Miracle Of The Blossoming Pear Tree

After 50 years and one daughter, her soul mate, best friend, and husband Fred had died six years ago. She was left with an aching heart and the knowledge that he was somewhere close by so that was some comfort. Together they had raised daughter Jenny who now had a growing family of her own and her eldest son, Linda's grandson made obligatory holiday visits to his grandmother. Other than that since she lived in Fairvale, a small town in Illinois and her daughter and family lived in Cincinnati, Ohio they rarely visited except from time to time and once a year Linda vacationed with them.

For her, life had changed in many ways and now that she was retired she had two cats and a canary for company. As usual, she did chat with her neighbors now and then and if anyone saw her sitting on her porch they would come to sit for a while. Other than that pretty much she was alone. Her grandson, Mike had bought her a laptop and taught her to use it so she was constantly in touch with friends that lived farther away, her daughter Jenny, and she could travel to all the countries in the world. It helped pass the time.

She made sure she went walking twice a day, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon. Her routine never failed she would walk to the corner and then turn right and head down the hill, around the corner and take the long way around the block and return to her house. This afternoon in autumn was no different and Linda stood at the corner admiring the maple with bright red leaves. Somehow this afternoon had a strange kind of golden glow.

As she stood at the corner admiring the maple a cold wind blew around her and she heard her beloved Fred's voice saying, "Go up the hill, I'll meet you in the garden." She stood rooted to the spot and her mind went reeling back all those years. Fred called the walk around their block the "lazy man's walk" it was short but served a purpose. They walked around the block on very cold days and when it snowed. Otherwise, they had gone the other way to Main Street, through the shopping district, past the library, and across the street into Fairvale Park.

They would sit for a while in their favorite spot on a bench by the flowing river and then walk up the hill and down to the lake. There was a path for walking. These walks were always done in the late afternoons when Fred had returned from work and always with their daughter along when she was little. While she hopped and skipped ahead of them they would hold hands and slowly stroll along the lake. Then it was time to pick up some things on Main Street and walk back home. Now all Linda could manage was picking up groceries and essentials about twice a week on Main Street and a stop at the library to pick up some books. Whenever she looked across at the park she would see Fred and then musty-eyed she would return home.

Suddenly she thought how silly it was to walk down Memory Lane standing on her own street corner. If any of her neighbors looked through their windows they would think it was strange that she was just standing there. They might even think something was wrong. At that moment another cold blast of wind surrounded her and she felt a touch on her cheek and heard Fred's voice saying, "Come on go up the hill, I'll be waiting in the garden." How very odd. Their house had a small garden where she had a beautiful rose bush and some colorful flower beds. A thought came to her - Had they ever in all of the 50 years they had lived in Fairvale ever gone up that hill?

The houses in their part of town were the last houses before the town limits. Anything beyond that counted as the outskirts and then the road to the next town. It was then that she thought of another walk she took from time to time. It was about four blocks from the corner where she stood The Fairvale Cemetery. It was where she went to visit and talk to Fred although she knew he was not there but up above and always with her. It was a nice spot though where she would someday rest beside him and actually be with him for all eternity. His grave was near three white birches and a little bench was there where she could sit and unburden herself.

The Fairvale Cemetery stretched out into the town outskirts and around in a kind of loop. So there really was no reason to walk those four blocks from their house unless they had a grave to visit in the cemetery and there could really be nothing up the hill that Fred was telling her to go to except at the top it looped around to the back of the cemetery. As far as she knew there were no gardens there. Oh, she supposed that at some point they had driven past there in their car and she had just forgotten. As far as she knew all her neighbors also took the straight route to the cemetery.

Linda had a sudden urge to chuckle. She realized that she had been standing reminiscing on the corner by the maple for at least close to a half -hour. One of the neighbors' might just call the men in the white coats saying she had suddenly snapped. So she made her decision and instead of turning to walk down the hill, as usual, she went across the street and started up the hill. As she got to the top where the back of the cemetery began she saw a rusted wrought iron gate. How odd it seemed to be here. Linda peered through the gate and saw a rundown old house and a garden that once must have been lovely. She tried the gate and it opened with a creak. She stepped into the garden and looked around, The old house looked so very sad and everything was withered and dead.

Since it was autumn it might have not been a surprise but still, it all looked so abandoned. She walked along one of the paths and saw a large apple tree. Its leaves were falling and all around it were rotting apples. There was no one anymore who wanted the fruit the tree offered. Then she saw a pear tree that stood like a statue. It looked out of place because it had no leaves and around it, there were no rotted pears. It did not look like a dead or rotten tree but there it stood with its branches spread wide. Then she heard a sound and looked up. It was Fred as she remembered him in life with twinkling blue eyes and a wide smile

It became that she looked forward to walking up the hill to the garden each afternoon. If they noticed, none of her neighbors' asked her why and if they had she would simply say she got tired of her usual route and did it for the exercise. When winter came the garden seemed magical with the sun reflecting on the snow like rainbow-colored diamonds shining. Even on the coldest days she went to meet her love and he was always there waiting, She never inquired how this could be she was just happy to see him and be with him while she still had to walk on the Earth.

Came springtime and Linda was amazed to see that the garden was coming out in full bloom. The flowers she thought were long dead came peeking up from the ground. The rose bush seemed to be renewing itself, the apple tree was in full bloom, and with amazement, she saw that the pear tree was coming back to life. Fred enjoyed her happiness and delighted in the pleasure she took in each new thing she discovered about the garden. Until one day Fred said her time had come to an end. She was not ill and felt well but he knew it was time to take her with him. He told her to come the very next morning and he would be waiting by the pear tree.

Linda returned home and called her daughter Jenny. She did not say anything to alarm her but it was good to hear her voice once more and she spoke to her grandchildren. Then she fed her cats and the parakeet. She knew the neighbors' would find her and they would know to call her daughter and family. Everything else was in her will and documentation.

She so looked forward to being with Fred forever. That night she lay down and closed her eyes wondering what she would see in the morning, When she opened her eyes she was standing before the pear tree in the magical garden The pear tree was all in blossom with the beginnings of golden pears growing. It was truly a miracle and then Fred was there and took her hand. He said that now this magical garden belonged to them and from time to time they could return and delight in the beauty, perhaps dance beneath the moon and stars as they now had all the time in the world, a world different from the one everyone on Earth knew. She was not afraid but very happy and together they both walked into eternity.