CHAPTER 17
Just after eight o’clock Sophie felt the first pain, Alice of course fussed over her like a mother her and ask Wizzo if she should be taken up to the room where the birth would take place.
“All in good time Alice, all in good time.”
He had seen to it that all the fires in the rooms were lit except the one that the birth would take place in, that particular one needed to be sealed. All the doors were open inside so as to let the heat circulate though the Cottage as much as possible. He waited until it was nearing half past eleven, Sophie’s pains were coming much closer now. He picked her up gently, carried her upstairs and laid her on his bed.
“Undress yourselves ladies and put on these garments, let me know as soon as you’re both ready Alice.”
A few long minutes later, or so it seemed to Wizzo, Alice called out.
“We’re ready Wizzo, you’d best hurry, she’s getting near her time!” He went in and lifted Sophie off the bed and carried her into the prepared room, he laid her down carefully in the center of the pentagon and then making sure Alice knew her correct position, he then closed the door and sealed it. Alice was nervous and fidgeting about.
“Try to keep still and not smudge the pentagon Alice, it’s most important;” Alice stopped fidgeting and settled down to wait.
Wizzo who had never witnessed the birth of a child before and now being able to see the pain on Sophie’s face he hovered around the outside of the circle like an expectant father. He was extremely worried about Sophie, it had only been two weeks ago that she was near to dying and he knew that she had been putting on a brave face these last few days, he just didn’t know to what affect her past condition would have on her or the child. He found himself willing at this point of time to enter and break the circle of the pentagon to save her or the child if necessary.
With the painful contractions now coming one on top of the other, Sophie was howling out as each one hit her. He knew that ladies suffered when giving birth but Sophie’s screams were almost too much for him to bear, so much so that he felt himself being drawn almost against his will into the circle, he forced himself to stay where he was and instead called out.
“Is Sophie all right Alice?” Alice turned and smiled reassuringly at him.
“She’s doing well Wizzo!” It was then that the room seemed to fill up with Fairies, they came from everywhere, he found Shealther on his right shoulder and Elthra on his left, he looked at Shealther.
“I thought I’d sealed this room!”
“You are a silly Wizard --- were you thinking that you could keep us away?”
“It would seem that I was mistaken;” his attention was pulled back to the birth, Sophie was calling out to him to stop the pain.
“I can just see the babes head!” --- Push! Sophie push!” Alice shouted in a commanding way. He was now listening for the tiny bell that would come from the time piece at exactly midnight, and trying to hear this above the howls coming from Sophie and the instructions being given out by Alice proved difficult.
He had always wondered why it was that the ladies suffered so much pain during and after the birth of a child, the only thing that it had been put down to was that it was necessary for the bonding of Mother to child, his thoughts were interrupted by Alice.
“The heads out! Just a few more pushes Sophie, --- that’s it! Push love Push! Almost there, just one more, ---- that’s it, ---- good girl,” Sophie didn’t know whether to push or howl, she was doing quite a good job of doing both at the same time. “A big push now ---- just one more big push.” Sophie was shouting at the top of her voice. Then Alice called out, “Here she comes, the little love.” She laid the child face up on Sophie then with a special blade that Wizzo had given her she cut the cord that joined Mother and child together and then like an expert she then tied it. She cleared the mucus from inside the Child’s mouth. She then turned it upside down and slapped its little backside; Wizzo heard the tiny sound of the bell at exactly the same time the child took its first breath. Wizzo raised his arms in jubilation.
“So it was written so has it been done!” he called out. This was followed by an enormous clap of rolling thunder that shook the very foundations of the place, it then continued on its way around the world so that everybody who had the knowing of it would understand what had taken place this very night. The Fairies becoming so exited they were spinning round and disappearing in all directions. Alice held the child up to him.
“It’s a girl Wizzo! --- you was expecting a boy weren’t you,” with a smile and a few tears of uncontrollable emotion he said.
“A girl will be just fine Alice, especially one as beautiful as that, now then do you remember the rest of my instructions?”
“ I remember.” Alice carrying the child now went carefully to each chalice in turn and dipping her fingers in, she then let water from each one drip onto the child’s head, when she had been to all five cups she came over to him. He then stepped inside the pentagon and looked for the final sign, the birth mark, he found it on the right side of the child’s back, he was looking for a pentagon star, instead he found what looked like another Dragon. It was almost gold in colour, he looked very closely at it, he couldn’t or didn’t want to believe his eyes and it took him a little while to make it out. He couldn’t be sure, but it looked like a dragon lying down with its head up in the air, almost being alert as it were, he gave the child carefully back to Alice, then went over and unsealed the door.
He re-entered the circle, then picking Sophie up he carried her into his room, putting her gently down on his bed. He tenderly moved the sweat filled red hair from her forehead.
“My word Sophie, you did us all proud tonight, how are you feeling?”
“I’m all right Wizzo, can I hold her, just for a minute or two?” she said this as if she thought that he was going to take the child from her.
“She’s not mine Sophie, she’s yours and you can hold her for as long as you like.”
“I’ll go and get the hot water and some towels Alice, I shan’t be too long.” He reached the top of the stairs; and found Peewee standing at the bottom looking up.
“Sophie and the little one, are they all right, --- with all that thunder I thought something might have happened to them.” He asked this with a look of deep concern.
Wizzo floated down the stairs.
“Pee Wee, I’m happy to be able to tell you that they’re both wonderfully well.” Peewee could hardly contain himself.
“Can I go and see them?”
“In a short while Pee Wee, they’re in my room, I have to get some hot water and towels so that Alice can wash Sophie and the child, and don’t go into your room yet Pee Wee there are things that must be done first, important things.”
Peewee followed Wizzo into the scullery.
“James slept through all that thunder, nothing seems to wakes him up and I’m getting used to it,” he said with a show of pride, “Why does it do that?” Wizzo was filling a bowl with hot water.
“Those that have the knowing of it like to make a big noise now and again, it’s so that they will not be forgotten, that’s all Peewee.”
“Oh! Is that all, --- funny lot aren’t they.” Wizzo didn’t say anything but returned to the ladies with the required hot water towels and nightgowns for them both.
“I’ll need to clean the robes Alice, call me when they’re ready, I’ll be in Sophie’s room.” Alice looked at her robe and then at Sophie’s.
“I’ll wash them Wizzo.” She said. He stopped at the door.
“It’s alright Alice; it’s something that only I can do.”
“Oh! ---- all right then Wizzo.” She turned her attention back to Sophie
“She’s beautiful isn’t she,” said Alice looking fondly at the child, she’s a little replica of you Sophie, your eyes, hair, nose, chin, mouth, ha! There’s nothing of her father in her at all, and the poor misguided fellow will never know what a service he has performed, nor will he ever kno
w what a beautiful child he has helped to produce and probably cares little about it all anyway.” Wizzo called from the next room.
“We’ll get a message to your Mother Sophie so that she can stop worrying about you.” Sophie weakly nodded her approval at this suggestion.
Wizzo on entering the next room, picked up one of the gold cups, he poured it onto the bloodstains and the afterbirth that were now in a bowl on the floor, after a short while they slowly disappeared as if never having been there.
He turned to find Peewee watching him from the doorway.
“Can I help you Wizzo? Alice won’t let me in.”
“No matter what size you are Peewee, you are in their minds still a man, a man interfering in a woman’s business,” he heard Alice call out, telling him that she had put the garments outside the door.
“Go and fetch the garments would you Peewee,” he returned a short time later dragging the garments behind him.
“I tried to carry them Wizzo but I couldn’t see where I was going.”
“That’s alright Pee Wee” he said as he took them off him.
Spreading them out on the clean floor, he then picked up another gold cup and poured its contents over one of the garments, he did the same with the other and watched as both garments returned to their clean crisp normal state. The forth cup he simply dipped his fingers into it and flicked it around the room until the cup was empty. The fifth one he took down stairs and emptied the contents into a stone jar, firmly placing a cork stopper in it. He then wrote something on it and sealed it with wax.
After he had returned all the furnishings to Sophie’s room and lit the fire and the candles he knocked on his door asking if it was all right for him to come in. Alice opened the door.
“Come on in;” and then added. “Look at the darlings they’re both sound asleep,”
He walked onto a room full of Fairies, they were everywhere. He went over and again gently removed the hair from Sophie’s face so that he could see her more clearly, the Fairies all moved in closer so that they could watch. Having satisfied himself that she was indeed sleeping peacefully with the little one snuggled into her breast, he turned to Elthra.
‘It is as you knew it would be Elthra.” She gave him a knowing look and a smile that would melt even the hardest of hearts because she knew that secretly he was disappointed but not showing it.
“All things will become clear in time Gwarcheidial; you know how it has to be.” He sighed.
“I’ve always known how it had to be Elthra, I was taught well by my Father, but sometimes it’s hard to except.” Elthra turned to her people.
“Sisters! All is well, come it’s time for us to go, it was then they disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. Wizzo turned to Alice.
“I think it would be best if they were left here for the night Alice, I’ll sleep in my chair.”
“You can share my bed if you like Wizzo.”
“I thank you for the offer Alice but I’ll sleep down stairs.” He knew that if he shared a bed with Alice it wouldn’t be all that they would be sharing and he had other plans for her that would suit her better and make her a lot happier in the end. After all, she was still young and vibrant; he wouldn’t take that away from her, not just for his sake. He was always doing this, not thinking of himself only of others, anyway I’m too old for such things.
He went down stairs and found James and Peewee sleeping soundly in front of the fire.
He lowered himself into his chair knowing that the Fairies even though they appeared not to be there would look after Sophie and the little one, he did for a short while wonder how it was that they came through his shield but it didn’t last long and he was soon fast asleep.
For the next few days a lot of fuss was made over their new arrival. He would go down to the main gates in the afternoon and would stand for a while outside listening for anybody that might be calling out to him, he knew that the Gate Men would let him know if somebody needed him but he liked to do it for himself.
He had spoken with Elthra about the Dragons birthmark but she said that only Shealther would know about such things, somehow he doubted that this would be the case as far as Elthra was concerned, but he didn’t pursue the matter. All Fairies knew what other Fairies were thinking, it was their way of communicating, he also knew that Shealther came out from under the shield at the Manor to do just that, he smiled to himself.
Shealther and her secrets and there were many of them, but he enjoyed the game, after all they had been playing it since he could remember. Even as a child before he could walk she had played tricks on him, she had taught him so much over the years, he had been made to think about a lot of things, he had always been able to solve the riddles that she gave him. He wondered which of the Fairies would teach James, and then there was the little angel as he called her, Sophie had mentioned before that she liked the name Angelina. Wizzo thought that it suited her well and had decided that he would call her Angel.
In his mind he had heard Alice talking to Sophie about her Mother; he could only imagine how distraught her mother would be, he would go and see her as soon as possible.
He went up see Sophie who was now back in her own bed, he knocked on the door.
“Come in Wizzo.” On entering he could see that Angel was latched onto Sophie’s still very small breast, he went over and tenderly caressed the child’s head.
“You can write can’t you Sophie?”
“Of Course I can, my mum taught me.”
“Would you like to write to your mother and let her know how you are and as soon as it’s finished I’ll take it to her.” Sophie looked caringly at her little Angel.
“As soon as she’s finished Wizzo, she’ll owl if I take her off now.”
“I’ll get the writing material ready for you Sophie.”
He went down stairs. When opposite the living room door he turned towards a blank wall, a door appeared; it opened as he continued to walk towards it. This was his secret room, where he would work on his lotions, potions, study spells and incantations. He soon returned and arranged everything on the table, quill, ink dusting powder and sheets of parchment, as soon as Sophie had finished feeding little Angel he would take them up to her, with Sophie’s inability to produce much breast milk it would take some time.
When he knew that she had finished, he took all the things up that she would need to write to her mother. It was some two hours later that he went to her again and found that she was still writing and was by now on her sixth sheet, with Alice fussing over her.
“Are you writing your mother a book Sophie?” he asked.
“I got to tell er everyfing Wizzo, --- well not everyfing, I mean she wouldn’t understand, anyway I’m just about finished now.” Powdering the last sheet to make sure it was dry she handed them to him.
“Have we any of the green silk ribbon left Alice so as I can tie it up?”
“There should be Wizzo;” Alice went downstairs and soon returned with a good length of the green silk ribbon.
“Ah! Excellent Alice, thank you.” He rolled up the script without reading it because he already knew what Sophie had written; he then tied it up neatly, finishing it off with a neat bow.
“Thanks Wizzo, this’ll mean a lot to my mum it will, I s’pose I can’t go and see er?”
“I’ll take her the letter first Sophie and see if I can’t arrange something with your good mother, by the way what’s her name?”
“Shirley, Mrs. Shirley Cheswick.”
“Does she leave the house at any time Sophie, to go to the shops, or to see friends?” Sophie thought about that for a while.
“What’s today Wizzo?”
“If I’m not mistaken I believe.” Wizzo sent his mind down to the sitting room and looked at the timepiece. “With all that’s been happening he’d forgotten what day it was Sophie, it’s Wednesday.”
“Mum always goes shoppin on a Wednesday afternoon, she always used to let me go with er, but
for the last few years she’s been going on er own, I liked going round all the shops I did, then she wouldn’t let me go with er no more.”
“Don’t worry Sophie I’ll find her.”
He soon found himself hovering invisibly over Chelsea just down the road from St Andrews Church. He knew what Sophie’s mother looked like, he’d seen her before in Sophie’s mind so he pictured her in his mind, he saw her some distance away walking down the main street carrying a basket.
Going down behind the church he made his way onto the street and then walked in her direction. He was almost up to her but she turned and went into a grocer’s store, he followed her in.
“Good morning Mrs. Cheswick what can I do for you today?” the man who had spoken was of a handsome appearance with broad shoulders. He was neatly dressed in a shirt and breeches all being protected by a large white apron, there were a few ladies in the shop but his eyes were smiling at Mrs. Cheswick, she returned his gaze with some affection at the same time blushing just a little. She tried to conceal this by turning away and inspecting the cabbages that were neatly displayed along with other vegetables at the other side of the shop. One women with a snooty appearance thought she knew what was going on. She was smirking and looking down her noise at her as it were, then still with her nose in the air she paid for her vegetables and quickly left the shop. Wizzo watched with some interested, the other ladies greeted her politely; some even showed a certain amount of sympathy towards her, after a while most had finished and went on their way.
She had looked his way a few times, in the end he went up to her, then making sure that nobody could see, he handed Sophie’s letter to her.
“From your Sophie Mrs. Cheswick,” he whispered, tears sprung into her eyes.
“Is she well Sir?”
“Indeed she is, look it’s all explained in her letter.”
“Will you walk with me a short way Sir?”
“If you wish;” they made their way out of the shop.
“I came by to tell you that your daughter has given birth to a fine healthy baby girl,” The moment she heard that, she burst into tears, Wizzo put his arm around her.
“There, there, Mrs. Cheswick, both are doing extremely well, Sophie has named her Angelina.”
“I can’t thank you enough Sir, god bless you for looking after her.”
“She wishes to see you, but not knowing your circumstances I thought it best that some arrangements should be made, also one must bear in mind that Sophie and the child would need to be a little stronger to make such a journey.”
“But she’s all right isn’t she?”
“She puts on a brave face Mrs. Cheswick, but after what she’s been through, she’s still a little weak from it all. I think that in about six or eight weeks she and the little one will be fit enough to make the journey, I’ll return to you before that to make some arrangements.” They stopped walking, he turned to her and reaching down he took hold of her hands. “She is well Shirley, you can stop worrying about her.” she looked up at him.
“I don’t know what to do for the best.”
“You love him don’t you, the gentleman at the grocery shop I mean?” she lowered her head.
“Is it that obvious,” she said.
“What does he think about your Sophie?” He asked.
“He doesn’t mind at all, he said that we could all move in with him.”
“I think under the circumstances Sophie would rather stay with me and perhaps leave you two to sort out your lives.”
“I suppose that would be best, he’s going to lose a few of his customers if I do move in with him, do you think I’d be doing the right thing?”
“It’s not for me to say, but I do think that if you’re not happy with your present situation then maybe it would be best to change it. I noticed that most of the ladies seemed somewhat sympathetic towards you, and even if they weren’t, I always find that when one door closes another one opens, there are plenty of other places around that would welcome a good Greengrocer.”
“That would mean that he would have to start again.”
“That would be his decision surely, you can but ask him what he wishes to do, and anyway maybe he has already considered that possibility.”
“He is a good man, and I know that he loves me.”
“Love to some is worth more than money Shirley.”
“But I couldn’t do that to him.”
“I think he is a man quite able to make his own decisions, and you should maybe allow him to do so.”
“So you think that I should ask him?”
“If I were in your situation I would, even if it only clarifies things in your own mind, at least then you’ll be able to decide between you what would be the best thing to do.”
“You’re right of course, --- I’ll go and see him, --- thank you for looking after Sophie and for your good advice Sir, might I ask your name?”
“Mr. Burn Bright, I’ll look forward to seeing you in about three weeks.” She nodded her consent. “Good luck to you in your endeavors Shirley.” He stood and watched as she made her way back to her lover, he knowing that she would have difficult times ahead, but he also knew that in the end all would be well.
As soon as he returned, Sophie wanted to know about everything that had happened, Wizzo told her about her mother's situation and what she was thinking of doing about it.
“Poor mum-----Mr. Able, he’s a nice man he is; he’ll look after her he will.”
“Sophie why is it that your Mother speaks differently to you, I mean she is well spoken as it were?”
“Cause I spent seven months on the streets of London I did and if you don’t speak like everybody else, they wouldn’t have nothing to do with you, and anyway I thought you liked the way I speak?”
“I do Sophie, indeed I do.”
“Alice has already had a go at me about that and I know she’s tryin hard, looks like I’ll ave to do the same.”
“It shouldn’t be too difficult for you Sophie, you can read and write and you were brought up to speak in a different way, so for the little ones who need to be educated for their task in life it might be a good thing if we all spoke the same, as it were.”
“All right Wizzo, you don’t have to keep on, I can speak as well as the next if I have to.” Wizzo stepped back in surprise and turning to Alice he asked.
“What just happened?” Alice laughed.
“I think Sophie’s been playing a Fairies game with you Wizzo; Sophie gave Alice a look that told her not to say too much.
“You’re a rascal Sophie, I have to admit that I do like playing games and keeping secrets, after all isn’t that what Wizards and Fairies are all about.”