Two days later, Maria woke up and saw the blue sky
outside.
"I can go out!" She exclaimed.
"Right, that is." Isabel laughed. "It's a beautiful
day."
"How far is it to your house? I'd like to see your
house."
Isabel laughed. "Too far for you to walk, sweetie. 5
miles. But I'll ask Tess. She thinks a lot of
mother."
"I like your mother, and Michael, and I've never met
them."
"I bet Michael would like you as well."
"Nobody likes me."
"Do you like yourself, Maria?"
"I've never thought about it."
"My Mom always says that you've got to like yourself
to be happy, Maria."
Later that day, Maria was out playing in the garden.
Riverdog's robin was back, and Maira tried to get near
to it.
But she fell into a flower bed.
When she fell, she felt a metal object near her knee.
She dug down a bit, and found a metal key.
The kind that might have been buried for ten years.
She looked at the key for quite some time. Maria was
not the kind of child who would ask permission. She
did first, and thought later. She was so excited.
She could finally see the garden. The garden! She
didn't have time to go in it, for it was getting dark,
and Tess would be missing her soon. So she stuck the
key in her pocket.
The next morning, Isabel presented Maria with a
present.
"What is it?" Maria exclaimed.
"It's a jump rope." Isabel explained, and
demonstrated in her maid's outfit. "Now, just don't
tell Tess I did that."
"Deal."
Maria gave Isabel a hug, and went outside to use her
new toy.
She looked at the robin. "You wouldn't want to show
me the way to the garden, would you?"
Maria Delucca had read many fairy books that had
magic.
And for the first time in her life, she felt as if she
was actually experiencing magic.
The bird flew, and she followed.
He perched on a wall that Maria had examined before.
But she tried it again, and found a metal hole.
And she opened the door.
She was inside the secret garden.