The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
Design Ghadeer Alakeel
Future Classic Series
The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden Original by Frances Hodgson Burnett Rewritten and illustrated by Ghadeer Alakeel
Future Classic Series The Secret Garden design and illustration Š 2020 Ghadeer Alakeel for information, contact Ghadeer Alakeel Original story by Frances Hodgson Burnett Rewritten and illustrated by Ghadeer Alakeel
contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
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Chapter 1:
M
ary Lennox lived in India with her British parents, who always travelled here and there for their business. Mary grew up alone in the absence of her parents who left her with a nanny, whom Mary called Maa, which means mom in Hindi. Many people see Mary as a spoiled child and an arrogant girl who does whatever she wants and gets what she wants immediately. Her nanny gives Mary everything she asks for since Mary’s parents gave her permission to do so to save their time and avoid getting disturbed. Mary is an Instagram influencer; she has over 50k followers, people who are curious to know about her daily life. Mary’s family is one of the richest people in India; they have many stores and malls throughout India. This also makes people follow her to see where she goes and what she buys. Mary’s favorite thing to 1
do is post on her Instagram about her OOTD (outfit of the day), her travels and her daily street food pictures. One lovely day in a weekend in mid-May when the sun was warm, but not yet hot, Mary as always, went to visit her favorite place in all of India, Marina Beach in Chennai. In her small private jet, the journey from Delhi to Chennai, took around three hours. But Mary never got tired of looking at the astonishing views of the ocean and the amazing comfort of her jet, taking pictures here and there to post about her journey on Instagram. The flight route went over the Bay of Bengal, which allowed Mary to take plenty of pictures of the vast, blue ocean along with selfies with her drink, her favorite masala chai (spiced milk tea) with tea biscuits and strawberry jam biscuits. At the opening of the plane door, Mary took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and the smell of greenery, which is what made this place her favorite because unlike Delhi, here Mary could see the blue sky and smell the green and fill her lungs with clean air. Coming down the stairs, Mary heard her nanny on the phone with the driver, confirming their arrival. Mary reached the end of the stairs coming down for the airplane, and her car arrived the second she put her feet on the ground. Taking her suitcase, the driver greeted her and asked her where she wanted to go. Mary said with enthusiasm “To eat; I am craving an Idli Sambar, let’s go.” They arrived at the beach shortly. It was packed with people and the weather was good; the waves at that time of the year were a bit strong which Mary liked. Mary got out of the car and went straight to her favorite Idli Sambar vendor. She started filming the vendor making her order “It is fluffy and sticky rice dough. Look how he scoops 2
the mix with his hand into the tray and then into the saucepan for the stem. I cannot wait for my order to be done! Rice stem cakes with the three colorful chutneys, the best food ever in Marina Beach.” Mary took her food and thanked the vendor, went to the beach where her nanny and the driver had set up a blanket for her on the soft golden sandy beach. A few hours later, the sun was getting hotter. Mary went to a nearby booth to buy a jigarthanda drink to cool her down. She went back to her spot and started live streaming on her Instagram “This is the best drink for summer. Jigarthanda is sweet, caramelly, and creamy with an almond flavor. Although it is a drink, it is best eaten with a spoon. The ice cream is soo good—creamy and soft.” At that time, the nanny got a phone call and was surprised to see who was calling, Mary’s parents! It was really rare for them to call or ask about their daughter. The nanny picked up the phone and greeted the caller, but the voice surprised her. They asked her if it was Mary’s nanny phone. The nanny answered yes. Although Mary was live streaming on her Instagram, she was more focused on the nanny’s facial expression; she knew something was not right. Nanny’s expression changed from that of surprise to that of shock. She also looked sad and kept looking at Mary. Hearing the news, Mary decided to go back to Delhi immediately. She spent the three-hour flight thinking about her future and what would happen to her now. She did not miss her parents, did not even cry for them for she had not seen them for over four years.
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Chapter 2:
M
ary arrived in Delhi; her parents’ lawyer was waiting for her. The lawyer told Mary her how her parents had been in an accident and that he will take care of her parents’ business until Mary is of age to do so herself. But now, since Mary was only fifteen years old, she would not be capable of managing her parents’ properties. The lawyer told her he would try to get in contact with her relatives and ask for their help. But Mary was unsure if she even had any relatives; she hardly saw her parents that much that she would talk to them and know more about her family and relatives. Mary spent the next few days in confusion. She stopped posting on her Instagram, and people are asking her to post. However, for the first time in her 5
life, she did not care. Right now, what mattered to her the most was her future. She had lived her life with comfort and had never been anxious about her future or anything else. But now, she felt unsafe, unsure, and afraid of what was going to happen. She wanted to get in contact with the lawyer, but she was afraid of hearing what she would not like. The nanny who loved Mary as her own child was depressed too, but she wanted Mary to lighten up. She tried making Mary’s favorite food matar samosa. But Mary had lost her appetite. So, the nanny woke up early to buy Mary’s favorite mango stuffed kulfi to bring her appetite back and to cool herself down a little bit as well. Mary loved sweets and ice cream which made her mood better. But that was not the case this time, Mary still did not feel better. The lawyer arrived at Mary’s house; it was a very hot summer day. He knocked on the door and the nanny opened the door. Looking at the nanny’s messy, untidy and miserable appearance, he knew that Mary would be the same. Suddenly, he was not sure if his news would be good or bad for Mary. But he needed to tell her sooner or later, so he decided it was best to tell her sooner instead of waiting and making the news more of a shock for Mary. The lawyer, without speaking to the nanny, went straight to the living room where he thought Mary would be. When he entered, Mary, without thinking, turned to see who came. She instantly rose up upon seeing the lawyer. The lawyer, without making any remark about her reaction to seeing him and how tense she seemed, took the seat closest to her. He waited for her to sit, but she just stood there so he waved to her to be seated. After Mary had taken her seat, the lawyer said “Mary, 6
I know how difficult this is for you. But I have some news for you. I do not know if it’s good or bad news, but we do not have a say in this. We have to follow the choices that have been made.” Mary stayed silent, she was unsure of what was going on. The lawyer waited for her to speak went on as there was no response, “I tried to reach out to your relatives and managed to contact your father’s uncle Archibald Craven who is a very well-known businessman living in Yorkshire in England. He said he would take care of your parents’ business and he…”. The lawyer stopped talking. He looked down, and Mary guessed what the lawyer wanted to say next. “He wants me to leave India, right?” Mary said. The lawyer looked at Mary gloomily and nodded. For the next few days, the house was hectic. The nanny was unsure what Mary would need in England and was not feeling well about Mary being left alone. Since she had never left Mary alone, she was worried that Mary would not be able to handle this situation alone, not to mention that she would be living far and with an uncle that she had never heard of before. Based on what the lawyer said, Mr. Craven sounded like a harsh and strict man. All the nanny was worried about was how Mary was going to live without her help and with a strict uncle like Mr. Craven. On a Saturday, Mary left India, her hometown, her people, and her lovely nanny who was like her mother for England. Feeling lonely in the airplane, Mary cried quietly, she had not only lost her parents, but her nanny, and her life. She could neither stop her tears nor her worries.
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Chapter 3:
A
rriving in England, Mary was greeted by Mrs. Medlock, Mr. Carven’s the secretary of and Mary’s future nanny. Mrs. Medlock was an unexpressive tall woman with dark hair. Without saying much, she led Mary to the car. On the road, Mrs. Medlock started stating the rules of the house to Mary, “You should sleep at 9. Breakfast is served at 7am. You should make note of the rules that I am giving you now. Mr. Carven hates people who do not follow his house rules.” Mary replied angrily, “ Then he should not force me to live in his house, what a wired person!” Mrs. Medlock who was busy with her paperwork looked at Mary and said “That’s no manner for you to say that. I would not accept any harsh remark on Mr. Carven and an attitude. You should behave well Miss Mary. I do not care how you lived, but now you have to act in a polite and proper 9
way. Understood?” Mary looked away outside the window and ignored what Mrs. Medlock had just said. She was not someone to act according to what people tell her for she had never done that before. Mrs. Medlock continued, “You are also forbidden from calling your friends or anyone you know in India. And you should never mention India or your life there.” “What? Why?” yelled Mary. “Miss Mary I will ask you again to behave and speak as a lady without shouting. These are the rules and you should follow.” The road to her uncle’s house was full of farms and greens, which made Mary a little bit relaxed, but it reminded her of her nanny and her life in India. She was thinking of her house, her room and how happy she was there when Mrs. Medlock interrupted, “We have arrived, get ready Miss Mary.” “You should know a little bit about the place you are going to live in. This place is called Misselthwaite Manor and it’s one of the biggest mansions in all of England,” Mrs. Medlock said. “Like I care,” Mary scoffed. Ignoring what Mary said, Mrs. Medlock continued “Mr. Craven would not be able to see you today because he is getting ready for his business in London. I would be responsible for your stay here and I advise you to keep your thoughts to yourself.” Mary was not paying attention to what Mrs. Medlock said and she did not have the energy to reply to what was being said to her. Mary was busy observing the 10
mansion. The entrance was wide and full of trees and flowers. Mary opened the window to listen to the stream that flow on the left side of the road. After the hill, Mary saw the honey, tangerine color house that was reflecting the sunlight. Mary was astonished by the beauty of the garden and the color of the house. Mrs. Medlock got in the car and ordered the servant “Take Miss Mary’s suitcase to her room and tell Martha to prepare the dinner. I believe Miss Mary is tired of the trip and she needs to eat her dinner before she goes to sleep.” Mary entered and was astonished by the beauty and simplicity of the house, with its modern Victorian interior. The walls were light blue with white designs on the roof, white furniture and white chandeliers that reflected the blue color of the walls. The entrance room was open and spacious, filled with sunlight coming from the big, tall, windows facing the entrance. Mrs. Medlock hastily led Mary to the dining room across from the entrance where dinner was served. It was her first English style dinner and the first time since hearing about her parents that Mary felt hungry and tired. Mary liked the tender roasted beef; it went well with the steamed potatoes and the melted cheeses. On the side of the pudding that looked like a deep dish and tasted slightly sweet, there was soft scone filled with beef gravy. The food smelled aromatic and the beef sauce tasted a little bit spicy which Mary appreciated since she couldn’t enjoy her food without chili. Mrs. Medlock asked Martha to take Miss Mary to her room after dinner. Mary followed Martha into her new room. They took the elevator to the fifth floor and 11
continued walking to the last door in the long corridor. Martha opened the door and lead Mary into the huge room that was a bit dark as the sun had already set by that time. Mary was too tired to even explore the room. After Martha left the room, Mary threw her body into the soft bed and slept without changing her clothes or washing her face. Mary dreamed about her home back in India, her room, her nanny whom she missed the most. She woke up frightened; all that had happened was not a dream. She was in England now and in a strange place that she never thought she would live in. Mary looked around the room, the room had peach color walls, and light, greenish blue color furniture. The peach color resembled the sand, and the greenish blue color resembled the water and the sky. Mary felt relaxed as if she was at her favorite place, the beach. She was sure she liked the room. A knock on the door brought Mary’s thoughts to reality. “It is breakfast time Miss Mary, I will wait for you here while you get dressed and take you down to the dining room,” that was Martha’s voice. Mary washed her face, got dressed, and went to the dining room lead by Martha. Breakfast was full of variety food like scotch eggs, pork pie, pastries, cakes, bacon, sausages, and toasts. But Mary missed her favorite food, the warm, soft roti with spicy dal in the morning and the masala chai. After breakfast, Mary went out to explore the place despite Mrs. Medlock’s instructions about her not leaving her room. She walked toward the entrance fountain and then towards the small streams in front 12
of the fountain. This place reminded her of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. She continued walking to the bee wing shape that was detached to allow a walker to go through. The glass of these shapes reflected the sky, clouds and the green trees around them, making them look like stars that shine in spite of the bright sky of the day. Walking alongside the running stream beside the path made Mary relaxed; she liked the smell and sound of the water. She followed the path until she reached a Japanese garden that was full of colorful flowers, trees, and stones. She walked into it and to the big brown bent bridge cut the river to the other side of the garden to narrow rock path on the other smaller river. She was not sure where to go but she decided to go all the way to the end mansion’s fence. She was lost in her thoughts and did not know how long she had been walking; she did not care. She felt alone in this place, she had always been without her parents but she had had her nanny. She knew that even if she did not see or talk to her parents, there was someone who cared about her. But now she had lost that too. She had lost her nanny. That was more depressing to her than losing her parents. Mary could not see the fence and she was tired. She tried to go back to the house, but she could not; she did not remember the way back. She was lost in this ridiculously enormous garden. She was left with only one choice. She felt her pocket and she found it, her phone. Out of habit she always carried her phone with her in her jeans pocket. She had not checked her phone since that time at the beach; her nanny kept charging the phone but Mary never used it. She felt mixed emotions as if the phone was to be blamed for everything that had happened to her life since 13
that day at the beach. She shook that thought out her head and opened her phone. She opened the map; the right thing to do now is to go back. Going through the map, she found it, the gleaming white house. She followed the path back to it. While following the path, before she had reached to the big brown bridge or the stones in the river, she saw something unexpected in the map. A black circle shape. Getting closer to the shape on the map, Mary could only see trees. But she was sure the shape was behind these trees. Mary went ahead, moving the tree branches and leaves out of her way. But she only came across some red bricks. Mary was curious. For the first time since that day, she felt excited and alive again. Mary wanted to discover something; she wanted to discover everything in this place full of mystery.
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Chapter 4:
N
o more than five people lived in the mansion: the housekeeper, the cook, Martha, Mrs. Medlock and the gardener Mr. Weatherstaff. These are the only people whom Mary had seen since she came here and she had been here for two weeks. At the dinner table, Mary was hardly paying attention to what Mrs. Medlock who was asking her about her stay and if she needed anything. “Miss Mary! Are you alright?” Mrs. Medlock said and knocked on the table to get Mary’s attention. “Yes?” answered Mary. “I was asking you Miss Mary how your stay has been and if you need anything?” 17
“Oh, thank you I am fine. Are there only five people living in this house?” asked Mary. “Miss Mary, you should be more polite and ask your question nicely and first ask me if you can ask this kind of a question,” Mrs. Medlock said in a serious tone. Mary hated when someone told her what to do and how to behave, “Why do I need permission to ask questions? You did not ask or wait for my permission before disturbing my thoughts!” Mrs. Medlock was furious with this bad-tempered girl. “Miss. Mary! I have tried to be patient in the last two weeks, but it looks like I have to discipline you. You will not be allowed to use your phone for two days”. “What!” “You heard me, Miss Mary and you should reply by saying that you understand. Please hand me your phone now.” “What? No, I do not understand.” Mary said and stomped out of the dining room. She had more important things to do than arguing with Mrs. Medlock. She wanted to find the way to the secret place and for that she needed to explore the other house and the other rooms she might find a lead to the secret place. Going through the corridor in the lobby, Mary knew that it was the right path to the other house as she had seen the connection path on the map. In fact, Mrs. Medlock had prohibited her from going there, so Mary was even more certain that there was something that she should not find. That only made her want to go there more. 18
The glass corridor was a long walk full of greens and trees that reflected through the glass and created shadows inside the corridor. Also surrounded by vines that made the corridor look like an arch. Mary knew that she did not have much time before Mrs. Medlock and Martha started looking for her so she sped up. When Mary arrived at the other side, the lobby looked similar to the big house. She looked around and noticed a light on the first floor on the left. In the last two weeks, Mary had been studying the house routine. She knew where every person’s room was. Her uncle’s room and study were on the first floor of the big house, Mrs. Medlock’s was on the second floor and both the housekeeper, the cook, and Martha live on the sixth and last floor of the big house. Whereas, the gardener Ms. Weatherstaff lived in a small separate house on the other side behind the big house near the Japanese garden. And, she knew that Mrs. Medlock always went to the other house and all the servants went there regularly to deliver food and other essentials. Mary followed the light and up the stairs she went, taking a left turn toward the light source. She heard a voice, someone talking; the room’s door was open which allowed the light to escape and led Mary there. Mary went closer to the room; it was a small child’s voice, reading a book about lions. Peeking inside the room, Mary found the child sitting on his bed and holding the book. The room was bigger than hat hers, and the child was so focused on reading that he did not notice Mary appear at his door. Mary got closer and closer to the boy until she reached his bed and stood right next to him. 19
“Hi,” said Mary. The boy was startled and dropped the book. For a few minutes they both stared at each other until the child broke the silence and said, “You must be Mary? I have heard a lot about you.” “Who are you?” asked Mary, who was obviously curious as she had not imagined finding a child in there. “I am Colin, your cousin,” smiled the child. Suddenly, Mary and Colin heard the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. Then they heard Mrs. Medlock voice calling for Colin and asking his permission to enter the room. Colin quickly motioned to Mary to hide and pointed to the other side of the room where the wall divided his bedroom and the other room which was his study. Mary hid there and Colin called for Mrs. Medlock to enter. “Young Master, are you feeling hot, why are you sweating? Are you feeling ill?” Mrs. Medlock asked, opening the nightstand drawer, taking out a digital thermometer, and insert it in Colin’s ear to take his temperature. While Colin protested and told her he was alright, the thermometer beeped and Mrs. Medlock read the temperature, “Weird, your temperature is fine, if you are feeling sick or anything let me know and I will ask Martha to bring you a cooling juice.” “Yes, Ms. I will let you know, and please do not send Martha for I am sleepy now and want to sleep,” said Colin. “Are you sure you are alright Young Master? It is early for you as you usually sleep at 10 and it is only 9 now,”. 20
“Do not worry Mrs. Medlock it is just that I have read more today, and my eyes need to rest.” “Alright young Master, Goodnight.” Mrs. Medlock left the room, and Colin was relieved that they were not caught. Mary got closer to Colin, and Colin said, pointing to his electric wheelchair, “I get sick often and don’t feel well, so they keep me here away from others for fear of worsening my condition. Let’s just keep it a secret that we have met. I am happy to talk to a new person and I have wanted to see you because I have heard a lot about you form Martha.” “I think you should go now before Ms. finds you missing in your room and starts looking for you,” added Colin. “I will come tomorrow,” said Mary. “Will you? Really?” asked Colin excited. “Sure!” “But be careful! Don’t let Mrs. Medlock find out that you come here to see me,” said Colin. “And do not come if you find it too risky and if you think Mrs. Medlock might find out,” added Colin. “Ok, how about we stay in touch? If I cannot come to you, we can talk on the phone or text each other. And that way you would not have to worry if Mrs. Medlock finds out or not,” Mary suggested and the child loved the idea for he missed talking to people. He said he appreciated that Martha talked to him every day even though she was busy but Mrs. Medlock always scolded her for talking with the Young Master. So, they 21
exchanged their phone numbers and Mary left the room and wished him a good night. Mary liked talking to Colin. She felt as if she had found the sibling that she had wanted so bad to when she was younger. But deep down, it was because she found herself in that child too. For Colin was a prisoner all alone in this house without friends or family around him, and she knew that it only meant one thing that his father hated him and did not care about him just like her parents. The boy had been thrown away by his father who did not care about him but only cared about his business. For the next few days Mary kept thinking about the secret place and thought that it would help Colin get away from his room and breath freedom. The next day Mary texted Colin and told him about the secret place, “Let’s go and find a way to enter that place? What do you think?” Colin was delighted to hear that and asked her if she was sure he could come with her and whether he would not be an obstacle in her way with his wheelchair. But Mary did not wait for his reply, and was soon knocking on his door. They soon left the house carefully not to get caught escaping. They walked all the way to the Japanese garden, then to the bridge, and then to the stone river. But they found an alternate path which looked like it would be a shorter way to the secret place. All the way, Mary talked about her life in India and about Indian food and how she really craved a roasted corn with spices and a squeeze of a tangerine. She also talked about her favorite fruits mango and lychee, how watery and sweet the fruits are and how the moment when you are close to a fruit shop you start smelling 22
the mango and lychee’s sugary smell. She also talked about how she missed the beaches, the crowded places, and of course her nanny. Mary had not had any friends throughout her life; parents prevented their kids from befriending her and she could not understand these kids or their parents. Her life was so different than theirs. She could do what she wanted without any restriction, whereas these kids were monitored by their parents which she used to envy so much. She used to get in trouble just for the sake of getting her parents’ attention. However, she soon realized that it did not work but made her parents avoid her more. So, she stopped and focused more on being happy on her own. Hearing all this, Colin felt sad for Mary, but at the same time, he was glad to finally meet a person who could understand him. He too was lonely and missed his nanny whom he had known since his birth. They used to play a lot in the garden all of them with Martha and the gardener and even the cook sometimes played with them. Colin used to walk a little back then, he was not healthy, but it was not too bad. As for Colin’s father, Colin reminded him of his dead wife, whom he missed a lot which is why he could not see his son; he resembled her too much. Colin’s nanny got married and moved to London, and Mrs. bought Ms. for the house. Only then, Colin’s health got worse and soon he could not walk. Mary led the way to the trees where the place hid. Colin did not believe when Mary removed the branches to reveal the red bricks and an excited smile came upon his face. Both Mary and Colin were thinking about many things, all while searching for a way to enter this mysterious place that lay behind the bricks. 23
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Chapter 5:
M
ary, Mary! Come here quickly!” shouted Colin. Mary ran as fast as she could toward Colin’s voice.
Colin was lying on the ground, his chair flipped behind him. He was pointing to the tree branches, “It is here Mary, it is here!” he said, beaming with excitement. “Are you alright?” Mary asked, trying to lift him off the ground. “Mary I am alright, let us just go! Remove the branches!” protested Colin. “Alright, let me just help you so we can go in together,” Mary said, bringing the chair to Colin.
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However, Colin ignored her as he was extremely excited to see what lay beyond. He had heard a lot about this house and how mysterious it was from his nanny. She had also told him about a secret garden that his mother had built when she came to live in the mansion. Now he felt closer to both his mother and his nanny. Colin attempted to stand up, leaning against the red bricks, and opened the wooden door that had a little bit of pink paint on it spelling his mother’s name, Lilias. They had found it, the secret garden. The garden was full of wild roses and flowers. A big fountain stood in the middle made of beautiful and colorful smooth stone. For the next few weeks, Colin and Mary would visit the secret garden regularly. The healthy air and the proximity to nature in the garden also improved Colin’s health. They kept it a secret from Mrs. Medlock but told the others. All the staff would try distract Mrs. Medlock when Mary and Colin sneaked out. Colin’s legs got stronger and he exercised regularly with Mary’s help. Mary helped Colin walk leaning on her shoulder. Later on, Mr. Weatherstaff made a wooden cane for Colin to lean on. Colin was delighted and it helped him practice a lot as he tried walking and going anywhere he wanted without anyone’s help. All of this was kept a secret from Mrs. Medlock and she did not suspect anything. After a few weeks, Mr. Craven came to the house after an absence of two years or so. He showed up without prior notice, and the house was in chaos, preparing his room and cleaning it. At that time, Mary and Colin 26
were in the secret garden. Martha called Mary to let her know that Mr. Craven was there and they needed to get back immediately before Mr. Craven asked to see his son and Mary. Mary told Colin and they left the garden immediately. Colin was as walking fast as he could toward his wheelchair that they had left at the garden’s entrance as he did not need it and he could not wait to get rid of it. Mr. Craven was not doing well due to his business failure and that is why he had returned home. He went outside to get clean air and remembered his wife who used to comfort him on these occasions. Suddenly, he got a notification on his phone that the garden door had been opened. He knew that that was impossible so he went to check on the garden. His wife had playfully put a device on the garden’s door to inform them when someone entered the garden. He went to the garden, his wife’s favorite place. Getting closer, he could make out his son’s wheelchair, unattended. Then, he saw a girl running and his son behind her, walking. He was shocked that he was on his feet. He could not believe his eyes! His son was healthy and walking. Mary and Colin stopped frozen in their places at the sight of Mr. Craven. Mary recognized him from a picture she had seen earlier and heard Colin whispering in surprise, “Father!” Mr. Craven realized that he had shut himself from his family for he thought he did not deserve them nor did he deserve happiness. He had isolated himself, kept himself busy working and used business as an excuse for his absence from home. And in all this, he had forgotten the most important thing that he had a son and his son needed him and missed him much. 27
Mr. Craven stepped closer to his son, passing by Mary. Mary started talking hurriedly and explaining what had happened, scared that he might harm his son. But surprisingly, Mr. Craven hugged his son and started crying, saying over and over that he was sorry for everything, for leaving him all alone, and for not taking care of him. Everything got better in the next few weeks that Mr. Craven spent at the house. Colin was relieved and glad to have his father back and who was now much nicer. Mary, Colin, and Mr. Craven spent the best days since they had each had in a long time and enjoyed each other’s company. The house transformed completely from a dark to a brighter place. Laughter could now be heard in the house and more people were being invited. Colin and Mary were happy that they had discovered the secret garden and Mr. Craven trusted the garden with them. They even invited their neighbors and friends to the garden from time to time. Mary went to Paris to study fashion design at ESMOD International. She wanted to have her own fashion brand. Colin was still in his high school, but he already had a goal too, to become a good writer, to change the lives of children through his words and books, giving them a positive perspective in life. Books had enriched his imagination and helped him through difficult times, and had been his only friend when he did not have any.
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Mary is an influencer on Instagram. She lived in India with her wealthy British parents. However, the unexpected happened, her parents left her and she was forced to live with an uncle that she had never heard about. One day while lost in her uncle’s mansion and using her phone, she discovered a place that will change her life.
ISBN 009–6–61–445004–8
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