Caitlin jumped onto her mother’s lap and Chris sat beside them.
“Now you know that Daddy is very poorly, don’t you?”
“Yes” they both replied.
“Well the Doctors are going to have to do lots of different tests to figure out what’s wrong with him. That means he’s going to have to stay in hospital for a little while.”
Chris and Caitlin began to cry.
They didn’t want Daddy to stay in hospital. Mum put her arms around them reassuringly; it worried her to see them so distressed.
“Hey, come on. It’ll be OK” she said, trying to remain optimistic.
“I’ve just spoken to your Grandma and Granddad and they’re on their way. They’ll take you home and look after you while I stay here with Daddy.”
“But Mummy, I don’t want to go home and leave you here” said Caitlin clinging to her mother.
“Don’t worry sweetheart, I’ll be home later on to tuck you into bed.”
“You promise?”
“I promise darling.”
“When will we see Daddy though?” she asked.
“Grandma and Granddad will bring you to see him every day after school, OK?”
Caitlin nodded her head. “OK” she said reluctantly.
Mum turned to Chris. “I need you to be a big boy for me now. Be strong, and help your Grandma and Granddad with Caitlin. Can you do that for me sweetheart?”
“Yes” said Chris wiping a tear from his eye. “I love you Mum” he whispered as he hugged her tightly.
“And I love you too.”
Mum turned to Caitlin “I love you my little princess.”
“I love you too Mummy” said Caitlin hugging her tightly, not wanting to let go.
Grandma and Granddad arrived soon after and took the children home.
Later that same evening after Caitlin had gone to bed, Chris decided to ask his Grandma a question that was bothering him. He sat beside her in front of the fire. “Can I please ask you something, Grandma?” he said nervously.
“Yes dear, what’s the matter?”
Chris couldn’t hold back the tears as he spoke “Oh Grandma, what will we do if Daddy dies? I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to him.”
Grandma put her arms around Chris and rocked him gently, just as she had when he was a baby.
He was trembling from head to toe; completely terrified of the thoughts that had been going around inside his head all day.
“I know this is all very scary, but it’s going to be OK, sweetheart. I’m sure that the Doctors will find out what’s wrong with him. We have to have faith Chris. I’m sure he’ll be home again before you know it.”
“Do you really think so?” asked Chris.
“Yes my darling, I do. Please don’t worry. Everything’s going to be alright.”
As it turned out Grandma was right. Dad was in hospital for a while but eventually the Doctors worked out what was wrong with him. He had a rare illness that caused horrible symptoms. He was too ill to work anymore and he was in pain most of the time. Mum had to give up work to look after Dad and everything in Chris and Caitlin’s lives changed.
It was such a confusing time for everyone; their lives were changing before their eyes and there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop it. They were relieved that Daddy was home, yet at the same time they were sad that he couldn’t do all the things that he used to be able to do. The whole family felt angry.
“Why us?” they’d say. “Life’s not fair!”
Chris and Caitlin became inseparable; leaning on each other for support. They both thought that no-one else could possibly understand how they felt.
Mum spent a lot of time talking things through with them. She explained that Dad was always in pain, but that he had good days and bad days. She explained that Dad wouldn’t die from this illness, but he would be poorly from now on.
Whenever Dad had a good day he would make the most of being in less pain and they would go on a family outing together. The children treasured these moments dearly. However on the bad days Dad would sleep nearly all day. The children had to be quiet so as not to disturb him, which made life miserable.
Each child coped differently.
Chris found it easier to adjust than Caitlin. He had always been the quieter child anyway. He enjoyed reading and drawing, whereas Caitlin was a bubbly personality who would sing at the top of her voice all day long. She could still be noisy outside, but she couldn’t be noisy inside the cottage anymore. This was really strange for Caitlin; with Mum having been a childminder the house had always been noisy, very noisy with lots of children running around. Now it had to be quiet.
IT WAS TOO QUIET!
Caitlin hated it! She felt so angry; she wanted to scream ‘WHY ME?’
Everything seemed so hopeless; she felt as if she was in a nightmare that she couldn’t wake up from.
Occasionally Mum would pause to reflect how their lives had changed. She felt heartbroken that her children weren’t getting the childhood she’d imagined they’d have, and she’d have a little cry to herself. Caitlin had an uncanny knack of walking into the room at this point. It upset her to see her Mum crying, especially as she was such a tower of strength for the children. Caitlin would wipe away her Mother’s tears and give her a hug to comfort her.
Caitlin didn’t tell anyone how she really felt, apart from Rufus. She poured her heart out to him. She trusted him. But what could he do? He was just a little robin. He couldn’t change anything, could he?
Her smile was definitely lost. That radiant beaming smile that had always been a ray of sunshine was gone. She couldn’t think of anything she had to smile about. She had never felt so sad and alone. However Caitlin didn’t know that by talking to Rufus, she was actually asking for help. She could never have imagined what was about to happen next.
CHAPTER FOUR
Bethan’s Visit.
It was a cold November evening and the stars sparkled in the midnight blue sky. It was a beautiful night, yet Caitlin couldn’t appreciate it because she was so sad. A large tear rolled down her cheek as she looked up to the moon.
“It’s not fair! Why me? Why did it have to be MY Dad?” she sobbed. “Why can’t life go back to how it was before? I hate this!”
She was angry that this had happened to her family and she couldn’t understand why. The sad truth was that there was no reason why. It was nobody’s fault, so there was no one to blame. Caitlin felt so lost and alone. She was totally unaware that Rufus (the robin) had been to see his friend Bethan and she had a plan!
Caitlin climbed into bed. As she snuggled down underneath her duvet, tears still rolling down her face, she noticed a bright light in the corner of the room. She quickly dried her eyes. She wanted to see what this strange light was.
As the light got bigger and bigger it started to look like….. An Angel!
“An Angel?” she thought. “No, it can’t be. I must be dreaming!”
She rubbed her eyes hard and looked again. The Angel was still standing there, smiling at Caitlin. She glistened from head to toe; her bright blonde hair shimmered like gold and she had the most unusual deep brown eyes that seemed to soothe the soul. Caitlin was fascinated by her wings which were made out of soft, snow white feathers.
It was strange because she should have been scared, but she wasn’t. In fact it was the opposite! She felt calm and tranquil; a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
“My dear child” said the Angel. “Your sadness has been heard in heaven and I have been sent to help you. My name is Bethan and I’m an Angel. I’ve come to take you to a magical place called Fairyland.”
“What, now?”
“Yes, now Caitlin. Everyone is waiting for you.”
“What do you mean ‘everyone is waiting for me’?” asked Caitlin.
“The fairy folk are all waiting to help you in Fairyland” explained Bethan. “If you agree, we’ll leave now and you’ll be home again before anyo
ne even notices you’ve gone.”
Caitlin thought hard. What should she do? Her Mother had always taught her that she should never go anywhere with strangers, but did that include Angels and Fairies? Or maybe this was all a dream? So many questions whizzed around inside her head. She pinched herself hard. “Ouch!” she said. Well at least she knew that she wasn’t dreaming. But what should she do?
Bethan picked up on what she was thinking and said “I know Mummy has said that you should never go anywhere with strangers, and she’s absolutely right. She’s teaching you to stay safe. This is different though. Caitlin I promise that you will be safe. Rufus has told me all about you.”
“Wait a minute… Rufus?”
Caitlin looked confused. “But Rufus is a…”
“Robin. Yes I know Caitlin. All will become clear in time, don’t worry” replied Bethan.
“We just want to help you. In Fairyland there’s a special tree called the Healing Tree. Angels just like me take children there to help them see their lives differently.”
“Can this Healing Tree really help me?” asked Caitlin. “I don’t want to feel sad any more. I love my Daddy so much and I know that it’s not his fault he’s ill.”
“Yes, the Healing Tree will definitely be able to help you Caitlin. You’ll see things differently by the morning.”
“You promise that I’ll be back before anyone notices that I’ve gone?”
“Of course, I promise!” replied Bethan.
“OK then, let’s go!” said Caitlin.
CHAPTER FIVE
Fairyland
The stars shimmered in the moonlit sky; sprinkling their stardust across the world. The air was filled with anticipation as Bethan took Caitlin’s hand.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Yes, I am” said Caitlin.
The next thing she knew she was in the air, soaring high above the rooftops, flying through the night. The landscape looked so different, everything seemed so small.
“Chris would love this!” she thought to herself. “If only he could see me now.”
“Hold my hand tightly. Don’t let go!” warned Bethan.
“Oh I won’t let go, don’t worry” said Caitlin thinking to herself “Let go? It’s a long way down if I do!”
Suddenly there was a flash of light that lit up the whole sky. Glittering sparks of gold, yellow and white lights surrounded Caitlin.
“Hold tight” shouted Bethan. “We’re nearly there!”
Caitlin shut her eyes tight in fear. When she opened them she couldn’t believe what she saw.
It was daytime in Fairyland. The sky was the most vivid blue she’d ever seen, with not a cloud in sight and the warm sun shone in the distance. They landed gently in beautiful woodland with grass so soft it felt like a carpet underneath Caitlin’s feet. They were surrounded by brightly coloured flowers; each one tiny yet perfectly formed. It was enchanting.
In the distance Caitlin could see a group of fairies sitting on the banks of a stream, each dipping their toes into the cool crystal clear water beneath them.
Caitlin stared at them in awe. They were breath-takingly beautiful. Their faces reminded Caitlin of her china dolls at home, so tiny and perfect in every way.
Each had long hair cascading in waves down their backs and they were dressed in the most unusual lilacs, pale rose pinks, bright yellows and deep cornflower blues that you could imagine. Their delicate wings matched the colour of their dresses, yet each time they fluttered all you could see were the shimmering silver edges sparkling in the sunshine.
Caitlin’s heart skipped a beat as each fairy turned to wave and say hello to her.
“Hello” she replied smiling.
That smile which had been lost for so long was already back, and she’d only been in Fairyland for a few minutes.
Just then Caitlin heard giggling coming from the dense woodland which surrounded her. She looked around to see where the sound was coming from. Suddenly she saw pixies chasing each other in and out of the trees. She gasped in shock putting her hands to her mouth.
“Are you alright?” asked Bethan.
“Yes” replied Caitlin “It’s just a bit overwhelming. I didn’t think fairies and pixies were real until tonight. I just thought that they were characters in books until now. The fairies were absolutely beautiful and now I have seen pixies for the first time as well. They aren’t how I imagined they’d be at all.” The pixies overheard Caitlin talking and decided to come and introduce themselves properly.
There were 3 in total, each dressed in little outfits made from oak leaves, with leaf shaped hats on their heads. They had piercing dark brown eyes, a cute little pointed nose and long pointy ears that stuck out of the sides of their hats.
Each pixie stepped towards Caitlin in turn holding out their hand to shake hands with her. They each bowed their heads as they greeted her.
“Welcome Miss Caitlin” they said politely. “We are very pleased to meet you.”
“Thank you” said Caitlin shaking their hands. Her smile now stretched from ear to ear as she felt the anticipation in the air. She was so excited.
“Goodbye Miss Caitlin” said the pixies as they ran back into the woodlands to carry on with their game.
“Goodbye” said Caitlin.
As Caitlin turned around she saw an unusual narrow winding pathway. It led into the woodland, disappearing out of sight amongst the trees. It wasn’t just any path though; it was made from dusty pink earth with green plants growing through it.
Caitlin didn’t question it though; she was quickly learning to expect the unexpected here; after all it was Fairyland!
“Bethan, where does that pathway go?” she asked.
“You’ll see. Come on! Let’s go to the Healing Tree.”
As they began to walk along the path Caitlin said “It’s so peaceful here. Everyone is so friendly. Thank you for bringing me to Fairyland, I feel so much happier already and we haven’t even got to the Healing Tree yet.”
“Now do you see why I wanted to bring you here?” asked Bethan.
“Oh yes, I understand. Thank you!” said Caitlin.
CHAPTER SIX
The Healing Tree
As they turned the corner they found themselves in a beautiful clearing. In the middle of the clearing there stood a very old tree. Caitlin just knew that this was a very special tree. Its trunk was worn and aged through time, but smooth and comforting to the touch. Its winding branches twisted and turned with each leaf singing a soothing melody as the wind gently moved them. Caitlin had never seen a tree quite like this one before, it was magical. Standing underneath its branches it was impossible to feel anything but peace and love. Angels sat underneath the tree talking to children of all nationalities who needed their help.
“This is the Healing Tree” announced Bethan. “Let’s find a place to sit down, shall we?”
There was a small area of mossy grass by the tree, “This looks like a good place” said Bethan.
Caitlin sat down with her back against the tree. It felt warm and comforting as if it was reassuring her that everything was going to be alright.
“Bethan” she said “I felt as if the Healing Tree just gave me a hug, but that’s silly, trees can’t give hugs can they?”
“This is a very powerful tree” replied Bethan. “Nothing that happens here would surprise me.
This tree often gives you a hug when you need one. Most children don’t realise it though. You must be a very special little girl to have felt its healing power already!”
“Wow! That’s amazing” gasped Caitlin.
“This tree is amazing. The Healing Tree wants all children to be happy. In all the years I have brought children here, the Healing Tree has never ever failed. Now Caitlin, are you sitting comfortably?”
“Yes thank you Bethan, it’s so peaceful here.”
“Yes it is” said Bethan. “Now Caitlin, I brought you here to help you to see your life from a different perspective; to
teach you about optimism and thinking positively. So let’s get started, shall we? Do you think you can tell me how you feel about Daddy being ill?”
Caitlin’s lip trembled and she began to cry. “I feel sad and angry that MY Dad has got this illness. It’s just not fair. Why did it have to be him? Why MY Dad? I don’t understand.”
“I agree with you” said Bethan “it isn’t fair.”
Caitlin began to explain, she was totally unaware that all the fairies were listening to her; trying to think of ways that they could help. Infact all the Fairy folk could see what a sweet child she was and they longed to see her radiant smile again.
“Seeing my Dad in so much pain makes me feel sad and helpless, even when he’s having a good day he’s still in pain. I mustn’t be too noisy because my Dad’s head hurts so much. Mum said that his brain is a bit like a computer; too much noise or too many things happening around him make his computer crash and shut down. Then he has to go to sleep for his brain to rest and start to work again.
On the bad days Daddy doesn’t always understand me properly, it’s really hurtful and I get so frustrated. I know it’s not his fault and I should have more patience, but it really upsets me” explained Caitlin.
“That must be so difficult for you to cope with” said Bethan.
“It is. It makes me sad that I can’t be like other children and I can’t talk to my friends about how I feel because they don’t understand what it’s like.
Dad struggles with noise, so we have to be quieter than most children and he can’t go to noisy places with us. He finds it difficult to go to school plays and has never been to a school sports day.”
Unbeknown to Caitlin three little fairies were sitting behind her listening to her story with tears in their eyes. “It seems so unfair” they said “Caitlin is such a lovely girl. What can we do? We must think of something to cheer her up.”
Caitlin's Wish Page 2
