My Dad told me one day that “We have fairies in our Family”. Wow! That was a lot for a two and a half year old to absorb. Fairies, real fairies. Like in my books that I had read to me most night. Perhaps like the “Fairy Tree”. I loved that book. So, I went into the garden and looked.
Not much to see under the tomatoes; not much to see around the pumpkins. I think I was looking for Cinderella’s Coach there; but no luck on that one. The Chook house appealed as a home for fairies. I went into the chook house and talked to them quite nicely asking them if they had any fairies. I knew those chooks well as I collected the eggs, very carefully, every morning. I had a little basket which I filled most days if the girls were in a good mood. They hadn't seen any fairies. The dog was useless, not even knowing what I was talking about. But then it was my brother's dog and so he hadn't mentioned any fairies to the funny fat dog. It was a failed mission.
I asked my Dad for more details. He said, there was Eva, and Bianca, and Isabella and Irene. They even had names. I marvelled at that. My next question was “Where can I find them?” And to this question he answered with a brush off reply. “They will turn up soon”. Wow! And Fantastic! I could expect a visit from the fairies soon. I sat and read one of my fairy books so I would know what to look for when they “Turned Up”.
Uh ha! He meant they were in the dirt outside. They came from under the earth. Okay I could handle that. And so off I went to check out the earth. All around the yard I went. Looking, looking for those fairies with names. I even called their names but no reply. Hmmm. Obviously, they weren’t showing themselves today. I used my shovel to turn over some earth in the hope that would dislodge them. No luck again!
By then I was feeling a little tired and so I sat under the nectarine tree and rested. I could see into the rest of the garden from there and was in a good spot to see them if they appeared.
I half nodded off to sleep and then it happened. I saw them, walking between the beans and tomatoes. All in a line. All the fairies I had read about - leprechauns, elfs, goblins with chains on them and the wizard who led the band. I sat very still because they were not real people; just sort of misty images of people who were fairies. They stood around me and looked at me. I thought I had turned into Alice in Wonderland. I said, “Are you our fairies?” and the Wizard replied “No! But you can see us, so we are yours”. Astounding! I had my own band of fairies, but they were not our family fairies.
I did tell my Dad “It's okay, I found the fairies, but they are not our family”. “So, let me know when the Family Fairies come to visit”. My Dad did that Dad stuff; smiled, laughed and went back to his Racing Guide. What a treat she is stuff.
A couple of days later; seemed like a couple of days; some ladies came to visit. I had seen them before, but because I was only small, I just put them in that huge batch of relatives who invaded our home now and again. This time Dad and Mum were serious as they introduced the ladies - “This is Aunty Eva! And this is Aunty Bianca. This is Aunty Isabella, and this is Aunty Irene”. Wow! They had the same names as the fairies. Whew this was interesting. And then Dad said, “These are my half-sisters, Eva Fairnie, Bianca Fairnie, Isabella Fairnie and Irene Fairnie”. I have never been so disappointed in my life. They were just Aunties. I was looking forward to Fairies.
So, I went back to my books where fairies danced and sang and waved wands to make things happen. Not just more Aunties!
Helen Duggin
22 February 2021
Not much to see under the tomatoes; not much to see around the pumpkins. I think I was looking for Cinderella’s Coach there; but no luck on that one. The Chook house appealed as a home for fairies. I went into the chook house and talked to them quite nicely asking them if they had any fairies. I knew those chooks well as I collected the eggs, very carefully, every morning. I had a little basket which I filled most days if the girls were in a good mood. They hadn't seen any fairies. The dog was useless, not even knowing what I was talking about. But then it was my brother's dog and so he hadn't mentioned any fairies to the funny fat dog. It was a failed mission.
I asked my Dad for more details. He said, there was Eva, and Bianca, and Isabella and Irene. They even had names. I marvelled at that. My next question was “Where can I find them?” And to this question he answered with a brush off reply. “They will turn up soon”. Wow! And Fantastic! I could expect a visit from the fairies soon. I sat and read one of my fairy books so I would know what to look for when they “Turned Up”.
Uh ha! He meant they were in the dirt outside. They came from under the earth. Okay I could handle that. And so off I went to check out the earth. All around the yard I went. Looking, looking for those fairies with names. I even called their names but no reply. Hmmm. Obviously, they weren’t showing themselves today. I used my shovel to turn over some earth in the hope that would dislodge them. No luck again!
By then I was feeling a little tired and so I sat under the nectarine tree and rested. I could see into the rest of the garden from there and was in a good spot to see them if they appeared.
I half nodded off to sleep and then it happened. I saw them, walking between the beans and tomatoes. All in a line. All the fairies I had read about - leprechauns, elfs, goblins with chains on them and the wizard who led the band. I sat very still because they were not real people; just sort of misty images of people who were fairies. They stood around me and looked at me. I thought I had turned into Alice in Wonderland. I said, “Are you our fairies?” and the Wizard replied “No! But you can see us, so we are yours”. Astounding! I had my own band of fairies, but they were not our family fairies.
I did tell my Dad “It's okay, I found the fairies, but they are not our family”. “So, let me know when the Family Fairies come to visit”. My Dad did that Dad stuff; smiled, laughed and went back to his Racing Guide. What a treat she is stuff.
A couple of days later; seemed like a couple of days; some ladies came to visit. I had seen them before, but because I was only small, I just put them in that huge batch of relatives who invaded our home now and again. This time Dad and Mum were serious as they introduced the ladies - “This is Aunty Eva! And this is Aunty Bianca. This is Aunty Isabella, and this is Aunty Irene”. Wow! They had the same names as the fairies. Whew this was interesting. And then Dad said, “These are my half-sisters, Eva Fairnie, Bianca Fairnie, Isabella Fairnie and Irene Fairnie”. I have never been so disappointed in my life. They were just Aunties. I was looking forward to Fairies.
So, I went back to my books where fairies danced and sang and waved wands to make things happen. Not just more Aunties!
Helen Duggin
22 February 2021
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