The Faeries In Central Park ~ 1
First installment:
A ray of sunshine found Anna’s still-sleepy eyes through the break in the curtains. Momentarily disoriented, she sat up, stretched and looked around, and remembered this wasn’t her own bedroom. She was at the farm belonging to her aunt and uncle in County Wexford, along with her parents and brothers and sisters. They’d packed what they could carry and moved from their home in Dublin to start a new life in America. The stopover at the farm was both a chance for an extended visit before leaving Ireland for good, and the opportunity for her father to earn a bit more money. He had a few job prospects in New York City, through family members already settled, but nothing was for certain.
Anna’s brothers, James, John and Michael, were already dressed and working in the garden while her father and uncle tended to the animals. Her baby sister, Nell, was in the kitchen with her mother and aunt. The smell of breakfast cooking downstairs made her realize how hungry she was, and she dressed quickly and went to join them.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Anna heard her aunt Grace say “I’m telling you, Elizabeth, I saw it. In my dream last night, with my own two eyes. A big, white ship and something just as big and white alongside it. Then, I saw the ship go down. There were people stuck below and many freezing to death in the cold waters. A maiden voyage. This is not good.”
Anna’s mother, Elizabeth, sipped her tea while taking in what her sister-in-law had just told her. Grace was known all over Gorey and the surrounding area for her ‘gifts’, her premonitions always came to be true.
“I’ll talk to Frank when he comes back in. He can leave for Wexford Town in the morning to change the tickets. We’ve waited this long. New York can wait for us a bit longer.”
Anna, disappointed and no longer hungry, pushed the eggs and sausage around her plate, enough so it seemed as if she was eating, while hiding her reaction to this development. They were supposed to leave at the end of the week! She liked the farm, and loved her aunt and uncle, but the house is bursting with all of them there. Her older sisters, Frances and Mary, and her brothers and younger sister were tucked into every corner, it seemed. She escaped to the peace and quiet of the meadow over the hills at every opportunity. “Ma, may I…..?” she began.
“As soon as you finish the clearing up, Anna, yes. And take Nellie with you”.
“Yes, Ma.” It was better than having to do the ironing, or help her brothers in the garden.
Twenty minutes later, the dishes had been washed, dried and put away and Anna was free. She wrapped some thick slices of bread and butter and a sausage leftover from breakfast in a cloth, and tucked it into her pocket for later. She then bundled up her little sister and went to her favorite spot. The meadow at the edge of the wood was just out of sight of the farm; a place where she could be alone with her thoughts while Nell entertained herself picking wildflowers and chasing butterflies. Nell was almost six-and-one-half years old (according to her) and constantly peppered Anna with questions and conversation.
Anna spread out her apron and kicked off her shoes. The evenings were still chilly in early April, but the mid-morning sun has already warmed the dew from the grass. Before long her thoughts drift back to Dublin, their little house on the dirty, busy street, her friends, her school, her books and the other things she had to leave behind. Almost everything had been sold or given away, as they could only bring a few things with them on the ship to America. Anna kept her two books of poetry, her journal and the porcelain cat her grandmother gave her for her last birthday. She’d outgrown Sally, her favorite doll and passed her to Nell. Anna kept a close eye on how Nell treated Sally so Nell understood the doll wasn’t really hers.
Suddenly, the sound of Nell’s shrieking shattered the quiet morning air. “Annie! Annie! I SAW one! A faery, a REAL faery! Auntie Grace said there were faeries in the woods and I KNEW it was true, no matter what Da says! Annie! I SAW HER!!! Right over there in the ring of trees!”
“Nell, slow down and tell me again. What did you see?”
“A faery, Annie! A tiny, beautiful, shiny FAERY! I heard music and followed it into the woods and then I just SAW her! Right over there, with wings and everything! Come on, come on! Hurry, she might still be there!”
Nell grabbed Anna’s hand and pulled her in the direction of the wood. Underneath a large willow tree, perched atop a mossy stone, was the most beautiful creature Anna had ever seen. A perfect faery, so delicate that she looked almost as if she wasn’t really there. She shimmered like a wisp of pure light and iridescent colors of pink, purple and green floated all over her. Her wings were finer than spun sugar and although one could see right through them, they were strong enough to lift her right up – eye level to Anna.
“Hello.” said the faery, in a voice that was more music than words.
“H-hullo,” stammered Anna. “I’m Anna and this is my sister, Nell. Pl-pleased to meet you.” Anna curtsied.
The faery laughed, a tinkling sound “No need for that. I’m not of the Gentry. My name is Daphne. We’ve been in this wood since before anyone remembers. I’ve not seen you before. You aren’t from here.” This was a statement, not a question.
“We’re from Dublin, but my father is from here. We’re staying at the Darlington farm with my aunt and uncle until we can leave for America.”
“America, really? When do you go?”
“We were to leave at the end of the week, but my aunt says we can’t now. The boat isn’t safe.”
“Your aunt knows. She sees much. Is your father wise? Will he listen to her?”
“You know my aunt?” asked Anna.
“Your aunt is very kind. She leaves things for us, bits of string, cloth, seeds. Sometimes even a button or pin. She lets us have what we need from her garden and in return we make certain her garden never has weeds. And we keep the others, the troublesome ones, away so they don’t play tricks or do mean things to her.” Daphne floated back down and sat on the stone.
Anna’s tongue-tied amazement was quickly gave way to growing curiosity. She knew her aunt followed the old ways, planting and harvesting by moon cycles, knowing when it would rain and how much, which plant would cure what ailment and whatnot. All the people in Gorey came to her for advice and tinctures, but – to personally know faeries? Anna was intrigued with the idea and couldn’t wait to ask her aunt to tell her more.
Nell finally found her voice, “You really are a real faery? Where do you live? Do you have a family? Can I see your house? Can you grant wishes? May I touch your wings? How high can you fly?” she stopped to breathe and Anna clamped a hand firmly across Nell’s mouth.
“Please pardon my sister. She’s not usually so rude – well, sometimes she is, but, oh I’m sorry!”
Anna looks up to see that the sun has already passed overhead and is making its way west. Surprised at how late it had become, she cried “Ohmy! Where has the time gone? We have to get back to the farm. We’re late, Ma’s going to wring me!”
Daphne brushed off Anna’s concern “ Time passes quickly in the faery realm for mortals. Entire years can disappear in what seems like an afternoon.”
“Faery realm?” says Anna “You mean we’re not in the real world?”
“It’s very real” replies Daphne “Just not like your world. Listen, what do you hear?”
Anna stood very still “Nothing much. Birds, the wind, trees blowing. What am I supposed to hear? Oh wait! I don’t hear any of the sounds from the farm!”
“That’s right,” says Daphne, floating up from her rock. “Your brothers passed right by here and never even saw you. Or me. That’s the important part. You only see us when we want you to see us.”
“Why us, then?” Anna asked, puzzled “Why did you let us see you?”
“Come back tomorrow and bring a yellow marble. Then I’ll tell you.”
“We will!” piped Nell “I know exactly where one is! Promise you’ll be here?”
“Nell!” said Anna “A faery always does as she says. Please! You’ll offend her!”
“No harm done.” Daphne smiled at Nell, “leave the marble on my rock and I’ll find you soon after.”
Nell skipped in circles around Anna. “I can’t wait to tell Ma and Da and James and…..”
“No, Nell!” Anna grabbed Nell’s arm and stopped her twirling “You mustn’t tell anyone about Daphne!”
“Why not?” cried Nell “Why can’t I tell anyone about my faery?”
“For one thing, she’s not your faery” said Anna “No one will believe you anyway.”
“Uh-huh, Auntie Grace will. She knows the faeries. Daphne said so.” Nell crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip.
“Don’t say anything, or else I won’t bring you back with me tomorrow. If you tell them about Daphne, I won’t take you to see her ever again. Do you understand?” Anna pointed her index finger at Nell, sternly.
“Yes, I understand. But I still don’t know why I can’t tell anyone that we have a faery.” Said Nell, dragging her feet and walking very slowly the rest of the way back to the farm.