“Melita, what be your happily ever after?” Griswold asked, as the credits flowed to the swelling, romantic score of a fairy tale set in modern times, currently Griswold’s favourite genre on popcorn movie night.
“Happily, ever after,” that fairy-taled and Disneyfied concept of how we dream life could/should be. Rewritten for modern times, or potentially grim as the Grimm’s transcribed. A prescriptive for children; role reversal and/or tradition while for adults, a playground of erotic fantasy, satire, or thriller.
If I’d looked through the kaleidoscope of infinite possibilities, at various times in my life, happily ever after might be a cabin in the woods, a loft apartment in the artsy part of town, a beach house with waves as my night music.
Being a solitary, my dreams would not be peopled with woodsmen, nor troubadours or men of the sea. A space that was truly mine, surrounded by books and funky life artifacts. Small, airy, energy efficient, solar run and sky-lighted so I might watch the whirl and wheeling of the starscape, or the dance of dust motes in the sun.
Background muzak of cacophonous birds in the moving, swaying branches; street musicians playing blues, or jazz, guitar case out for donations; crash or lull of tides turning.
Would I have seen through that kaleidoscope my cramped, shambly apartment, rooms bare of paintings and knick-knacks? Living in the only house not abandoned and given over to nature on an ancient cul de sac. Circadian rhythms like a vampire, doing research on the web while the world slept. Having And* as my knight in slightly tarnished and dented armor. A family of monsters as my upstairs neighbours whose son asked me the question. A precocious son who awakened the child in me, taught me his language, interpretive dances, provided invitations and imagination. The three of us, sitting on the swing, watching fireflies dance with the fairies. Or zooming as airplanes or making snow creatures we dressed up in old clothing. Our full moon games geared to the changing seasons in our backyard jungle garden.
I smiled, “Griswold – you are my happily ever after.”
He grinned a snaggly toothed grin back, wrapping his waggily tail against his side to make a heart shape. He chuff-chortled with laughter, bubbling out his ears. He thanked me in Griswoldian and did a dance of gratitude, floor shaking as he pound-footed, clapping taloned hands, and sweeping his tail, sending what was left of the popcorn to fall like confetti.
“Me too, Melita. You be my happily ever after”
Image: Paper Chase
Written for mlmm Tale Weaver 175 Happily Ever After. Griswold was born in a Tale Weaver’s tale several years ago, and he continues to appear every so often.
* And Gumpsion is Melita’s boyfriend, having met through Mrs. G’s dependence on regular midnight deliveries of “Fine Fossimax” by purveyed by Gumpsion and Son, another Tale Weaver tale.
June 18, 2018 at 10:38 pm
Oh this is wonderful – such a rich and full delight – of the dreams, the wishes, how life changes and turns, how we shift – and of course, working it into a Tale Weaver/Fairly Tale – with the fine Griswold! Now that is totally cool. And I just love the flow of this – this read as if breath was so slow and easy and relaxed and from a place of peace, joy and love – and THIS – well that’s the magic? Right. How could it be otherwise.
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June 23, 2018 at 11:25 pm
Griswold brings out the better in me — the whimsical dreamer — I think he deserves a blog all his own.
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June 24, 2018 at 12:59 pm
I think he does deserve his own space – perhaps in some way, he will, one day, when he’s ready to share and you’re ready to receive and translate … and so, until then, as it will … :D
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June 25, 2018 at 5:23 pm
Yes, it’s a project he, Melita, And, and I have to work on. Wish I could draw — he is such a cute monster — make a great header and avatar!
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July 5, 2018 at 9:13 pm
well, why don’t you just start doodling and see what comes of it ….
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July 5, 2018 at 10:57 pm
Great idea!
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June 17, 2018 at 5:36 pm
As I read thru your tale Loraine it occurred to me that the concept of ‘happy ever after’ can only exist in the realms of the fairy tale, the make-believe world we all apply to our dreams. So I thought this an excellent response to the prompt. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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June 17, 2018 at 11:10 pm
When I was looking for an image, I used the phrase Happily Ever After as the search term. I was surprised at the number of wedding announcements, save-the-dates, and such popped up. And what was even weirder, in the context of what I was doing, was I had already written the story, and there were several images of “You are my happily ever after.” I know, not exactly what you were getting at, but there were also a number of Disney-inspired/drafted images as well. I meant to search and see which fairy tale or transcriber used the term first, but I didn’t get that far.
A perfectly good prompt for a fairy-tale weaver!
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June 17, 2018 at 11:12 pm
Thanks so much Lorraine
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June 17, 2018 at 11:13 pm
Most welcome, Michael.
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