Jesper, 57

The untold secret:

After spending most of his life in big cities, Jasper had finally found solace in the quiet allure of the countryside, amidst the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves. The view from his window was his haven: A vast expanse dotted with patches of green and the occasional wildlife scampering about. His sturdy, old typewriter sat proudly on his desk, its keys echoing with tales of old and new.

However, his sanctuary of solitude was interrupted when she moved next door. The woman, probably in her late 30s, appeared to be seeking the same refuge from the chaotic bustle of urban life. She had a weary yet determined look in her eyes, the kind that told of battles fought and many more to come. And soon enough, Jasper noticed a new hobby budding in her – gardening.

Jasper couldn't help but observe her fumbling attempts to create a patch of green. Her enthusiasm was evident, but her knowledge seemed lacking. Plants were planted too close or too far apart, watered too much or too little, and some of them seemed utterly out of place given the season. It became a regular spectacle for him; between typing lines for his new novel, he would steal glances at her struggling garden.

One evening, he watched as she planted a rosebush in a spot that received almost no sunlight. It gnawed at him, this act of naive ignorance. He knew that bush would be lifeless in a matter of weeks. That night, he hardly typed a word.

The following day, an idea formed in his mind. Armed with tools and a desire to set things right, he sneaked into her garden while she was away. He shifted the rosebush to a sunnier spot, watered the wilting daffodils, and pruned the overgrown shrubs. Before leaving, he looked around, and a smile crept on his face. It was better, it was perfect.

Days turned into weeks, and Jasper’s covert operations continued. Every time the woman made a mistake, he would rectify it. Her garden began to thrive, bursting with vibrant colors and fragrances. She often stood admiring her handiwork, basking in the sense of achievement, unaware of the silent gardener who played a significant role.

One evening, as Jasper typed away, he heard her laughter, the genuine kind, light and carefree. He glanced out the window to find her joyfully dancing amidst her flowers. It warmed his heart but also hinted at a twinge of something deeper, something he had yet to confront. He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

But as the days went on, there was a subtle change in the atmosphere. Whispered conversations over the fence, plans for a change in career perhaps? The garden was no longer just a hobby for her; it was becoming her passion, believing that it was something worth pursuing given her new found talent, a talent that wasn’t exactly hers.

Jasper's fingers hesitated over the typewriter keys. As the whispers turned into declarations, a storm brewed within him. Suddenly it wasn't just about the garden anymore. It was about unfulfilled dreams, lost opportunities, and shadows from the past that refused to stay buried.

About Jasper:

The town of Whittingham always held its mysteries, and among them was Jasper. Born into a stately manor with more rooms than there were stories to fill them, Jasper grew up surrounded by privilege but bereft of warmth. The high walls, both literal and metaphorical, kept him away from the world outside and trapped him in a twisted realm of beauty and torment.

Jasper's earliest memories were painted with the vibrant colors of the flowers that adorned the sprawling gardens of the estate. But every rose has its thorn, and in Jasper's life, that thorn was his mother. A woman of regal posture and cold eyes, she moved through the house like a ghost, her presence heavy, almost suffocating. The only time Jasper saw a glimmer of life in her was when she was tending to her beloved garden.

The garden, for her, was not just a pastime—it was an obsession. Flowers of every conceivable shade and variety thrived under her meticulous care. It was as if she poured all the love she had into those plants, leaving nothing for her own son.

Young Jasper, in his innocent curiosity, would sometimes wander into the garden, reaching out to touch the silky petals or the rough bark. But his ventures were always met with a harsh reprimand. “Stay away!” she would hiss, “You'll ruin them.” The same hands that caressed the flowers would lash out at him, pushing him away, instilling a sense of inferiority and worthlessness.

But instead of deterring him, her actions only fueled his intrigue. From a distance, he would observe her—her methods, her routines. And in those stolen moments of observation, he began to nurture a secret love for plants, associating their beauty with the rare, tender moments of his mother.

As the years went by, the distance between Jasper and his parents only widened. His father was an absentee, consumed by the family business, and his mother remained an enigma, her love reserved solely for her plants. Jasper often wondered if beneath the icy facade was a woman yearning for something more, something she found in the company of her plants.

When he reached adulthood, Jasper left the oppressive confines of his family estate and tried to find himself. The written word became his refuge, his solace. But the memories of the garden, and his mother's rejection, remained rooted deep within.

The garden next door, the one he secretly nurtured, became an extension of those memories—a way to rewrite his past. But when his neighbor began to see herself as a gifted gardener, the narrative began to unravel. The thought of someone else, especially someone so undeserving in his eyes, claiming a passion that was so deeply personal to him was unbearable.

In a whirlwind of emotion, the garden morphed into a symbol of his mother and her chilling rejection. Each petal, every leaf he had nurtured, mirrored the love he was continually denied. In a desperate bid to rewrite his narrative and metaphorically cleanse himself of his mother's overbearing shadow, he resorted to poison.

Watching the flowers wither and decay, a perverse satisfaction surged within him. It felt as though he was finally seizing control, establishing dominance over the singular thing that had perennially eluded him: his mother's affection. And perhaps, as an unintended but welcome byproduct, he also shielded his neighbor from disastrous career choices.

Initially, the thought of facing a deteriorating garden from his window while penning his book filled him with dread. However, in an eerie twist of fate, Jasper found solace in observing what he perceived as his mother's slow decay. The failing neighbour's garden became his muse for yet another secret he would have to keep to himself.

Jesper, 57