Maribel, a fairy godmother in training, sat on the edge of her cloud, alternately looking at her home star and earth.
The star beckoned but there was no way to return until the assignments had been completed. There could be no more mess-ups. The Highest Power was already angry because there had so many mistakes. Anabel, also being trained, almost always found a way to interfere with the current mission. Filled with fury, Maribel clenched her hands into tight fists.
“This is so unfair” she shouted into the atmosphere. “How can you expect me to do good when you won’t give me proper assignments?” Maribel lowered her voice to a whisper. She did not need or want more trouble heaped on her by The Highest Power. “Please give me something to work with and I’ll try harder. I promise.”
Being a second year Fairy Godmother was not easy. Maribel coveted the tiaras worn by the older fairies and advancement was awarded by positive accomplishments. She would never achieve her goal if THP only sent her on cruddy missions of mercy. She knew that The Highest Power would be upset at her use of his initials, but they were only used in private. Besides, the full name was too much of a mouthful. Maribel also yearned for long flowing curls but try as she might; no spell or touch of the magic wand changed her straight hair. She suspected Anabel was sending a stronger spell. They had become fierce rivals long before they started to train as Fairy Godmothers.
With a shock of awareness, Maribel saw The Highest Power take form on her cloud. As she stared at her swinging feet, Maribel wanted to burrow deep in the white fluffiness and hide but it was to late.
“So, you really think, given a chance, you can achieve good and worthwhile deeds?” The Highest Power asked. “With all your mess ups, why do you think that?”
“Oh Highest Power, it wasn’t my fault that last spell was the wrong one. I was given a defective wand.” Maribel would have cried except Fairy Godmothers in training couldn’t cry. Fairy Godmother! What disaster that title was. Fairy Godmothers were suppose to bring joy, love and happily ever afters to their charges. So far all she seemed able to cause was despair, hate and broken hearts.
“Maribel” The Highest Power said, “Your last assignment has yet to be corrected. I will not give you another one until you right this wrong.”
“But Highest Power, you know how hard I have tried to reverse the spell.” Maribel said, “I helped those two lonely people find love. You know I did. Then my wand malfunctioned and she became an ugly wart on his chin and until the wand is restored, I can’t change her back.”
Maribel felt so rejected, she really wished she could cry. Maybe tears would show The Highest Power how sincere and remorseful she was. It was all Anabel’s fault anyway. She was so jealous. Out of spite and hatefulness, Anabel had jinxed almost everything Maribel tried to do. This made her look like a naughty, disobedient Fairy Godmother. And only Anabel could restore the bad wand. It was suppose to bring magic, not something obscene.
“I will deal with Anabel.” The Highest Power said. “Now take the wand back to earth and return that poor woman to her natural form.” The Highest power left as silently as he had arrived.
A touch of fear for her rival ran through Maribel. She didn’t wish serious harm to Anabel. It was one thing to cause minor mayhem but a jinxed wand was serious. The Highest Power would not allow such malicious misconduct to go unpunished.
Maribel found the defective wand and with trepidation floated to earth and prayed she could right the wrong done. Holding her breath, Maribel let the tip of the wand touch the ugly wart, and joy, it worked correctly as the shape of the woman became solid. Thankfully, there would be no memory of what happened.
Back on her cloud, Maribel waited and gazed at her home star. She wished to be there because it was the one place that offered peace. As usual there was no warning, THP was just there.
“I am pleased to see the woman returned to normal.” He said. “Now let’s continue the review of your past record. What caused you to turn that young man Peter into a stone in the creek?”
“Well, he was a hot-headed jerk and needed cooling off. Since he was bigger me, I couldn’t pick him up and throw him in, so I made him into something I could handle. You will have to admit it put a damper on his temper and then I did turn him back. Did you see how outraged he was? His clothes shrank so much the buttons popped.” Maribel laughed at the memory but The Highest Power was not amused.
“Moving on, tell me again what was on your mind when you changed a beautiful woman into an ugly child. And it had better be good.”
Downhearted, Maribel mumbled an answer. If she could blush, she would have but her rank of Fairy Godmother didn’t have that ability either. Those functions were only given to the advanced fairies.
“See, it was like this THP.” Said Maribel, forgetting she was not suppose to use the shortened name. She hoped her lapse would not be noticed. “Carrie was just so caught up in her own beauty, she treated the less beautiful badly. It is never acceptable to be mean to others, but no one could change Carrie’s wicked tongue. I thought she should receive some of the cruel insults for a while.
“A year is long enough,” replied The Highest Power, ”change her back. Now!
And you may not call me THP. Next on my list, what about that couple, Claudine and Ike? Why did you take away their happy ever after? Your job was to spread joy and love, not destroy it.”
“Oh but Highest Power, they were so wrong for each other. I set them free to find their true loves. Was it my fault they tried to pull a Romeo and Juliet? Remember, I did put a stop to that.”
“It was how you accomplished it that has me bothered.” THP said. “You should not have turned Claudine into a laughing Hyena and Ike into a braying jack ass.”
“I was so upset; I used the wrong words with the wand,” explained Maribel, “but really, I have never had so much fun and I forgot how to change them into forms more appropriate. I’ll get them back to normal as soon as I can but be honest Highest Power, true personalities will always come out. I did them a great big favor.”
“Maribel, if you want to progress to the next Fairy Godmother level, you need to control your impulsiveness. I can only give you so many chances.”
THP indeed, he thought, amused in spite of himself. This particular fairy certainly kept things stirred up. It was almost a shame to curb her impulsiveness but discipline had to be maintained no matter how entertaining the misguided actions were.
“You’re right Highest Power,” Maribel said, “You know how hard I try be nice but naughtiness just seems to take over. I will do better. I promise.”
She suppressed a discouraged sigh, knowing in her heart it would be a long time before she could return to her home star.