Ch. 9
The sun rose on fairiedom with great splendor. The day was like christmas. those who had seen preparations take place little by little anxiously awaited their gifts, and those who had been part of the committee felt like santa. No one could wait to see how it all came together.
Fairies arrived slowly at first, some artists to record the day, the mayor, a few anxious and proud family members, but around 9am they started flying in in droves! Whole families came awestruck and festive. They brought balloons and pet butterflies, dressed their best and sang to eachother until the noise of it all started to fill the branches and make all the glass decorations vibrate. ?Marissa!!! How are you?? I havent seen you in months!' ?Shannon, darling, did you really do the vinework here? It's lovely!'
Finally the band began to play and people started moving in towards the food areas. The great tree shone like a champagne glass at high noon. It swayed and chimed and puffed itself with pride. Bessie went from station to station smiling and thanking people, occationally eavesdropping by the great hall to hear the oooos and aaaaaahs as everyone admired her beautiful glass tree.
The halo idea worked out alright, although you couldn't really stand around beneath it or you got a bit covered in, well, droppings! Fairies arent too squimish, but plenty practical, and avoided that area for the most part. The leaves were each stitched around with dangling beaded lace, delicate and extraordinary. The whole area glowed with rainbows and exagerated light.
Around 3, the party started to wind down. People were well fed and had danced themselves near sick. Children and gamblers found small nooks and started up games of fairy dice and wingdown. The older folks sat around and commented on the great success of the party, and bessie found a moment to steal a few kisses with antoine.
The mayor took this time to announce. ?Fairies and Friends! Thank you for attending and providing this great event. For many generations we have lived in reverence and joy amongst the trees and the earth. For no less than 3 generations have we been sheltered and loved by this great and most beautiful oak. We take this time to celebrate her beauty, her wisdom, and her generosity as never has she turned us away or failed to keep us safe in her boughs and burrows. And so, with no further ado, we say, ?Thank you, Great Oak, Forever, Thank You!'' And with that all the fairies went wild with cheers and whistles and songs, for almost a full hour they danced and cheered in circles around the tree, and up and down upon each of her branches until she quivered with the joy of it all.
Eventually, as the sun still hung in the late afternoon sky, fairies began to lie about, spreading out, laughing, and talking quietly. Bessie went to each of her team leaders and thanked them for all they had done, but more and more the day began to fade. Conversation swayed more and more back to the happenings of life, and further from the celebration.
As the sun went down, bessie snuck back to the great hall. She sat looking at her great tree, glistening, immortal, knowing it would stand there to commemorate the day until it was forgotten, and remembering all that had happened to her since she sat in that same hall weeks ago. She thanked the tree, in her own way, in her heart, for helping her to be stronger, more loving, maybe to have slightly deeper roots, and for bringing her together with antoine. She was no longer afraid of talking in front of people, and while she was still tall for a fairie, after all she had accomplished, she never felt more beautiful.
Bessie slept wonderfully, that night.