Love Divided by time – The twin gardens tale
The afternoon sunlight shines brightly through the kitchen window as the older gentleman refills Wesley’s tea. The steam from the tea rises to greet the bright sunlight. Wesley looks around the small kitchen while he waits for his host to return to the table. And the story. It’s hard to believe that just twenty minutes ago he almost turned and walked away from this place. If not for his intense curiosity about the garden, he may not have accepted the invitation.
However, the offer was sincere if not candid. “Hello there young man. You are my first visitor in this neighborhood. Ever“, a slight grin and then, “I suppose you’ve come to inquire about the impossibly beautiful garden.” It is more statement than question, yet Wesley finds himself agreeing with the enigmatic older gentleman. Furthermore, why make with pretense? They are next door neighbors. It’s unlikely that Wesley is the first to visit the home. It is a small town, after all.
With this in mind, he returned the hand shake when Mr. Conner introduced himself. After a brief friendly exchange, Mr. Conner invited Wesley for afternoon tea. Having decided already that he liked Mr. Conner, Wesley accepted. A few minutes later, and with the tea served Mr, Conner began his explanation of the impossibly beautiful garden.
Love Divided By Time
“It’s not possible to explain the impossible without some kind of context.” He pauses and sips his tea, then continues with a warm expression in his eyes. “This impossible garden has very deep roots. If this were only a summary, it could end there. However, this is a tale of love divided by time. Therefore it must have its say. Because it did not start with just one. It rarely does. Not the real magic. The real magic fires hot when there are two.”
The older gentleman returns to his chair across from Wesley. Then he continues with a wistful expression in his eyes. “And if the impossible garden just outside that door has a start, that’s where it will be. Because the seeds of love are not bound by time. Therefore the twin gardens tale must be told before the origin of that garden can be known.” He pauses with the tea cup midway to his next sip,
“Have you got an hour to hear the tale young man?” His eyes fairly well twinkle in the late afternoon sunlight. It’s as though he is about to reveal the answer of an age old mystery. Whatever the mystery, the mood feels contagious as Wesley answers.
” Yes sir Mr. Conner. It must be quite a tale.” He watches the older man’s eyes fade back into that long ago past and can’t help but feel riveted to the spot. The sun shines through the window in the late afternoon. The kitchen is modern, but outfitted with antiques that are too unique to be merely decor. It feels like experiencing a world from long ago. From someone who was there.
The Twin Gardens Tale
“You are correct young man, it is quite a tale, and it begins with love divided by a wide, and deep, river. Furthermore, the river marked the boundary between two cities. The two cities sat one across from the other, separated only by the expanse of the river. Each city was the capital of its own respective kingdom. Therefore, two kingdoms sat side by side, separated by a river no one could cross. One Prince, and one Princess, divided by a river no one could cross.”
“No mere line across the raging current could withstand the force of the river. Likewise, even the strongest swimmers could not make it across the torrents of the mile wide river. At least, if any had made it across, none had ever returned. However, where there is a will, there is a way, as the old saying goes. And rather than risk accidental misunderstandings, or even a war, each city had an established method of communication.
“However, with difficult communication and messages that could take weeks, even months to arrive, they searched for a better way. The Princess was famous and renowned for her gardens. And the Prince’s vineyard was famous in all the land for the sweetness of the fruit. No one knows who came up with the idea, but this is how the twin gardens came to be.”
Time Divided By Love
Mr. Conner pauses and returns his gaze to Wesley. The look is knowing and kind, and when he continues, it is with a trace of wonder in his voice.
“Twin gardens. Planted on the same day, and each at least five acres in size. They had to be large so they could be seen from a distance. Furthermore, there was an established pattern. In fact, there were several different patterns. And each had a different meaning. It was effective because they were enchanted gardens. They connected through magic. When one changed, the other changed.”
Two Gardens One Hope
He pauses again, this time with a genuine smile, “In today’s world they might call it something complicated, like entanglement. But this is a tale from the long ago. Back when magic was more than myth. Furthermore, this is a tale of love divided by time. The twin gardens were the chosen signs of two who were in love. Not just two kingdoms. Therefore, when one garden changed, the other would change, and no distance between them mattered.”
“This system worked very well for quite some time. Then a decision to build a lasting bridge between the two kingdoms, changed everything. Suddenly there was great planning and much preparation. However, not everyone was on board with the new plans. In fact, there were some that were determined to see the end of the communication across that mile wide river.
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