The Soul Garden: Volume 2 - Journeys

By Veronica Farmer

Sweet faced, six-year old Charlie arrives in the Heavenly garden. He is unlike any previous visitor, Gardener and Guide, the garden caretakers, have had. First, he is a child. Never has a child been to the garden. And second, Charlie was abused and murdered. It’s easy to fall in love with the clever little boy, who will never have a chance to grow up. But Gardener and Guide need to do the right thing and help Charlie move on to his own version of Heaven. Even if doing so, nearly destroys them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483522746

Book preview

MULLER

CHAPTER ONE

The Garden

I woke to the smell of coffee and bacon. Daniel was in the kitchen tempting me from our bed. Naughty boy. The heavenly aroma was too much and I am on my feet and headed towards the kitchen.

‘Welcome back, Gorgeous. I’ve missed you.’ He held out his arms and I went to him. He kissed the top of my head, then my forehead, then my lips. He lingered as he always did. His hands had started to move and I couldn’t help but moan with love and lust and pure happiness. It never took more than just a slight caress to set off the passion that existed between us.

I took one of his hands and started to pull him towards our bedroom. ‘I’m still feeling a little tired. Why don’t you come with me and lull me back to sleep? You’re very good at that.’

Daniel laughed and pulled our bodies together again. ‘As much as I would love to be an active participant in lulling you back to sleep, you know we can’t do that. You have just woken up from one of your naps and you know what that means.’

‘Yes, yes I do.’ I sighed. I just wanted to curl up in bed with Daniel but that wasn’t going to happen just yet. We had work to do. And nothing can be allowed to ever interfere with our work.

I took a cup of coffee and a plate of bacon and eggs and dropped into a chair. Chance, our dog, came running into the kitchen to see if there were any goodies for him. Daniel gave him a piece of bacon then joined me at the table.

We both gazed out at the garden and once again I was struck by its beauty. No matter how often I saw it or how long I lived here I just never got use to how wonderful it was.

‘I wonder…’ I trailed off as Daniel looked at me.

‘You know better than to wonder. We will find out soon enough. And it’s not our job to wonder.’

No it isn’t. Our job isn’t to wonder. Our job…our work….well, you could say that our work is divinely inspired. An inside joke between Daniel and I.

You see…Daniel and I are both dead. Long dead in earthly terms I suppose. Everyone that we ever loved had passed away.

I was hit and killed by a car that jumped the curb while I was out walking the dog. So I arrived here first. To say that I was pissed when I first got here would be an understatement. Daniel arrived after having died of old age. He never remarried. In spite of our marriage taking a very rocky turn at the end, he chose me and lived alone until he passed away.

We are extremely happy here. Here, of course, is Heaven. Well, our version of Heaven. Everyone’s is different. We aren’t exactly sure how they are different because we have never seen anyone else’s version. But we have been told that each of us seeks our own version. Getting to your own version of Heaven requires a bit of work of your part. That’s where Daniel and I come in. Although this is our version of Heaven, we get visitor. It’s our job to help anyone who arrives in the garden to move on so that they can seek their own version of Heaven.

Now that’s easier said than done. You see if you haven’t tended to your earthly life very well, when you die you may arrive in our garden. All the secrets that you carry, all the hurt and betrayal that you either feel or caused, needs to be tended to before you can move on. I don’t know how it’s decided that you will come to our garden. That’s just one of the many mysteries of Heaven…you just appear.

We can’t force you admit to the harm that you may have caused. No more than we can force you to admit to the emotion turmoil that you might be feeling. Even here the answers aren’t necessarily provided; you need to find them for yourself. The joy of self-discovery can be very satisfying.

Most souls that arrive in the garden are genuinely nice people. They are also very human and arrive with some of the more unpleasant qualities that come with being human; stubborn, resentful, unhappy, unrepentant. In the end though, most give in to their soul’s lighter side; the human side that has a tremendous capacity for love, patient, understanding and kindness. When they are ready and have tended to all that is holding them back, they move on. But as I said, we aren’t sure where they go.

Daniel and I are always made aware of the arrival of any new visitors by my naps. It seems a strange way to prepare for visitors but it has been like this from the moment I arrived. I suddenly become very fatigued and need to lie down. It’s the only time I must stop and rest. I have no idea how long I sleep. Neither does Daniel. Heaven has no markers for the passage of time. We have no minutes or hours. No days or months. No sunrise or sunset.

Our version of Heaven also contains a tiny cottage that Daniel and I live in. We don’t really need it. This is Heaven after all. But the cottage and the other earthly bric-a-brac that we have surrounded ourselves with are warm and familiar earthly pleasures. The cottage also proves beneficial for some of our new visitors. They can be disoriented at first and having something as familiar as an abode with a fireplace and kitchen can be very calming. We offer cups of tea and scones with jam. It helps with the settling in process. Food and drink aren’t needed either. But the act of eating and drinking provides comfort. It provides the familiar. Daniel and I have found that some busy work while our new guest gathers their thoughts is usually helpful. Some of them have a very difficult journey to make and we try to provide as much ease as we can. Daniel and I also still delight in the earthly pleasures of cooking, eating and drinking. None are necessary but they are rituals that we enjoy.

I’m the Gardener. I am tasked with keeping the garden tended. Although, garden falls a bit short in describing our heavenly dwelling. Our cottage is shaded by a lovely willow tree that provides a home for the birds. A koi pond and a pergola with climbing roses offer places of reflection. A lush pine stand and a glorious forest with trees that are miles high provide a home for the deer that live here. Meadows filled with wild flowers and small hills and knolls give Chance some place to run and practice at being a dog.