Of Golden Sunsets

Trailing feather-soft butterfly kisses across the sky, she paints

kaleidoscopic splendor in the heavens.

~ Aerrvin ap Rosewin

Friday, May 8, 2009

Mara’s house sat in the center of the block seven houses down from the Victorian mansion Aerrvin rented. The Fairies’ love of the gentle humid air of Seattle emanated from their very beings; they radiated joy. It was not raining, but clouds were forming to the west. Aerrvin knew the sunset would be fantastic. He despised missing a single one—dusk being his favorite time of day.

Cold temperatures do not affect magical beings much, but the warmth of the sun infuses bliss into the soul. The current temperature held steady at sixty-nine degrees with no wind, except around Aerrvin, who, thanks to Miree, always brought a bit of a breeze wherever he went.

“Jaera, I think your Fairy Dust is a little overbearing.” With a slight wave of Aerrvin’s hand, a breeze sent a smattering of sparkles free. “You don’t need much to garner attention among college students,” Aerrvin admonished as he assessed her attire.

Jaera was a five-foot, fire-haired, freckle-faced imp of a girl and could get away with wearing her regular attire: pale green leggings with a filmy, flowing short top in shades of lavender and pink accented by a green scarf around her neck. She insisted she kept her curls cut short to make them bouncy. However, most agreed it was to keep her hair from getting tangled in the brambles which she so loved to climb. The only change to her wardrobe was a pair of strappy high-heeled sandals.

Aerrvin nodded to her shoes. “How easy is it to wear those, anyway?”

“As easy as dancing.” Jaera twirled to prove her statement before resuming her natural bouncy pace beside Gareth.

Approaching the front door, Aerrvin slowed to look at his timepiece. They hoped to be fashionably late, but not too late, considering they were the guests of honor.

“Ah, here we go,” Aerrvin said.

“You sound nervous, my friend,” Gareth said with a grin.

“Have you tried to woo a wife?” Aerrvin asked, with a pointed stare at Jaera’s backside and then back to Gareth as she rang the doorbell.

“Touché,” Gareth replied with a lopsided frown. He kept Jaera as an option, but like all Fairies, making up his mind was hard. Still, Jaera remained his first choice.

Jill answered the door. “Yay! You’re here! I’m so glad you came. Let me introduce you . . .”

The Fairy Prince scanned the room. Aerrvin’s delight with the style and décor suffused him with a gentle glow. It felt homey. Upon entering the house, one could use either of the two coat closets left and right, then the rooms opened up to either side. To the left was a study with a luxurious brown leather sofa and two matching chairs. Burgundy curtains and pillows complemented both the leather and the navy blue carpet. Positively cozy, thought Aerrvin. On the right and on into the main hall, which should have been a dining room, the beautiful cherry wood flooring shone as with great care.

“Brownies live here, most assuredly,” he mused under his breath.

“Aye,” answered Seamus in his ear.

The living room to the right soothed the senses with its soft coloring contrasting the study. Guests sat on and around the pale lavender couches; some sat on the rectangular angora rug between the wraparound sectional. With a twinge of jealous emotion, Aerrvin noted guests idly handling the tactile silk and velvet pillows. The aubergine pillows accented the sofas beautifully. The mantel stood out on the western wall as the main feature of the room, marred somewhat by the large screen TV mounted above.

In the northwest corner sat a curious chair of evident antiquity. The chair had a grand high back, suitable for royalty. The cushioned seat and back were a beautiful shade of pale yellow, tufted with lavender buttons. The desire to sit in something that delightful made Aerrvin itch! Wriggling his shoulders, he continued his quick perusal of the room.

Near the fanciful chair sat a long buffet table, placed under the front windows and piled high with tempting treats. Aerrvin ensured that Jill knew that neither he nor his friends ate red meat. In the last corner sat a pile of large red, blue and purple pillows perfect for lounging on.

Still no sight of Mara. Masking his disappointment, Aerrvin greeted his neighbors as Jill introduced him to those in the room; then she excused herself to greet more guests. With one regretful glance at the chair, Aerrvin took the proffered pillow from Gareth and joined him, along with Jaera, on the floor in front of the other guests.

“Stay seated, you just got here,” said a blonde girl.

She grabbed a friend, and they sashayed to the table where they filled plates with finger foods. A short, stocky man offered to get beers for the group.

“No, thanks. Water or milk for me,” Gareth replied. The tone and clarity of Gareth’s voice could capture the attention of all who heard it—to say it was musical would be an understatement.

Sliding her eyes sideways toward her friend, another girl went into the kitchen to inform Jill. Meanwhile, Jaera retrieved two lemon-lime sodas for herself and Aerrvin. Soda does not affect Fairies the way alcohol affects Humans, but the carbon dioxide itself was quite addicting to Fair Ones of any kind and induced cheer nonetheless. Gareth thought it altered his voice, so he did his best to avoid carbonated drinks. On the other hand, Jaera could not seem to consume enough.

The blonde and her friend returned with three plates and sat down on the floor beside Gareth and Aerrvin. “Here you are, sorry—seems to be all fruit and bread tonight. Jill always makes amazing stuff, though,” Blondie said, as she picked up a fruit kabob.

“No problem. Seems all my favorites are here,” Aerrvin replied, glancing over to see Gareth brush hands with the girl bringing him ice water.

“Sorry, no milk,” she said, biting her lip.

Attracting attention is never a problem for Fairies and Elves. Making friends is as easy as drinking water and dancing. The problem for Aerrvin was making a commitment at all. A pull to befriend Mara washed over him. She might be someone I could enjoy spending nine hundred or so years with. But all the girls and half the guys in the room are thinking about me. Granted, not all are pleased; some are jealous, of course. A smile tickled his lips for a moment. He loved how the Ware Spell let him feel the strength of a person’s reaction to his presence.

Not that he needed the spell to know the effect. With focus, he could hear the blonde girl’s heartbeat and quickened breath; her sense of longing tantalized him. Maybe I should sample more freely first.

Offering a wry smile, he asked, “What was your name? I failed to pay attention during the introductions.”

With a toothy smile of her own, she replied, “Bonnie Grant. I live one house down from you, I think. You’re staying in the Victorian on the corner, right?”

****

Jill found Mara in the backyard. “Mara, you’re ridiculous! You can’t hide out here all night. It’s not like he’s judging you for misunderstanding his status. Who would think a twenty-something guy owned the place?”

“Yeah, yeah it’s just that—I don’t know. He’s so cute he makes me nervous.”

“Fine, stay here and take your pictures. I’m going to send people out to dance; it’ll give you a few people to shoot.” Jill paused and then added, “Doesn’t look like you’re getting much wind, though.”

Mara realized she was acting childish. “But I do need to get these pictures. Let’s see…” Raising her voice, she called, “Hey, Dougie, can you pose for me?”

Dougie was not model material by any stretch, but his craggy face presented a wind-etched appearance. Mara assumed it was from all the sailing he did on the weekends. She posed him on the garden bench after he adjusted his sound system for the umpteenth time. The weathered fence and flowering vines in partial bloom made an excellent backdrop. Twenty minutes remained before sunset, making ideal light and shadows.

“That’s perfect, Dougie. Try not to smile. Great!”

“My turn, my turn!” claimed two fellow students from college. Jill had tried more than once to get Mara to go out on the town with either one of them, but Mara always had an excuse.

“Okay, let me think,” Mara answered. “Oh, and thanks, Dougie, you were perfect.”

He inclined his shaggy head as he backed away before returning to the house. Mara smiled to see a glimmer of happiness in Dougie’s perpetually glum appearance.

Facing the guys, she said, “I’m trying to show the effects of wind in the city. I can’t take many pictures until the wind picks up.”

“How about a fan?” Joe asked.

“I thought about that, but it would be cheating. The pictures will mean more to me if they are authentic.”

More people spilled out of the house to dance and enjoy the evening before it got too cold. A gentle breeze picked up the curtains on the gazebo right as Mara noticed Bonnie dancing with Aerrvin.

An involuntary gasp escaped. Squinting, Mara’s lip protruded as Aerrvin took both of Bonnie’s hands in his and swung her about jitterbug style. She turned back to Joe and ordered, “Get a girl with long flowing hair; I need a fantastic shot before the wind dies!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Joe snapped back with a smile.

In the meantime, Mara took several shots of the curtains dancing with the music, while studiously ignoring the peripheral rainbow hues she always saw flitting around when the wind blew. The sun turned from yellow to gold, causing the entire gazebo to appear as if on fire, or made of lustrous gold.

Time ceased when Mara became engrossed in her art.

“Fantastic,” she breathed.

“It is,” said that familiar smooth voice. “What are you doing, by the way? I mean, why are you always taking photographs?” Aerrvin asked.

Still taking pictures, Mara replied, “I’m a photographer. My final is due soon, and I need to get these shots before the wind dies.”

Joe returned with Bonnie, the only girl at the party with waist- length hair.

Smiling to herself, Mara directed them to the center of the gazebo and asked them to pretend they were slow dancing despite the hip-hop pouring from the speakers. Amazingly, the wind behaved perfectly, the curtains billowed, and Bonnie’s pale blonde hair shone gold as the sun settled to orange. The gentle breeze lifted her hair higher than seemed possible; the shot was brilliant.

Mara could not contain her joy. “This is so awesomely cool!”

Hearing a chuckle, she remembered Aerrvin stood behind her. She turned to look at him and saw the most beautiful sunset ever; the clouds covered half the sky. Brilliant oranges, pinks, and purples melted into each other. Aerrvin displayed as a silhouette against the light. While he stood facing the sunset, Mara admired his shoulder-skimming hair as it flowed away from his face. Without pausing, she continued snapping pictures. When he turned to face her, she stopped.

“Oops! Sorry, couldn’t help myself,” Mara explained as her face warmed. Pushing herself, she asked, “Would you mind standing in the gazebo so I can get a few more pictures? I would like to go around to the other side so I can get you and the curtains in the sunset. Please?”

Looking down at her, he inclined his head with a gentle nod and replied, “Not a problem, as long as I can watch the sunset.” In reality, he was trying to comprehend her, but he maintained a calm façade.

While Mara moved to the eastern side of the yard, Aerrvin walked to the center of the structure. The music became smooth and calming. Gareth and Jaera found no difficulty in joining their companion in his evening ritual, so they sat out of the way on the gazebo stairs. Aerrvin stayed in the center the entire time it took the sun to descend. With the wind billowing the curtains in and out, Mara was confident she had captured grade A photos.

****

“Aerrvin,” Seamus said in his ear, “would ye mind if I slipped down and visited with the Brownies? I am sure I can learn quite a bit about yer bride to be.”

“Sure, and I’ll even make you visible again. That Brownie lass under the fern there is rather fetching. For a Brownie,” he amended with a mischievous twitch. “And Miree, tell your friends to cease their games in the curtains when Mara joins me.”

“Aye, Love. But are ye certain she’ll be joinin’?

Aerrvin shrugged.

****

Secretly pleased to witness Aerrvin talking to himself, Mara said, “So I’m not the only one.”

Dusk settled; a pale pink glow remained, fading to purple. With a delighted laugh, Jaera grabbed Gareth and began delicately dancing about the yard. Gareth was pretty lithe himself; the form appeared to be a type of Irish jig, yet nothing Mara had ever seen.

Within minutes, they had everyone laughing and trying to copy their steps. Dougie turned on the colored lights, but after the spectacular sunset, nothing else compared. Mara took a few shots to honor the effort of putting them up and then decided to quit for the night.

Inhaling deeply, Mara spoke to Aerrvin, “Thank you. You don’t need to stand there all night.”

“’Tis quite all right. I can stand for hours adoring Helios.”

Settling on the built-in bench, Aerrvin motioned for her to join him. The wind died down, the curtains blurred the view, softening the lights. “So, tell me about yourself.” Interrupting as she started to speak, he asked, “Do you always host parties and then avoid your guests?”

Flabbergasted, she didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or angry. “Well I have never—” she began, but before she could complete her sentence, Aerrvin took her hand and apologized. Her breath skipped as he stroked her hand, softly running his thumb across the back in a kind of circular fashion.

“I am sorry. That came out rude. Really, just—tell me about yourself.”

Using her hands expressively, she exclaimed, “You don’t come up to people and say: Tell me about yourself. What am I supposed to say? I’m in my last year of school. I work at the Safe Harbor Retirement Center four days a week. I have a mom, a step-dad, a step-brother and two half-sisters!”

She looked questioningly at him and charged, “Tell me about yourself.”

His eyes sparkled as he pulled on his braid, sliding its silky softness through his fingers. Aerrvin answered, “You are right, you already know I own a craft store and come from Ireland. Ah, here’s something; I have a mom, a dad, and one annoying baby sister. Not much to say. Come on; the night is young. Will you dance with me?”

****

Leaving the gazebo a few songs later, Mara shivered in the evening chill. Jaera and the others were relatively calm again. Getting drunk was strictly forbidden; Mara had kicked out guests before, and some never got invited back, not that they cared.

“Oh, I forgot my camera. . . ” she started and then stopped as Aerrvin held out the strap for her.

Once inside, she realized it was 9:30 already. Maybe it was a little more than a few songs later. Still, it was relatively early as far as parties go. In the living room, Jill started a game of Pictionary, and in the study, Dougie’s group of friends stood around looking at videos online.

“Hey, that’s my new computer, guys. Don’t break it!” Mara called.

Sudden sharp hunger pangs hit Mara, having not eaten since tasting one of Jill’s mini quiches right out of the oven at 5 o’clock—and she’d missed lunch altogether.

Jaera stood on the edge of the living room with a plate of fruit and pastries, “Hungry?”

“Why yes, I’m famished.” Mara gratefully accepted the plate and went into the living room to watch the game. Most of the pillows were taken, so she went to her favorite chair and carefully balanced the plate on her knees. When she realized that it left Jaera and Aerrvin without a seat, she started to get up.

Gathering the free pillows, Aerrvin said, “That’s perfectly okay. I enjoy sitting at the feet of pretty women.”

He flashed a twisted smirk. Jaera groaned, pinned him to the ground, and tousled his hair. The display was rather intimate, causing more than one raised eyebrow. Mara inhaled deeply, letting her breath out slowly. Jaera appeared quite green for a moment.

“Um, I have not had a chance to talk with you. Are you Aerrvin’s little sister?”

Before she could answer, Gareth gracefully plopped between Jaera and Aerrvin and stole one of Aerrvin’s pillows. “Not even close,” Gareth said.

This comment set off another wrestling match, ending with Jaera on top, pummeling Gareth’s chest with her tiny fists while he laughed uproariously.

“Sorry. I give, I give!” Gareth exclaimed, earning his release. He sat up to straighten his dark hair; a gentle shake and it fell silkily into place around his shoulders.

Mara was not used to such roughhousing. Her evident consternation worried Aerrvin, so he reached over to Mara’s plate and took a carrot. Handing it to Jaera, he said, “No more soda.”

“Yes, Father,” she replied and then with a glance at Mara she piped, “No, he’s not my father either. We grew up together, and Gareth is his cousin; I am Gareth’s best friend, so where he goes, I go.”

Gareth tugged on one of Jaera’s curls. “Well said.”

Meanwhile, Seamus returned, having waited behind a flower pot until acknowledged and transformed back to transparency. Once again sitting on Aerrvin’s shoulder, he quickly informed Aerrvin about the darkroom in the basement.

Breathing deeply to relieve the pressure in his chest, Aerrvin felt gratitude for the tip. Jaera’s antics made him feel perturbed. But his real worry was whether he was doing the right thing. On the outside, he was as smooth as could be. But inside he was a roiling mass of conflicting emotions. If I did fall in love with her and she could not believe in magic, it would be one more heartache to add to my small collection of failed relationships. Ah, the pain! Despite how he hated that pain, he nursed those emotions when feeling down, essentially spiraling into a bottomless abyss of self-torture. Now was not the time for such dark thoughts. He pushed aside his petty worries and watched Mara finish eating a fruit kabob. Her lips are as luscious as that strawberry, he thought. How sweet and tender they must be.

Licking his lips before addressing Mara, Aerrvin said, “We will have you over one of these days so we can get to know each other better. But for now, show me your darkroom.” It was stilted, nearly a royal command; even so, he managed to refrain from ‘shall and should.’

“How did you know I had a darkroom?”

“I carried your supplies this afternoon, remember?” A half-smile twitched on his expressive lips.

“Oh, yeah. I have had such a busy day! I can’t remember half of it. Sure you can have a tour,” she replied, inviting all three.

Jaera and Gareth declined. “No thanks,” Gareth said, “I want to have a look at your computer. I need to get one myself.” He fit right in with the geeks, most of Dougie’s friends were dressed in flannel too.

Jaera thought Pictionary looked fun, so she went and sat on the nearest empty lap, earning sour looks from the girls sitting nearby.

The drizzle turned into an absolute downpour; Dougie and Jake came in with the sound system as Mara and Aerrvin walked past. Dougie gave her a polite nod.

****

In the kitchen, Jill busied herself with tidying up. She flashed her pearly whites and gave Mara a thumbs up as Mara motioned Aerrvin down the basement stairs. Mara couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so out of control. Her heart was speeding, and she kept blushing. Probably at senior prom. Did I really think Gerry Fink was all that?

“Not even half,” Mara murmured.

“What was that?” Aerrvin asked.

“Oh, not even half of the basement is complete. I’ve been remodeling. The house was built in 1890 and has a remarkably large basement—considering its age.”

Two exposed walls revealed part of the basement foundation made of river rock and mortar. The room could have been a game room, but Mara did not care for pool or ping-pong. Wires ran along the walls, where photos hung from clothespins. It was bright and clean, with two counters—used for folding clothes—and pantry shelves beneath where Jill kept extra foodstuffs.

Embarrassingly to Mara, there sat two baskets of unfinished laundry, one washed and one not. While Aerrvin studied the photos, she hastily emptied the washer and started the new load.

“Okay, so this over here is my studio and darkroom,” she said as she waved to the remainder of the basement. To the left, stood the door to the darkroom. The room was 10’x10’. Even though Mara used digital, she preferred the old-fashioned way of crafting pictures.

While developer does not necessarily smell good or bad, Mara always breathed in deeply when first entering the room. She associated the odor with the magic of watching pictures emerge; it gave her a thrill every time.

Mara’s excitement became infectious. She exuded her love of photography in an almost tangible way. Aerrvin enjoyed her sense of aesthetics and delight. Her pictures were remarkable. In the red glow, Aerrvin picked up one of himself and Gareth moving boxes into their store; they were each wearing khakis and t-shirts. Gareth was saying something to Aerrvin. The photo captured the prince’s mischievous grin, which he practiced for fifty years to perfect.

“You take magnificent pictures,” Aerrvin said, jauntily sporting that same wicked grin. “Can I have this copy?”

Caught off guard again, Mara gasped softly; Aerrvin always looked as though he were posing for a picture. How could such a perfect being be interested in me?

She gave her head a shake to dispel the thought and replied, “Ah, yeah, yes—sure. Please, take any of these that you want. I’ve got one of Jaera, which she might like too.”

“Can you show me how you develop a picture?” Aerrvin turned his attention to the counter while brushing up against her with seeming casualness.

Mara forgot to be self-conscious as she efficiently taught him the process. She even laughed at his jokes instead of blushing. As they came out of the darkroom, Jill entered the laundry room with dirty tablecloths and dishtowels. “Hey you two, it’s after 11:30. Not that late, but most people have left, and Jaera has fallen asleep.”

Heading for the stairs, Aerrvin said, “Poor Jae, she has not slept this past fortnight. I guess it’s catching up with her.”

In the living room, Mara found Jaera was indeed asleep, curled up on Kevin’s lap. He did not look like he was too upset about it, but when he saw them, Kevin said, “It’s about time you got here. I think my arm’s asleep!”

The phone rang. Wondering who would be calling so late, Mara answered. Bronwyn was on the line saying that he was in the car outside. Not that they needed a car; Bronwyn just liked to drive. Mara relayed the message.

Aerrvin bent over Jaera to wake her. Once a Fairy crashes, it takes a lot to get them lucid. “Jaera? Can you get up? Oh, never mind. Gareth you take her. I’ll get the door.”

Gareth relieved Kevin of his burden and held her in the crook of his arm like a wee babe. He gave Jill and then Mara a hug with the other, “Thanks for the welcome party. We had so much fun…” Turning to another neighbor, he said, “…loved the dancing.”

Outside, a sleek gray car with a black top waited. The driver got out, opened the back passenger door for Gareth and Jaera, and then stood to wait for Aerrvin.

Aerrvin hugged Jill, thanking her for the party and praising her culinary skills. Then he hugged Mara and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for the delightful company.”

His near purple eyes lingered on her face a moment, and she felt her cheeks grow warm. Dropping her own lavender hued gaze, she managed a muffled, “Bye,” as her fingers flew to her mouth.

Then the final partygoers all said their goodbyes and left.

“Yes!” Jill screamed, “I finally did it. I knew I could find someone to interest you!”

She hugged Mara and danced her around the room.

Mara smiled in return and replied, “I guess you do know what you are doing, and it only took you three years!” With a sarcastic smirk, she hugged Jill back.

Jill went to the kitchen to ensure the oven was turned off. With a sigh, Mara straightened the pillows in both front rooms. The leftover food could wait; they would finish cleaning in the morning. Mara had a habit of ignoring how much food was left because the next day it never matched up with her memory.

“Best not to think about it.”

At the top of the stairs, she called out, “Good night, Jill.”

Mara yawned, closing the door to her room. She thought about her preference to be particularly neat, so as not to cause extra work for the Brownies.

“Not that I really believe in them,” she said to herself as she reached for her toothbrush.

Ever since she met a Brownie, whom she named Sylvie, when Mara was three years old, she had learned to put things back in their place. And Mara always cleaned thoroughly every Saturday. She hadn’t spoken with Sylvie since she was five, so of course, she didn’t really think it had happened.

“Just fairytales,” she told herself, pulling on a cotton nightgown. Flipping off the light, she climbed into bed.

Her window looked out on the backyard where the lights from the gazebo remained on; a soft glow shone on her windowsill. With a smile, she remembered dancing in the gentle breeze behind the curtains. Falling asleep with her eyes open, she saw a tiny figure climb into the window.

“Sylvie,” she breathed as her eyes slid shut.