The Enchanted Forest of Mangga

7. Through the tall grass of itchiness...

"A princess?!" the children exclaimed.

The fairy, whom the children now learned her name was Danaya, nodded her head with pride. She perched herself on top of Ali's head. Earlier, Ali had convinced her that if she stuck with him, he would protect her with his handmade slingshot, that only consisted of a very stretchy blue rubber band and a small stone. Ali didn't have any magical powers, but it was the thought that counts. Although Danaya knew that there were other stronger and bigger creature folks in the enchanted forest, she went with Ali's flow of things. Besides, the older boy was making an effort in this journey.

The fairy pointed her nose to the sky. "Yes, I am a fairy prinsesa of the enchanted forest of Mangga. My home is magical with lots of shiny yellow and orange mangoes. It glows in the day and at night," Danaya said proudly.

"But why were you at Lolo's mango shed? What were you doing?" Bea said. "Why come to Lolo's mango shed when you already live in a forest full of mangoes?"

Danaya cleared her throat. "I was on a mission."

"A mission?"

"Uh-huh." Danaya clung onto some strands of Ali's hair when he lifted his head to look at her. But of course, since she was on top of his head, he can't see her. "Mama had a human friend a long time ago even when you and I weren't born yet. They were very good friends until a bagyo destroyed the land. Mama had to go back home and help our people."

"So your mom told you to meet up with her longtime friend?"

"Ah, um, well, not exactly. Mama and Papa don't know I left." Danaya scratched an itch behind her ear.

"Uh-oh. You shouldn't have done that," Kaloy said. "Your parents will be worried for you."

Danaya huffed. "Mama promised me that she'll take me to the other side, but she was too busy so I decided to have my own adventure and see what the human folks look like. I can prove to her that I'm a big fairy princess and I can make my own choices." She folded her arms.

"That was your mission?" Bea asked. "To prove yourself?"

"Yup!" Danaya stretched her arms and sadly looked at her damaged wings. "But everything has consequences."

"I'm sorry," Sez said. "I thought you were a rat."

Danaya shrugged. "It's fine. Once I return home, the magic of mangoes will heal my wings."

"What were you doing hiding in Lolo's mango shed?" Bea wanted to know.

"Oh! I wanted to cast a fortune spell for your Lolo's mangoes. You see, my mom and your Lolo were very good friends. I even casted a healing spell for your Lolo too. I left him one of our enchanted mangoes, the juiciest one of them all, and a sampaguita."

Danaya smiled.

"That was nice of you," Kaloy said. "Yet dangerous."

"Humph!" Danaya replied and blew a raspberry. Kaloy did the same. Thinking that it was fun too, Sez joined in the blowing raspberry contest. Ali laughed and Bea tried to stop them because she didn't like saliva drops floating in the air.

The band was back on the narrow dirt path until Ali spotted the tall grass in front of them. The tall grass expanded on both sides. They can't go around or over it or under it. They had to go through it.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Bea asked hesitantly.

"Yup, I'm sure," Danaya said confidently. "We go through the tall grass of infinity, through the stepping stones of Lotus Lake, the Guiting-Guiting Garden of the Unusual, around the termite hill, and pass the willow tree that leads into the enchanted forest of Mangga."

"Ooohhh..." the children said in wonder at the same time.

Bea entered through the tall grass, then Ali, then Sez.

"I also forgot. We have to be extra, extra quiet," Danaya whispered.

"Why?" Bea asked, putting each step she took quietly as possible.

"We don't want to wake up the lamok."

"Mosquitos?" Mosquitos were common for the children. Sometimes, their mama would slap a Chinese ointment called Katinko and rubbed it on their mosquito bites. The children didn't enjoy the green herbal smell.

However, these mosquitoes in the tall grass of itchiness are not like the normal ones the children encountered in the province. They were pesky tiny beasts that even one bite from their pointy-straw lips, the itch will last long enough to form boils on the skin. Danaya shivered from the thought of it, but she also forgot to tell that to the children.

So slowly they waded through the tall grass. It was all going so smoothly until an indigo-banded kingfisher dived below. It shocked Bea that she screamed and tripped over a small stump of dirt below her.

"Ate, are you okay?" Ali said while helping his older sister up.

"Ow, yeah." Bea said, dusting herself. She felt a stinging sensation and found that she scraped her knee, luckily it wasn't bleeding.

For a few seconds it was silent, and then they all heard it.

The buzzing.

850 words

5462 total

April 4, 2021