Homes in faraway places...

Aloe and Vera's home
Somewhere in a park in Johannesburg, South Africa

Aloe sat in a spot of sunshine as her sister, Vera, skipped around her. Both of them were soaking up as much sunny warmth as they could before Winter settled. From the corner of her eye, Aloe could see the shimmer of Vera’s wings in the light – dancing like rainbows across her back. Aloe and Vera were both faeries. They lived in the stump of a tree in a park somewhere in Johannesburg. Neither of them had ever left the park, but sometimes Aloe would fly over the grasses and stop at the low wooden fence that edged around her home. From there she could watch giant machines on spinning circles run along a grey-black ground, and saw lots and lots of the wingless folk walk up and down past the park. 

Sometimes, furry creatures on four legs with pink, swinging tongues would visit the park with the wingless folk and run in circles catching sticks or chasing each other. Aloe’s mum said they were called dogs and that they lived in harmony with their wingless folks – who were called humans. But today, it was quiet, so Aloe and Vera could explore the sun-draped park to their hearts content. Hadedas and pigeons rambled around them, searching for worms and seeds.

Vera was dancing now, prancing over stones and twisting through reeds. And Aloe was quiet, watching the birds swoop in patterns through the sky: off to their homes in faraway places.