The Fairy

                                                THE FAIRY           

'I couldn't live without you...and I won't.'

          Mary sighed as she studied his stubborn face.

          They sat together on their rickety old summer-seat that was half hidden amongst the rhododendron bushes at the back of the garden. Their cottage was the only building on the narrow road that ran adjacent to the river.

  'You're only being silly, Paddy.'

  'No.' he snapped turning away.

          Mary sighed again, as her hand strayed to gently touch the swelling cancer on her left side.

  'Paddy,' she said quietly, reaching to take his hand and lovingly caressing the familiar calluses on his. 'It would be wrong.'

          Paddy’s face tightened and his grey ringed eyes glistened as he croaked, 'It's wrong what's happening to you.'

          The evening that Mary had told him what the doctor had diagnosed, Paddy had gone out to the big field and had roared and cursed his anger at the moon, the stars-and God. Crying he had slumped to the ground. He had lain there for over an hour before Mary came for him, and like hundreds of nights before they had walked down to the river-only that night was different, Paddy, with his arm gently wrapped around her slender waist afraid to let her go. Once they had stopped and with tears running down his face he had kissed her softly. She had given him a half smile, each knowing she was being brave, and each knowing she was terrified.

  'Please, Paddy. Promise me you won't.'

  'No. I...' He studied her pale face. 'But...what am I going to do?'

  'Go on,' she whispered. 'Live your life until it's your time. Don't go before then. Paddy, promise me you'll go on.'                                   

  'Promise,' he muttered. There had been no promises between them. No need, until now. 'What's my life going to be like without you? I'd rather be dead.' He turned away when he saw the dreaded grimace as her pain began. He couldn't bear to look at the growth anymore. With a grunt Mary rose. 'I... I have... to go in.' He rose to go with her, but she pushed him back with unusual strength, then groaning stumbled up the garden path to the cottage and disappeared inside.                   

          Paddy stared at the back door then raised his eyes to the barge-board and the flaking paint. He had intended to paint the cottage before Mary took bad. He tried to remember the last time he had painted it. He couldn't, yet he could remember the first time, all those years ago. They had been married only six months. That was the year they saw the Fairy down along the river.                                                               

                                                        *

          It was one of those late summer evenings- one of the special times that invaded all your senses and stayed with you forever. The fields sang with a cacophony of sound, the sky was slowly turning a magical pink and the river meandered like a long drop of dripping golden syrup to the carry to tumble white over the moss covered green rocks to the lower water.

          It was on the way back they saw it- at least Mary did. They had been kissing near some bushes that grew on the edge of one of the many fields. Mary had seen it watching them and with a cry had suddenly pulled away from him and pointed. For a few seconds she couldn't speak as Paddy stared in the direction she had indicated. The rustling of the bushes told him someone or something had been there but he could see no one. After, Mary quickly told him what she had seen.

          That evening as they lay in bed talking about the Fairy, Paddy wondered what Mary had really seen. He didn't believe in fairies, or any of the silly stories he had heard when he had been growing up. Still he thought, as he drifted off, Mary had seen something.

          A month later, when they were on their way back along the river just as the sun was setting, they were startled by a shrill scream coming from a low hawthorn hedge. At first Paddy had thought it was a badger, because on earlier walks they had seen badgers, and a couple of mink in the long fields. But as they approached the hedge it began to shake violently. Telling Mary to stay where she was and careful not to prick himself he eased back a section of the hedge and peered into the semi-darkness. What he saw shocked him so much he staggered back into Mary almost knocking her over. But seconds later they were both staring at the fairy.

          It was repulsive, yet the feeling quickly vanished when they saw it was in pain. The tiny, man-shaped creature wore clothes that appeared to be made of leaves and grass. Its eyes were piercing, yet seemed dark with wisdom. Thick hair grew on the parts of its exposed body, and its dirty face was deeply etched with wrinkles. It was bare-footed, and they saw that one of its feet was caught on an old rusting steel trap that must have been set years ago. Though it was quickly growing dark Paddy could see the creature's ankle was badly torn. Blood was pumping from one of the big veins on its tiny leg. Wary, Paddy and the creature studied each other, until Paddy said, 'You're badly caught. I'll have to go up to the cottage for a crow-bar and some tools to free you.'

          The creature hissed sharply though it seemed to understand.

  'Mary,' he whispered. ‘I don't want to leave it alone. Will you be all right? I won't be long.'

          Mary's eyes widened with fear.

  'I won't be long,' he repeated then gently pulled her out onto the path. 'Mary.' She seemed to be in a trance and was trembling. He shook her.

          Mary stared at him. 'Wha...what is it, that…that thing?' she asked.

          Paddy shook his head. He couldn't say, fairy, didn't want to say it. 'I don't know. But it needs our help. Look I have to go up to the cottage for tools. I'll only be five minutes. Will you be alright?'

          Mary shook her head. 'Paddy I...'

  'Mary it would be better if you stay with it. The thing’s leg's badly mangled and it's frightened.'

          Mary looked at the hedge. Then she whispered, 'Hurry back.'

          In a moment he was away. Once he had glanced back and in the dying light he saw Mary pushing into the hedge.                       

          He returned to find her pale and trembling holding the fairy's hand. He shuddered now as he remembered how it had been a long time before he could hold that hand.

          It took him three minutes to spring the trap open without causing the fairy too much pain. With a cry that sent the hair creeping along the back of Paddy's neck it stood up. It glared at them, with what seemed to Paddy to be undisclosed hatred. It was as if it hated to have been freed by them- humans. Suddenly with another cry it leapt backwards through the hedge and was gone.                                 

          Later they talked long into the night about the fairy, each coming to their own conclusion that it must have been a real one. It was during the following mild winter they saw it again.

          They had been at a farewell party for neighbours of theirs who lived three miles away and who were emigrating to Australia. As it was a beautiful moonlit night they decided to go down to the river.

          They had only walked about four hundred yards when Mary stopped and pointed. Thirty yards in front of them the fairy had stepped out onto the

path. It was studying them and by the look on its face it seemed to have an awareness of something they couldn't see, a prescience. Suddenly it pulled a small bag from its belt and bent to place it on the middle of the path. In the time it took Paddy and Mary to look at the bag the fairy had disappeared back into the bushes.

          When they reached the bag they saw it was made of leather. Inside were five gold sovereigns- a present.

  'Paddy,' Mary whispered looking all around. 'We can't accept it.'                                   

  'What! Why not?' He was already planning to spend the money on seed and a new scythe. 'The fairy gave it to us. You saw. There was no mistake. It gave it to us freely.'

  'Yes, but we can't take it,' said Mary. 'Paddy, please leave it here. Please.'

          At first he had been angry with Mary, but he realized she was right. They couldn't accept the fairy's gift. They had helped it, freed it, but they had done so willingly.

          Early that morning Paddy thought about the bag of sovereigns lying on the path. Someone else might come along and find it. They had been foolish. When he had hurried to the place, the bag was gone.



          Over the years they saw the fairy often. It stayed well away from them and never offered anything again.



          Mary’s crying brought him out of his thoughts and he clenched his fists. God, he thought, will her pain never end? He couldn't bear to hear her in so much agony. But what could he do? Sighing he hurried into the cottage.

          Over the next seven days Mary grew worse, and on one of the bad nights Paddy went down to the river. He stood staring at the carry as the water gently tumbled away just like his Mary's life. It would be a good place to end it, he thought. He stood there for over an hour, thinking back on their life together. It had gone so fast. Mary couldn't have children and they had never regretted it. All they needed was each other. She had been the best, was the best. As he turned to go, a movement along the bank caught his eye. It was the fairy and beside it stood a tall, stick-thin thing. It was green in colour and had bright piercing eyes. Paddy couldn't quite see its face, but there seemed to be something familiar about it. Now he saw the fairy point to the thing, then at Paddy. The fairy did this three times, before Paddy realized it was offering its strange companion to him. Horrified, he backed away, and then turning stumbled along the path to the cottage. He lay awake all night thinking about it.

          Three days later the doctor ordered Mary to the hospital.

          Five days later before going to visit Mary, Paddy went down to the river again. He didn't know why he went now. It would never be the same without Mary. The river had lost all its magic. Nothing would ever be the same without her. He stood, tears streaming down his face as he remembered the good times- the special times when they didn't want the day to end. Suddenly a noise made him turn. It was the fairy. Horrified he backed away as the fairy offered its companion to him again. The thing had changed- no longer thin, it had filled out. Its hair the colour Mary’s used to be. Its eyes sad and beautiful like hers. The Fairy moaned and pointed at it, offering it to Paddy who suddenly screamed with fear and ran for the cottage.

          That night Mary died and later Paddy cried himself to sleep vowing that in the morning he would take his life.

          When he woke the sun was shining through the bedroom window. It's time, he thought. Slowly he rose and walked to the window and looked out. Beyond the garden he could see the river. But just as he was about to turn away a movement near the summer-seat caught his eye and he saw her. Quickly he dressed and hurried out to the garden. As he ran down the path to the summer-seat he was unaware of the fairy pushing into the rhododendron bushes out of sight. He stopped now when the thing that resembled Mary said, 'What kept you, Paddy? I've been up for ages.'



2025 words