The Secret of the Double Rainbow
10.
He finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, and he dreamt he was in a garden. All around him was light and there were seven bird like creatures flying around him. They were too far away for him to make out what kind of birds they were, except they were unlike any he had seen before. Further on in the distance, he made out smaller figures, also flying around. Their wings looked vaguely like a pterodactyls, though he was sure that wasn’t what they were. He looked the other side and noticed what looked like giant worms gliding through the air.
The entire sky appeared to have an odd shimmer to it, as though an almost invisible barrier was in place.
One of the birds drew closer. It was quite unlike anything he had seen. Long legs protruded from a sleek gold and blue body that was supported by large, eagle like wings. A long neck ended in a sharp oval shaped head and a long pointed beak.
A moment later, the bird caught sight of him and David could have sworn that he caught a look of guilt in the eyes. “Uh – oh,” said the bird, and suddenly vanished.
Did that bird actually talk or was that its cry? But with that thought, he found himself slipping into the realm of dream and all was forgotten as confusing dreams of hot lands, old houses and eerie dark attics seemed to come in succession. Then, there, as the top of a winding stairway, he found himself running from something. He slipped and toppled over the side. He didn’t hit the bottom though, instead he found himself back in the garden that had begun this dream. This time he was not alone. With him was the fiery lady. She smiled at him and he felt a all encompassing love coming from her. She nodded at him and smiled. Then to his shock, she walked right into his body.
He woke up. He felt very odd and extremely tired, as though his limbs were made of lead. He closed his eyes and quickly drifted back to sleep. When he woke up again, he did not remember the dream.
He lifted his head and looked through the window. It looked as though it was going to be a fine, though cold day. That would probably mean he’d be expected to work in the garden, worse luck. As if ghost gardens weren’t bad enough, now he had to deal with the real thing. He grumbled. He didn’t want to get up. He just wanted to go back to sleep. Still, his mind was far too active to do so. He decided the only way to quieten it was to write down his thoughts.
He grabbed his diary and wrote down what he could remember about the previous night’s encounter, though he found he was struggling to remember the details. He struggled to recall the inscriptions on the painting and much of the conversation that had taken place. He was, in particular, having trouble remembering what Willow and Salvia had said. In the end, he finally felt he got the details down correctly, but was puzzled as to why he was having so much trouble. He was just reading back over it when Mary knocked on his door and called him down for breakfast.
It was his plan to get his errands out the way as soon as he could, and then he’d be free to take his photos down to the chemist to be developed. He also hoped that the council would have an answer waiting for him.
The morning passed quickly enough, and indeed, Mary, after looking out of the window at the clear sky, fixed her sharp eyes on him and suggested that he might do some gardening. He sighed and resigned himself to the hard slog that was ahead. He knew he was only expected to put in couple of hours or so into it, but it might as well have been a day. It was just a tedious job.
He looked up at Mary. “Aunty, I’m going to the library again once I’ve finished my chores,” he said.
Mary nodded. As far as she was concerned, libraries were healthy places for a young boy to be. There wasn’t much trouble you could get into while reading books. David felt a little guilty that he didn’t point out that he was planning to not go inside it, just to the library himself because that’s where the civic offices were. Still, he decided he would just pop in quickly, just to make it true.
He went outside and with a small garden fork, he began weeding the flower bed. He looked across at the large tree in the house and noted that the lawn around it was growing taller. He would have to mow it soon. He looked won at the area he was weeding. This was a patch where some white flowers with a multitude of petals were struggling to grow. To his mind, David considered weeding this patch a waste of time. What did it matter if they grew or got overrun with weed. He failed to see what difference his work would make.
His usual trick when engaged in something he rather not do was to have his mind elsewhere and this case, it wasn’t difficult to find a subject to occupy his it. He went over and over what had occurred the night before. He had been told that he did not love nature. Big deal! Still, it was a strange comment, he thought. Who cared if he loved it or not. In fact, most of what had been said had made no sense, especially about the comment about his real name and some lady who didn’t want him to know. Nothing really made any sense or seemed to fit together in any way.
Eventually he developed a cramp in his leg so he stood up to stretch them. He looked about and saw an old lady looking and smiling at him from over the short picket fence, next door. Her face was quite old and wrinkled, but her eyes, hidden by rather thick glasses, still had a sparkle in them.
“Hi,” he grunted, not really in the mood for conversation, but his polite upbringing was firmly bred within him.
“You’re doing a good job,” she replied, enthusiastically. “It’s good to see someone finally doing something about that garden. You know, it’s been so ignored. Barely a thing done except for the mowing, and only that when the grass gets unmanageable. I bet them Chrysanthemums haven’t seen much the light o’ day of a while, now. It’s a wonder them is still alive.”
“Crissan what?” he said.
“The daisies. Them Chrysanthemums.”
“Oh, I didn’t know what they were.”
“Well, we all learn sometime,” she said, good naturedly.
David determined it was time for a break. Though he wasn’t in the best of moods, he also craved some real company, having only had Ben and Mary as his main source. Maybe this woman knew something about plants. She seemed to be able to identify them at least. Could she maybe give him some hints to make the job easier. She seemed pleasant enough. He gathered his energy and smiled. “Hi, I’m David,” he introduced himself. I’m staying with the Yorks. I’m their nephew.”
“I dinna know they had one,” she replied. She in turn introduced herself. “Heather. I’m your neighbour. Been a neighbour for a good many years now.” She certainly looked old enough for it, David thought.
“So, you like gardens.” It was more a statement than a question.
“The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds for mirth, one is nearer God’s Heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth,” she responded. “That’s Dorothy Frances Gurney, that is and it nigh sums up what I feel. Don’t you feel so?”
“Can’t say that I really do,” he admitted. “We didn’t have a garden in the flats I lived in and so I’ve never had much to do with them.” And he certainly wasn’t about to start now, especially after the last night. One of the things that annoyed him was that he hated to been seen to be doing something just because someone told him he should do it. He was the kind of person who preferred to initiate things himself.
“Then take it from me when I tell you that there is no better place of spending time than in a well kept, growing garden. It’s nature you know. It’s a healing force.”
“It heals?” Heather nodded. “How does it heal?” he asked, despite himself.
“Oh, in so many ways. The flowers, they give us a cure that modern medicine canna rival. You heard of herbs? Well, them’s from nature, o’course. . And just being in the presence of a garden can soothe the woes and heal the harms of the mind. But a young lad like you would be to busy to stop and smell the roses, so to speak, but at my age, you know. You just know.”
“I still don’t see how?” he replied.
“You just put aside your prejudices and enjoy the gardening,” she replied, with a hint of a laugh in her voice. “Then when you see how them flowers grow, you’ll stand in wonder cause you’ll have helped them do that.”
“I don’t really know the first thing about gardening,” he responded, grumpily. “I’m just making it up as I go along.”
“There’s a lot to it, to be certain, but even the basics are easy to learn. Mulching, watering, up turning the soil, pruning, knowing when to plant and what to plant, they all take a bit o’ knowing, but they aren’t so hard to know. If you have the mind for it, come across and I’ll show you some gardening books.”
“Thanks, I’ll do that,” said David, trying not to appear rude or ungrateful. He really wasn’t that interested. Heather was certainly friendly enough, but he couldn’t see himself visited someone that old. “Well, I had better get back to it.”
“Better do so, yes,” she said. “From the look of those clouds, they’ll be rain here soon enough. So much for the fine weather predicted.” She chuckled. “It was good to be talking with you, David. That invite is always open.” She gave a half wave and walked away, humming quietly to herself.
He returned to the task of weeding. It was hard work, but the bed had really begun to look much improved by the time Mary called him in for lunch. By then, the first drops of heavy rain began to fall. “Where were you an hour ago?” he thought as he trudged inside.
He had worked up a hearty appetite and virtually wolfed down the sandwiches presented to him. Presently he mentioned that he had met the lady next door.
“Who? Mrs. Knight?” she asked.
“She said her name was Heather.”
“That’s Mrs. Knight,” she repeated stubbornly. “She’s been widowed and always wanting to talk. Poking her nose into others people’s business and no doubt a gossip, I’d wager. Lonely I guess. Wendy told me that her husband died some years back and her children have move away and she has some strange friends. She’s not caused me any trouble, though.”
David just nodded. He wasn’t interested in Mary’s gossip.
As it was now raining steadily, and as he had done all he needed to do inside, the rest of the day was his. He pulled out a piece of paper that Becky had given him and noted there was a contact number. Surely a quick phone call would save him a trip. He asked permission to make a phone call and rang up the council. He was unable to get hold of Becky but a man, who sounded middle aged, told him that unfortunately, the information had not come in yet and advised him to try again the next day. He was disappointed. If only there was some other way of finding out about this house.
Maybe he could put his photos in today to be developed and pick them up and the report the next day. The pharmacy was only ten minutes by tram. It was also near the civic centre, so when he was told it would be ready the next day, he felt this would indeed work out nicely.
As he was leaving, he heard someone call his name. He turned around, unsure if it was someone else calling a different David, and saw the youth from the library who had helped him. “We meet again,” said Jess. “Very synchronous, if that a word, that is.”
“Hi, eh, Jess, right?”
“He remembers! I must have made an impression on him,” said Jess, with a laugh. “Hey, tell me, did you get what you were after?”
“No, not as yet. They said to try again tomorrow. Thanks again for your help, though.”
“Wait to you see the bill I’ve sent you.” He grinned.
David found he was starting to like this man. He certainly seemed pleasant enough. “So what are you doing here?”
“Oh, you know pharmacies nowadays. They got everything and its brother here, you know. Sometimes I just come here to browse through things and see what they’ve got.”
“Find anything you’re after?”
“Oh, this and that. There are some interesting things that people just aren’t aware of.” He pointed to a little stand with bottles on it. “Now that this for instance. This is one of the most amazing healing systems I’ve come across, and yet I bet most of the world remain blissfully unaware of it’s existence. And yet they sell it in a chemist! Now how strange is that?”
“What are they?”
“Flower remedies. The perfect healing system.”
David nearly choked. “Someone else said something about that today. She was talking about herbs.”
“Now, isn’t that synchronous, if that’s a word, of course.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means synchronicity.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of that. It’s a record by The Police, right?”
He grinned in response. “Things aren’t always what they seem. How few people understand what it means. But let me finish telling you about these flower remedies. They’re not actually herbs but..”
David had had enough of gardens and flowers. Enough to last a lifetime. He liked Jess, but he decided he was a little odd. It was time to get going.
“Nah, it’s okay,” interrupted David. “I couldn’t afford them even if I knew how they worked.”
Jess nodded and had a knowing smile on his face. “Well, I guess you’ll know when you need to.”
“Yeah, I’m sure I will,” said David, dismissively. “And you know, I really need to get going. Glad to see you again.”
“Yes, I’m sure we’ll meet again, David. Have fun.”
Yeah, I’m having a real lot of fun, David muttered to himself.
He left the chemist and realized that he had not much else to do. Maybe he should have stayed and had a chat with Jess after all, but he felt he couldn’t turn around now and go back. It would make him look like a liar. He did the only thing he could think of, and returned to the house.
As always, the garden was foremost on his mind. It kept on nagging at him. Maybe if he read he’d written in his diaries, he might be able to make more sense of it all.
He kept it well hidden between the lining of his suitcase, so there was little chance of anyone accidentally stumbling upon it. But instead of reading it, he found himself dreaming about Holly, and wishing that he could meet her once more and let her know how he felt. Now there was a body to die for. He sighed loudly. The thought of her made his heart beat faster and a funny feeling like butterflies were in his stomach. It was a pity he had run into that Willow instead of Holly. No wonder he felt so annoyed.
Suddenly, he realized that he was indeed annoyed with everything. He had gone to find Holly and had failed. Willow must have triggered his frustration and Salvia must have made it worse.
Poor Holly, he thought. She must be so alone in that garden if she only had the likes for those other two for company. If only she could come to his world.
But she’s a ghost, David! he thought. Surely having a relationship with someone dead isn’t going to work out.
His mind went around and around the subject. Something, once again, was nagging at him. How could he, as a someone who was alive, interact with ghosts, as though they were also alive. Suddenly, it struck him. The portal! If he could enter into their world and become like a ghost, then surely she could enter into his and regain her life!
He became very excited by the thought. It was suddenly all clear to him now. He was being called to rescue Holly. A spirit that was trapped in a horrible dying garden with an evil ghost of a girl who no doubt made her live a misery. Salvia had called him, David, to come and rescue her.
“Yes!” said David aloud. “It all makes perfect sense to me know. I’ll do it! I’ll rescue her.” Then, when she was alive again, she would fall in love with him and be his girlfriend. He smiled broadly at the thought. Yes, tonight he would do it. He stared lovingly at her figure in the painting. The artist had truly done a magnificent job of capturing her essence. He ignored Willow. He didn’t like her at all and after being forced to work in the garden all morning, he wasn’t too impressed with nature either, in spite whatever Heather Knight might have told him.
He thought about how Salvia had told him that he probably wouldn’t return. He puzzled over that comment. Eventually he supposed that he really meant was that he wouldn’t have the nerve to show his face again. Something which was quite reasonable under the circumstances. Perhaps he had behaved a tad rudely.
Of course, the fact that the garden and its inhabitants were all dead did make him wonder if his behaviour really mattered at all. How could he feel embarrassed in such a place. Surely there would be none around to remember him or his manners. Except for Holly, who he would bring back to life.
The afternoon dragged slowly and the weather had had become overcast. He realised there was little else for him left to do but wait. He lay back on his bed and soon dozed off. He was tired from lack of sleep the previous night. He awoke just before dinner and joined Ben and Mary. He was feeling much better. He hardly heard a word they said as his mind was now completely obsessed with finding Holly. Uncle Ben spoke to him, but he didn’t hear at first. He looked up from his food and apologized and ask him to repeat what he had said.
“Mary tells me you’ve met Heather,” he said.
“Yes. She seems harmless enough,” he replied, off-handedly.
“Well, that brings a thought to my mind. She’s been living next door for half her life,” he said. “She’d know about the former occupants that you was asking about.”
“Would she?” he said, getting excited. How could he have not thought of that before. Of course she would. What a fool he was. He could have spent the afternoon talking to her instead of wasting time moping around and sleeping. What a fool he was.
It was too late to go next door now, but he resolved that he would do it tomorrow. He would even do some gardening on the hope that she would say hello.
Mary looked disapprovingly at Ben. “Now don’t go putting ideas into the boy’s head. We don’t want him annoying our neighbours now, do we?”
“Mrs. Knights said I was welcome to visit her,” said David, defensively.
“Be that as it may, you don’t want to barrage with a whole lot of question of that which she might know nothing about.”
He quickly agreed with her, which he had learned was always the safest route when dealing with his aunt. He certainly didn’t want her to ground him before he had the chance to find out anything. Yes, that would be tomorrows project. And with the photos coming back and the information from the council, it should be a day of revelations.
