A fairy's gift

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As he entered May's street, Ferry felt a pleasant numbness taking him over. The sweet fragrances in the air made him feel as floating. The October sun was shining unexpectedly bright for that time of the year.

Ferry let himself be guided by the strong fragrances of chrysanthemums, the gentle and subtle touches of petunias, and the sweet scent of roses.

When he entered the flower shop, Basil Flower saluted him from the counter. Iris Flower was behind a big pot of purple, autumn flowers with small inflorescences like tiny buttons. She waved at him, just as happy to see him.

May showed up at the doorway leading to a dark hallway at the end of which he could see the stairs. Ferry followed her down that gloomy hallway, which seemed more suited for a hostile home, not the enchanted, jolly one he'd just entered. But when they climbed the stairs, a warm light scattered around, leading them to May's room.

As he stepped in, Ferry felt like he had entered the Land of Faerie. The room was small. A tiny bed, full of stuffed toys and satin pillows, was placed near a wardrobe with mirror doors. By the window, there was a table with a small chair, both made of walnut wood. All the furniture was painted in light hues of blue. A fire was burning in the fireplace, spreading the scent of fir and wilderness. There was also a chest of drawers painted in the same color as the sky. Each drawer was decorated with pink roses painted by May herself.

Ferry sat on the bed, trying to find a free spot among May's toys. They had to do their Biology homework which May found rather difficult. She found it particularly hard to memorize all those Latin names of animals and plants.

"How can you memorize all those boring Latin names?" she asked. "I can't possibly do it."

Ferry would have liked to tell her that the names came to his head as if someone had whispered in his ear.

"I try to connect the names with the things I like," he said instead. "For instance, rosemary in Latin is Rosmarinus which means dew of the sea. And I've always loved... dew. Especially in May when summer is close..."

The two children looked at each other for a while, without saying a word. When the moment took too long and almost became embarrassing, May's mother came in with a tray of cookies and lemonade.

"Are you all right?" she asked May putting her hand on the girl's forehead. "Are you in any pain? Or maybe you're cold?"

"I'm fine, Mum..." May said, sighing.

"Then you should take a break from studying. I'm sure Ferry will agree," she added before leaving the room.

May put the Biology book aside and nibbled on a cookie.

"My parents are very protective," she said. "I suppose it's because I'm very sensitive and always catching a cold. Sometimes it's annoying, but they're doing this because they love me and I'm their only child. What are your parents like?"

"Pretty much the same. My mum is like that sometimes, but she means well. Dad can be really harsh, and... he expects a lot from me. I try not to disappoint him, but it's hard..."

It was the first time Ferry had talked about his parents. He hadn't done that in front of anyone before.

"How about your grandparents?" the girl asked, inviting Ferry to have a cookie.

Ferry had never met his grandparents. He knew his father's parents were dead; his grandparents from his mother's side hadn't talked to her ever since she married his father.

"I never met them," he said in a low voice. "It must be nice having grandparents. How about you?"

"I only knew my grandmother on my father's side. Her name was Mayra, and they named me after her. She died a couple of years ago," she said and the sparkle in her eyes faded away. "I miss her a lot..."

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