Forgotten Melody
"Be careful Daniel, mummy's just going to make some tea." His mum was
slightly concerned, but what damage could he do in a garden?
Daniel waved to his mum, and set out on his playful escapade. He danced
down the gravelled path, stones jumping under his feet as he went.
The lawn was parched from the heat, and begged for a drink. In amongst
the grass were little black soldiers running here and there. A poor
snail lay in their path and Daniel laughed as bubbles came from the snail's
shell.
He left the angry army and looked over to the bright colours on the bush.
A red flower attracted him and it smelt so sweet. Should he try and
see what it tastes like, no, mummy said not to. He quickly lost interest
and left the rose and its thorns and then saw his plaything. He ran
as fast as his little legs would let him and gave the ball a good thump.
He cheered as the ball went higher than ever before and it went deep into
the depths of the undergrowth beyond the safety of the path. Recklessly,
he chased after the ball, ignoring his mother's wishes not to go too far.
He darted through the shroud of vines and saw the orange orb just ahead.
He got down to pick it up and then he heard a really sad sound.
He listened hard, not able to see anything strange but the noise continued.
He knew the sound, he made it himself when he was naughty; which was a bit
too often of late. Someone was crying.
Daniel looked hard again, but still no sight of where it came from.
He could tell it was a ladies voice and he called out.
"Hello, who's there?"
The crying stopped instantly. Daniel stared hard into the undergrowth;
he dropped his ball, eager to find out what was wrong. Then to his
right he saw a tiny woman with her raven hair tied back by a golden band.
Her white dress shimmered into a veil of splattered colours as she moved
before returning to white. She gave off an aura of silver and she wielded
a wooden stick with a buttercup at its end.
"I'm Melody Blue, and I'm the fairy for this little garden. Pray tell
that you can reveal who can see and hear me so well?"
Daniel wasn't surprised. To him Melody was as true as to you and I having
a regular little chat.
"I'm Daniel and I'm six."
Melody smiled, her tears stopped by the sudden interest of innocence.
She had not had the pleasure for so many years. She wiggled her wand
and a trail of silvery glow-worms danced behind. The day was still
bright nevertheless they shone. A young child untainted by the city
would always see a fairy.
Melody then sighed; she knew the days of her magic were coming to an end.
Childrens' toys now were so much more interesting.
"Why were you crying Miss?"
"Because Daniel you won't see me soon. You'll grow up and laugh when
you think of me, or worse, you'll forget."
Daniel frowned; he would never forget this beautiful lady. Her golden
eyes met his and he smiled and she returned the compliment.
"Miss, I'll never forget you, you're the most beautiful fairy in all the
world. I want to come and see you whenever…"
"Daniel, Daniel where are you?"
The voice was loud, worried and just slightly angry. He turned to see
his mum on the lawn pacing up and down looking for her missing son.
He turned to say goodbye to Melody but when he looked she had vanished!
His mum spotted Daniel and quickly she got to where he was. She grabbed
him and hugged him tight before setting him down.
"Don't ever go down here on your own again. Do you hear?"
Her face went red and when Daniel told her of Melody she quickly forgot her
worry and laughed and told him to go indoors. He ran as fast as he
could, it was dinnertime and strawberry ice cream for afters.
30 years later….
"Daddy, I'm just going to play in the garden ok?"
"I wonder if Melody is out there dad? I'm gonna have a look ok."
Daniel smiled but he hoped she would not see that fairy again. He didn't
want her to suffer the same cruelty he had endured all those years ago.
Mum was ok about it all but dad was not best pleased. He didn't think
it was healthy for his soon to be talking to imaginary friends and he banned
him from the garden for a month. The biggest mistake though was at
school: how they all laughed at him. Even after the long years, he
still winced as the old shame returned. No, there would be no fairy
to unsettle Suzie.
She ran off, and Daniel picked up a small envelope. He would wait for the
time when Melody would return, then he would settle this affair. For
some reason he had a strange feeling that they would meet again. His
parents had passed away not too long ago but the house they left to him and
his family helped ease the pain. It was a lovely idyll with one minor
flaw.
He looked out and Suzie had gone. He cursed inwardly; did he not tell
Suzie not to go too far? He stepped out onto the cold concrete yard,
the lawn long since covered over, and where there had been a sylvan haven
there were now old motorbikes and used oilcans.
'Must get around to clearing this mess up', he thought.
"Suzie where are you?" His voice was loud; he didn't want to chase
after his daughter like his mother had so many years before.
He listened intently and she cried out from the back of the garden.
"Daddy, I've found Melody again and she says hi."
Daniel smiled, after all these years, Melody? He roamed to the dense
undergrowth, long overdue for a good clearout. Then at last he got
to see Melody again who didn't disappear when he approached.
She was older now, her black hair now turning to grey and her once svelte
figure swollen to a more rotund form. The wand was still the same,
but the magical attraction she once held for him no longer held him in its
spell.
"Daniel, is that you? You're so huge."
He looked down at the diminutive figure and lowered himself to her level:
a giant in front of this tubby Thumbelina.
"Melody, you're still here after all these years? I thought you might
have moved on and away from here by now."
"I'm still here, always will be while people want me."
Daniel turned and saw Suzie smiling widely at her new friend. The time
to have a little chat with Melody alone had at last come.
"Suzie, can you go back to the house now please. Me and Melody have
some things to talk about, OK?"
"Can I see her later daddy? She's good fun."
Daniel smiled and told her he'd think about it. Then Suzie ran indoors
to cool down from the stinging sun and play video games on her new x-box.
Daniel then cast his eyes over Melody and spoke again to his old acquaintance.
"Melody, I have big plans for this garden and my family. I know exactly what
I need to do and I need you to do something for me. It is really for
Suzie's best interests. "
Melody smiled; at last she might be able to enlarge her domain, which of
late had been on a steady decline.
"Oh Daniel, it'll be great I know it. I can be happy again, your daughter
seems so happy here."
"She is. However, I'm sorry Melody but I have to give you this."
Melody looked eagerly at the plain brown envelope nestling in the middle
of Daniel's palm. He set it down beside Melody and gestured for her
to open her prize. She cast some magic and the envelope opened and
inside was a letter. She read the words 'Eviction Notice' and then
the melancholy returned. Daniel wanted her to go.
"I'm sorry Melody but it's in Suzie's best interests. I'll not have
her suffer the torment that I had after I had met you all those years ago."
He knew just how cruel children could be.
Melody protested, reminding Daniel of his joy when he first saw her and how
he brought light back into her world.
"I'm not a wide eyed little boy anymore Melody. I have to insist on
you leaving I'm afraid. I know you might feel this is cruel, but I
must not have my daughter deluded by images of fairies, it really hurt me
when I was young and you must understand that I don't want the same thing
to happen to my daughter."
"Daniel it doesn't have to be this way. You can both see me can't you?"
"I can see you Melody, but I can't allow myself too. You must leave, there
is no alternative."
Daniel took no pleasure from Melody's pain. Tears welled up inside
her as she said her farewells. She would never return.
Daniel turned and went back to his daughter. He would have to remind
her not to tell anyone else about this fairy, especially her school friends.