The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry

Much to my delight, Arial gave me permission to film one of the baby flower faeries as she was learning to fly this morning. She was a little unsteady at first, this being her first time out of the bud (flower faeries come into the world straight from the buds of spring flowers).

I’m not sure how Cythia will take the news that  one of her fledgling faeries was captured on film for the whole world to see, but like Arial said, “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission!”  She motioned for the newborn faerie to come out into middle of the yard and away from the ivy hedge so that I could see her better. Arial laughed, it was like a thousand tinkling chimes blowing in the wind as she said, “Besides, how many humans do you think will really believe it?”

I guess everyone will have to decide for themselves. As for me, I believe!

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?…”

© Tami Ruesch, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry, 2009.

I didn’t know if Bill wanted to laugh or cry. One thing was perfectly clear, he wasn’t at all happy about having his wife turned into a cat. He sat down on the porch step and stared at me. Arial and Cythia had each taken a protective position, hovering a few inches off the ground on either side of me.

I have noticed that when situations get tense, the faeries will hum softly. It has a calming effect, like the time my little Chihuahua, Edie, got plopped on the head with cold wet snow.  She will always let us know when she is not happy, and by the sounds of her wild screaming that day, she wasn’t happy! The faeries paralleled her every move, humming a gentle lullaby, until she stopped. Then of course she looked at us like nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

Arial and Cythia were humming like that now, but this time it was for Bill. When the shock began to wear off, and the two faeries were satisfied that he was calmer, they left my side. Arial went to perch on Bill’s shoulder and Cythia proceeded to braid the strands of hair that she had pulled out of my head prior to my feline transformation.

Arial repositioned herself on Bill’s shoulder, leaning forward to observe Cythia’s work. She scratched her head, “Potions are tricky things.” Since Bill hadn’t been home to witness my metamorphosis, Arial had to do a little explaining. “Unless you know the exact magical strength of the creature you are going to change into, it is hard to gauge the length of time before the potion wears off. Obviously Mrs. Shunners cat wasn’t just a cat, or, the shape shifter had placed charms on it.”

“She won’t stay like that will she? We have dogs, and gnomes!” Bill edged a little closer and held out his hand to me. “Please forgive me sweetheart, I had no idea you were a, he gulped, cat.” I knew that I would have to make him dinner tonight, but right now I decided to play the cat role to the hilt. I turned my back and proceeded to lick my paws, glancing around to give him a detached look of disdain. “Tonight, you get tuna!” Meooow.

Cythia finished the braid and wove it into the fur on the top of my head. She moved back  waving her wand over me and chanted. Pink sparkles fell from the tip and disappeared into the thick black fur. “That should do it! Her natural DNA will recognize the strands of hair and the transition back to her former human self will begin.”

We waited. When nothing happened, I started to get nervous and began pacing around in circles. “I can’t stay this way, I can’t stay this way!” Meeeeoow, meeeeoow! Bill stifled a shudder and gently rubbed my fur. “Ah honey! Thanks for that show of support, I forgive you, you don’t have to eat tuna tonight!” Meow, Meoow.

All of a sudden I felt a tingling, it started at the tip of my tail and worked it’s way up my spine and out the tips of my ears. My eyes opened wide and I stood very still, waiting. Everyone else must have known that something was about to happen because they all took several steps away from me. For a split second, I felt as if the whole world was collapsing in on me. Everything compressed, then in a sudden explosion of sparkling pink light I materialized, and from the relieved smiles on their faces, looking quite myself.

At first no one spoke, then, everyone was speaking at the same time. “Well done!”  “Welcome back.” “I thought you would stay that way forever!” “What did it feel like?” “What’s for dinner?” (that’s my hubby, it’s all about the food!).

Faeries were buzzing around my head, Bill was hugging me. I think Warren and Odette even got in on the welcoming committee, of course, the dogs were barking madly. I let their relief wash over me, happy to be myself again, aside from a slight buzz in my head, I felt rather good.

When the celebration had subsided, and Bill couldn’t hug me any tighter, I extricated myself from his arms and stood back to look him in the eyes. With hands on hips, and with a mock tone of indignation in my voice, the first words to come out of my once again human mouth…”Shoo cat!?”

Bill’s eyes opened wide and he stammered, “You understood me?” I nodded. Not being able to hold in my happiness any longer, I pointed at him and began to laugh. “You should have seen the expression on your face!” I heard Odette’s high laugh, then Arial’s, and finally Bill.

We were all out of breath, “I don’t know about anyone else, but I need a coke, my mouth feels like it has feathers in it!” We all looked at each other and broke into renewed gales of laughter.

© Tami Ruesch, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry, 2009.