The Fairy Godmother Part 76

“It hasn’t been this clean and tidy since,” and Enid paused. “Since I don’t remember when.”

“I would like to argue the point,” I said. “But it is the first time I’ve been in here. Got to say I would have thought that your rooms would be spotless and organised.”

“I have a busy life,” Enid replied.

“You’ve been suspended as Head of the Fairy Council for a few weeks now,” I replied. “There were take away containers that had mummified remains in them, you could at least have thrown out the rubbish!”

“After a while they stop smelling,” said Enid.

“And they start developing their own ecosystem,” I replied.

“It’s not that bad,” Enid replied.

“There was a line of ants taking the contents of one box away!” I said.

“I hope you haven’t deprived them of whatever it was,” said Enid, looking slightly worried.

“No, I traced where they were coming from and took the box to them, it’ll save their little legs,” I sighed. “However, this lack of cleanliness isn’t good.”

“OK! I stuffed up!” said Enid.

“I know what Eve would have said if I’d let my room get in that state,” I said, not that it would’ve, the rooms were checked daily and nothing could be out of place.

“Probably the same as she said to me if there was any rubbish in my room, even if it was in the bin,” said Enid. “I don’t know why we had bins, we had to empty them as soon as we put anything in.”

“I know what you mean,” I sighed. “But you know the standards she set, why did you let it get to this?”

“I don’t know,” said Enid, sitting down suddenly, on the floor.

“Was it when Lily died?” I asked cautiously, though I knew that wasn’t the case, the dates on some of the rubbish went way back before then.

“No,” said Enid. “Though I think it has got worse since then.”

“So when do you think it all started?” I asked, sitting down opposite her.

“Difficult to say,” said Enid. “Lily was always the perfect one, when she went to school, she was immaculate. I tripped up and landed in a puddle, mud all down my dress and frogs in my hat! When we got home, I got put in the bath and was sent to bed without any tea, she had fruit salad and ice-cream. Everything she did was perfect, I stuffed up every time, but she was my sister. Now she’s gone, they act like she never existed and I’m still the failure.”

“I think what you need is something the humans call closure,” I said.

“It’s a bit hard to have a funeral without a body, anyway they seem so maudlin,” Enid replied.

“A memorial service,” I suggested.

“No one else has suggested it, Mum and Dad definitely wouldn’t go, so what would be the point,” Enid replied, shrugging her shoulders.

“The point would be to enable you to move on,” I said.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because this isn’t good for you,” I snapped.

“Who cares?” she asked.

“I do,” I replied. “Isn’t that enough?”

“I thought you hated me,” she said.

“You are my Mother,” I said.

“That doesn’t mean much,” she said.

“It does to me,” I replied. “And much as I may have arguments with you, I don’t want to see you like this.”

“You could always leave,” Enid replied.

“Or I could shake you till you have something to feel sorry for yourself about,” I said.

“I have lost my sister!” she shouted.

“So you need to do something to express that loss or it will consume you,” I shouted back at her.

“Like what?” she asked.

“We could go to the back of beyond and yell at the moon,” I suggested.

“And what good will that do?” asked Enid.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “I think it might be to let out all the anguish or something, some human’s do it.”

“So?” asked Enid.

“We could give it a go,” I suggested.

“What if someone saw us, it would be so embarrassing,” Enid replied.

“So we make sure there is no one there,” I said.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“No, but that doesn’t mean I’m not prepared to try,” I said.

“When should we do it?” Enid asked.

“Now,” I said waving my wand.

“Where the hell are we?” asked Enid, looking round carefully because we were on the top of a mountain.

“We are at the top of the back of beyond,” I said, looking down. “And the sun is in the process of setting.”

“So how long do we have to wait before we can howl at the moon?” asked Enid. “And what do we do whilst we are waiting? I’m getting cold!”

“We build a campfire,” I said.

“With what?” Enid asked. “If you hadn’t noticed, we are quite a distance above the tree line.”

“And I am a Fairy Godmother,” I said, giving my wand a little twitch and a campfire appeared in the centre of a circle of stones.

“What about reducing the use of your wand?” Enid asked.

“What about it?” I replied.

“What are we going to do whilst we wait for the moon?” Enid asked changing the subject.

“We could talk,” I suggested.

“About what?” she asked, sitting down on one of the stones and leaning towards the camp fire.

“Why didn’t you tell Natasha that I was due?” I asked.

“She’d want me to get someone else to carry you, like she did with me and Lily,” said Enid.

“And you didn’t want to do that,” I said.

“No,” snapped Enid.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I wanted to be closer to you than I was to Natasha,” Enid snapped.

“So what happened?” I asked.

“Things weren’t easy,” said Enid.

“One thing I’ve learnt, life is never easy,” I replied.

“I turned to my family for help,” Enid said.

“With most families that would work,” I said.

“But not ours,” snapped Enid.

“So, what happened?” I asked.

“Any time I had problems, all I got was other people manage or drop the brat off at the nursery,” said Enid. “Sorry.”

“And you get that told enough and you finally do it,” I said.

“I’d had a really bad week, you were teething and I hadn’t had any sleep. Natasha took me there,” said Enid. “She did the talking and got me to sign the papers.”

“How did you feel when you had?” I asked.

“I felt like shit,” she said. “Like I am the worst mother in existence.”

“Well, you aren’t,” I said. “Natasha is.”

“Natasha kept us, I didn’t keep you,” she yelled.

“You may have been in the same house as her, but you didn’t know who she was,” I said. “I wouldn’t call that keeping you. Also, she let you down when you need her most.”

“I should have known what to do,” said Enid.

“You had Natasha as an example,” I said. “How are you expected to learn about maternal instincts from her, a cuckoo could give her lessons on child care!”

“But,” said Enid.

“You tried,” I said. “And you said you wanted to make things right with me.”

“If it’s possible,” said Enid.

“That’s the difference between you and Natasha,” I replied. “She will never admit to doing anything wrong and until she does that, she can’t even start making things right.”

“Does this mean I have a chance?” Enid asked.

“That is a glorious full moon,” I said pointing at it. “Come on Mum, lets howl at the moon.”

By Janice Nye © 2020

The Fairy Godmother Part 75

“So?” asked Enid and her Father as soon as I got back to them.

“What?” I asked.

“You know what!” said Enid. “Don’t play dumb.”

“I think Natasha is in her element, the Editor’s wife is hanging on her every word,” I replied.

“Is there much for her to do there?” asked Enid’s Father.

“It sounded like the whole house needed a make-over,” I replied. “They were talking about a room a month for as long as it takes. Sorry.”

“What’s to be sorry about, as you said, she’ll be in her element and I’ll get some peace and quiet for a few months at least,” Enid’s Father replied. “It’ll take her mind of,” he shuddered.

“What?” I asked.

“She was thinking of having some more children,” he said. “I think she was just bored, but she was actually thinking of carrying them!”

“Isn’t she too old?” I asked.

“No,” he said vaguely. “Her Mother gave birth to twins last month, what with that and Lily, well, it’s been praying on her mind since then. I think she thinks she didn’t give you and Lily enough of her attention when you were little,” he added looking at Enid.

“Enough attention! I remember you two turning up for my 16^th birthday party and I had to ask Eve who you were!” snapped Enid. “Do you know how embarrassing that is. You just weren’t a part of my life, or Lily’s.”

“I’m sorry about that,” said Enid’s Father. “I didn’t think it mattered.”

“Of course it matters,” snapped Enid. “I’ve only just found out what my Father’s name is,” she added turning to me. “It’s Malcolm, by the way. You have no idea what that feels like.”

“I think I do,” I replied. “It took you long enough to admit to being my Mother and I nearly had to drag my Father’s name out of you.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Enid quietly.

“You always were like your Mother,” said Malcolm.

“I am nothing like that over blown egotist,” Enid shouted.

“I wouldn’t say that,” I smiled.

“Like you know anything about her,” Enid replied.

“I’ve met lots of people like Natasha,” I said. “What you see is what you get and at full volume.”

“That’s true,” said Malcolm.

“So what’s all this about wanting children?” I asked.

“She went to visit a friend of hers when Lily, you know what,” said Malcolm.

“I didn’t know she had any friends,” said Enid.

“That isn’t very nice of you,” I said to Enid. “Everyone has some friends. Also, we all know what Lily did, why don’t you say it rather than skirt round it like that.”

“It’s hard to take in,” said Malcolm. “The thought that she was so desperate that that was the only solution that she could come up with,” he looked away and cleared his throat. Normally I would have given him a hug, any body else, I would have, but somehow, I didn’t think it was something he would appreciate.

“It hasn’t been easy for any of us,” I said, looking at Enid. “But it’s what she did.”

“I know,” Malcolm sighed. “I think your Mother thought that if she had some more children, she’d do a better job of bringing them up than she did with you and Lily.”

“Are you saying that she was thinking of giving up her work so that she could concentrate on them?” Enid asked.

“She was thinking she had short-changed you two,” said Malcolm.

“So she thought, rather than sorting out things with Enid, she’d wipe the slate clean and start again?” I asked.

“Something like that,” said Malcolm.

“The danger with that is that she loves her work,” I said. “Not doing it would be very frustrating for her and she might take her frustrations out on her children.”

“I had worried about that,” Malcolm agreed. “But, you know what she’s like, Enid, when she gets an idea in her head nothing stands in her way.”

“So you are hoping that this will take her mind off children and by the time it’s over she’ll have lost interest in the idea?” I asked.

“Something like that,” he admitted. “If this led to more work, then that would probably seal the deal and if you decided to have a baby,” he added looking at Enid. “Then I might be able to sell the idea of being a granny to her.”

“That’s too much,” said Enid. “I’m not having another baby just to get Mother used to the idea of being a Granny.”

“You wouldn’t have to do much,” said Malcolm. “Your Mother might even take on the job of bring it up,” he added looking hopeful.

“I messed up totally the first time, I want to make it right with my daughter, I definitely don’t want to have another so that Mother could make a mess of their life,” snapped Enid.

“You want to make things right with me?” I asked. “Or is there another daughter you haven’t told me about.”

“Of course I want to make things right with you,” said Enid. “What Mother wouldn’t want to, well, apart from mine.”

“If you two are going to start talking things through,” said Malcolm. “Could you do it somewhere else, I’d like to enjoy the piece and quiet whilst I have it.”

“Of course, Malcolm,” we said and I took us back to Enid’s rooms.

“I thought you’d take us back to my office,” said Enid looking round.

“Which is where?” I asked. “You’ve been suspended as Head of the Fairy Council and you are no longer the Head of the Fairy Godmothers, so where is your office.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Enid sitting down on the sofa in her living room, a cloud of dust arose and set her coughing.

“The stuff you took from the Head of the Fairy Godmother’s office, where did you put it?” I asked. She pointed to some boxes just inside the door. “And the Head of the Fairy Council office?”

“Behind the sofa,” she replied, pointing.

“How long were you planning on leaving them there?” I asked, running my finger over the top box and seeing a line appear in the dust.

“I hadn’t thought about it,” said Enid.

“Like you haven’t thought about cleaning anything in here,” I said walking round the room.

“There didn’t seem to be a great deal of point,” said Enid. “It isn’t as if anyone comes here.”

“They wouldn’t want to, not in this state,” I said. “You and me are going to get cleaning.”

“I’m not one of your jobs, you don’t have to tell me to clean up,” Enid snapped.

“Looks to me like I do,” I said. “Do you have a feather duster, I haven’t seen cob webs like that since the ones in the Fairy Council Hall.”

“I think it’s the same spiders,” said Enid. “Some of them do look rather familiar.”

“It’s not like you to be like this,” I said. “You’re usually the first to be cleaning up.”

“Lily, she was always the first. As soon as you mentioned the cob webs in the Council Hall, she wasn’t happy till she had some of the apprentice fairies up there cleaning them out,” said Enid. “We had our disagreements but, she was always there. Now she isn’t any more, she just faded away in front of me. Now it’s as if she was never here. Mother, you know what she said. I find it hard to take.”

“She did so much,” I said.

“And it’s all been forgotten,” Enid said.

“Then we must do something to make sure she is never forgotten,” I said. “What do you think, a statue, a garden or a day?”

“I hadn’t thought about it,” said Enid.

“OK, you think about it whilst we get the cleaning done,” I said.

“Are you obsessed with cleaning?” asked Enid.

“The first few jobs you had me do involved a lot of cleaning,” I reminded her. “You get a lot of satisfaction turning a pig pen into something suitable for someone to live in.”

“The cleaning stuff’s in that cupboard over there, you can start with the cobwebs,” said Enid.

“And what will you do?” I asked. “I said I’d help you with it, not do all the work.”

“I thought I’d start by picking up the laundry off the floor and sending it down to Velvet,” said Enid. “Then I thought I’d pick up the rubbish and everything else there is on the floor.”

“We can’t do the hoovering till the floor is clear,” I said. “Reciting something she drummed into me the first week at Fairy Godmother College.”

“I didn’t think you’d ever remember that,” Enid smiled.

By Janice Nye © 2020

The Fairy Godmother Part 74

I tried Juliet and Georgie’s flat first, I didn’t think that they would still be in work, so it seemed the logical place to start. The lights were out and the flat was empty and cold.

Next I tried the book shop, on the off chance that they were working late, for some reason, maybe a late delivery of books. Likewise, lights out and no one home.

I went to the magazine’s offices. The editor was working late, but then he tended to.

“Looking for the young ones?” he asked, looking up from what he was doing.

“I had an idea for the next magazine,” I said.

“Good job someone has,” he smiled. “One magazine might make a splash, but you have to follow it up.”

“I agree,” I smiled. “And with something better, if possible.”

“So what’s this idea?” he asked.

“I was wondering if there was any scope for something on interior design,” I said, beginning to think that my idea was sounding a little lame to say the least.

“I don’t know anything about interior design,” said the editor. “But my wife is always talking about it, trying to get some ideas on how to put something into our home.”

“I know an interior designer,” I said slowly.

“Are they all superior attitude and know it all?” asked the editor.

“Very much so, unfortunately,” replied.

“Then they’ll be perfect,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to do a before and after article.”

“It could take a while,” I said.

“All the better, a room a month, she’ll be in her element,” he smiled.

“How did you know she was a woman?” I asked.

“She’s my wife, I’ve been married to her for,” he paused for a moment. “A long time, in fact our anniversary is in a weeks time. I can tell her it’s an anniversary present, she’ll be over the moon.”

“Should we mention this to the others?” I asked.

“If you could send them a text?” he asked hopefully. “I would do, but I’d end up swearing at my phone again, my Grandson’s told me how to use it, several times, it makes me feel such an idiot when I forget and have to ask him.”

“How about we send it on your phone, I can give you a quick reminder on how to use it and your Grandson will think you’ve got the hang of it,” I said.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” he smiled handing over the phone.

Two days later Enid and I were standing outside her parents home.

“Are you sure you want her doing this?” asked Enid.

“The Editor didn’t think that his wife would take an interior designer seriously if she didn’t come with an ego the size of mount Everest,” I said.

“That describes her,” said Enid, knocking quietly on the door.

“They wont hear you knocking like that,” I said, as the volume of the voices from the back of the cottage rose at least another twenty decibels.

“Perhaps we should try another day,” said Enid, whilst I banged on the door hard enough to drown out what Enid and her parents were saying.

“Are you going to answer that door or do I have to,” I heard Enid’s Mother shrieking, a couple of minutes later her Father opened the door.

“I hope we haven’t come at an inconvenient time,” said Enid apologetically.

“Who is it?” yelled Enid’s Mother, before her husband could get a word out.

“It’s Enid and her daughter,” he said, sounding slightly shell shocked.

“Myrtle,” she yelled back. “God knows it’s a stupid enough name, I would’ve thought even you would remember it!”

“Hello Granny,” I shouted.

“Don’t you ever call me that,” she shouted back, running through to the front door.

“So what should I call you?” I asked.

“Natasha,” she snapped. “It is my name!”

“I didn’t know,” said Enid.

“It’s a nice name,” I said.

“Thank-you,” she replied. “Your great grandmother, Myrtle, chose it.”

“It’s better than Enid,” said Enid.

“I can’t help it, you looked like an Enid,” said Natasha.

“I think, if I have a daughter, I shall call her Natasha,” I said smiling. That got everyone’s attention.

“You aren’t are you!” asked Enid’s Father.

“No, but I might think about it one day,” I said.

“Thank God,” said Natasha and Enid together.

“So why are you two here?” Natasha asked.

“You are a interior designer,” I started.

“I am the best interior designer ever,” Natasha replied.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I have been working with a magazine editor,” I said.

“I’ve seen the magazine, you’ve made a great start, but you will need something special for the next one if you want to keep the new readers,” Natasha said.

“That’s why I was thinking of you,” I said.

“What would you like me to do?” Natasha asked.

“The Editor’s wife wants their home revamped,” I smiled. “You could do a room per magazine for as long as it takes, before and after stuff and the reasoning behind the designs, that sort of thing.”

“And you thought of me!” said Natasha.

“You are the best interior designer,” I said.

“I’d be delighted,” said Natasha. “I must get to work straight away.”

“I’ll take you to see the editor and he can introduce you to his wife and their home,” I said waving my wand.

“I hope she knows what she’s doing,” said Enid’s Father.

“If anyone can pull this off it’s her,” said Enid.

“Didn’t you know your Mother’s name was Natasha?” he asked.

“I don’t remember her being anything other than Mother,” Enid replied. “And you were always Father.”

“Malcolm,” he said. “My name is Malcolm.”

“I’ll have to tell Myrtle,” Enid said. “She likes to know names.”

“Back again,” said the Editor. “And is this the interior designer you were telling me all about?”

“Yes,” I said. “This is Natasha.”

“I didn’t think she would be so young,” he said smiling. “Not that that is a problem, I don’t think my wife is the jealous kind.” They both laughed lightly and I began to wonder what I had let myself in for. “I’ll take you over to meet my wife and leave you two to it. I’m sure you wouldn’t want me getting in your way.”

“Which room do you want us to start with?” asked Natasha.

“I think my wife has a lot of ideas on that subject,” he smiled.

“Shall I whisk you both over?” I asked. “Then I can whisk you back here once the introduction have been made.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” the Editor smiled, so I waved my wand and there we were.

“Hello,” said a little old lady. “You are the most interior designer,” she stuttered, then paused for a moment. “You must forgive me, but I am stunned, to see such a talented and glamorous lady in my humble home.”

“Your husband said that you wanted to shake things up in here,” Natasha said. “Let me help you.”

“Thank-you so much,” said the Editor’s wife. “I didn’t know where to start.”

“Which room do you think is most in need of change?” Natasha asked.

“Let me show the house and we can work for there,” said the Editor’s wife.

“We’ll leave you two to it,” said the Editor.

“Of course dear,” said his wife. “He’s not very good when it comes to homes,” she said to Natasha.

“Men seldom are,” said Natasha.

“Sorry about that,” I said waving my wand.

“Don’t worry, I’m used to it,” said the Editor when we got back to his office.

“I’d better leave you to your work,” I said.

“Don’t you want to talk to the others?” he asked.

“If you don’t mind,” I said. “I’m sure you can explain it just as well, if not better than me.”

“They said there’d been a row,” the Editor said. “But they didn’t say what it was about.”

“It’s stupid, I suppose,” I said. “But they went off celebrating the success of the first magazine and I know it was very successful.”

“But one success isn’t everything,” said the Editor.

“Yes,” I sighed.

“And they didn’t invite you along,” he added.

“I don’t suppose I’d have gone,” I said.

“But you wouldn’t have sat around waiting for them to tell you the good news either,” said the Editor.

“No,” I replied.

“And that’s why you don’t want to face them?” he asked.

“That and I’ve been up to my ears and beyond with family and I could do without having my judgement questioned for once,” I said.

“OK, I understand,” he smiled. “What will you do now?”

“Sort things with Mother,” I said.

“Good luck,” he said as I waved my wand.

By Janice Nye © 2020

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

The Fairy Godmother Part 72

The evening meal we had prepared for their return had to be turned down to prevent it from burning, unfortunately it wouldn’t stop it from drying out, so I waved my wand and put it on hold.

“Shouldn’t they be back by now?” asked Enid as the hands of the clock moved closer to midnight.

“They should have been back hours ago,” I sighed.

“Are they in any danger?” asked Enid.

“I don’t think so,” I said checking my phone, when a text arrived.

“GONE TO CELEBRATE WITH THE EDITOR AND HIS GRANDSON. DON’T WAIT UP FOR US,” sent by Georgie.

“Couldn’t they have sent it earlier?” asked Enid.

“They did,” I replied. “But it’s only just got through to my phone, text is not a guaranteed instant service,” I replied.

“So we went to all this trouble for nothing,” said Enid.

“We can box it up and put it in the freezer,” I replied. “It can be eaten latter.”

“Aren’t you in the least bit disappointed?” asked Enid. “You went to all that trouble and they go off celebrating with the Editor and his grandson!”

“I can’t say that I’m not disappointed,” I sighed. “But they have done a lot of work as well, the Editor and his grandson have committed a lot to this.”

“Cobblers, if it wasn’t for you this would have been the last edition of that magazine and they would have struggled to recoup the cost of publishing it. What you did has probably helped wipe out a large proportion, if not all, of the debts they have accrued,” snapped Enid.

“I am too tired to argue,” I replied, waving my wand at the food which divided itself into boxes, labelled themselves up and leapt into the freezer.

“So what are you going to do?” asked Enid.

“I’m going to curl up on this chair and go to sleep,” I said, sitting down and closing my eyes.

“And what about me?” Enid asked.

“You can sleep on the sofa or you could go back to your rooms, the choice is yours,” I replied yawning.

“You were the one who thought I shouldn’t be alone,” Enid reminded me.

“If you stay here with me,” I said. “Then they will feel guilty when they turn up.”

“That sounds good to me,” said Enid. “I think that they should be made to feel guilty for leaving you out of the celebrations.”

“Also, we’ll find out what it is that they are celebrating,” I replied.

“What do you mean?” Enid asked.

“I think they may be celebrating too soon,” I replied. “I suspect they have had good sales today, but one days sales, that isn’t enough to me for a celebration. I could be missing something, but I don’t know what.”

“So we wait here for them to see what they have to say,” said Enid.

“About sums it up,” I said yawning.

Did I sleep? It’s hard to say. At three thirty in the morning I heard a key in the door of the flat, followed by it being opened with a rush and banging against the wall. There was a lot of giggling.

“You could sleep on the sofa,” said what sounded like Georgie.

“I’d rather sleep in your bed,” said what sounded like the Editor’s grandson.

“You make your minds up,” said Juliet. “I’m going to make a cup of tea,” she added and then opened the door of the living room.

“What the hell are you doing here?” shouted Georgie.

“You were going to tell me how things were going, if you remember,” I said.

“We didn’t expect you to wait here,” said Juliet. “And who’s the old bag snoring on the sofa?”

“I hope she’s clean,” said Georgie.

“A dam sight cleaner than you were when I met you,” I replied, standing up and waving my wand. Enid and I were back in her rooms.

“I hope you didn’t mind me leaving you to deal with that,” said Enid.

“I thought you were asleep,” I said.

“I was tempted to say something, but it was your job,” she said.

“And what would you have said?” I asked. “Just out of curiosity.”

“I’d have turned them into toads, they were acting like them,” she said.

“I’ve generally found that toads tend to be grateful of anything you do for them,” I said.

“So what will you do next?” asked Enid.

“Leave them to stew,” I replied. “I have a feeling that this is only the first battle in the war, they haven’t won yet, they’ve only got the attention of the other magazine. They aren’t going to take this lying down, they will fight back and when that happens they are going to need me.”

“And you will go along to do whatever they want,” said Enid.

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

“For about two seconds,” said Enid. “And then you’ll help. I know you.”

“You’re probably right,” I sighed. “But they’ve got to come to me. Meanwhile, I think we need to talk about your parents.”

“Do we have to talk about them?” Enid asked.

“My instinct is to cut them out of my life, but,” I sighed.

“But?” asked Enid.

“The first thing you did when Lily died was contact your Mother,” I said.

“So?”

“It means there has to be more to her than just a self obsessed egotist,” I replied.

“Why?” Enid asked.

“Because you thought she’d want to know about Lily,” I replied.

“And do you know what she said?” Enid asked.

“Of course not,” I replied.

“Her first words when she answered the phone were “Who is this?” I spent five minutes reminding her I was her daughter, Enid. She asked why I’d rung, I told her about Lily and she said “Lily who?”. I then spent a couple of minutes explaining that she had a daughter called Lily, who had killer herself. She said, if Lily’s dead then she no longer has a daughter called Lily and hung up.”

“Did you tell him what had happened?” I asked.

“I tried,” Enid sighed. “But you heard what he had to say about babies.”

“They are women’s work, nothing to do with men,” I said.

“His attitude doesn’t change when they get older,” Enid sighed. “He told me to talk to my Mother about it and not bother him with trivialities.”

“How do you feel about that?” I asked.

“I think, all in all, I would have preferred to have been dumped in the nursery and ignored,” Enid sighed. “It would have been better than being ignored at home.”

“There must have been someone there who looked after you,” I said.

“Yes, Nanny,” said Enid.

“Would it be possible to meet her?” I asked.

“Do you remember Eve, at the nursery?” Enid asked.

“Of course I remember her, she worked in the kitchens and was the only nice person in the place, I used to go to her whenever I got upset or put upon,” I replied. “What’s Eve got to do with anything?”

“She was my and Lily’s Nanny,” said Enid. “Of course, when we grew up she wasn’t needed so she went to work at the Nursery.”

“Why didn’t she say?” I asked.

“I told her not to,” said Enid. “I said that if she ever told you who I was, that I’d make sure she lost her job and that she wouldn’t get a job anywhere near children ever again.”

“She was always good to me, wasn’t she good to you?” I asked.

“She was the Mother I wished I’d had,” said Enid.

“So why the threats?” I asked.

“She’d have told and I couldn’t bare for you to know who I was,” said Enid.

“You hated me that much?” I asked.

“You don’t understand,” said Enid. “I couldn’t have you around, but things have changed since then, we work together quite well, sometimes.”

“So now I’m tolerated! Thanks,” I snapped and waved my wand. I appeared in the back garden of the nursery, Eve was pegging out the washing on the first of many lines. There always seemed to be a never ending pile of washing to do at the nursery.

“Myrtle,” said Eve smiling. “It’s good to see you. How have you been?”

“It’s a long story,” I sighed.

“I heard you’d found out who your Mother is,” said Eve. “You do know I couldn’t tell you.”

“Probably a good job that you didn’t,” I smiled.

“I’m making a cup of tea after I’ve pegged this lot out, would you like to join me?”

“That would be nice,” I smiled. “Do you want a hand with the pegging.”

“Many hands make light work,” she smiled.

By Janice Nye © 2020

The Fairy Godmother Part 71

“You must have a lot of questions for us,” said Enid’s Mother. “Why do you live here, it’s such a squalid place?”

“I don’t live here,” I said. “It’s part of my work as a Fairy Godmother, I’m in the middle of sorting something for someone and this is their home and they like it.”

“Low expectations,” Enid’s Father grunted. “Is it safe to sit on this sofa?”

“It and all the rest of the furniture is perfectly clean,” I said, as Enid came in with a tea tray.

“Mugs! You expect us to drink out of mugs!” Enid’s Mother exclaimed.

“That’s what was in the kitchen,” she replied. I waved my wand to change it to the finest china.

“You could have done that,” said Enid’s Father. “You just don’t make the effort.”

“I made the tea!” Enid snapped.

“And cakes! You could have provided cakes, instead of these things,” said Enid’s Mother picking up the plate of biscuits and throwing them across the room.

“She didn’t have to provide anything,” I snapped. “You were brought here to answer my questions.”

“Of course,” said Enid’s Mother, not bothering to let me finish. “You must want to know all about us. Well, as you can see I was very young when Enid was born, but I didn’t let that stop me pursuing my career as an advisor.”

“What sort of advice do you provide?” I asked.

“I advise people on the important things of life, their homes, clothes, hair,” Enid’s Mother started.

“Did you advise Enid to have me put into the nursery?” I asked.

“You were in the way,” said Enid’s Mother. “It was the best place for you. I didn’t think having you was a good idea in the first place, but she would insist. I don’t know why she wanted your Father, he was a talentless waste of space compared with me. It didn’t work, you distracted him from what he called work and so you had to go. I’m sure you understand that.”

“Why did you want to see me?” I asked.

“Just curiosity, I’ve heard so much about the things you have done, I wondered if you had inherited any of my talent,” she sniffed. “Looking at this room, I don’t think you have, I could never put up with that colour combination. As for the lighting, it doesn’t do the room any favours and it could do with a few, it needs to be larger, at least twice the size.”

“What did you think of it?” I asked Enid’s Father.

“Babies! That’s women’s work, nothing to do with men. I told your Father this and he told me I was missing out on a lot of things. I told him it was a load of nonsense and he should leave all that stuff to the women, it’s what they’re suited to,” he said.

“Take them away,” I said to Enid. “They are worse than you!”

“You ungrateful little,” Enid’s Mother started.

“Ungrateful! Can you name one thing that I can be grateful to you for?” I asked.

“You were born,” Enid’s Mother replied.

“I didn’t tell you about the pregnancy till after the birth,” said Enid.

“And why was that?” I asked.

“I knew they’d try and talk me out of giving birth,” said Enid.

“Birth is so undignified,” Enid’s Mother replied. “I never chose to go through with it myself.”

“So who were your biological parents?” I asked Enid.

“Does it matter?” asked Enid’s Father.

“It does to me,” I replied.

“I provided the fertilized egg,” Enid’s Mother replied. “She incubated it.”

“Why?” I asked.

“She wanted a job in the Fairy City, it was a way she could get in,” Enid’s Mother replied. “She could also give the baby she was expecting a better life.”

“I have a twin?” asked Enid.

“Co-habitant of the womb,” said Enid’s Mother.

“Do I know her?” asked Enid.

“Of course you do, she’s married to Myrtle’s Father,” laughed Enid’s Mother. “Didn’t you know?”

“How could I you’ve never mentioned it,” snapped Enid.

“I think they’d better go,” I told Enid.

“I said this was a waste of time,” said Enid’s Father as they vanished back to wherever they had come from.

“I’m beginning to see why you are the way you are,” I said to Enid.

“We need to talk,” said Enid.

“Probably,” I replied. “But not now, I have things to do and I think you need to let all that lot sink in. Do you have anyone you could be with?”

“Only you,” Enid replied.

“Fine, but you’d better make yourself useful,” I sighed.

“I could just wave my wand and get this place tidy,” she suggested. “I noticed you did that for the living room before my parents went in.”

“They weren’t impressed,” I sighed.

“They’d have been less impressed with how it looked before,” she smiled.

“OK, so we’ve been hitting the pizza’s a bit,” I said.

“You could have binned the boxes,” said Enid.

“We’ve been busy,” I replied.

“I never let that stop me keeping things tidy,” said Enid.

“I read up all your case notes,” I replied. “You turned up, waved your wand around and then left. I have been working through the problem with these two humans and helping them solve it, that involves long hours of work and doesn’t give you a great deal of time to organise meals. So after we have got this lot tidy and clean, we are going shopping and then we are going to cook something good and tasty for them for tea.”

“I don’t know why you have to go about things in such a labour intensive way,” sighed Enid.

“Because they have to know that they could have done it without magic, all I am providing is the ideas,” I replied. “After all, you are the one who was complaining about my excessive use of the wand.”

“You’re taking the mystic out of being a Fairy Godmother,” Enid complained.

“You can’t have it both ways,” I replied, getting together a stack of cardboard for recycling.

“There has to be a middle ground,” said Enid.

“It’s a judgement call,” I said. “Sometimes you need to use magic, sometimes you need to show it isn’t always necessary.”

“I suppose so,” sighed Enid. “It’s just difficult to adjust.”

“It’s not that hard if you try,” I said. “Of course, having your wand taken away does help you come up with alternative solutions.”

“I gave it back to you,” Enid muttered, as I got the vacuum cleaner out from the cupboard, plugged it in and started hoovering the floor. “Does that thing have to make so much noise?” she shrieked.

“You’d make a lot more noise in it’s place,” I said.

“It is a machine,” Enid replied waving her wand to reduce the sound to a purr. In an office block three miles away someone thought that their printer had malfunctioned because, although the prints looked perfect, the printer sounded like an ancient vacuum cleaner. They contacted the maintenance company, who sent out an engineer, who found nothing wrong with it and so charged them for the call.

By Janice Nye © 2020

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