Three Things(4)

*Sam's point of view*

Chapter 4—The Garden

It felt like my body had been lifted off of a bed of nails. I was floating, higher and higher, until suddenly I stopped at a large metal gate. It opened, and I floated through.

I gazed around, amazed to see that I had ended up in what looked like a huge garden. There were large trees, heavy with fruit, even though it was the middle of winter, row after row of vegetables, bushes of flowers by the thousand, and a pathway winding around, dividing each type of fruit, vegetable, or flower into different areas.

“Hello, Sam.” The voice that came from behind me sounded like wind rustling through a million treetops.

Startled, I spun around to see a motherly looking woman with kind eyes, hair the color of cornstalks, and a pretty pastel pink dress.

“Hello, Sam,” she repeated in that windy voice of hers, “I’m Theresa.”

My mouth gaped open. “You mean like mother Theresa?”

She laughed. “No, but I was named after her, and we are good friends. Don’t worry. I get that a lot.”

I mumbled something unrecognizable.

“Don’t be shy,” she told me nicely. “I’m here to tell you why you are well, here.”

“Why I’m here?” I repeated numbly.

“Yes. Would you like to know?” Her careful eyes surveyed my face, looking for some flicker of emotion.

“Of course,” I answered, not wanting to be rude.

“Okay, but first lets go somewhere we can talk more easily.”

I started to say yes, but her face changed.

“Oh drat,” she pouted. “Sam, dear?”

“Yes?”

“I need you to do something. Do you mind going to the orange trees and waiting for me there?”

“No, not at all.”

“Good. Now go down that path, and take the second right. Then, take the next left and walk about twenty feet. The orange trees should be on your right, between the apple trees and the grape vines.” She pouted again. “You’d better go.”

I followed her directions and jogged down the path that she had pointed out. She seemed nice enough. Trustworthy, too. But I wondered; What could possibly be bothering her?