Chapter 9: The Gardener

Grief weighed heavy on Mary as she navigated the familiar paths that wound through the town. Three years of friendship with Jesus had forged a bond that transcended the ordinary, and their shared joke about her sharing a name with his mother echoed in her mind. The early morning sun cast a somber light over the town, and the church bells rang out, a signal of the upcoming services. But Mary couldn't bring herself to join the congregation. Instead, she followed through the darkened streets, drawn to the cemetery where Jesus rested.

To her astonishment, the grave that had held her dear friend was now gaping open. A solitary figure, obscured by the morning mist, was tending to the disturbed earth, planting flowers as if cultivating life from the ground that had cradled death. In her distress, Mary assumed it was the gardener, oblivious to the divine truth unfolding before her eyes—that this was the Gardener of Souls resurrected.

As whispers of sightings circulated through the town, tales of encounters at a local diner began to surface. A figure resembling the one Mary had seen in the cemetery sat at the bar counter. In a moment, he raised and broke a piece of toast, a simple yet profound act that marked his triumphant return. The town still shrouded in the lingering shadows of grief, began to buzz with the realization that he was indeed back.