Glowing Gardens of Hope
Once on earth stood a man. He was just as any other ordinary man, independent and good at working. He worked from home and lived in a small California neighborhood as a single man. Before the tragic death of his dear wife Alana, he used to be a man of conversation. Anywhere you’d run into him he’d have a million different anecdotes to tell. From telling tales of their inside jokes, to scenes of them swinging in the park like children, Palmer knew it all. But now, it have to be your lucky day, to hear one story of Alana come from his mouth.
Every morning, Palmer would follow the same daily rituals. As rays sunshine danced through his curtains, he’d sit up in bed and begin his day. This day was a Sunday, usually on any other day he’d go straight to the kitchen to get breakfast then start working, but today was his day off and he had planned on doing what he enjoyed most, gardening.
The weather was perfect, spring in California was the best time of the year. The beaches were never too crowded, and the vineyards produced the best wine. It was around nine or ten in the morning when Palmer decided to step outside. The first thing he did was rake the soil, then he watered some herbs. After that, he went out front to where he stored his seeds, and brought them back to the garden for planting. One by one he stuck each seed into the ground. He planted lots of greens, corn, and tomatoes. But even though he hated it, he had continued to plant seeds of squash, Alana’s favorite.
An hour had passed, it was almost time for lunch but Palmer still had to finish touching up. After planting his last patch of seeds he got up to till the soil. He let out a deep breathe then grabbed the hoe next to his barrel of torn up weeds. As he was patting the surface down the make sure the planted seeds were secure, he had noticed a strange glow emerging from the ground below. He squinted his eyes and used his hands to block the sunlight. Unsure of something such strange, he slowly and steadily tip-toed closer. When he kneeled down and gently touched the dirt on top of where the light had been approaching, it seemed harmless. It was like a nightlight except brighter and it seemed to make noise, not loud but it sounded sort of like a muffled buzz. Not frightened but now curious, Palmer quickly stood and grabbed the hoe to dig up what he was seeing. From his perspective, he imagined the glow to be coming from sort of insect or small creature. Maybe a fairy-like firefly caught underground. But to the amazement of his eyes, this was something more. It was a flower, not like any other kind. In his hands he held a golden shining flower. The pollen floated into the air and swirled in circles up to the sky, and for every petal that fell, it made sprinkles of gold that ricochet from the ground into the air. It was the most astonishing thing Palmer had ever seen in his thirty six years of life.
Hypnotized by the light, he began to hear voices. It sounded like a child laughing, the echo in his head converted to his ears and then all he could hear was a high frequency ring. The world became blurry and he couldn’t keep his balance enough to stand on two feet. It was then when he couldn’t hold himself up any longer and Palmer had fainted. Everything disappeared and the last thing he’d saw before falling back and hitting his head on the hoe was the clouds. Palmer had fell into a deep coma, as the world he lived in faded away.
Time had passed, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the sky again, yet this time the sky was gloomy. He sat up and looked around, now he was no longer in his garden but what looked like a park. He looked down at his hands, they were clean and the flower had somehow vanished. After that he reached up and touched his head, and to his disbelief there was no blood, no wound, anything. It was like nothing had happened.
In the setting he was struck in, he heard many different sounds. The birds were chirping and many children were laughing around him. There were many different things going on but there was only one sound he was alert to.
“You’re so silly daddy.” a little girl said as she giggled behind him.
“What, what happened?” said Palmer as he stood up dizzy.
“You fell out the swing silly!” she chuckled.
Palmer laughed, even though he was unsure of what was funny.
“So um, what, what are we doing here?” he stuttered as him and the child set back into the swings.
“Playing.” she said.
He was more than confused, puzzled to be exact. At first he thought he was dreaming, but never before had he been able to clearly think and see while he was insensible. The girl continued to talk, she was telling stories about what she had done at school that day, and about the book she read talking about a prince and a princess. As she swung high into the air laughing and speaking, it reminded Palmer a lot of the way he used to be.
“Hey daddy? She asked him
“Dad? I’m not your dad.” he said.
The young girl then slowed down the swing to a stop, “Yes you are.” she said.
“This is crazy.” he responded.
Palmer got out of the swing then began walking north towards the gate as she followed.
“Before we leave can you please push me down the big slide one more time please.” she cried out.
He stopped and turned back at her,
“What’s your name, miss?”
“Allie.” she said.
“Listen Allie,” he began,
“I know you probably don’t understand but I need to get away right now, and if you could please just give me some time to take in what all is going on, I’d be highly appreciative.”
She responded. “Does that mean you’ll push me?”
He sighed and followed her wish then she kindly guided him to the park’s exit.
In the parking lot, Allie had led him to a car. Nothing out of the ordinary to her, it had been the same car she’d rode in all her life, all she knew about it was it was red and had four wheels. But Palmer on the other hand, had seen a vehicle almost exactly like that many times before. He had many good memories in it and a long time ago, he had strongly valued it. But the last time he had saw it was the night of the accident, the same night when he last saw Alana. Since then he never had thought of it the same.
“Is um, is this your car?” he asked while they stood by the door.
“No daddy I can’t drive are you crazy?” she again laughed.
“Actually I think I am.” he responded.
Allie grinned, “Can you please unlock the door?”
And sure enough, when Palmer reached into his pocket, there he held the keys.
It was around five in the evening, it was like Palmer didn’t have control of the ride home yet he did, He knew exactly where he was going and felt comfortable behind the wheel. He had swore the car was the exact same one he had four years ago. It smelled just like coconut and the radio stations were set up in the same order. It was more than shocking to him, he didn’t know what to think. He had many bad and good dreams but none like the one he was in now.
He then turned into a driveway, unsure if he lived there or if he was just dropping the child off, but his instincts were telling him to pull in.
“Yay we’re home!” Allie yelled.
As he stopped the car, she couldn’t get out the door quick enough. She ran to the door and was greeted by a woman that Palmer couldn’t see from where he was sitting.
While he stepped out the car and followed her to the door, he studied what was around him. The neighborhood seemed very quiet, yet the houses were very fancy. It was like the place of his dreams.
Allie had already shut the door behind her when he had finally reached it, he twisted the knob and was then presented to a beautiful home.
“Wow.” he thought to himself,
“If this is the inside, imagine what the backyard looks like. I bet these people own a magical garden”
He walked around the entrance, extremely curious of the place. The home was at least three stories, there wasn’t one spec of dust on the floor, and the style of the home was just as he would have designed it if it was his own.
“Hey kid, where are you?” he yelled out.
“Up here in my room,” she yelled back from the second floor.
“Mommy is up here too.”
“Oh well okay,” he said.
“I’m gonna go now”
He heard no response, so he turned his back and began walking towards the door.
“Before I leave I think I deserve a thank you for pushing you down the slide three hundred times.” he said.
“Why are you leaving?” said a voice.
It wasn’t Allie, but a voice so familiar. It was a voice Palmer hadn’t heard in years, it was angelic. It was to much to contain, he quickly turned away from the door and there standing at the top of the staircase was the love of his life.
He was struck in disbelief, as his eyes filled with tears he finally found enough courage to speak, “Alana?”
“Aww dear, did you have a bad day?” she asked walking down and greeting him face to face.
Without answering her question, he reached out and gave the tightest hug he had ever given.
“Oh,” she said gently hugging him back.
“Did something happen at work?”
He had cried some into her shoulder and then let go, looking her straight into the eyes he could tell she wasn’t as excited to see him as he was to see her.
“After dinner I’ll put Allie to bed, then we’ll talk it out.” she said.
Throughout dinner, Allie and her mother had talked about their day and what was to come. Allie mentioned Palmer falling out the swing and how that was her day’s highlight. Alana talked about a new movie she wanted to take her too but throughout the whole conversation Palmer didn’t say a word.
After Alana had led them to their bed, Palmer laid down thinking about all that had went on. Usually in his dreams, he couldn’t feel his tears or communicate with his wife even though her face had been seen in his memory a thousand different times. But this time, it was different.
“Do you want to talk about why you’re so upset?” she asked.
He didn’t respond for a while, it was like he couldn’t think of what to say.
Finally came out, “I’m not upset, I’m in shock.”
Alana then sat up in bed beside him,
“Why?”
The room was cold, in the apartment they used to share Alana always kept the room cold because it helped her sleep. It was always hard for Palmer because he had always preferred to sleep in warmth, but after laying next to her countless nights, he had gotten used to it.
“You wouldn’t understand.” he responded.
“Palmer, you know we’ve talked about this before, you’ll tell me a million good stories but when it comes to the bad ones you-”
He grabbed her hands and interrupted her, “I haven’t seen you in four years.”
There was a silent pause.
“Are you taking some new type of medication?” she asked.
“No, not It’s just,” he tried to think of the correct words
“Before you left me, we never had a child, and it was only our dream to have one, we were on the edge of becoming bankrupt so there was no way we’d ever live in such a beautiful house like this one. It just makes no sense whatsoever and I thought I was dreaming but I know I’m not because I can feel the air from the fan blowing on me right now.”
He was talking so fast he had to catch his breathe, he couldn’t contain himself as tears flowed from his eyes like the Niagara falls.
“Maybe it was just a dream you had last night.” she said.
“No, no it wasn’t.” he responded,
“I wish it was, this is everything I’d ever have dreamed of. A bright and happy child, a beautiful and gigantic house, a life of no worries, and most importantly you being here to live it with me.”
She looked at him and smiled, her eyes tearing too.
“I’m so happy to have you.”
Palmer didn’t know what to think, the feeling of Alana being next to him was the only thing he’d been begging for the last four years. He was happy, the opportunity to live in an opposite universe was what he’d forever been praying for. The only question was, how?
The next morning was unlike the mornings he was used to living. The rituals of waking up alone peacefully to sun was more like waking up to an alarm going off in his face asking for pancakes.
He made sure to show affection to Alana and then took Allie to school. The day after that was slow, instead of working from home Palmer worked as a dentist, even though as a child he had a hard time remembering to brush his teeth, somehow he knew exactly what he was doing, and by the end of the day every patient had walked out satisfied.
Since the time he had woken up, he had experienced many different decisions he had to face. Being so unsure of the life he was now living, simple things such as which drawer he kept his socks in was hard to figure out. As great as it was to know that who he loved was with him again, he knew there had to be some secret.
It was sunset, the day was coming to an end and there was only one thing left he had to do.
As they sat around the dinner table Alana and Allie again talked about their day. Yet this time, Palmer decided to chime in too.
“So what you learn at school today Allie?” he asked.
“Lots of stuff,” she responded,
“I learned how to count to one hundred, and I learned all my shapes, I learned how to tie my left shoe, I learned-”
He interrupted her- “Woah okay, sounds like you had fun.”
She giggled, just like Alana she found humor in everything, and just like Palmer she had lots of stories to tell.
“Was your day any better today?” Alana asked.
“Yes it very much was.” he responded.
“Good.” she grinned.
“Guess what?” Allie then asked completely changing the subject.
“What’s that?” Alana said.
“I’m singing Glory The Birds and playing the star in the first grade play.”
“Oh that is wonderful dear! When is it?” asked Alana.
“September 2nd.” she said.
“September 2nd, september 2nd that was the night-”
“Oh my gosh Palmer are you talking about that time we went to the Beatles concert! Oh wow I almost forgot about that, best night ever right!” she said.
He went silent, he had remembered four years ago on that exact date when they had went to the Beatles concert. On the way home they had collided with an eighteen-wheeler and the crash caused him to be severely injured and Alana had died in the hospital the next day.
“Alana by chance um, do you remember the ride home?” he asked.
“Why of course I do! It was quite dangerous to be exact, I remember even though we had just listened to them for an hour, we were blaring their music to the highest volume.” she said.
“Feels like yesterday.”
Palmer was struck, it was like it never happened. She had never died, the accident had never occurred, and she had no idea.
“I’ll be right back.” he said as he stood from the table and exited the room
Palmer then quickly sprinted towards the back of the house while Alana and Allie continued on in their conversation.
“Garden,” he repeated in his mind,
“There has to be a garden.”
When he reached the back sliding door he ran outside as fast as he could. The backyard was huge, there was a fountain for the birds to drink water and a huge outdoor kitchen patio. He looked all around searching for one but finally he realized there was one right in front of his eyes. As he turned his back there stood a glowing garden full of bright colors and fresh grown fruits.
“Yes, thank you.” he said inside his mind.
He ran into the maze of greens, dirtying his shoes in the soil as he looked for a clue. He had searched for a good ten to fifteen minutes before Alana had ran outside.
“Palmer, Palmer honey where are you?” she yelled out the back door.
“Out here,” he responded.
She then began walking towards him “What are you doing in the garden this late, you didn’t even finish-” but she was cut off by the glow she saw rising from the ground in front of him.
“There it is. Another one, I knew there was some kind of secret.” he spoke.
“Another what?” Allie asked as she ran outside in curiosity of what was going on.
“No no no go back in this is nothing you need to see.” he told her as he shooed her away from the scene.
But she ignored him as she ran closer to him and her mother, “Wow that’s so cool what is it?”
Alana leaned down closer to examine it, “Yeah Palmer what on earth did you plant?” she asked looking closer.
She reached her hand out to touch it when Palmer had slapped it away,
But it was too late, the light from the flower had already exploded. It emerged from the ground producing a golden portal that shot into the sky like fireworks.
Palmer quickly grabbed Allie as she clinged onto him as Alana followed. Both of them running for their lives as the hole in the ground continued to grow until a huge percentage of the backyard was overtaken.
Not only did the light create a sucking portal that was so strong they had to tightly hold onto the fence to secure themselves, it grew gigantic vines that had formed a dome over the house and had caused an earthquake to form in the whole entire neighborhood.
“Dad, help me I can’t hold on!” Allie cried as the force was trying to pull her in the ring.
“I’m trying, just hold on as tight as you can okay!” he responded.
Alana was crying and the chaos going on around them had only caused the force of the circle to become stronger and stronger. The once “harmless” flower that brought him into a so perfect world had completely changed.
The greater the power rose, the looser Allie’s grip became. The portal had then grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her in.
“NO,” Palmer cried out.
“NO, NO,” he repeated.
He latched onto his dear wife and they both cried into each other.
“How dare this happen?” he thought.
“What did I do to deserve this? I finally get one back and I lose the other.”
He cried tear after tear, so much it could make a river.
But then he heard a voice, it sounded a lot like an angel but it was muffled and unfamiliar.
“Dive the ring, save the child. Close the ring, keep you life.”
It repeated it again, then again, and then it slowly faded away.
Palmer didn’t know what to think, would it really work? Would he really rather go back into this non-perfect world instead of living this perfect life with the one he loves?
He looked down at Alana, seeing her in such sorrow was even worse than when he last saw her in a casket. It was hard to take in that she was gone and it was hard to take in he’d live the rest of his life with it hanging on his shoulders. But he realized that the “so perfect” myth of an underworld that he had forever had been told about, had their reasons too, and for whatever life he lived, if he had the chance to save one he loved, he would.
“Alana,” he said.
She looked back up, her breathe shaky,
“Yes.”
“I want to know that I love you with all my heart, and for whatever happens from here, I just, I just want you to know I’m not far.”
He then gave her his last kiss and let go off the fence he was clinging onto, and down the portal he fell.
“We got a heartbeat.” said a voice.
“Red, 42, Sarah I need the pump.”
“Got it doc.” she replied.
“He’s conscious!” the doctor shouted as the other nurses took a breathe of relief.
“Palmer Reed?, Palmer can you hear me?”
He couldn’t see a thing, just black from the back of his eyelids. The voices he heard were semi-quiet and he kept feelings shocks and constant beeps.
“Where am I” he asked.
“Palmer, it’s Dr.Greg don’t fear you’re gonna be alright.” someone replied.
“Dr.?- Dr.Greg?” he asked.
“You were unconscious but you’re okay now.” he said.
Palmer opened his eyes and looked around.
“He’s very well responsive doctor,” said a nurse
“I don’t think we have to worry about any bleeding on the brain.” she said,
“Good good, we still need to do some bloodwork and check everything else though.” the doctor replied.
Palmer looked down at his arms and legs which were severely bruised, “What happened?”
“You were in a car accident, do you remember anything about it?” the doctor asked.
“I think, wait-” Palmer was shocked.
“What year is it doc?”
“September 3rd, 1992 sir,” he replied.
“September 3rd?” he repeated
Palmer suddenly feeling no pain quickly sat up, “Where’s Alana?”
“She’s actually been waiting to tell you something.” the doctor said.
“Wait wha-” he began, then the door to the ICU room he was in began to open.
The room was warm this time, it was like the doctors knew how he slept best. It seemed like the clock hanging on the wall by his monitor had been broken, never in any math class had he been told that the clock could spin clockwise.
The air was again clear, the bed he was sitting in was quite comfortable to be one in a hospital, and by this time the door had opened completely.
“Palmer, you’re awake,”
It was Alana, this time four years younger.
She went to hug him as they both smiled into eachothers eyes.
“How long had I been asleep?” he asked.
She looked at the clock and then back down at him, “Almost a year.”
He thought about it for a second, did he just reverse time?
“Oh Alana, you wouldn’t believe how long it feels.” he said.
“Oh I would.” she replied,
“And this whole time, someone’s been waiting for you.”
A nurse then carried a small baby into the room and handed it to Palmer, her eyes glowing gold.
“What, how did-”
“She’s a miracle,” Alana said.
“I don’t how she made it but surprise.” she chuckled as she began to tear.
“She’s beautiful.” Palmer replied,
“What’s her name?’
Alana touched the child’s cheek, she smiled and took a deep breathe then replied, “Allie,”
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