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