The Diary of Joy

Tales of the Past pt.1

13. Joy, the year of the Phoenix

Dear Angel,

So many different things have happened recently, and I didn't have enough time to write to you. Still, I don't want to talk about that. After all, it's just a lot of boring adult stuff happening. I want to talk about something fun.

However, I will satisfy your curiosity and tell you that things with my grandparents are going better than expected. I am even starting to like grandmother more. We still have some misunderstandings, but it's getting better and better each time we see each other.

Anyway, today I would like to tell you about a fun tale that dad recently told us as a bedtime story. Of course, as always, it is a story about his and mom's past but told like an overly dramatic fairytale.

We all put on our pajamas and got ready for bed as dad settled in an armchair (which wasn't there before) next to a fireplace (which magically appeared that night) smoking a pipe (for the first time in his life).

I think he wanted to sound like an old, wise man but what he accomplished was to look very funny and we liked that.

"So, my children, I shall tell you a tale of woe and suffering. In which one elf, I mean one knight shines as the most courageous one of them all." Dad said in a strange voice.

We believe he was trying to do an old man's voice, but what he accomplished was getting a sore throat the next morning, and he didn't even sound like an old man while he told us his tale.

"There once was a princess..." Dad started to say.

"There is always a princess! Why not a prince?" Chatterbox said, pouting.

"Because this is my tale, boy, and you shall listen to your elders!" Dad said in the scariest voice he could muster.

Of course, that voice wasn't so scary, but we played along and pretended to cower in our beds. Even Chatterbox, who sometimes didn't like playing along with dad's strange tales.

"Ergo, as I was saying. Once upon a time, there was the most beautiful princess the land had ever seen. She lived in a magical castle in the faraway land, and she was never allowed to leave her land, never able to explore beauties of other realms. That was until a dashing knight came to her rescue. The moment she saw him, he swept her off her feet." Dad said.

"I thought mom didn't like you immediately. That she thought you were just a charmer who was not ready for a relationship." Mischief interrupted.

"Hush, I am telling the story here. I mean, this tale belongs to the storyteller, and he may spin the tale the way he sees fitting." Dad answered.

"Only upon the chance encounter with the bravest knight of them all did the charming princess realize that there was more to life than her land and her people. That was when they set off on a wonderful adventure filled with love and excitement." Dad said.

We were all listening carefully now since we loved hearing the stories about mom's and dad's past, and we had a feeling this one involved our grandparents, as well, so we were all ears.

"However the adventure was fraught with danger as they had to fight two trolls that the princess called father and mother." Dad went on.

"But, grandmother and grandfather aren't trolls, they are fairies." Peace said, utterly confused.

"Shh," the rest of us said.

"They might be fairies, but they are trolls at heart," Dad said.

As he said that, he started trying to appear bigger and scarier, as if he had turned into a troll. Honestly, if mom were to see him and hear him now, he would be in a lot of trouble.

Since we were safe in the knowledge that she was out with Linky, dad could tell his tale without any fear.

"The trolls tried to guard the princess every moment of the day to prevent her from meeting her beloved but clever as he was, he always managed to find a way to see his one true love," Dad said.

"The trolls found out, and they were really unhappy about that. They screamed with their mouths wide open. They pulled their hair in anger." Dad said, starting to pull his hair to show us.

While pulling his hair, he was also trying to make very angry faces and sounds, but we all found them funny and giggled like crazy.

"Finally, the scared little princess that the knight got to know, became a brave warrior, and she stood up against her parents. She told them that she loved the knight with all her heart and that there was nothing they could do to make her change her mind." Dad said as a shadow crossed his face.

It was obvious that the truth was very close to the story from the sorrow that suddenly filled his eyes. It made me wonder how bad it truly was.

"The trolls weren't happy. They were not happy at all. They stumped their feet. They puffed their breaths, as mad as could be.

"If you accept him as your one true love, you will lose your family. Is that what you want?" The female troll named Nasty said.

"Aren't there any nice fairies left?" The male troll, named Weak, said.

"True family stands by you no matter what. If I lose my family for this, it means I never had a real family to start with. There are many nice fairies left, but none of them have conquered my heart." Your mother told them.

That was of course when the trolls stumped outside, slamming the door never to be seen again. Well, until now." Dad said.

"What will happen now?" I asked.

"Well, hopefully, the trolls will turn into fairies they should have been, and we will live happily ever after," Dad said.

"Why were grandmother and grandfather so mean?" Mischief asked.

"They weren't mean. They were confused, hurt, I guess. Maybe they felt like your mother chose me instead of them, which is not true. They made the choice for her." Dad said.

We wanted to ask so much more, but dad got up and started gathering up his pipe and getting rid of the fireplace and the armchair he was sitting in.

"Okay, bedtime. No more questions or you'll mother will catch us awake," Dad said as he kissed us goodnight.

"Goodnight, little trolls." He said.

"Goodnight, daddy." We all said as one as he left the room.

As I snuggled up with my plush rabbit toy I couldn't help but think that the story dad told us was more real than either one of us would like to think. It made me even more sad for our mom and what she had to go through.

Also, I wished with all my heart to banish the trolls from their hearts and let their true fairy nature shine.

Anyway, I need to go now. They said there will be a meteor shower tonight, and I can't miss such a magical experience.

Thank you for always being my friend.

Love, Joy