you should be saying sorry for.”

“That’s the problem,” I said. “You don’t see that anything you have done could ever be wrong, so the reconciliation falls at the first hurdle.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” said Enid.

“You are doing it again,” I said. “Making it all about you. I want today to go smoothly, I want the Happy ever after ending and I want the families to be friends again. We can discuss our differences after that has happened.”

“So what are you saying?” asked Enid.

“This day better go well or else,” I said.

“I shall do my best, but really it is out of my hands,” said Enid.

“Stuff this up and I shall never speak to you again,” I replied.

“I came here to help you,” Enid replied, trying to sound reproachful, but only succeeding to sound petulant.

“Then help,” I replied.

“How?” she asked.

“By not doing anything without asking me,” I said.

“You are treating my like an apprentice, worse than one, I’d allow some call to judgement,” said Enid.

“You didn’t when I was an apprentice,” I replied. “Now, I expect you to stay quiet till I ask you to do something.”

“But,” she started and I held my index finger up to my mouth.

“Not one word,” I said. She glared at me and left with a dramatic waving of her wand.

“Do you think she’s going to cause trouble?” asked Jessie.

“Not if she wants to speak to me again,” I smiled.

“Don’t you think you are being a bit hard on her?” Jessie asked.

“No,” I replied. “She has a lot of bridges to build, but that is for after the party.”

“Have you been in touch with Rosie’s people?” asked Ian.

“Yes, they should be here just after breakfast, I thought Ella and Rosie should have as much time together as possible,” I said.

“Rosie’s coming?” Ella asked, from the kitchen door.

“It’s her birthday as well,” I said. “I thought you might like to get to know her.”

“I don’t know,” said Ella. “It feels like I’m here to create spare parts for her or something.”

“It wasn’t spare parts,” I replied. “More bone marrow and she is always there to return the favour.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” said Ella.

“Also, you were born together, you weren’t created to supply her with anything, it was just lucky for Rosie that it worked,” I said.

“You were not created for spare parts,” said Jessie. “Never think that.”

“OK,” said Ella.

“Would you like Rosie to come to your party?” I asked.

“Yes,” said Ella. “It might be nice to get to know her.”

“She can leave any time you want her to,” I said.

“If she’s coming after breakfast, we’d better get breakfast started,” said Ella.

“I’d better see to Joy,” said Jessie as a yell was heard from upstairs.

“She’s got a good set of lungs on her,” I said as Jessie headed off.

Breakfast was over and cleared away when there was a knock on the door.

“I’ll see to that,” I said, not sure which of the guests was arriving first.

“Rosie,” screeched Ella. “You’ve got to come and see Joy, my baby sister, she is just the best thing ever,” she added, dashing past me, grabbing Rosie by the hand and pulling her upstairs.

“Come in,” I said to Rosie’s parents. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

“That would be very nice,” smiled Rosie’s Mum and they followed me through to the kitchen.

“I’d better check up on Ella and Joy,” said Jessie. “We don’t want Joy to get upset.”

“I’ll come with you,” said Rosie’s Mum.

No sooner had we got to the kitchen than the door bell rang again. All four Grandparents had arrived at the same time.

“A cup of tea for everyone?” I asked.

“That would be an idea,” said the two Grandmothers at the same time.

“Right,” I said heading back to the kitchen.

“Jessie!” said her Mother as she saw her walking down the stairs carrying Joy.

“I thought you might all like to meet Joy,” she said, holding the baby up, she waved and then burped.

“She looks just like you did at that age,” said Jessie’s Dad. “Absolutely beautiful.”

“I think she has a look of Ian around the eyes,” said Ian’s Mother.

“She is Joy and she is herself,” said Ella.

“Of course,” said Ian as the kettle came to the boil.

“I think it might be an idea if we brought the tea into the living room,” I said smiling.

“There’s a lot of us,” said Ian as everyone filed into the living room. “How are you going to make one pot of tea serve all of us?”

“I am not a Fairy Godmother for nothing,” I smiled. “You keep them from fighting and I’ll bring in the tea and biscuits.”

by Janice Nye © 2020