"I really have no idea what you just said!" Peter exclaimed when he'd heard Janet's rendition of Emilys story.
"Join the club," I said with a chuckle. "I told you when we first came here that you might not understand much of what the gardener says." Janet, wiping tears from her eyes, continued, "When I was in the 12th grade, I took shorthand. As you know, shorthand is written in symbols. Now you guys might think I'm crazy, but I'm pretty sure that what Andy is saying is only symbolic, and I'm positive he is talking in a form of shorthand."
Peter laughed and said Janet sounded like something from an Agatha Christie novel. Having a little fun with her, he continued, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, I ask you, does the old gardener talk in shorthand, or does he talk longhand?"
"Don't you see," Janet continued, ignoring Peter's facetious comments, "that this is why Andy doesn't want to get caught up in any unnecessary explanations to some of the trivial questions we have been asking him?"
At this point, I told Janet she must be perceiving something beyond what I was seeing.
"Me, too," said Peter. "I don't quite comprehend what you mean by Andy talking in shorthand."
Janet, in her own delightful way, appeared inspired. I'd never seen her so alive or excited as she said, "Shorthand is a series of small, quick strokes that represent something much larger, a sound or a whole word. Shorthand is only symbolic of what it really represents. As Andy himself said a couple of days ago, 'By its very nature, such knowledge can only be explained symbolically via the word.' This is why I feel he is telling us to find what we are looking for using a different approach than we would ordinarily"
Janet continued, "What I am saying is, while I don't understand his method of talking, I am getting the idea when Andy tells us to look at Thought, he is not telling us to look at our personal thoughts, nor is he judging what we do with them. What I hear him say is, there's a vast difference between the power of Thought and our personal thinking."
Peter thought for a while. "So what I hear you say is, we as therapists shouldn't concentrate so much on the contents of people's thoughts or what painful situations they may have created. Rather, we should concentrate on the power of Thought, which the old gardener so obviously believes in."
Tom and I laughed at Peter, saying he was starting to sound like Andy. Everyone immediately burst into laughter at that thought. Peter and Janet were laughing so hard that they were completely out of control. Even Tom managed a hearty guffaw.
I hadn't seen Tom laugh like that during the entire time I'd known him. After hearing about all the turmoil he was going through in his life, it truly was a joy to see him let his guard down and not be so serious.
Personally, I was astonished by how astute Janet was and how she appeared to comprehend more than any of us about what the gardener had been saying. As I mused over her explanations, I began to realize that Janet was understanding more in a few days than I had figured out in a year. At that moment I was filled to the brim with the most exhilarating feelings of well-being, and I knew in my heart that this weekend would live in my memory forever.
Chapter 19
Farewell
The following morning we woke to our first English downpour, the sheets of rain blowing this way and that, all but obliterating the view from our rooms. After breakfast, Peter and I checked out of the hotel and waited in the lounge for Janet and Tom. Finally, Janet appeared with arms full of luggage and parcels, apologizing for being late.
"Wow!" she exclaimed. "I've never seen rain like this before! When my alarm went off, it was still so dark out that I thought I must have set the clock wrong. I'm glad this weather waited until we were leaving. Oh, Tom said to tell you he'll be here shortly—he's just checking out. And speaking of Tom, I spent about an hour with him in the lounge last night and couldn't believe what I was hearing. I've never known him to be so positive! It was like talking with a different person, and he looks just great."
Peter added, "Something's happened to him, all right. Last night he suddenly announced to me that he wasn't going to take the three-day London tour with us as planned."
"Do you know why?" I asked.
"No, I don't," Peter answered. "But he was quite adamant about it and I couldn't persuade him to change his mind. He kept muttering something about, 'It's never too late.'"
At this point, Andy appeared to say his goodbyes to us. As he approached, I noticed a few weak streaks of sun beginning to mingle with the rain. Janet, more radiant than ever, immediately bid Andy good morning. She virtually bubbled as she said, "Thanks again to you and Emily for an unforgettable picnic. I truly appreciated the inspiring conversations with both of you." Handing Andy a little gift-wrapped parcel, Janet asked him to give it to Emily and to thank her for being such a wonderful hostess. "Please give her a special thanks for helping me to realize that there are good marriages out there, and for giving me great hope for the possibility of helping to strengthen even more of them." With tears in her eyes, Janet threw her arms around Andy's neck and kissed his cheek.
Peter stepped forward and shook Andy's hand. "I have to say that it has been a distinct pleasure meeting you, and I have very much enjoyed our intriguing conversations. Now, I'm not saying I agree with all of your philosophical views on life, but I have to admit that you've given me a lot to think about."
Tom stepped forward, shook Andy's hand and thanked him and Emily for their hospitality. Suddenly, looking very serious, Tom said, "That conversation down by the river yesterday made me look at something I've been avoiding for a long time." With these words, he again shook Andy's hand, then sped off to say farewell to some of the other therapists he'd met during the convention.
Finally, Andy turned to me. "Well, Eric, again we say our farewells. It was a pleasure meeting with you again and chatting with you and your friends. I'm glad to hear that your life is going so well."
With these words, he raised his cap, wished us all Godspeed on our journey through life, and left us to our last-minute preparations for the return trip. By then the rain had completely disappeared, leaving only glistening grass and trees and a few puddles on the driveway to show that it had ever been. Broad rays of sunlight burnished the clouds as they passed through the sky and began to warm the air.
While I watched, a stray beam illuminated the old gardener as he picked up the handles of his wheelbarrow and walked toward his beloved gardens.