Brooke's Garden

                                                              Brooke's Garden

                                                            By Daryl Campbell



         Brooke's up before the sun rises so she can watch the dragon flowers. It's one of her favorite things, next to blueberry ice cream.

         When the sun appears, the dragon flowers catch fire and shine through Brooke's Garden with orange and yellow light. Spreading her blue and pink wings out wide, she lifts off the ground. Long, brown hair falls over her shoulders as she flies and brown eyes twinkle in the light.

         The fire from the dragon flowers disappears as golden sunlight fills a garden lined with gumdrop trees dangling flavored gumdrops from their limbs,  silk trees blowing in the wind, and ribbon bushes with ribbons of red, blue, and white. There are flowers are everywhere: balloon flowers, buttercups, cream cups, and honeysuckles. Brooke's newest flower, a giant rose Mom and Dad gave her for her birthday, is in the middle of the garden.

         The rose is sad today, lowering its head and wrapping long leaves around its thorny stem. Brooke doesn't like what she sees, but will have to wait till after breakfast.

         Leaving the garden, she pops a cherry gum drop in her mouth, then pulls a sausage from a sausage tree and eggs from eggplants near the entrance.

         After a breakfast, Brooke returns to her garden.

         “Hello, Joshua.” All her plants have names. “Are you sad today?”

         The rose doesn't answer.

         “I don't know why your unhappy, but I have an idea.” She turns and flies away.

          It's hard work caring for a garden, but she does her best. Joshua's head is still down when she gets back and she plants some new flowers as fast as she can.

         Water trumpets are put in a small pond. Their green leaves float in the water and purple and yellow trumpets play squeaky music.

         Two silver bells are planted in soft dirt around the pond. Bells hang off limbs and are surrounded by pink flowers. The small trees get comfortable and bells start ringing.

         She plants trumpet vines and listens as their pink trumpets sound out in deep voices.

         Finally, fairy bells are added and tingle softly.

         Brooke spreads her wings and spins in the air. Planting takes most of the day and she dances a little more, tells Joshua goodnight, and rushes home before dark.

         Brooke gets to her garden after sunrise the next morning. The dragon flowers haven't regrown their blooms, so there isn't a reason to be up so early. Grabbing a few gumdrops, a lemon one and a strawberry one, she checks on Joshua. Music's playing, but the gray rose looks unhappy.

         “What's wrong, Joshua?” Brooke asks.

         Joshua's head is leaning close to the ground and his leaves are turning brown.

         “Would you like a pet? A pet would make me happy,” she says.

         “I know what to get, but it'll take all day,” she tosses gumdrops to three venus flytraps.

         The flytraps swallow the gumdrops and watch Brooke fly from the garden.

         Brooke knows she has to go to the far side of the forest. A water fairy, she dips her feet into the water and rides the river. Brooke dodges a rock or two, slides past some large fish, and lets the river bring her to a green lake. She lifts off the water and flies to find what she's looking for.

         Special plants live here and she has to ask Beth, the all-knowing bee tree, permission to take anything from the lake. Brooke finds the giant tree, covered with green leaves, white flowers, red berries, and thousands of bees, at the other end of the lake.

         “Hello.” Brooke lands.

         The gray trunk wrinkles and dark brown eyes open wide. “Why, hello, Little fairy.” The voice is that of a grandmother.

         “My name's Brooke and I came to ask a favor.”

         “How can I help you, Brooke?” The tree smiles.

         “Mom and Dad gave me a gray rose and it's sad. I brought him water trumpets, trumpet vines, silver bells, and fairy bells to play music, but it didn't help,” Brooke explains.

         “And what can I do for you?” Wood creaks as the bee tree stretches.

         “I want to get him some pets. I think airplane plants and spider flowers might help.”

         “He sounds lonely,” Beth agrees. “If you think a pet will help, you may take what you need. But how will you carry them?”

         “I'm a very strong fairy,” Brooke answers.

         “I'm sure you are, but can I ask some of the bees to help you?”

         “If they don't mind, I'll be more than happy to take them to my garden,” the fairy says.

         “Pick what you need and I'll have the bees carry them for you,” the tree tells her.

         Brooke grabs a few airplane plants and some spider flowers. It only takes a few minutes and the bee tree has a swarm of bees ready to fly home with the little fairy.

         “Thank you.” Brooke kisses the tree.

         The bee tree blushes just a bit.

         “You're welcome. Be careful and take good care of those pets.”

         “I will. I promise.” Brooke starts across the lake.

         Bees pick up the plants and follow the fairy over the lake and up the river to her garden. Once there, airplane plants are put in wire baskets and hung on rods Brooke makes from nearby clouds. She plants the spider flowers near buttercups and cream cups, then thanks the bees for their help.

         It's late and Brooke's leaves for home before the moon climbs into the sky.

         Brooke is at the garden early the next morning. The airplanes, all green with white stripes, are flying and the spider flowers are twisting web pillows for their purple and pink blooms, but Joshua doesn't seem to notice. His gray bloom is pale, and most of his leaves are brown.

         “What's wrong Joshua?” She asks. “I've tried everything I can think of.”

         All the plants Brooke's brought to the garden are happy. The music's loud, the airplanes and spiders are making themselves at home, and all the other trees and flowers seem satisfied. She sits in the center of the garden, tasting honey from yellow honeysuckles she's made friends with.

         Suddenly, the water fairy smiles. It's something the bee tree said yesterday. “He sounds lonely.”

         Brooke knows what to do. She rushes to the traveler's palm in the far corner of the garden. Touching her hand against one of the long, pointy leaves, she disappears.

         Hours pass before Brooke returns. In her hand is a beautiful rose with gray petals, reddish brown thorns, and long, thin leaves. Before she plants the new rose, she sees a change in Joshua. He's holding his head higher and shining his thorns with leaves that are turning bright green. Brooke plants the rose as close to Joshua as she can, happy when she sees the affection between the two.

         “Joshua, this is Shelby.” Brooke giggles. “I want you to take good care of her. I think you'll be very good friends.”

         Joshua recovers quickly, just a day or two, and Brooke's garden is a happy place once again. The spider flowers are colorful, the airplane plants play chase all day, and the music is always festive. The garden's a wonderful place to visit and is a favorite of all the young fairies in Teihzbael.

         It's is a beautiful garden. It's Brooke's garden.