The Fairy Godmother Part 129

“They are summing up the court case today, or starting to,” said Myrtle.

“It was a bigger case than even I thought,” sighed James. “And it isn’t over yet, they need to trace all the stolen children and their parents. Not an easy task.”

“I would have thought your parents would have been in touch by now,” said Myrtle.

“Why?” asked James.

“They seemed keen to have you in their lives,” said Myrtle.

“They know where we are,” said James. “If they want to contact us, no one is stopping them.”

“There’s no one stopping you contacting them either,” said Myrtle.

“I know that,” James replied.

“But they wont think that,” Myrtle sighed. “They’ll think that I am stopping you from talking to them.”

“Does that bother you?” asked James.

“Part of being a Fairy,” Myrtle replied. “I don’t like people thinking badly of me or my kind.”

“Dammed if I do, dammed if I don’t,” sighed James.

“So the truth of it all is that Fairies didn’t steel baby James,” said Mary, looking out of the window of their home.

“That’s what they want us to think,” said James senior.

“We have just sat through a year long court case, we have gone through the evidence so many times that I am seeing it in my sleep and we have listened to the confessions of several of the people involved,” Mary snapped. “How much more evidence do you need?”

“You didn’t have to sit through all of that,” James senior responded.

“I know that,” Mary replied. “But I chose to and I wanted to look the woman who stole my baby, in the eye and ask her why she did it.”

“I don’t know why you put yourself through that,” said James senior. “We know that the Fairies took him and that this is nothing but hog wash.”

“No, we don’t know that the Fairies took him. All I knew was that he was taken,” said Mary. “All the evidence and confessions point to him being taken by humans.”

“Are you doubting my word!” asked James senior.

“I am doubting your impartiality,” said Mary. “You saw the same evidence as I did, you saw the video footage of babies being taken and you saw them traced and identified by DNA and none of them were taken by fairies or given to fairies, yet you still persist in blaming them.”

“What are you saying?” asked James senior.

“That you went into that court case having decided that fairies were guilty of all of those child thefts and it didn’t matter what the evidence was, you weren’t going to change,” said Mary.

“Do you really think that I’m that close minded?” James senior asked.

“In most things, no, but in this one thing, yes, totally,” said Mary.

“I was only trying to protect you,” James replied.

“Worked well didn’t it,” she said, heading for the door.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“For a walk, I need to clear my head,” Mary replied.

“Where does this leave us?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she sighed.

“Can’t we talk about it?” he asked.

“Not now,” she replied. “You need to think about what you’ve done and why.”

“But?” he asked as the door shut behind her.

The sound of a phone ringing woke the twins.

“Is that your phone or mine?” asked James as they both leapt up from their chairs to locate the source of the sound.

“Mine,” said Myrtle frowning. “It’s your Father!” she added answering the call.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself, poisoning my wife’s mind against me,” he yelled. “She’s walked out on me now!”

“I haven’t been in touch with Mary in over a year,” Myrtle replied. “So how am I supposed to have poisoned her mind?”

“You fairies have your ways,” shouted James senior.

“Is that your response to everything, don’t bother about the facts, blame the fairies whatever?” asked Myrtle.

“I don’t have to listen to rubbish like this from you,” stuttered James senior.

“Neither do I,” said Myrtle hanging up and then blocking the number.

“I’m sorry about that,” said James junior.

“It’s not your fault,” Myrtle replied. “But I think it might be an idea for you to check up on Mary.”

“You don’t think he’d hurt her?” asked James junior.

“I don’t know,” replied Myrtle. “But if she’s walked out on him, then she may need some help.”

“Your right,” said James junior, ringing his Mother.

“Hello,” said Mary. “You are the last person I expected to hear from.”

“James, your husband, rang Myrtle, my wife and just blamed her for you walking out on him,” James junior explained.

“I told him I was going for a walk to clear my head,” said Mary.

“So why did he think you’d left him?” asked James.

“The verdict of the trial has been reached,” sighed Mary.

“He didn’t believe it?” asked James junior.

“Not one single word of it,” Mary sighed. “He sat through the same evidence as me and dismissed it all as lies. He is so determined that the fairies where behind it that he wont listen to anything that says otherwise. He was asking where we stood, as a couple, just before I went for a walk and I said I didn’t know. It was part of what I wanted to sort out, in my mind. All these years and he’s either pretended that you weren’t taken or insisted that it was the fairies that did it. You begin to wonder if you really know someone.”

“It isn’t as if he lied to you,” said James junior, not really sure what to say.

“At first he tried told me that I was mistaken, I’d only had one baby. I showed him the photo from the ultra-sound, it clearly shows two babies,” she explained. “Then, for a week, he said that the baby had died and he thought it was better for me to think that there was only one son and that I should concentrate on him. It didn’t wash then, but I was too tired to argue with him. The idea that the fairies stole you, that is fairly recent.”

“Can you think of what triggered it off?” asked James.

“It was just after your brother brought his wife to be home,” Mary replied. “She spent ages talking to your Father about fairies.”

“Could it be something that she said to him?” asked James junior.

“I think it could be,” said Mary. “It is the only explanation that makes any sense.”

“What are you going to do?” asked James.

“I shall have to talk it out with him,” said Mary. “This stupidity has gone on too long.”

“Will you be safe?” asked James.

“You would know that your Father is not a violent man if you’d been left with us,” sighed Mary.

“You’ve said yourself that the things he has been saying, you begin to wonder if you know him,” said James.

“That’s true,” sighed Mary. “But, I still need to talk to him.”

“Leave the phone on,” said James. “If we hear anything alarming we can get you out of there.”

“Are you sure Myrtle will do that for me?” asked Mary.

“I would do the same for anyone whom I thought was in danger,” said Myrtle.

“Thank-you,” said Mary. “It’s more than I deserve.”

by Janice Nye © 2021

The Fairy Godmother Part 128

“You are thinking about something,” said James as they sat at the table having breakfast.

“I’m trying to come up with a resolution,” Myrtle replied.

“I don’t know why you are bothering,” said James. “I’ve lived happily till now not knowing they exist. Now I’ve found out that they are a pair of arseholes, I can put them out of my mind and carry on with life.”

“Can you really?” asked Myrtle.

“I wont say it wouldn’t have been nice to play happy families with them, but all the doubts and suspicions. I’m surprised they even accept me as their son,” he sighed.

“I could ask the Tooth Fairy about that,” said Myrtle.

“What do you mean?” asked James.

“The Tooth Fairy’s records cover all children,” said Myrtle. “You will be in their books along with who your parents are and what happened to you.”

“Are you saying that they will know if these are my parents?” asked James.

“Of course,” said Myrtle. “It’s where Enid will have got the information from to find them in the first place. She just may not have gone into the details of what happened to you after birth.”

“Mary said that I was taken away and she was told that I was dead, presumably they will have made a big thing about my brother being alive in the hopes of her forgetting there were two babies,” James added.

“That worked well,” said Myrtle. “But you weren’t dead, so the question is, who took you?”

“Do you think that the Tooth Fairies will have a record of that?” asked James.

“Bound to, they have to know where all the children are so that they can collect the teeth,” Myrtle smiled.

“Sounds nice, but I don’t suppose they’ll believe any information coming from a fairy,” sighed James.

“They wont, I know that,” said Myrtle. “But, I have no intention of passing that information on.”

“So, what use is it?” asked James.

“If we know who took you, we could try talking to them,” said Myrtle. “Or at least finding out about them.”

“What good will that do?” asked James.

“We wont know the answers till we ask the questions,” said Myrtle picking her phone up and contacting the Tooth Fairy.

“You want me to go into the archives?” the Tooth Fairy asked after Myrtle had spent at least ten minutes explaining the situation.

“Yes,” Myrtle smiled.

“We do have a Fairy who is very good at that, gets through them quicker than anyone else and is always totally accurate,” said the Tooth Fairy.

“Could I speak to her and explain the situation to her?” asked Myrtle.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” said the Tooth Fairy. “She doesn’t do talking to people or fairies, she just stays in the archives looking for things for us.”

“Doesn’t she ever come out?” asked Myrtle.

“We tried to get her out once, but she was very bad tempered and wasn’t happy till she was back in the archives,” the Tooth Fairy sighed.

“And you haven’t tried to get her out since,” said Myrtle.

“There doesn’t seem to be any point to it,” said the Tooth Fairy. “I’ll tell her this is urgent, not that that will make any difference to her, and I’ll contact you when she’s found out everything.”

“Do you know how long it will take?” asked Myrtle.

“Not really, though the longest she has taken has been one week,” the Tooth Fairy replied and then hung up.

“Thank-you,” said Myrtle to the phone.

“What did they say?” asked James.

“They’ve sent someone to look and it could take up to a week,” Myrtle smiled.

“In the meantime we put it on the back boiler and get on with enjoying life with these two little bundles of love,” said James, looking at the twins as first one and then the other let loose a loud, resounding and smelly fart.

“I’ll get the changing bags,” said Myrtle.

“Your phones making noises,” Mary said to James senior.

“It’s the hospital,” said James senior, taking the call and walking out into the garden.

“Is this the DNA stuff?” asked Mary when he came back into the kitchen ten minutes later.

“Yes,” he muttered.

“And are you going to tell me what they said?” asked Mary.

“James is my son,” said James senior.

“I told you he was,” said Mary.

“He’s also your son,” James senior added.

“You gave them my cup as well?” asked Mary.

“Of course, we have to check all possibilities,” James senior replied.

“Anything else you checked?” asked Mary.

“He’s the twin brother of,” James senior began to say, but the look from Mary stopped him. “I was only trying to stop you from getting hurt again.”

“Instead you have made things much worse,” Mary sighed.

“I had to,” James senior started.

“I’m going for a walk, I need to be by myself for a bit,” said Mary.

“Is that your phone or mine?” asked James junior as they were getting the breakfast ready the next day.

“It’s mine,” said Myrtle answering her phone.

“Hello, this is the Tooth Fairy replying to your earlier query,” the phone said before Myrtle could say anything.

“Hello,” said Myrtle.

“A report is being sent to your e-mail address, I hope it answers all your questions, if not please do not hesitate to ring us,” came the Tooth Fairy.

“Thank-you for your assistance,” said Myrtle as Tooth Fairy hung up.

“They need to learn some phone etiquette,” muttered Myrtle reaching for her laptop.

“You can get e-mails on your phone,” said James.

“I know,” said Myrtle. “But it will probably be easier reading a report on the laptop.”

“Most people know,” James junior started.

“These aren’t most people, these are the Tooth Fairies and they had only just got one computer when I was there and the only ones allowed to touch it didn’t even know how to turn the thing on, let alone use it,” replied Myrtle.

“So have you managed to open the report?” asked James junior.

“Yes,” said Myrtle. “I think you will want to read this,” she added handing the laptop to him, along with his glasses.

“This can’t just stop here,” said James. “I wasn’t the only baby to be taken, it seems to have been a regular thing. I was dumped at an orphanage because the person who took me got spooked.”

“You need to pass this report on to someone,” said Myrtle.

“The question is, who?” muttered James junior. “The moment they find that the report came from the Tooth Fairy they are going to file it under crank and nothing will happen.”

“Then we need to find more evidence and hand it to a reporter because they will know how to blow this all open,” said Myrtle.

“We could do with a whistle blower who is prepared to tell things as they are,” said James junior.

“Or we need video evidence of it happening,” said Myrtle. “I’ll ring Ethel and see if she can find something, if we can catch someone being filmed steeling a baby, they may be persuaded to tell all in exchange for clemency or something.”

“What will they be able to tell us?” asked James junior. “Apart from who they were steeling that baby for.”

“They will be just one of many,” said Myrtle. “And the person we want is the one who organised it and the ones who have been turning a blind eye to what has been going on all these years.”

“Does the Tooth Fairy know how many babies have been taken?” asked James, looking through the report again. “There’s a number, at least 15,000!”

“Hello Ethel,” said Myrtle answering her phone.

“I have just sent live video from the hospital to that nice inspector who investigated when you were poisoned,” Ethel informed her.

“Why did you do that?” asked Myrtle.

“One of the babies was being stolen,” Ethel explained. “I thought if he went there and caught them red handed.”

“You are brilliant,” said Myrtle.

“I’ve also dropped a tip off to a reporter,” said Ethel.

“Not the one who’s like a terrier when he’s after a good story?” asked Myrtle.

“Seemed like a good choice,” said Ethel hopefully.

“None better,” Myrtle replied. “You have done very well.”

“Would you like me to forward the report from the Tooth Fairy to him?” asked Ethel.

“I don’t think it would do any harm,” said Myrtle. “I’m sure he’ll be able to find evidence to corroborate what it says.”

“No sooner the word,” said Ethel.

“Thank-you,” said Myrtle, hanging up. “The wheels are in motion,” she said to James junior.

“So we sit back and watch as everything unfolds?” he asked.

“It isn’t the easiest of things to do,” said Myrtle. “But sometimes it’s the best thing to do.”

“And if something goes wrong?” James junior asked.

“Then we give it a nudge in the right direction,” smiled Myrtle. “Meanwhile, I think we have some nappies to change.”

“How do they fill them so quickly?” asked James junior grabbing the changing bags.

By Janice Nye © 2021

The Fairy Godmother Part 127

 

“I’m sorry,” said James junior as soon as he appeared in the living room.

“Is that all you have to say,” asked Myrtle after she’d waited a couple of minutes for him to elaborate.

“What Ivy, Roses Mother, said was totally unforgivable,” said James. “I was stunned. I didn’t believe my ears, but I should have said something. I am so sorry that I just stood there like some sort of stuffed dummy. I should have defended you. I know that you would never have done anything like that, there are times, during the birth, when I wished you had. It’s hard to watch the woman you love going through so much pain, but even then, I knew that you wouldn’t because you believe that sort of thing is wrong. I am so sorry that you thought that I doubted you for even one second. Please say something.”

“Your silence hurt me, hurt me deeply,” Myrtle replied.

“I will regret that to my last day,” said James. “If I could take back those words, I would.”

“And, if something like this happens again?” asked Myrtle. “Because it could do, people look at fairies and make assumptions based on nothing.”

“I am not going to promise that it will never happen again, because as you say, people make assumptions about fairies and I may be taken by surprise again, but I shall do my best to stand up for you in everything,” James replied. “Please believe my, you are my world, I’m lost without you.”

“I’m lost without you,” said Myrtle as the babies started crying.

“Shall we do this together?” asked James. “We do work well as a team.”

“OK,” said Myrtle, glancing towards the twins. “We’d better get started before they become a bio-hazard.”

“Yes,” said James fetching the changing bags. “There is a bit of a ripe smell about them.”

“They’ll need fresh clothes,” said Myrtle, picking some up from a pile of laundry.

“So where do we go from here?” asked James as they stood by the twins watching them sleep.

“I don’t know,” said Myrtle.

“If you don’t want me to see my family,” James started.

“I wouldn’t ask that of you,” said Myrtle. “But I hope you understand, if they are going to snipe at me for what I am, then, I won’t go with you.”

“I’ll talk to them, they shouldn’t be like that, wheeling out the stereo types after all that you did for them,” said James.

“I know that people don’t think things through when they are stressed, but I didn’t think they’d be like that,” said Myrtle.

“Do you want to be with my when I ring them?” James asked.

“I don’t know,” said Myrtle. “I might join in and say something that I’ll regret.”

“Perhaps we aught to leave it till tomorrow,” suggested James. “They might want to ring to apologise.”

“Tempting, but they might not ring,” said Myrtle. “And I don’t think it is something that we should leave over night, this sort of thing can fester.

They had had their evening meal, the twins had gone to sleep and were being put down in their cots when James’s phone rang.

“Hello,” said Mary cautiously.

“You’d better take that into the other room,” said Myrtle as the twins began to stir.

“Hello Mother,” James whispered, walking back to the kitchen.

“If this is a bad time,” said Mary. “I just wanted to know if you were OK.”

“Of course I’m OK,” said James. “I’m surprised that you should even feel the need to ask that.”

“We didn’t think she turn you into a frog,” Mary laughed slightly.

“So why did you even mention it?” asked James.

“Well, you never know with,” Mary paused slightly, realising that her attempt to lighten things had only made them worse.

“When you are down a hole, stop digging,” said James.

“She’s got you under the thumb,” James senior’s voice came over the phone.

“I thought you had rung up to apologise,” said James junior. “Not to slag my wife off.”

“I rang because I wanted to know that you were OK,” said Mary. “I didn’t want to cause any more trouble.”

“Then perhaps you need to rethink your attitude to fairies,” said James junior.

“Why wont she let you see us if we aren’t nice to her?” snapped James senior.

“I will never stop James seeing you,” said Myrtle. “But I don’t see why I should go with him if you are going to spend all your time snipping at me. If I want family hostilities, I can see my relatives, they make you lot look like rank amateurs.”

“I thought I was talking to my son, not his, what exactly is your relationship to him?” asked Mary.

“I am his wife,” said Myrtle. “Do you want to see the marriage certificate?”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” said Mary.

“I don’t know, I’d like to see this so called certificate and check it out for authenticity,” said James senior.

“That’s enough,” said James junior. “I thought we could get through this, but clearly you aren’t prepared to try, so I see no future in this,” he added and hung up.

“That didn’t go to well,” said James.

“That’s one way of putting it,” said Myrtle.

“I’m sorry,” said James.

“It isn’t your fault,” said Myrtle. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have pushed you into seeing them.”

“You weren’t to know what they’d be like,” James sighed.

“You couldn’t just keep your big mouth shut,” Mary shouted at James.

“She’s got him wrapped around her little finger,” said James senior. “He couldn’t even talk on the phone without her adding her two penny worth.”

“You didn’t exactly stay silent,” snapped Mary. “It might have been better for everyone if you had done.”

“And my input isn’t wanted,” James senior replied.

“At that point, no,” said Mary. “Thanks to you, we might not get to see two of our grandchildren.”

“That’s if they are our grandchildren, we don’t even know if he is our son,” said James senior.

“What do you want, a DNA test,” snapped Mary.

“I’m doing that,” said James senior.

“What!” shouted Mary.

“Remember the coffee he had at the hospital,” James senior smiled.

“What about it?” asked Mary.

“The cup,” said James.

“The one you said you were binning?” asked Mary.

“I didn’t,” he said. “They are testing the DNA on it to see if he is my son.”

“I do not believe that I am hearing this,” said Mary.

“You have to admit that it’s a bit to neat and tidy, him turning up, now after all these years,” said James senior. “You wouldn’t expect me not to check.”

“I would have expected you to be honest about it and ask if he minded,” Mary replied. “This is just so underhand.”

“So you don’t want to know the results?” asked James senior.

“Of course I do, if only to confirm what I already know,” Mary replied sitting down heavily.

“I just want what is best for you,” said James senior. “You know that don’t you?”

“Of course,” sighed Mary. “When do you think you’ll have the results?”

“Tomorrow afternoon sometime,” he smiled.

“Right, we’ll see what we do then,” said Mary.

By Janice Nye © 2021

The Fairy Godmother Part 126

 

“Myrtle?” James’s voice came over the phone. “Visiting is over at the hospital.” He watched as the scene around him changed from the hospital to his parents home. “Where is Rose’s Mother?” he asked cautiously.

“She is in her home,” said Myrtle. “And your brother is in his.”

“Why am I here?” asked James.

“It was that or your brothers home,” said Myrtle. “If you would prefer that, it can be sorted,” she added and hung up.

“She’s upset,” said Mary.

“I don’t know why,” said James senior.

“You heard what Rose’s Mother accused her of,” said James.

“It’s what fairies do,” said James senior.

“And it’s the last thing Myrtle would do,” James replied. “Which is why the accusation hurt her so much.”

“She shouldn’t be so thin skinned,” said James senior.

“You think that she should brush it off, like it was never said or something,” James junior asked, turning to his Father.

“I was expected to forget you, like you were never born,” said Mary.

“It would have been less painful for both of us if you had,” said James senior.

“I can’t believe you just said that,” said Mary with a sob, dashing from the room

“See, you’re crying again,” James senior shouting after his wife. “If you hadn’t turned up,” he said turning to James junior.

“If I hadn’t turned up, she would still be missing a son who disappeared just after birth and Rose would have given birth on the way to the hospital, which, given the fuss that we heard going on in the delivery room, could have been dangerous for Mother and babies,” said James junior. “You could be faced with Mark loosing all of them if Myrtle hadn’t been there with a wand to get them to the hospital quickly.”

“Things would have been different if,” said James senior.

“They would have been, but that isn’t the reality we are living with,” said James junior. “We can’t go back and change what happened then, but we can try and sort out the mess we have made of things today.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” snapped James senior.

“Perhaps you need your hearing checked out,” said James junior. “Because your wife is sobbing her heart out, she thought you understood her loss, now she’s found out that you were just humouring her all these years.”

“It’s no good crying over spilt milk,” muttered James senior.

“Losing a child hardly equates to spilling milk,” James junior replied.

“I lost my child as well,” James senior replied. “Or at least I think I did.”

“How dare you even think that,” Mary shouted at him.

“Look these fairies don’t bother asking permission when they get someone to carry their child,” snapped James senior.

“If I was a fairy child,” said James junior. “Enid would have found the fairy parents, not you.”

“Can you be sure of that?” asked Mary.

“Enid was checking up my family tree to make sure that I wasn’t related to Myrtle,” said James junior. “If you had just carried a fairy baby, she wouldn’t have even bothered finding out your names.”

“So why were we told that you were dead?” asked James senior.

“Some people will do anything for a baby,” said James junior.

“But you ended up in an orphanage,” said Mary.

“Maybe something went wrong and I got dumped,” said James junior. “Anyway, you two need to talk and I need to go home and try to save my marriage.”

“Whys she upset with you?” asked James senior.

“She thought I would defend her when Rose’s Mother was so nasty to her and I stood there stunned,” said James junior. “I didn’t think anyone would say anything like that to her, especially after all she did to make today go smoothly.”

“Ivy, Rose’s Mother’s name is Ivy,” said Mary.

“Myrtle has an Aunty Ivy, vicious cow she is,” said James. “Last time we came here she kidnapped the twins, that’s why we had to leave so suddenly.”

“I think we need to talk to Ivy as well,” said Mary. “What she said was pure prejudice.”

“You don’t think that Myrtle would do such a thing?” asked James.

“If you say she didn’t, then I trust you,” said Mary.

“It’s a shame you don’t trust Myrtle,” said James junior.

“We don’t know her,” said James senior. “And you have to admit it, they do have a reputation for that sort of thing.”

“I am going home to try and save my marriage, if I can,” said James. “I’ll be in touch,” he said ringing Myrtle.

“Please can I come home, we need to talk,” James said when Myrtle answered.

“OK,” said Myrtle. “But I reserve the right to send you to wherever I decide to.”

“Ivy,” said Enid

“Have you spoken to Myrtle yet?” asked Ivy, answering her phone.

“Not the most common of names, Ivy,” said Enid, ignoring her question.

“No, I looked around and only found the one,” said Ivy.

“Lives about 500 miles away and has a daughter called Rose,” said Enid.

“Yes,” said Ivy. “How come you know about her?”

“You’d be amazed,” said Enid. “What is your connection with her?”

“When our Mother chucked me out for being such a nasty daughter,” Ivy replied.

“When she realised you were too much like her,” said Enid.

“That as well,” laughed Ivy. “She decided that she wanted a replacement.”

“This would be this other Ivy?” asked Enid.

“Yes, even reused the name,” said Ivy.

“So she’s our sister,” said Enid.

“Half sister,” said Ivy. “Mummy dearest had taken a fancy to the boyfriend of the girl who she chose to carry Ivy. The boy disappeared off somewhere, I think he died, anyway, Mummy decided to leave the girl to carry their child and told her, in a dream, to call it Ivy.”

“Does Ivy know that she is part fairy?” asked Enid.

“Yes, she thought there was enough fairy in her to enable her to foist any baby she conceived onto someone else, didn’t work out that way, as she found out when Rose was due,” Ivy laughed. “Why are you interested?”

“Her daughter Rose is married to Myrtle’s husband’s twin brother,” said Enid.

“And?” asked Ivy.

“That Ivy gave a load of bile out to Myrtle about fairies and their babies,” Enid replied.

“That wouldn’t go down well,” said Ivy.

“Not when Myrtle had speeded them all to the hospital and probably save the day,” said Enid.

“What do you want me to do about it?” asked Ivy.

“I don’t know, other than stay out of Myrtle’s way,” said Enid. “Thanks’ for the information. I’ll be in touch as soon as I’ve got my head around it and worked out how to break it to Myrtle.”

“Does she need to know?” asked Ivy.

“If I don’t tell her she’ll find out,” said Enid. “Nothing is secret for long, not in our world and not when Myrtle is looking for answers.”

“Good luck,” said Ivy hanging up.

“I’ll need it,” said Enid to herself.

By Janice Nye © 2021

The Fairy Godmother Part 125

 

“Tell me you think this is a good idea?” asked James.

“We are going to see your twin brother and his wife,” said Myrtle. “What can go wrong?”

“I don’t know, but things do tend to turn out differently to what we thought,” said James, checking the twins for the umpteenth time.

“I think we had better go before they start to think we aren’t coming,” said Myrtle.

“Just as long as you don’t think this is a mistake,” said James.

“Of course I don’t think it is a mistake,” said Myrtle. “If I did I’d have said something before getting us and the twins ready.”

“You are sure, you’re not just saying you are?” he asked. Myrtle waved her wand and they were standing outside a small detached house in a leafy looking suburb.

“Are you sure we have the right place?” asked James looking at the front door which was flung open by his identical twin.

“James!” said Mark and looked back into the house.

“If it’s a bad time,” said James.

“It, my wife Rose,” said Mark. “She’s gone into labour.”

“How are you going to get her to the hospital?” asked Myrtle.

“I don’t know, the car went into the garage this morning, I was hoping I’d have it back before this, she isn’t due for a fortnight, but they need to send away for parts, so it could be a while,” said Mark, following Myrtle into the house to find Rose leaning against the sofa and standing in a puddle.

“Have you got your bag ready?” asked Myrtle.

“It’s there,” said Rose, pointing to a bag by the front door and then grabbing at her stomach as another contraction hit.

“How long is it between contractions?” asked Myrtle as another hit.

“Does that answer your question?” gasped Rose.

“I think we need to get you to the hospital,” said Myrtle giving her wand a quick twitch. A second later they were standing outside the maternity hospital and Myrtle was waving to a porter to bring over a wheel chair to help Rose get into the hospital.

“Thank-you,” said Rose as the porter pushed the chair into the lift and everyone else followed. “I don’t know how we would’ve got here without you.

“It’s OK,” smiled Myrtle. “I’m a Fairy Godmother, it’s what we do.”

“A Fairy Godmother! Like in the pantomimes?” Rose asked.

“Yes,” smiled Myrtle as the lift stopped on the right floor and they followed her through to the delivery ward.

“I don’t think it would be a good idea for all of you to come in,” said the midwife. “I think we need to limit this to the husband.”

“If you’re sure,” sighed Rose.

“We’ll just be out here,” said Myrtle. “If you need us just call.”

“Nothing ever goes as planned,” said James, pacing the floor outside the delivery room.

“Hello, James,” said Myrtle.

“What are you doing?” snapped her James, pausing for a moment in his pacing.

“I’m ringing your Father,” said Myrtle, turning back to the phone. “Hello James, it’s Myrtle here. James and I came to visit Mark and Rose, but she went into labour, so we are now at the maternity hospital.”

“You are there now?” James senior asked.

“Yes,” said Myrtle.

“Mary, Rose has gone into labour,” James senior said to his wife.

“But she isn’t due yet,” Myrtle heard Mary say. “Are they sure?”

“The waters broke and we took her to the maternity hospital, she’s in one of the delivery rooms now,” said Myrtle. “I just thought you aught to know.”

“We’ll contact her Mother and then we’ll get over there,” said James.

“I can get you here quicker than any car,” said Myrtle.

“But how would we get home?” asked Mary.

“I can sort that out as well,” said Myrtle. “There seems to be a lot of coming and going, I think you need to be here.”

“Thank-you,” said Mary and with a whisk of her wand they were there.

“Can you get Rose’s Mother here with that thing as well?” asked Mary as soon as she had got her balance back.

“You give her a ring and check that she’s OK with it and I can have her here in a blink of an eye,” said Myrtle as Mary pulled out her phone.

All three grandparents were gathered in the corridor when a rather shell shocked Mark walked out of the delivery room.

“There were three of them,” he stuttered.

“What do you mean were?” asked Mary.

“Were, are,” said Mark. “We thought we were going to have twins and there was a third one in there.”

“How are they and Rose?” asked Myrtle.

“They are all fine and healthy,” said Mark. “It’s just, there are three of them!”

“Can I see Rose?” asked her Mother.

Mark looked at the midwife and she smiled at the assembled crowd.

“Mother and babies are ready for visitors,” the midwife said, standing to one side to let everyone in. “Just remember not to crowd them out,” she added when she realised quite how many people were going into the delivery room.

“Three! We’ve got our hands full with just two,” said James junior to his brother.

“Thank-you for getting us here,” Rose said to Myrtle. “I don’t know what we would have done without you.”

“Glad to be able to help,” said Myrtle.

“Mary said something about you being a Fairy Godmother,” said Rose’s Mum. “She said you could get me here quickly, I didn’t realise quite how quickly.”

“It’s one of the most useful aspects of a wand,” said Myrtle. “Moving people from place to place, quickly.”

“Thank-you,” said Rose’s Mum. “Who’s Fairy Godmother are you?”

“I’m not really here as anyone’s Fairy Godmother, I’m on maternity leave at the moment,” said Myrtle. “My husband, James, is Mark’s twin brother. Mark and Rose invited us to tea.”

“Like two peas in a pod,” said Rose’s Mother looking from Mark to James and back again. “Maternity leave?”

“We did bring our two with us, but we sent them back for my Mother to look after when all this started. You can’t expect them to sleep for ever and there’s enough scope for chaos here without adding two babies in,” Myrtle explained.

“Is your Mum good with babies?” asked Rose’s Mum.

“Not really,” said Myrtle. “I’d better just give her a ring to check up on them.”

“Hello Enid,” said Myrtle.

“This had better be an emergency,” said Enid. “I was just going to meet your Aunty Ivy.”

“It is, or was,” said Myrtle, wanding her babies back to her. “I’ll take care of them now.”

“Right,” said Enid. “I’ll let you know how things go with your Aunty Ivy.”

Mum’s busy,” said Myrtle putting the phone back in her pocket.

“And these are your two little ones,” said Rose’s Mum smiling at them. “It can’t be that long since they were born. Tell me, did us use one surrogate or two and did the poor unfortunate women know anything about it.”

“They are my babies, I carried them for nine months and I gave birth to them,” said Myrtle. “I think we shall go now before I say something that someone might regret,” she added, waving her wand.

“She didn’t mean it like that,” said James as they appeared in their living room.

“How would you know, you don’t even know the woman’s name,” snapped Myrtle.

“There was no need to be rude to her,” shouted James.

“Well, thank-you for your support,” said Myrtle. “She started it, she was rude about our babies and rude to me, suggesting I would do such a thing.”

“It’s the normal way for Fairies,” muttered James.

“And you stood there saying nothing,” said Myrtle.

“What was I to say?” he asked.

“That I wouldn’t do something like that,” Myrtle suggested. “Or do you think I did?”

“No,” said James, a little too slowly for Myrtle. “I was with you for the whole of the pregnancy, I’d have know.”

“So, do you want to go back there?” Myrtle asked.

“I would be nice to see the babies,” said James.

“Right, let me know if you want to come back,” said Myrtle waving her wand.

By Janice Nye © 2021

The Fairy Godmother Part 124

“Did I do the right thing?” asked James as they materialised back in their flat.

“How can you doubt it?” asked Myrtle. “You saw the looks on their faces, they couldn’t have been happier to see you.”

“I know, but,” he said and stopped.

“I’m sorry we had to come back,” said Myrtle looking round. “But Ethel did sound to be out of her depth.”

“And now she is nowhere to be seen,” said James looking round a strangely quiet living room.

“No need to panic,” said Enid.

“She’s not answering her phone,” said Myrtle. “Yes she is,” she added.

“No she isn’t,” said James. “It was on the kitchen work surface.”

“She might have gone out and forgotten it,” Enid suggested.

“Gone out without the changing bag!” said Myrtle.

“She can’t have gone far,” said Enid. “Probably thought the nappies would hold till they got back.”

“Our two can fill a nappy in seconds,” said James. “She’d have been back by know if it was going to be that quick.”

“There was wand activity, just after Ethel rang,” said Myrtle. “I’ve got a trace.”

“Let’s go,” said James and Enid together.

“You have no right to do this,” shouted Myrtle, before checking that the twins were OK.

“You are getting slow,” said Ivy. “I thought you’d be here a good two minutes ago.”

“What the hell have you done this for,” shouted Enid.

“I have been waiting for an invite to meet you new Grandchildren,” said Ivy.

“Like that was ever going to happen,” said Enid.

“OK, so we haven’t exactly been close, in the past,” said Ivy. “But I’ve changed and I’d like to meet the family and that includes these two little lovelies.”

“In what way have you changed?” asked Myrtle. “You wanted something and you took. I don’t see any change there.”

“We need to talk, like a family,” said Ivy.

“Families don’t go round kidnapping babies,” said Myrtle.

“Some do,” said James.

“Unfortunately, he’s right,” said Enid.

“Happy families don’t go round kidnapping babies, they talk to each other and come to visit, they don’t wait for an invitation that will never arrive, especially not now,” said Myrtle, waving her wand and taking them, Ethel and the twins back home.

“Perhaps I should talk to her,” said Enid thoughtfully.

“That is up to you,” said Myrtle. “But if you do, tell her that I never want to see her ever again and that if she comes anywhere near my two she will turn into something unpleasant.”

“I think she is that already,” said Ethel. “I’m really sorry. One second I was in the kitchen with the twins, next I was there and I didn’t have my phone or my wand with me.”

“How many times have you been told to always keep one or both on your person at all times,” snapped Myrtle.

“Never,” said Enid.

“Well take this as a first, and never make me have to remind you, with either of those we can trace you easily,” Myrtle snapped.

“You were pretty quick as it was,” said Ethel. “Ivy may have said she wasn’t impressed, but I was.”

“I’m sorry,” said Myrtle. “This must have been frightening for you.”

“But not as frightening as it was for you,” said Ethel. “I think you need a more experienced baby sitter. I’d better go.”

“No, you were fine as a baby sitter, right to the point that Ivy stuck her oar in,” said Myrtle. “And there was nothing you or anyone else could have done when that happened. You should stay and we can look after them together.”

“If you’re sure,” said Ethel.

“Of course she is sure,” said Enid. “Meanwhile, I shall go and talk to that sister of mine.”

“You couldn’t have just sent me a text or something,” Enid said to Ivy.

“I didn’t think you’d answer,” said Ivy.

“You could have tried,” Enid replied.

“My phone’s been on the blink, I send a text and it doesn’t go to the right place,” said Ivy.

“Give that thing to me,” said Enid, holding out her hand for the phone. To her surprise Ivy handed it over to her. “You’ve got my number and Natasha's swapped.”

“Does that matter?” asked Ivy.

“It means any text you think you are sending to me is actually going to Natasha and visa versa,” Enid explained.

“I thought it was a smart phone,” Ivy muttered.

“Doesn’t mean that it will send it to the right number when you tell it to send it to the wrong one,” said Enid, correcting the numbers on the phone.

“Thank-you,” said Ivy.

“If you want to see them again, send me a text and I will see what can be organised,” said Enid.

“It shouldn’t be like this, I shouldn’t have to make an appointment to see my, great nephew and niece, I think that is what they are,” said Ivy.

“You’re the one who muddied the waters by kidnapping her babies and their baby sitter,” said Enid. “It’s going to take a lot of persuasion before she even lets you in the same room as them.”

“They’re ever so lovely, almost makes you wish for some more yourself,” said Ivy. “I could quite see me with a baby bump, couldn’t you.”

“Grow up and act your age,” snapped Enid. “A baby is for life, it isn’t a fashion accessory to be taken to the charity shop when the fashions change.”

“That’s what you did with Myrtle,” said Ivy.

“I’ve grown up since then,” said Enid. “And it’s about time you did as well.”

“Yes Granny,” said Ivy.

“You are impossible,” said Enid.

“And you are being so serious,” said Ivy.

“Well, when you are serious about connecting with the family, send me a text and I’ll see what I can organise,” said Enid. “In the meantime, stay clear because I have never seen Myrtle that angry.”

“You think her being angry is going to stop me doing anything?” asked Ivy.

“It should do, remember, she is related to you, you do share some genetic material, what you did might unlock something that you wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of,” said Enid.

“Hadn’t thought of that,” said Ivy.

“And she’s cleaver enough to use her mobile phone to track her babies down,” said Enid.

“OK, I’ll back off, but I give you a month to sort out a meeting for me with Myrtle and the twins,” said Ivy.

“I’ll do my best,” said Enid.

“You have a month, if I haven’t seen them by then, then I shall take things into my hands,” said Ivy.

By Janice Nye © 2021

The Fairy Godmother Part 123

 

“So, could you run through exactly what we are doing?” asked James.

“It’s very simple,” said Enid. “We are going to see your parents.”

“Will I be introduced to them or is it just pointing them out in the street or something in between?” James asked.

“They own a small art gallery,” Enid explained. “When I saw them, I walked in and started talking to them about an artist I know asking if they ever got anything by him, that sort of thing.”

“Was that Dad you were asking about?” asked Myrtle.

“I don’t know many artists,” said Enid. “And it’s always been easy to talk about his work.”

“So we are going to their gallery with you?” asked James. “I don’t know anything about art!”

“You know what you like,” said Myrtle.

“Yes, but what if I like all the wrong things?” snapped James.

“If they are the wrong things, then they wont be in their art gallery,” said Enid. “So you wont be asking questions about them.”

“I just don’t want them to think that I am a complete idiot,” said James.

“They wont,” said Myrtle. “Perhaps it would be an idea to go now,” she added to Enid.

“Of course,” smiled Enid, giving her wand a quick twitch.

“Where are we?” asked James.

“A small alley just opposite the art gallery,” said Enid. “I didn’t think it would be a good idea to just materialize in there, it can confuse people.”

“Yes, but which town are we in, I don’t recognise this place at all,” said James.

“Of course you don’t, it’s about five hundred miles from the hospital, highly unlikely that you would ever bump into them by accident,” Enid explained.

“Shall we go in,” said Myrtle. “It’s a bit colder here than it was back home and Ethel may be good with the kids, but I’d rather not push it.”

“Ethel will be fine,” said Enid. “She can always ring Velvet if she has any problems.”

“I think it might have been better to leave them with her, at least she knows what she’s doing,” said Myrtle.

“And she happens to be very busy,” said Enid. “I know that she’d drop everything to help you, but you shouldn’t take advantage of that.”

“You aren’t jealous of Velvet?” asked James.

“Why on earth would I be jealous of her?” asked Enid.

“Because we are more likely to turn to her for childcare advice,” said Myrtle.

“She has more hands on experience of children than I do,” said Enid. “She would be the one I would turn to for advice, if I needed any.”

“I think we should go to the gallery,” said James. “Before I loose my nerve.”

“Follow me, I’ll show you round,” said Enid, heading towards the gallery.

“Hello,” said a woman. “We were just opening up, would you like to come in.”

“That would be good,” said Myrtle, trying not to shiver.

“It is a bit chilly out there,” said the woman, trying to pretend she hadn’t noticed that their clothes were not quite suitable for the time of year.

“We are on holiday,” said Enid.

“And packed the wrong clothes,” said Myrtle.

“You said it would be sunny,” said James.

“The sun is shining,” said Enid.

“But it isn’t warm,” said Myrtle. “More crisp and frosty, than anything else.”

“My husband is laying a fire in the grate,” said the woman. “You could warm up by that as soon as it catches.”

“That is very kind of you,” said Myrtle. “Do you think he would mind if we watched. I think it is magical when the fire takes hold.”

“To see the little spark expand and take hold,” said the woman. “Of course he wouldn’t mind, follow me,” she added. Soon they were standing round, handing things to him and generally making encouraging noises, whilst Myrtle put a little bit of magic towards getting the fire lit.

“It’s taken much quicker than usual and it’s really putting out some heat,” said the man standing back and looking at it.

“Does it usually take longer?” asked James.

“I’m not the best fire starter in the world,” the man laughed and then paused for a moment. “You’re not from round here are you?” he added.

“No, why?” asked James.

“You could pass as a double for our eldest son,” the woman sighed.

“Everyone has a double,” said the man rather quickly. “There’s no reason why Mark’s double wont walk in here.”

“Of course not,” said the woman. “I’m sure you came here for more than a fire lighting demo and a warm hearth. Is there anything in particular that you would like to see, or would you just like to look around and see what takes your eye.”

“I think if we just wander round,” said Myrtle.

“If there’s anything you want to ask,” said the man. “Don’t hesitate.”

“Is everything on the ground floor or are there others?” asked James.

“We have two floors of gallery space,” said the woman. “It might be an idea to start at the top and work down,” she added pointing to the stairs.

“Come on dearest,” said Myrtle, taking hold of James’s hand and leading the way up the stairs, with Enid bringing up the rear.

“I’m sure I remember the elder lady,” said the woman.

“She was here about a year ago asking about, I’ve forgotten what the artist was called. It’s so annoying when I can’t remember things,” he said.

“It’s alright James, you remember most things,” said his wife.

“I know Mary, but for a moment I thought it was Mark in the shop,” he sighed. “Then I remembered his twin.”

“I know they told us that he was dead,” sighed Mary. “But I miss him so every day.”

“I know what you mean,” sighed James. “They said we would forget.”

“I never have,” said Mary. “I can see him, in my minds eye.”

“Still, we have to remember, this isn’t him, it’s just a chance that they look the same, nothing more than that,” said James.

“We shouldn’t be eves dropping like this,” James hissed to Myrtle.

“It tells you all you want to know, I would have thought,” said Enid. “Without actually asking them.”

“It tells me that I was stolen from them, probably at birth, and that I have a twin brother who looks just like me,” said James.

“Except they named you after your father and not him,” said Enid.

“Just being here has raked up memories of loosing me,” said James. “I didn’t want to hurt them.”

“We could just tell them who you are,” said Myrtle. “They obviously miss you.”

“I don’t know if I can do this to them,” said James.

“What answer their questions or leave them in the lurch?” asked Enid.

“There’s something about this painting,” said Myrtle, pointing to one that she was standing next to. “Something about the way that the artist has captured the light and the expression on the peoples face, like they’ve lost something they can’t talk about.”

“That’s one of our son Mark’s paintings,” said the man.

“I told him not to put that one up, but he insisted,” said the woman, looking flustered.

“It’s a lovely painting,” said Myrtle. “It’s of you, isn’t it?”

“I think he’s been very flattering,” said the woman. “I didn’t think anyone would recognise us from it.”

“He has a good eye for detail,” said Enid.

“Is this a self portrait?” asked James, pointing to the picture next to it.

“Yes,” said a voice from the stairs. “Though you could tell people that it was of you and no one would be any the wiser.”

“Mark!” said his Mum. “What are you doing here?”

“I got the strange feeling that you would want me here,” Mark smiled, his eyes on Myrtle’s James. “What are you doing here?”

“I came here looking for my birth parents,” said James. “I think that would be you two. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I would have known you anywhere,” said Mark, giving him a big hug.

“My baby,” sobbed Mary.

“Son!” said James, senior.

“I think that’s my phone,” said Myrtle, answering her phone.

“I’m not sure what’s wrong with the twins,” said Ethel. “They wont stop laughing. I rang Velvet, but she just said to enjoy the fact that they aren’t crying.”

“Is it the twins?” her husband asked.

“They are laughing, Ethel is confused,” said Myrtle.

“You have twins?” asked Mark.

“Yes, it’s the first time we’ve left them with a baby sitter,” said Myrtle. “Ethel is more used to working with computers than babies,” she added glaring at Enid.

“My wife and I are expecting twins soon!” said Mark.

“We should all meet up and talk babies,” said Myrtle. “But, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back and check up on my two.”

“We should swap phone numbers and addresses,” said James. “I don’t want to loose touch with you ever again.”

“Of course,” said Enid. “I’ll forward all the contact details to you,” she added looking at her phone as if the intensity of her look would said the information on to them.

“I think you tap that,” said Mary.

“Look at your Mother, she knows how to do something with the phone,” laughed James senior.

“There, I’ve got them,” said Mary looking at her phone. “There’s something else come through.”

“I thought I’d include some photos of the babies,” said Enid. “From one Granny to another.”

“They are totally adorable,” said Mary.

“We’d better get back,” said Myrtle as she got another call from Ethel.

By Janice Nye © 2021