"I hope you don't mind my asking such questions," Janet blushed, "but it's so rare in my profession to find such a healthy marriage. What was this bond you found?"
Emily waited a few seconds before answering, then said, "Love and understanding."
"And what else?" Janet asked.
"Janet, I can't possibly answer such questions in just a few minutes," Emily protested good-naturedly.
"Well, do you and Andy ever disagree?" Janet asked.
"Of course we do," Emily replied. "We're only human, and no one is perfect."
"Except you and me," Janet quipped, her eyes twinkling.
Emily immediately replied with a chuckle, "Of course! That goes without saying." Then she said, "Throughout the years, little by little, I have found a deeper understanding of life, which in turn brought more common sense into our marriage. Over time, Andy and I have found a lot of respect and love for each other. It's all a matter of sharing, loving and caring, never intentionally hurting your partner in any way. This is what I would call love, and this alone will create a healthy marriage.
"In marriage," Emily continued, "you must try to understand each others little idiosyncrasies and forgive them. Just as Andy forgives me for any annoying habits I may have, I forgive him his. You shouldn't have to walk on eggshells, but you should try to be aware of your partner's sensitivities."
"What else goes into a good marriage?" I asked Emily.
"For a healthy marriage, I suggest couples should try to be each other's best friend. It's surprising how much trust and harmony it brings to a marriage when you realize your wife or your husband is truly your best friend."
"My big problem," Janet sighed, "is that by the time I get to see a couple in my office, there's usually almost zero trust for each other left. They're certainly not best friends at that point. And you wouldn't believe how many couples split up over trivialities. Before I met you and Andy, I often wondered if there were any good marriages left in this world."
"Of course there are," Emily said with a smile. "You must remember that in your profession you only hear about the marriages that have deep problems. But luckily there are still many healthy marriages out there with couples quietly going about their lives."
After a pause, Janet said, "You mentioned forgiveness being one of the main requirements for a healthy marriage. Would you mind if I asked you to explain in more detail?"
Emily sat down on the picnic table and invited Janet and me to sit beside her. Holding Janets hand, she said, "My dear, sometimes forgiveness can go a long way to patch up an unfortunate wrongdoing. Sometimes it's the only thing that can."
Janet asked Emily what advice she would give a newlywed couple.
"I would tell them the very same as I have just told you," Emily said. Then, smiling brightly, she changed the subject, asking Janet whether she was heading straight home to America or if she was going to travel and do some sightseeing while in Britain.
"I have a wonderful vacation planned," Janet beamed. "After I leave here, I travel to York; I'm told it's a charming city, absolutely saturated with history. The travel agent also said that York's medieval city wall was constructed on top of an even earlier Roman wall, and the city itself is thought to cover a Viking ruin."
"You made a good choice," Emily remarked. "It is, as you just said, a little medieval city. Both Andy and I favor it highly; indeed, it is one of our preferred places to visit. If you enjoy antiques and antiquity, York will certainly fill the bill."
"I can't wait to see it," Janet said excitedly. "After I visit York, I'm flying to Ireland, where I have some distant relatives. My grandfather on my mother's side of the family came from Dublin, and I've always longed to see where he was born. I feel it's going to be marvelous to go back to my roots."
"What an adventure you have planned!" Emily said with a smile. "I hope you have a splendid time, and don't forget to send us a postcard from York."
Just then, the other three arrived back at the picnic site, all laughing at something Peter had said—something they would not disclose to the ladies.
It was nearing five o'clock, and Andy ended the day by saying that he and Emily should get home. He thanked us for joining them, saying how much he had enjoyed our talks and that he had found them very inspiring. Emily agreed it had been both a pleasure and an honor to meet us all, saying she had enjoyed the privilege of having such wonderful conversations with such interesting and important people.
Chapter 18
A Lesson in Shorthand
After Andy and Emily left, we lay in silence under the oak tree, gazing at the pastoral scene around us. I thought to myself, "No wonder people talk about the beauty of the English countryside. I guess the lushness is the pay-off for having so much rain." I was glad that we had been lucky and hadn't experienced any of the legendary English downpours so far.
I was experiencing the greatest feeling of tranquillity. I can't exactly express how I felt. It was as if all the stress had left my body and I enjoyed a wonderful peace of mind.
Janet said that she was feeling the same way, and that she wouldn't mind living in England for a couple of years to truly experience the English way of life.
Peter commented, "England certainly is a beautiful country, at least what I've seen of it. I'm like you, Janet—someday I'd love to come back and take at least two months to tour the whole of Britain. I'm glad I came to this conference, too. Without a doubt it's the best I've ever attended."
Then Peter changed the subject, asking me if I saw the old gardener look straight at him when he was talking about ego. "I tell you, it was the eeriest feeling. It was as if he knew my ego was bothering me."
"Come on, Peter, you're becoming paranoid," I said. "What makes you say that?"
"Because last night I realized that Andy has been saying things that I couldn't understand and, to be honest with you, it really bothered me when I realized my ego was not allowing me to listen to him. It's just so embarrassing to be told by a gardener about one's own profession."
"I feel for you," Janet said. "But you should have heard what Emily told us about a prophecy Andy has made."
"What prophecy?" Peter asked. "What did she say?"
Smiling impishly at Tom and Peter, Janet said that she didn't want to spoil their day and that she would tell them later.
"Come on Janet," Peter implored. "You can't just leave us hanging like that! What is this about a prophecy?"
"Well," replied Janet, "Emily told us that Andy predicts that there will arise in the '70s an all new psychological approach that will help millions of people."
Peter sat with a stunned look on his face, saying nothing for the longest time. "Wow!" he finally said. "That's quite the statement, even for old Andy. But how could he possibly know this to be true?"
Tears ran down Janet's cheeks as she said, "Whether we believe him or not, wouldn't it be wonderful if his prophecy did come true and we found even the smallest help for people?"
"Of course," Peter replied. "That goes without saying. What worries me is the fact that anyone can make such a prediction with such assurance. How can he be so sure before it happens?"
"I asked Emily that very same question, and she answered me by saying, 'Because he can See.'"
"What did she mean, 'Because he can see'?" Peter asked.
"I haven't the foggiest idea," Janet admitted. "When I asked Emily that question at the picnic site, she told me the following story: Some years ago, Andy and Emily we were relaxing under the old oak tree in their back yard, enjoying the softness of a summer evening. For some reason the topic of Seeing came up and Emily asked Andy to explain what he meant. He picked up an acorn that was lying on the lawn and, holding it up high, he said, 'Someday this acorn will look just like the oak tree we are sitting under. But it takes many years for it to grow and mature. However, if you can See, and you plant the proper seeds and jump the boundaries of time, the results of the planted seeds are apparent now.'"