Namaste

May 19th, 2009 |

Oh, the glorious mornings of Spring! It appears that Queen Orlaith has released her icy grip on the world and has given her blessings for renewal and growth.

In my garden, the flower faeries of the spring season are doing a marvelous job of coaxing the early blossoms out of the the Hawthorne trees and Laurel bushes. After the flowers came out, I saw faeries tiptoeing all over them changing them from white, to pink. Warren and Odette are lending a helping hand in the new flower garden by planting perennials and ground covers. I get to sit on the patio feeling the cool morning breeze on my face, drinking my coffee, and feeling generally right with the world.

I had closed my eyes and was reflecting on the differences between this year and the last. I knew that it would be nice to have my faerie friends to help me in the garden, but I hadn’t given much thought to what it would be like to have the gnomes. Just as I was thinking about Warren and Odette, a loud crash came from under the Laurels.

“Oh, do be watchin’ what yer doin’ Nam!” I heard Odette’s high voice and the scurrying of tiny feet. Sitting bolt upright, I opened my eyes to see a strange gnome standing by a large rock that he had rolled out of the ivy. He stood five times taller than Odette and had large beefy hands that he brought together as he bowed. The rock had rolled into a flower pot at the edge of the lawn causing it to shatter, spilling its dirt out onto the lawn. Odette had a look of chagrin on her face. “I’m sorry Missus, Nam gets carried away with himself, he doesn’t know his own strength.” She waved at Warren, “Papa, come have a look at the border, we will have to be cleanin’ up this dirt now. Nam’s had a wee bit of an accident.”

Without a word, Warren hobbled over and started to shovel the dirt into his Lilliputian sized wheelbarrow. We watched him work for a minute, Nam was helping by throwing large fist fulls of soil into the the ivy behind us. I was looking at Nam with what must have been a puzzled look on my face when Odette looked up. ” Saints preserve me! I clean forgot, you haven’t met Nam yet.” She waddled over and grabbed the edge of Nam’s tunic. “Drop the dirt Nam, come over and meet the Missus. It’s her lovely garden we’ll be callin’ home now.”

Nam looked over his shoulder and proffered a huge grin, after wiping his hands on his breeches he jumped up on the foot of the lounge and proceeded to do an amazing imitation of a tightrope walker as he edged his way along the seat. When he got closer, he took my hands in his, looked at me closely and said, “Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends whom we choose.” Then he jumped down and without another word continued throwing dirt into the ivy.

Odette was smiling and shaking her head. “Nam is Warren’s cousin on his mother side. He’s always been a wee bit different. Had a bit of the wanderlust a ways back and ended up on a mountain in Tibet with them monks. Guess he felt it was in keepin’ with his given name, Namaste. The air must of done him good, he’s as big as a mountain himself now! Not much for talkin’ though. I hope you’ll be wantin’ another helpin’ hand.” She looked up at me with a plea in her eyes. He’s good with the heavy stuff!”

I looked over at Warren and Nam, they were sitting on the ground teasing a snail that had crawled out from under an ivy leaf. Well, Nam was sitting on the ground, Warren was using Nam’s leg as a chair. “Oh, I don’t see that it will be a problem, I kind of like him, even if he is a bit larger than your average gnome. I don’t think the dogs will be chasing him around!” Odette jumped up and down, clapping her hands like a little girl, “Thank you Missus! It will be such fun havin’ him here!” She ran off to tell the others the good news.

Just as the gnomes were retreating back under the Laurel’s, Arial made a sparkling entrance into the backyard through the ivy hedge. I looked around,”Hey! were have you been latley? I have to ask you about Bill.” I stood up and held out my hand for her to land on. “What’s this I hear about him not seeing faeries?…”