Olive - The Chosen One (13 page)

    They found a little bar and had a glass of
vino
and a piece of pizza, it tasted delicious. This was an experience that neither of the fairies would ever forget.

CHAPTER 18

OAK

Oak is a big strapping fairy.  He has a heart of gold and works with under-privileged fairies.  These are the fairies who don’t quite know where in the world they belong, where they fit.  Some are unruly teenagers who need something or someone to give them support in life.  He wanted to teach them to have ambition and a sense of belonging.  Life has something to offer to everyone no matter where they come from, he is a man with a heart of gold.

    He was busy raising money to build a new fairy centre.  He thought maybe if he asked Olive for her help, to give him a lending hand, she would help him to raise the necessary money and maybe just maybe, she would notice him more as a suitor.    

    He approached Olive with his ideas and asked for inspiration on how to raise money.  What could they do?  A sponsored walk?  A sponsored game of fairy darts?  A sponsored diet?  It had all been done before, what could they possibly do that was different?

    Olive suggested a sing-off.  This would be ok for the fairies that could sing but, what about those that couldn’t?  Olive thought that was the fun of it, it wasn’t all about those that had the best voices but, the ones with the worst were the funniest.  They would bring laughter into the olive tree fields and she knew that her
mamma
and Willow would make everyone laugh.  It was decided, a sing-off it was!

    Olive and Oak made a list of possible songs if entrants couldn’t think of one themselves.  They also drew up a list of possible sponsors to approach.  They would go to the shopping centre Arcadia and all the surrounding olive fields.  They would ask Speranza to approach the school board where he and Olive worked.  They would make huge signs advertising the event asking for both sponsors and singers who wanted to participate, the response was much greater than anyone had expected.  Luna and Dandy had even taken sponsor forms to Hollywood saying that the olive tree fairies of Salento in Italy needed their help.  They hoped to raise over two million euros in sponsorship money.  The sing-off was to be televised and it would be aired in over 50 countries world-wide.  Luna would be the presenter as he was famous and world-known so would draw in huge crowds.  Everyone was ready and excited.

    There were over 60 fairies willing to perform in the sing-off, it was going to be a time to remember.  Anyone between the ages of 5 and 70 could enter.  Nobody would be discriminated against.

    How it worked is that everyone would sing three songs over a course of three weeks.  They would be played on the television and on the radio.  They would be watched live and people would vote who was their favorite singer.  The prize would be a huge gold medal with a picture of a spectacular olive tree on it with Luna’s signature on the back.  They would also get tickets to Luna’s next premiere and red carpet event.  They would be flown there in his private jet.  They would stay in a top hotel in Hollywood.  It was a prize not to be sniffed at.

    Fairies flew in from all over Italy to participate.  It was the competition of the century and was raising money for a good cause.  Fairy Elvis impersonators turned up, there was a cover band of the fairy Teetles, fairy Mick Wagger came with his band, this was going to be a three week party.

    Olive and Oak decided to sing a duet for their first song.  Oak had a deep soul-fuelled voice.  Olive was beyond surprised as Oak had never let on before that he could sing.  They sang ‘Love lifts us up where we belong.’  The crowd cheered, they got a standing ovation. Both fairies felt the fluttering of new love in their stomachs and hearts.  In fact Oak was slightly blushing, Olive was so sure that she wanted Oak that her fairy wings started to flap and she was lifted up into the sky just a little with the sheer joy of it all.

    The competition went on for weeks.  There was huge television and radio coverage.  The sponsorship money came pouring in.

    It was a very strong, close competition.  The winner was a young fairy called Mercy Love.  She had an amazing voice and was a worthy winner.

    Three million euros was raised in the end.  A new fairy centre for displaced teenage fairies and an adventure to the North Pole was arranged.  Both Oak and Willow wanted to give these fairies something to live for, something to look forward to.

    Oak was a shy person but, felt it was time to ask Olive out on a proper date.  He wanted it to be special and mulled over where to take her.  He decided to take her for a steak at the local new restaurant that had recently opened called ‘Cowboy Fairies ‘R’ Us.’  It was a fabulous restaurant and had just the right ambience to chill and get to know each other better.  It was really quite authentic as a fairy cowboy would strum a guitar in the corner which provided a laid-back atmosphere.  The food was
buonissimo
!!!!

    Olive’s little heart skipped a beat when Oak finally invited her out, at last!!!  Oak was anything but, forward in putting his feelings on the table but, Olive was happy to be in his company and alone…..

    They had a magnificent meal of fillet steak with a mild pepper-corn sauce, jacket potatoes and salad.  The side relish was to die for.  The starter was some barbecue flavored wedges wrapped in bacon and for desert they had a healthy portion of treacle pudding.  What more could a girl ask for?  This was extremely rare in Salento as nobody seemed to venture any further than Italian food and this restaurant had taken the local Italians by storm.  They just couldn’t get enough.

    Oak asked Olive what place in the world she would really love to visit.  Where did her heart desire? 

    ‘‘Paris’’ she said ‘‘yes, I always dreamt of going to Paris, of going up the Eiffel Tower, to the Champs Elysse, perhaps taking in a show, it all sounds so fascinating.’’

  Oak thought to himself ‘one day I will take Olive there and fulfill her dream.’

    When the couple arrived home, Cielo was standing at the bottom of the olive tree waiting for them.  He had a sort of smirk on his face. 

    Olive hung her head in embarrassment thinking ‘oh
papi
!!!  Go inside.’

   Then Destiny appeared ‘‘hello you two little love-birds, come on in and have some
Limoncello.
’’

    ‘Great’ thought Olive ‘that has spoilt any chance of an evening kiss.’

    Cielo tapped Oak’s shoulder and said ‘‘now my boy, tell me your prospects.’’

   ‘
Mio Dio
- OMG!’ thought Olive ‘my parents are just the most embarrassing!’

    Oak went red for the second time whilst in olive’s company but, took it all in his stride.  After all, marry the daughter, marry the parents and that was his intention!  He decided it was a little too forward and early to tell this to Cielo so all he said was ‘‘my intentions are honorable sir.’

    Destiny took a big gulp of
Limoncello
to stop the laughter but, managed to dribble it all down her new dress, Olive burst out laughing and Cielo just kept saying ‘‘
Cosa? Cosa
?’’ which made the girls giggle even more.

    ‘I really love my parents’ thought Olive ‘one of a kind……’

Willow and Birch decided the join in the fun.

    ‘‘Why is everyone laughing?’’ they said.

    Olive raised her eye-brows and said ‘‘oh its
papi
and
mamma
!’’

    Willow gave her sister a knowing look.

    Oak cleared his throat and said ‘‘we are starting the new building project in two weeks time.  It will be a huge centre and will offer so much to all the fairies.  There are exciting times ahead, we are also arranging a trip to the North Pole which will be a huge adventure for everyone.’’

    So many builders, decorators, plumbers, electricians etc had come forward to offer their work free of charge or at a reduced rate.  Oak felt confident that the centre would be up and running in no time at all and it was!  It really changed the life of the olive tree fairies because there was always somewhere for bored or mis-understood teenagers to go and it cemented the community together.

    The adventure to the North Pole was being arranged.  Olive, Willow and Birch were going along to help.  It was going to be an experience like no other and was the talk of the olive fields in Salento.

    This was going to be a holiday to remember.  First the group stopped off at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi.  The hotel was made up of snow with sculpted blocks of ice.  The fairies of Salento couldn’t believe how cold it was as it had to have sub-zero temperatures to ensure it didn’t melt.

    ‘‘Forget it’’ shouted the fairies ‘‘e
molto freddo! 
We prefer staying in Santa’s hotel, where it is all warm and cosy.’’

    Then it was off on a tour to see the polar bears, the penguins and the Eskimos.  What the group didn’t know was that Oak had managed to arrange a visit to see Javo the Eskimo fairy.  This fairy was famous all over the world for his ice sculptures.  It was way too cold to live in the North Pole as you would freeze to death, the inhabitants would live in surrounding areas like Alaska and Greenland but, not too close to the arctic weather.

    After this adventure, all the fairies had a renewed vigor for life.  Each one brought back a momentum of a stuffed polar bear or penguin which they would treasure forever in the olive fields back in Salento.  They also learnt a big lesson ‘appreciate your life, where you live and the sun of Salento!’

CHAPTER 19

OLIVE AND OAK TIE THE FAIRY KNOT

Oak knew that Olive was ‘The one’ the first time he set eyes on her.  She was kind, considerate of other people and was the most beautiful fairy he had ever laid eyes on.  He arranged a secret break to Paris.  The city of love….

    Before whisking Olive off to Paris for a 4-day break, Oak cooked her a lavish meal.  He had already spoken to Cielo and Destiny and they had given him their blessing.  He planned to get down on one knee at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower.  He wanted to make it really romantic with a boat trip afterwards which would take them along the river Seine followed by a show ‘The Moulin Rouge’ which was currently running.

   Olive turned up to Oak’s little home wearing a stunning red dress, she looked more beautiful every time he saw her.  The table was beautifully laid, red rose petals were scattered on the floor.  Oak pulled out the chair for Olive to sit down.  He was a little nervous and swallowed hard as he asked what she would like to drink.

    Olive could see that Oak was slightly flustered and couldn’t think why because they had been inseparable ever since their first date.  He had cooked an Italian meal of aubergines cooked with meat followed by
Lasagne
and
Spumone
for desert which is ice-cream with small pieces of fruit inside.  It was feast fit for a fairy princess.

    After dessert, Oak put an envelope on the table which contained a surprise for Olive along with a couple of heart chocolates. 

    ‘‘What is this?’’ said Olive smiling.  She opened the envelope and there were two tickets to Paris staying at the Paris Hilton for four days.

    ‘‘
Mio Dio
- OMG!’’ she shouted ‘‘really?  You are taking me to Paris?’’

     She jumped up and hugged him thinking ‘I am one lucky fairy.’

    ‘‘Thanks so much (
mille grazie). 
I love you so much.’’

    It just sort of popped out of her mouth before she could say fairy Jack Robinson!

    Oak swept her up in his arms and exclaimed that he loved her too, more than anything in the world!  He had never felt like this before.  She was his soul-mate.

    They were setting off for Paris that weekend.  Olive packed a couple of beautiful dresses and knew that this was the start of something very powerful and good in her life.

   It was on the second night that Oak popped the question at the bottom of the Eiffel tower.  It was a warm, sultry night, the stars were sparkling in the sky and the lights of the Eiffel Tower lit up the city of Paris.  Olive looked stunning.  She had chosen an olive green dress which accentuated her olive green eyes.  She felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach, it was almost as if she knew that this was the night that Oak would at last put a ring on her finger and make his full intentions known.

    Oak got down on one knee and took a small velvet box out of his back pocket.  He looked at olive and said ‘‘I knew you were the one the first moment I laid eyes on you, I just hoped and prayed that one day you would feel the same.  Without you as my wife, my life will never be complete, will you do me the great honor by becoming my fairy wife?’’

    Olive smiled thinking ‘this is the best thing that has happened to me in my life since being given the wishes by Priscilla.’

    She held out her hand for him to place the ring on her finger saying ‘‘
Si
!
Si
!
Si
! Yes!!  I love you with all my heart and cannot wait to start our lives together as husband and wife.’’

    Oak placed a beautiful Emerald on her finger and swung her into the air.  Fairies who were sitting in the gardens surrounding the Eiffel Tower began to clap shouting ‘‘
Auguri
,
Auguri
, congratulations!’’

    A carriage was waiting to whisk the newly engaged couple off for a romantic dinner on a boat which would take them along the River Seine, this would be followed by a fantastic show. 

    Both the fairies were bowled over by the magic of Paris and knew that one day they would return.

       The couple wasted no time in planning their wedding, it was all they had ever wanted from the outset.

     Olive always dreamt of getting married on the exact same fairy beach where her
mamma
and
papa
met, it was their destiny and now she felt it was hers.  She felt a pulling to this particular
spiaggia
.  Olive had a great love for the sea, Oak felt that the sea was his life, so this was the perfect choice in more ways than one.

    Destiny and Cielo were happy to take care of everything, nothing was too much for their daughter.

     Fairy helicopters flew all over Italy displaying banners which read ‘The Chosen One is getting married, be there or be square.’  A picture of both Olive and Oak was displayed announcing the time, place and date stating it was a once in a life-time event, fairies came from all over Italy to watch this fairy get married.  After all, she was ‘The Chosen One’ and it was an experience that they would never have again. 

    On the morning of the wedding, fairy bells rang out all over the olive fields.  Drums were played, the excitement was felt by everyone. 

    Neither Olive nor Oak felt in the least bit nervous.  This was the time that both of them had been waiting for all their lives and now the day had finally arrived when they would declare their love for each other publicly.

    The fairy priest
Padre
Raffaele held the service in the local fairy church.  Olive wore a well fitted strapless dress which accentuated her fairy curves.  Small diamantes were spotted throughout her veil.  Willow was her bridesmaid whilst Luna and Dandy were the ushers. Oak dressed in white to match his fairy bride.  The wedding reception was held in a simple but, elegant bar which was located right by the sea on the beach.  Olive changed into a simple wedding dress of pure white for the beach reception, she wore diamantes in her hair and walked bare-foot through the sand.  Oak wore some simple white trousers which were teamed with a casual open-necked shirt.  He also walked bare-foot.

    Tables were set out on the beach, the waves of the sea echoed over the music, a fairy violinist sat in the corner playing soft music.  After a selection of starters, Lobster was served along with plates of pasta.  One course was served after the other until it was time for the group ‘The Fairy Wongs’ to perform who had been especially flown in from China.

    Both Olive and Oak wanted their wedding to be one of different cultures of the world and what better way to bring something different then to dance to ‘The Fairy Wongs.’  Olive and Oak believed that diversity in life helps to lift the spirit.

    ‘The Fairy Wongs’ played Chinese rock and roll.  All the fairies rocked along the beach.

    Olive’s fairy God-mother Priscilla was there and she was one glitzy little fairy God-mother. She looked on in amazement and as usual was full of pride for Olive.  She was ‘The Chosen One’ and always lived up to her name.  She always acted with such grace and Priscilla could even feel the love in the air.  It lifted every little fairy’s wings and hearts.

    The whole beach rocked until the early hours of the next day.  History had been made and the chances were that no-one in their life-time would experience such a wedding again unless another Sky Fairy had a third child who again would become a ‘Chosen One.’

    Olive and Oak were officially married and neither of them felt more elated.