Fairies Really Do Live at Grammas!

But best of all… she gets to help her Gramma make a new Fairy House.

It’s a thirty-minute drive to Grammas and to a 7-year old it takes absolutely forever.  But not today… today her thoughts are filled with fairy houses.

Gramma is waiting at the door in her old clothes all covered with paint and glue, and bits of wood and moss.  “Dad, she started without me!”  Mady says with tears starting in her big blue eyes. 

Dad smiles, he knows more than Mady thinks he does.  “Come on, let’s go see.”

Gramma hears a sniffle and leans back, “What are the tears for?”

Mady wipes them away, “You waited for me?”

Gramma hugs her again, “Of course I did.  I promised didn’t I?” She sets her down, “Now say goodbye to your dad and let’s get you settled in… okay?”

At Gramma’s house it’s always Christmas inside. She has trees with lights, and decorations that hang on every window, and even Grandpa approves.  It’s a beautiful place to have a fairy wonderland tucked away.

The whole house smells like Gramma and her special things… and cookies!  She jumps up and rushes down the stairs.

There are fresh baked chocolate chip cookies on brown paper on the kitchen table, and Grandpa is sitting in his chair with a fist full.  “I knew I’d get cookies if you were coming over!”  He says with a laugh.  “Where’s my hung?”

“What’s going on here?”  She sneaks up behind them, “A couple of cookie thieves!”  She wags her finger at them; “You better not spoil your appetite for supper!

“We won’t Gramma.”  They reply with big cookie smiles.

“What’s that I hear?” She puts her hand to her ear, “The wee folk are waiting for us to make them a new house!”

Mady slides off Grandpa’s lap and wipes cookie off her face with her sleeve.  “I’m ready!”

Gramma’s workshop is just as wonderfully decorated as the rest of the house and it really is magical!  The windows have red and white striped curtains, and lights are hanging from the ceiling and windows! 

There are sugared fruit ornaments dangling from the lights, and tiny fairy figures are on the shelves and window ledges. 

But it truly takes your breath away to see the tree houses, and they are everywhere!  It looks like a small village, just right for the wee folk, with a rainbow of different colors, and some are special too! 

But in the middle of the village there’s a tea table with a red and white-checkered tablecloth and a pitcher of iced tea and cookies.  No wonder she didn’t want anymore eaten with Grandpa!  “Gramma!  Can I just sit here awhile?” she asks breathlessly.

As she drinks her tea she looks around.  Above Gramma’s workbench there are hooks with tools, and on the side of the window is a special cabinet for all the furniture. Beds, tables, and chairs are lined up in rows. 

Mady’s eyes are drawn to the lights shining from the pink lace house; it seems to glow.  She takes a closer look and as she lightly touches it, she feels a tingle, and quickly pulls her hand back.  “Gramma!  This one is real!”

“What do you mean?”  She looks up, “They’re all real.”

“But Gramma, this one felt me touch it!”  Her eyes are wide and a bit frightened.

She turns back to the workbench, “Now, what shall we make today?”  She bends down and looks into the empty tree stump.   “Shall we make a blue house… or shall we wear red?” 

She looks at Mady, “This is your house, what color will it be?” 

“Can we please make a purple house?”  She asks.

Mady sorts through the pile and picks out a small piece with different shades of purple and green, and dark green leaves and grapes.  “This one,” and she holds it up.

“Good choice, now pick out the flowers.”  On the counter between the workbench and the sewing table is a garden of flowers… buckets and buckets full of flowers in every shape and color. 

She picks out lilacs and sets them aside with the cloth.  “I’m ready Gramma.”

For the rest of the afternoon Mady and her Gramma work on the tree house…the sticks are set in for the porch and the walkway, and moss is added for softness.

“Now young lady… time to pick out the furniture!”  Mady has been waiting for this moment… this is the best part.  She picks out a bed, a table and a chair and hands them to her.  “I want these.”

The furniture is set in place and the candle has burned down low, and before too long the afternoon is gone.  “Let’s get supper ready and finish this tomorrow!” 

After supper, Grandpa falls asleep in his big chair and Mady and Gramma sew the quilt and pillows until it’s bubble bath and bedtime.

Mady lays back and blows bubbles in the air off the end of her hand and watches as they float back down… light as a fairies breath.

Gramma is waiting by the door with a towel, her pajamas, and a book tucked under her arm.  “Time for bed.”  She is soon tucked in with a story, a hug and her prayers, and in the glow of the night-light she falls asleep.

In the dream hours of the night, when all you hear is the ticking of the clock and all the big people are sound asleep, the wee folk come out to play. At least, that’s what Mady always suspected.

So it’s no surprise that on this special night… when she got up to the bathroom… she was suddenly nose-to-nose with a dainty pink fairy! 

“Oh!” she gasps.   Frozen in place, Mady is unable to move or even blink an eye!  She stands perfectly still as the fairy touches her with tiny hands.

Mady follows as they go down the stairs all the way to the workshop. Even though she’s usually not comfortable in the dark, the light from the fairy takes away the scary shadows. 

As they go around the last corner there is a soft glow coming from the workshop!  All the houses are bright with lights!  Not only are the lights from the houses, but also from the fairies who glow with all the colors of the rainbow.

“Does Gramma know you live here?” she asks. The dainty pink fairy smiles and nods her head. “I thought so. Will I see you tomorrow?”

Each fairy flies up and touches her cheek, and they lead Mady back up to her room.

In the morning... Mady jumps out of bed and runs down to the kitchen where Gramma and Grandpa are having their coffee.  “Gramma!  I saw them!  The fairies were here last night!”  She rushes over to Grandpa and sits in his lap.

Grandpa looks over his glasses at her, “Were they now?  And why do you think they decided to stop by?”

Gramma looks into her coffee cup, and hides a smile.  “I think it was just a wonderful dream… a very special one.”

“But really Gramma, it’s true!  They knew I was here!”  She says excitedly. 

Mady’s eyes are worried and tears are ready to fall.  “I was sure it was real,” she says quietly and slides off Grandpa’s lap.  The tears are just starting to fall… but as she looks up at him he winks.

Her mouth opens wide in surprise.  “It’s a secret,” she says softly looking into his smiling face.  And Gramma is smiling too!  “You know they live here!”

 “If the wee folk believe you can keep their secret… so do we.”  She opens her arms.  “Now, where’s my hug?”

 Mady gives her Gramma a hug. “Just remember this one thing. If you tell anyone they will leave and never come back… and you will never see them again.”

Mady and her Gramma finished the tree house that day with the help of their friends, and as Mady grew up she never lost the ability to see the fairies… and she never told the secret.