Fairy Thief (26 page)

“
Oh, that’s sweet, dear. Don’t worry — anything is possible here. You’ll enjoy them.” Mom laughed. “You’ll enjoy them.” She kissed Saffron on the forehead, smoothed her hair, and set about making the cookies.

Saffron looked out the kitchen window to the sea, and soon lost herself deep within memories of her beautiful mother and happy remembrances of childhood.

***

“
Do you think this could work?” Tai had drawn up some quick plans to incorporate a double-sided fireplace in the half-finished mansion on the hill. All of the other guys on the crew gathered round to inspect the plans.

“
Incredible! I think it’ll work!” Some of the men clapped Tai on the back, and encouraged him to talk about the details.

Once in awhile, Guy, one of the guys, would interrupt Wo to tell the next dirty joke in his repertoire of never-ending filth — he couldn’t contain himself — they were
good
jokes.

When Tai was finished casting his plan, the men cheered as one.

Then Sully said, “Shit; let’s get started — these plans rock!”

Tai grinned and followed the men over to the other side of the house. They were a gaggle of sweaty, foul-mouthed, talented, overgrown children.

***

Orji sat with the salt-and-pepper-haired woman on a steep, rocky hillside that rolled down to the sea. He plucked a length of tall grass and worked it between his teeth. He turned to the woman and smiled. She grinned back.

“
I can’t believe it; you’re just like her, you know. And I’m not talking about your looks only — you are
just
like her!”

The woman smiled and patted his knee. Then, once again, she looked down to watch the ocean crash and turn far below them. “ That’s the way it is in this place. We always find each other — somehow.”

“
Am I like someone you once knew?”

“
Oh, yes. There has to be a pull between the two, or we wouldn’t pair off. But, it’s relatively easy to pair off, I believe. I’ve never been left longing for too long — not here. It seems I can find him in so many faces.”

Orji was quiet.

“
You remind me of my son. My son — just before he met that woman and changed into a person filled with hate and sadness. He left with her, you know — I never saw him again.” She looked wistful for only a moment, then smiled and cupped Orji’s chin. “Until now. How you remind me of him — the quiet confidence, the screaming cockiness!” She laughed and lovingly gripped the back of Orji’s neck.

“
So, what do we do now?”

“
Why, we enjoy each other, of course!” She stood up and reached for his hand.

They walked along a curve of the steep, hilly path and chatted.

He didn’t think of his friends, or the need at hand — he was entranced with this woman — who was the essence of his mother.

***

The next morning, Wo woke up to the sound of the ocean. The water lapped at the shore, while gulls screamed overhead and searched for breakfast. He crawled out of the tent and left the man — the father he always wanted, but could never have. The man snored like a lawnmower; it made Wo smile.

Wo sat on the beach and thought about the night before. He had ached as they watched the night sky — oh, to be an astronaut! The open universe! Fairies couldn’t go into space any old time they pleased. Humans, who had no wings, could go into space – but fairies were locked within the planet’s atmosphere, as if in a bubble. Wo wanted to be human. He wanted to be launched in a shuttle into outer space.

“
Mornin’!” A man strode over to where Wo sat in the sand. The guy crossed his arms over his chest, and stared into the cloudless, blue sky. Then he glanced down at Wo, and said with a wink, “Lift off at 1400 hours — want to come with?”

Wo’s jaw dropped. “What?” He was barely able to squeak out that one word.

“
I’m going to the stars, son — you look like a budding rocket-man to me. If you want to come, there’s an extra seat.”

Wo jumped to his feet and followed the man off the beach.

***

Saffron sank her teeth into a soft, warm pancake. It was all buttered up and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. And there were maple sausages — her favorite breakfast. It was just as wonderful as those cookies ‘Mom’ had made. She had smiled with pleasure when she realized Mom was right — she
could
remember the taste of a freshly-baked, chocolate chip cookie! She had finished the cookie quickly, ate three more, and chased them with some cool, creamy milk. She could taste her breakfast this morning, too. Mom leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping hot coffee. Outside, the ocean bashed against the cliff on which the little house was perched.

“
What is this place?”

Mom walked over and patted Saffron’s hand. She sat down on the chair across from Saffron, sipped her coffee, and said, “It is the place of longing fulfilled.”

“
Who are you?” Half of Saffron didn’t care who the woman was — she was just so happy to be with her, be near her. ‘Happy,’ didn’t describe the feeling of pure joy that moved through her in rolling waves. It was like the first time Saffron finally realized Markis liked her – when she replayed the moments with him in her head — over and over — just to feel the surge of emotion jolt through her. Euphoria.

Then again, a little part of Saffron frowned on the whole thing. And, although it was only a tiny part of Saffron — it was persistent. This part of Saffron needed to know exactly what was going on here, because the whole realm was more than a little odd, and not being able to put her finger on the precise oddity made her all the more leery.

“
It is the place lost souls and needing souls gather to find each other.” Mom smiled and ran her forefinger around the edge of her mug, slowly, until a whoo-whoo sound started. She kept the pace steady as she traced round and round and round the edge.

“
Why are you here?” Saffron bounced her knee and fiddled with her hair as she stared, starry-eyed, at Mom.

“
I lost my child, my little girl. I’m looking for her.” Mom stopped her finger and held her hands in her lap. She looked intently at Saffron, “you are like my little girl — red hair, impish grin….” Her voice trailed off. She walked to the window of the little house and looked out at the sky.

Saffron heard a noise, a ruckus outside. She walked to the large window which looked like something the seven dwarfs might have installed, and looked out.

Nothing.

She heard a giggle, then the gurgle of a baby. She poked her head out, and there below her, in a bed of petunias, sat a little girl.

The girl had copper-red hair and was digging in the dirt with an ancient-looking trowel. She looked up at Saffron and screeched. She threw some dirt.

Saffron was mildly surprised to find this squabbling baby all alone in the flowerbed.

“
Look, Mom.”

Mom turned from the window on the other side of the room. As she moved across the room, her skirt swished and lemongrass scented lotion hung in the air. Mom looked out the window, then down. “Ooooh,” she cooed. She tweaked Saffron’s nose. “I’ll be right back….”

Saffron watched Mom make her way towards the smiling baby in the crushed flowers. She watched the woman pick up the baby, and kiss its sweet, chubby cheeks. She watched her whisper soft things in the baby’s ear. She watched her walk away, slowly, down the lane.

She cried, “Mom!” then ran down the lane after the woman. Soon, Saffron found herself back in the center of town — in the crowd of souls. She searched. She searched for her mother. She searched for Derek. She searched for Markis.

Suddenly, there he was – Markis. He called her over. She let out a soft cry of relief as she pushed her way towards him. But the throng of people had become too thick, and they were all walking in the opposite direction — milling slowly and impenetrably against her. “Markis…!” But he was no longer there; she had lost him too.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder. She heaved a sigh of relief — somehow, Markis must’ve come up behind her. She turned with a smile, frowned in confusion, then beamed with joy. It was her grandmother. Her mother’s mother. “Grandmother?”

“
Of course, Darling!” Her Grandmother’s laugh tinkled like the bell sound of the wretched fairies. “Come with me — we’ll make sure that frown stays upside-down!” Saffron nodded and drifted to the edge of town with her ‘grandmother.’

***

Orji hurt his cheeks with smiling. He had to keep reminding himself that this woman was not really his mother, but he was ecstatic to be with her all the same. He questioned her on this.

“
Oh, it’s nothing really. Remember those moments just before you fell asleep on a restless night? Think of all of those times you thought of the past, of the people you loved, and of the feelings you had with those loved ones. That is what this world is —those feelings of longings fulfilled. The feelings of blissful satisfaction.”

“
But it isn’t real — you’re not really my mother. Why am I satisfied to sit here with you as if you were? Why do I have no urge to leave here?”

“
Well, why is a memory so satisfying? Hmm? It isn’t ‘real,’ is it? It’s not the exact moment it happened. It’s just the memory. But, oh, the powerful emotion that comes with memory. Here, my lad, your emotions are satisfied, purged. There are no hardships here — only the different levels of bliss.” She patted his knee. “Just sit back and enjoy. Then, after a time, if you wish to find someone else — your father, sister, brother, lover — you leave here and go look for him or her. You can always find anyone here, and relive those days. Why, you can even live your dreams — work a job that satisfies you, sit by the ocean and dawdle the day away, visit a far away country…. You can find your mother again, too, in a different face. You can find your mother at a different time in your life as well.” She laughed. “I don’t know how long I’ve been here — a long time, I guess — I’ve found my son a thousand times. He is all I wish to search for.”

Something, way down deep in the pit of Orji’s gut, nagged at him. But he couldn’t think clearly, and preferred to push it away, instead of drag it into the light of day and figure it out. He rubbed his eyebrows. “I came here with some...” He felt very confused now — he didn’t even know what he was trying to say. He shook his hand, “some…people.” For the life of him, he couldn’t remember who they were.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Interesting — I’ve never heard of one arriving
with
people — we’ve all come here looking for people. Hmm. No matter — if you need these people again, your mind will beg, and you’ll find someone close enough to assuage your memory and fill your senses.”

Orji nodded. “Okay.”

***

So the days went on. Orji, Saffron, the twins and Deva moved from loved one to loved one, and from dream to dream. The Dreamrealm had set them adrift, and not one of them cared.

Chapter 14

N
y sat with his elbows on his drawn-up knees. The land around them was brown and dry, a barren wasteland, void of life. He looked behind him and watched as Markis slept at the bottom of the gilded cage. He contemplated waking Markis up, for some companionship — maybe to pick on him. He scowled. He was no torturer — he was a lover! Why did Saffron drive him to do this? He disliked being here. He was tempted to leave Markis here alone, and go out and have some fun. But, then, he ran the risk of discovery. What a shame that would be; he had worked so
hard to never be found. He wondered if Saffron would give up. He hoped so — that would mean that she didn’t really love Markis. That would mean that he could pay her another visit, rile her up, and set the chase anew.

Chapter 15

B
ack in the Waterrealm, Saffron and Orji came face-to-face in the marketplace. They were both leaning over a stand of fresh, tropical fruit, sniffing at mangoes, when they bumped shoulders and looked at each other to apologize. But, before any words fell from their lips, shock washed over them and rendered them speechless. A wave of energy ran between them. It was so thick that it was almost tangible.

Saffron frowned as she stared at the strange man before her. The mango fell from her hand. The man was so…beautiful. His dark hair was wild and messy, his sparkling, hazel eyes, magnetic. She couldn’t look away from him. Who was he?

Orji found himself in the same predicament. She was like a goddess, this woman before him. Her porcelain skin was smooth, flawless. Her hair framed her face in red fire, her eyes lulled him. He wanted to kiss her.

This meeting was odd. He had met many of his loved ones in this place, and had spent time with them all. But this woman was not like them – he knew the others when he met them.
Who was she?
This was like trying to remember the title of a song. He knew her name — it was right there on the tip of his tongue — he just couldn’t spit it out. But he knew one thing for sure; this was a woman he had to kiss. He had to crush her against him and feel her and kiss her.