This is a fairy tale set in modern garb and reflects a child’s dissatisfaction with traditional fairy tales.  Having finally brought herself to kiss the frog, how disappointing for the beautiful princess when he turns into a handsome Prince, probably always looking at himself in the mirror or watching football.

 

Kathy is undoubtedly a beauty, but has been overshadowed by Helen, an elder (although not ugly) sister favoured by their mother.   In her mother’s eyes, her sister does everything right – university, good job, satisfactory marriage, grandchildren.  Kathy, on the other hand, didn’t make university and has a dead-end job.  At the time the story starts, Kathy has rejected unprepossessing Tim in favour of the handsome Jeff, although his looks are about all he has going for him.  They discover the crock of gold at the rainbow’s end in the form of a lottery win.  They might have lived happily ever after, if they had both wanted to spend it in the same way. 

 

Kathy and Jeff buy the house at Bridge End, but find it is not quite the answer to their dreams.  The move brings them into the orbit of Tim’s cousin, Chrissie, the local witch, who lives just down the road. 

 

Chrissie and her two sisters, Francesca and Lucinda, were born in the house at Bridge End.  The house has always passed down the female line along with the family traditions.  Chrissie is resentful and determined not to make life easy for the new owners.  Her mother, Lydia, has brought her up to see house where she spent a happy if unconventional childhood as a symbol of family continuity and identity.  Lydia likes men, but has no time for permanent relationships.  Each of her three daughters has a different father. 

 

When Kathy and Jeff move in the house at Bridge End has been empty for over ten years.  Kathy’s mother hates it from the beginning.  She recognises the house as belonging to a great aunt that she used to visit as a child.  It has unpleasant memories and associations.   For the first time, Kathy becomes aware that there is another and intriguingly less respectable side of the family, a side that her mother is unwilling to discuss.    

 

Kathy falls in love with the house and becomes fascinated with its history.  She longs to find out about the family connection, but with her mother’s continuing resistance, she has to rely on her own research.   There are stories that the house is haunted and sounds of a baby crying and children playing worry her.  Perhaps it’s the effect of the new central heating on the joists.  Perhaps it is all in her mind.  There is still no sign of the longed for baby and Jeff’s frequent absence reduces the chance of conception.   It doesn’t take Jeff long to decide that farming a smallholding isn’t the life he envisaged.  He looks around for diversions. 

 

There are no diversions for Kathy conditioned by her mother to expect little from her marriage, but to maintain appearances at all costs.  It is a pity that she didn’t recognise the affinity between herself and Tim earlier, but then she didn’t subscribe to her friend Sandy’s philosophy that you’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince.  She was not too keen on kissing or on frogs.  She never gave Tim a second thought.   On the other hand, Jeff, whose good looks and charm swept her off her feet, was immediately recognisable as a prince.  Tim’s reappearance in her life is unsettling.

 

Kathy cannot understand Chrissie’s unreasoning dislike.  It is a long time before she connects her watchful presence with the other side of the family, the side where children are born out of wedlock and don’t care a toss for appearances.   Despite Chrissie’s apparently vengeful feelings towards her, Kathy is surprised to learn from village gossip that Chrissie’s name is being linked with her husband Jeff.    

 

When her mother moves away to be near her other daughter, Helen, Kathy is obliged to recognise and overcome her inherited phobias and to become more independent.  As she emerges from the shadow of her mother, the marriage is precipitated into a downward spiral.  When Jeff decides he wants more freedom, she is not prepared to give him the licence he demands.  She delivers her own ultimatum.

 

The outcome is an unlikely alliance between Kathy and Chrissie.  Whilst her sister, Helen, is rapidly turning into their mother, Kathy is forging a new life of her own having seen Jeff set off around the world with Chrissie.  But she still has to overcome her last phobia, the fear of kissing frogs.

   

Pam Pheasant

e-mail - pampheasant@aol.com