The Faeries In Central Park ~ 2

Second Installment:

The sun was low in the sky when Anna and Nell returned to the house.  Ma was kneading bread dough on the kitchen table.

“You should have been home more than an hour ago” she scolded  “Do you think bread bakes itself?”

“I know Ma, I’m sorry.  It was such a lovely afternoon and time passed much more quickly than I realized. We won’t be late tomorrow, I promise.”  Anna tied on her apron and took over the kneading from her mother.

“You won’t, that’s right.”  said Ma, wiping her hands on her apron “  You’ll both stay here tomorrow and make up for what your sisters had to do for you today. It’s only fair.”

Nell piped up  “But we HAVE to go tomorrow!  I have to bring Daphne a yellow marble.  I promised I would and I can’t break a promise!”

“And who is Daphne?” asked Ma.

Anna panicked for a moment  “That’s just her new imaginary playmate.  Nell made her up today.”  She turned to Nell and looked at her sternly.  “You can give it to her another time.”  Nell knew better than to argue the matter any further.

After supper, Anna and Nell washed the dishes and tidied the kitchen in complete silence. They continued their silent protest into the evening but no one seemed to notice, or care.   Later, after everyone had gone to bed, Nell cried to Anna about their cancelled visit with Daphne.  Anna wiped her tears and cradled her until she fell asleep, then tucked her into her own bed.  Anna pulled a blanket round her shoulders and settled into the window seat to look up at the stars.  The night was chilly, not cold like winter, but not yet full springtime.  Propping her elbows on the sill she began to think about everything that had taken place that afternoon. She began to wonder if it had ever really happened at all, or did she just imagine the whole thing; it seemed so surreal.  Her thoughts were miles away when she caught a twinkle of light out of the corner of her eye.  She jumped from her seat, startled back to reality, and turned to find herself facing a bemused Daphne.

“That’s such fun!  Startling people is one of my favorite things!”  Daphne said, smiling.

“Daphne!  What….. how did you…. What are you doing here?”  Anna asked in a hushed voice so as not to wake Nell.  She was surprised how happy she was to see her.

“Simone let me in.”  Noting the look of confusion on Anna’s face, she added “She’s the house faery.  She heard what happened when you returned home and sent word to me through faery thought.”

“What’s faery thought?”

“It’s how we talk to each other, mostly.  That’s why you never hear us even though some of us are chattering all the time.  Like Simone.  She can go on for ages.” Daphne said while inspecting her perfect, sparkly fingertips.  “Although, sometimes it’s useful.  Like now.”

Nell stirred and turned over.  Anna was afraid she’d wake.  If she saw Daphne the entire household would know.  “We’d better be quiet.  If she wakes up and finds you here, it won’t be a secret for long.”

“She won’t wake.  She can’t hear me, only you can, it’s a faery trick.”  Daphne fluttered her wings in a fall of blue light. “It’s better that you can’t come tomorrow. I wanted to talk to you alone.”

Anna covered Nell up snug just to be on the safe side, watching for her breathing to even out into deeper sleep again before asking, "Why is that?"

“When does your family leave for America?”

“I don’t know exactly, but soon.  Da is going to Wexford Town tomorrow to change our tickets.” Anna wondered where this was leading.

“I’m going with you.”  Daphne stood on the windowsill, looking out at the sky wistfully.  “I know of other faeries who have gone to America. To Boston and New York.  Some have come back and told stories about what a wonderful place it is. There are many other faeries, like us and also different from us, from far away places.  So many kinds of faeries, like I’ve never known, I could only imagine.”

Anna thought for only a moment. “Of course you can come.  But how?  Why do you need me to take you?  You’re a faery, after all.”

“Without the trees and the wood to protect me, I’m not safe.  I can’t hide in the willows.  My magic makes me invisible, but if I stay that way too long then I grow weak.  I need you to help me.  If there’s room in your trunk for me and a few things, then I can make it.  I’ll tell you more tomorrow night.  I’ll be back then.” Daphne reached into her pocket and pulled out two marbles, one yellow and one red. “Give these to Nell.”  She smiled, then disappeared in a cloud of blue glittery dust that disappeared before reaching the floor.

Early the next morning, Anna woke to find not only the sunbeam in her bed, but also Nell, poking her pudgy fingers in Anna’s right ear.  “Stop it, Nell!  That hurts!” She protested, pulling Nell's finger from her ear.  She then jammed her own finger into Nell’s tiny ear and wiggled it.  “See how it feels?”

This produced a fit of giggles from both girls, which alerted Ma they were awake. “If you’ve got that much energy this morning, I’ll put it to good use.” She called from outside the door.  “Hurry and dress. Breakfast is almost ready.”  Her footsteps faded down the stairway and the girls got out of bed and began dressing.

Anna brushed Nell’s hair, then handed her the marbles.  “Daphne came last night. She left these for you.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”  Nell pouted, and put the marbles in her pocket.  “I want to see Daphne too.”

“She only came for a minute, just to say she was sorry for getting us in trouble. She didn’t stay long.”  Anna regretted the lie, but couldn’t tell Nell they were possibly taking Daphne with them to America.  Nell could never keep the secret.

“How did she know we were in trouble?”  Nell asked, her hurt feelings already forgotten.

“Simone, the house faery told her.  You mustn’t tell anyone about Simone or Daphne, do you understand?”  Anna gripped Nell’s shoulder firmly so she would understand the importance of this.  “If you tell anyone, we won’t see Daphne again.”

“I understand. Will we get to meet Simone?  She lives right here?”

“Maybe but only if you are very good.  Now, let’s go down for breakfast.”  Anna took Nell’s hand and led her downstairs to the kitchen.

After breakfast Anna was assigned to washing the windows.  Nell was supposed to be helping, but spent most of the morning floating blades of grass and clover leaves in the bucket that she was supposed to keep within Anna’s reach.  The sun drenched the garden in warm, golden light and the air was sweet and fresh.  If they could just go to the meadow, the day would be perfect.

Once the windows were clean they moved to the garden to pick peas and dig new potatoes.  Nell held the basket while Anna inspected each pod.  She enjoyed this chore and wasn’t anxious to finish.  If they dallied long enough, maybe Ma would say they were done.  She knew better than to ask about the meadow though, or they may not be able to go tomorrow either.

Aunt Grace came out to the garden bringing a dipper of water and a slice of pie leftover from last night’s meal.  She and Nathaniel had no children of their own and Anna and Nell were her favorites among all the nieces and nephews.  “Tell me now, Nellie.  Are you helping your sister?”

“Yes, Aunt Grace.  We’re going to finish all our chores today so we can go back to the woods tomorrow and see Daphne.”  Said Nell, having forgotten her promise to keep the secret.

“The wood?  Daphne?"  Grace’s eyes narrowed a little upon hearing the name.  “And just who is Daphne?"

“She’s our new faery friend.  We met her in the woods at the other end of the meadow.  She said if we come back today and brought her a yellow marble that we’d see her.  Only Simone told her we were in trouble and couldn’t come today so she came last night to say she was sorry for making us late and left marbles for me.”  Nell took a deep breath and pulled the marbles from her pocket and held them out to show her aunt.

Grace took the marbles from Nell and examined them. “What does your new friend look like?”

Nell described Daphne’s light, color and voice in great five-year-old detail.  She then told Grace that Daphne and all the faery folk thought well of her.

“Oh they do now?  Well then, be careful you.  You don’t want to be taken and swapped for a changeling.”

“What’s a changeling?” asked Nell, taking a bite of pie.

“Ask your new friend, Daphne.”  Grace smiled down at her slyly and winked as she turned to take the dipper back inside.

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