The moment little Evangeline knocked on her grandmother’s door, she hastily said a greeting, pasted on her face a grin that stretched as far as her mouth would allow, and pleaded to play out in the fairy garden.
Evangeline’s grandmother laughed heartily. She knew her granddaughter too well. She wasn’t interested in chilled homemade lemonade, scrapbooking, watching cartoons, or even reading an adventure tale, told to her whilst she sat on the cosiest lounge chair her Grandmother owned. Evangeline preferred to create her own adventures, in amongst the luscious sea of greenery in her grandmother’s backyard.
“Of course you can, Eva,” said her grandmother politely, and stepped aside. Evangeline flew past her and down the hallway. When she reached a glass door that inevitably led to the yard, she pushed it open with her palms, her long brown hair sweeping past her face as she did so, and raced outside.
When Evangeline became older, she would then describe her childhood haven as a place of sunshine dreams; where the plant life sparkled, graced from the afternoon sun caught on it’s leaves. Violets and fish-palms and angel roses blossomed from pottery vases. Vines wriggled up the sides of the enclosure, as if itching to stretch the furthest upwards. Little glass gnomes with bemused expressions on their faces guarded the enclosure floor.
But most importantly to Evangeline, there were the fairies.
“Seraphine! Jester! Hubnik! Macie!”
At her eager cry, there came a rustling in the lavender pots in front of her. Evangeline knelt down, and watched as four miniscule little figures emerged from the stalks.
“Do I hear the calling of Miss Eva?” said a tiny male voice. For of course, these were the fairies that Evangeline came to visit every day.
Evangline squealed. “Oh yes, Jester, I am here!”
She extended her pinkie at the front most creature, who embraced it. Jester’s petite little arms hugged the digit briefly before he stood back and patiently waited for the others to do the same.
The two male and two female fairies were wearing identical uniforms in pairs with their gender. The ladies wore slim, white, feathery dresses which appeared to be entangled with soft moss, and atop their heads sat gleaming golden crowns. The men were clad in leather-like tops and bottoms, with gumnut boots and hats. On all four’s backs, fluttering in the breeze, were translucent, see-though wings, like those found on a dragonfly’s, but greatly more beautiful. Evangeline thought it was the most adorable clothing she had ever laid eyes upon.
She spent all morning in light-hearted conversion with the fairy folk. Even when her Grandmother called out for lunch, Evangeline remained with her friends.
In the kitchen, her grandmother was becoming quite concerned at her granddaughter’s absence. She made her way to the door and stumbled outside, heading straight for the garden. What she found surprised her.
For she saw Evangeline knelt down, in front of a lavender pot, talking to no-one but the wind and herself.
