The Faeries In Central Park ~ 7
Installment Seven:
Ma held Nell’s hand as they climbed the stairs to Aunt Helen’s house. “Why aren’t there any trees or grass? There’s nothing but dirt.” Nell asked, pointing down the bare street “Doesn’t she have a garden?”
“She is the cat” snipped Ma. “Aunt Helen has been kind enough to open her home to us when we didn't have anywhere else to go. She’s not used to children, or noise or fuss, so be on your best behavior.”
“I DO behave” stated Nell, indignantly “it’s just that nobody else seems to think so.”
Ma sighed deeply, still grateful to have Nell out of quarantine, and opened the front door. Aunt Helen and Anna were sitting in the front room, sipping tea from Helen’s ancient china cups. “We were getting worried about you, Elizabeth. It’s nearly dark. Oh, now, who is this?” Helen smiled warmly at Nell and reached out her hand.
“This is your namesake, Helen. We were able to spring her from the infirmary a day early!” Ma gently nudged Nell closer to Aunt Helen.
“Helen, my dear, how very nice to meet you.” Aunt Helen took Nell’s hand.
“My name isn’t Helen. It’s Nell.” Nell pulled her hand back. “It’s very dark here. Do you have a lamp?”.
Ma grabbed Nell’s arm tightly and turned her around. “Nell, you know your birth name is Helen and that Nell is your nickname. Now, go upstairs and put your bag away. Anna will show you where, then wash your face and hands.” Ma gave Nell a look that told her not to say anything more.
“I’m so sorry, Helen. She’s still tired from the trip and a bit cranky from her ordeal.” Ma sank into a chair and gratefully took a sip of the tea Anna handed her. Anna ushered her sister upstairs.
“’Tis okay, Elizabeth. Family is family and we all have to make due at times like this. I almost forgot,” Helen set her empty cup and saucer on the table next to her, “Frank came by earlier today to tell you he’s found work. He’s gone to collect the boys then come round here for supper. He said something about finding a flat, too, but I couldn’t make it all out, he was talking so fast!”
“Oh my, it is a banner day, then!” Ma put her feet on the cushion and smiled contentedly to herself. “America may turn out to be a wonderful place, after all. I certainly had my misgivings a few days ago, I’ll tell you that!”.
Da arrived at Aunt Helen’s soon after, carrying bags of food for a celebration. He unpacked meat and cheeses and sweet cakes and even some chocolate. Anna slipped some cake and chocolate into her pocket, to share with Daphne later, hoping a treat would lift the faerie’s spirits. She was going to have to get her to Central Park soon. Da’s job at the Abbey Hotel was to start the following Monday, but the flat they were to move into wouldn’t be ready for a couple of weeks, after the present family moved out. Ma and the girls would have to stay with Aunt Helen for a while longer and Anna feared Daphne wouldn’t last until they moved.
Nell was not happy about the arrangements. She didn’t like them all living apart. She missed Da and her brothers and spent her days sitting on the stoop, waiting for them to come down the street for their daily visit at suppertime. James found a job at the same hotel, working in the laundry, so most days Michael came earlier to visit alone. Nell would not come inside until he convinced her, once everyone had arrived. She detested Aunt Helen’s dark, dusty house and refused to make herself at home, no matter what Aunt Helen, or anyone else tried. Nell was fading almost as quickly as Daphne.
The Darlington’s quickly discovered that while New York was a wonderful city, filled with opportunity, it was also expensive. One of Aunt Helen’s neighbors was retiring from her position as a cook for a well-to-do family who lived on Park Avenue. They were Irish-American and had ties to the same area in Wexford where the Darlington family lived, so Ma was given the job immediately. She’d never had a job before, but she was an excellent cook and the Kirwan’s were kind people. Their kitchen was spacious and well stocked and Ma was given free reign over the shopping and menus. She quickly became familiar with the neighborhood markets and shops and took Anna and Nell with her each day as school wouldn’t start for them until September. The girls were allowed to help in the garden and sometimes browse the extensive library. Anna had never seen so many books and began reading one almost every day.
The Kirwan's lived very near one of the entrances to Central Park and Anna would slow down and peer in as they passed on the way to work with Ma. The park was vast and she wondered how she’d ever find the section where the other faeries lived. Sometimes, if they were late making their way home in the evening, Anna would catch a glimpse of what she thought might be faeries. She saw tiny beacons of yellow-orange light, lifting up from the grass and hovering a few feet high while blinking at each other. It must be some sort of code, she thought, possibly how they spoke to each other. She tried asking Daphne about the firelight faeries when they got home, but Daphne didn’t seem to know anything about them. She’d been sleeping a lot more than usual lately. Anna decided then that she would take Daphne to the Kirwan’s with them the next day. Maybe spending time in their garden would bring back some of her sparkle. She hoped it would, at least, Daphne hadn’t sparkled since they arrived in America.
Anna dressed carefully the next morning, arranging a shawl around her shoulders so that it hung below her pocket, hoping to conceal Daphne completely until she could settle her in the Kirwan’s garden. Ma questioned Anna briefly since the weather had warmed quite a bit but accepted Anna’s explanation that she often felt a chill inside the Kirwan’s house. With Daphne in her pocket, under a handkerchief and obscured by the tail of the shawl, the trio (and one stowaway) made their daily trek to Park Avenue.
As soon as they arrived at the house, Anna offered to pick the vegetables Ma would make for the family’s dinner. Ma thought it was curious that Anna was so eager to work in the garden, since she usually tried to spend as much time as possible in the library, but she told Anna what she needed and sent her outside, with Nell in tow.
After surveying the garden for a quiet, hidden spot and making sure there was no one else around, Anna removed her shawl, folded it to make a pallet on the ground and gently placed Daphne on top, surrounded by the rose bushes in full bloom. Daphne stretched her wings and her legs, took a deep breath and began to shimmer, just a little bit. It was a good sign.
Nell had been distracted by a toad who finally became bored of being poked and hopped away beneath the garden wall. She walked up behind Anna, saw Daphne and began to shout with joy “DAPHNE!” With everything that had happened since they got off the ship, it seemed Nell had completely forgotten about their faery travel companion. Anna grabbed Nell by her shoulders and immediately shushed her sister.
“Quiet, Nell! Remember, we are NOT supposed to tell anyone about Daphne. She came with us in order to be with the other faeries in Central Park. This house is very close to Central Park, we pass it every day, and now we have to figure out how to get her to the spot in the park where the other faeries live.”
“But I don’t want Daphne to move to Central Park. I want her to stay with us forever.” Nell’s eyes began to well with tears and Anna was afraid her sister’s histrionics would attract attention.
“Nell, Daphne is a faery, she's different from you and I. She needs to be outside, with trees and grass and air and… other faeries. She’s wasting away in Aunt Helen’s house." Nell nodded in agreement, she wasn't at all happy at Aunt Helen's either. Anna continued, "We promised her we’d get her to Central Park, where she belongs.” Anna feared she’d waited too long to keep her promise but she was doing the best she could. “We’re going to get you there very soon, Daphne”.
Daphne was looking better but still wan and pale. “Being out here, in the light and air helps, but I’m also very lonely. I hadn’t realized how much I would miss being with my family, my others of my kind. I hope I can find them in Central Park soon.” Even Nell could see how unhappy Daphne was and reluctantly agreed she belonged with the other faeries in Central Park.
Anna had to figure out where the other faeries lived, then how to slip away without anyone noticing or missing her long enough to get Daphne there. She started working on her plan. The first order of business was acquiring a map of the park.
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