The Forgotten Garden

“Don’t do it.” My mam told me. “You’ll just regret it.”

I rolled my eyes at her.

“Mam, I’m 25 years old, I don’t live with you, I’m independent. I don’t need your, in bunny ears advice.” I told her, Mam sighed.

“Fine. Do what you want, you will anyway. But just think on. Don’t come crying to me after you’ve built it up so much in your head and it doesn’t live up to what you can remember.”

I shook my head. I wouldn’t need to. I couldn’t wait to go back to the Forgotten Garden. I had visited it when I had been a child and I had loved it. I only went once but I felt like I could remember all about it. Going back was going to be Brilliant!!

I can remember setting of for the 2 hour drive. I was in the passenger seat my boyfriend, Martin, driving. In the back were my god daughter, holly, her mother, my friend, Rose, and her boyfriend, Bob. Four adults and a 12 year old. Good job all of us adults had a mental age of 12 too. I think In was the most excited. I kept telling everyone bits and bobs from what I could remember about the place, no spoilers. My god daughter just wanted to play on my DS. That was fine, long car trips are boring.

I was the first out of the door and into the queue when we arrived. I pulled my god daughter to one side after we got into the Forgotten Garden it’s self.

“Look. I know you are not a little kid and your mam says you can go off and explore. but, this place is bigger than your mam realises so me and you can play a game. Stick close enough to the adults, but far enough to stretch your wings if that’s what you want to do. If you get scared or lost I’ll hear and find you. so, You yell Marko and I’ll yell polo. Got it?”

They only reply I got was an eye roll. I still bought us both a treasure map of things to see and do, she would come back to me, I knew it. To get into the Forgotten Garden first was a labyrinth. Holly wondered in, eyes still glued to whatever game she was playing. At this point, I should point out that it is a children’s attraction. but, it’s centred around riddles and mazes. I don’t think it was longer than 10 minutes before I heard a frightened.

“Marko!” I had been keeping a sly eye on her so I knew exactly where she was. But, she had to learn to pay attention so I yelled softly,

“Polo” so that she would think I was farther away than I was. Tough love, baby. We both rounded the corner at the same time. DS still in hand but it was closed now. She came up to me and said nonchalantly.

“Yeah, this place is going to be cool, we should do that treasure hunt thingie.”

I was elated I had saved a child from the trap of technology. She could now experience the magic with me. The day was magical. I won’t lie though, I am bad at directions so “Marko Polo” was shouted several times by me and by holly to each other, and once by her mam when she got trapped in the room of doors. Holly was the days photographer and she took lots of really good pictures of us all. We all had a blast. Luckily the day was hot. As some parts of the Forgotten Garden featured water. There was stepping stones you had to walk over but they were timed randomly to shoot water through the stone when people tried to cross. We all got hit by that, except for Bob, who was surprisingly quick over them with out slipping into the shallow water around them.

The treasure quest was Going well, Me and holly got a lot very fast but then we started needing to really look for things. It could be a tiny mouse etched on a stone, or a gargoyle high up on a roof, hidden in shadows. The treasure quest was things to see and riddles to solve, it kept us both entertained. The rest of the party, Who were too grown up to do a treasure hunt at the start. Would wonder off as Holly and I would not let them join in with ours. If you go to a child’s adventure attraction, commit to being a child, or be an adult and go buy us some ice cream, I had said to my boyfriend when he whined that I wouldn’t let him play. The treasure maps had cost £2 each, they could go buy their own! (Maybe I should mention. I may have a small case of only child syndrome, I don’t share. If you wanted to play you should have bought your own treasure map!)

When we stopped for lunch the others had to make me and Holly stop. We wanted to keep going. The refuel in the shade and the strategizing we did there worked out though. Plus, we got our ice cream. We couldn’t wait to get back. It was like the others were deliberately eating slow. I tried to pull rank. I was a capable adult. I could look after a 12 year old. (Holly agreed.) Rose put me in my place by saying, as I stood to leave with holly.

“A, you have my child, B, you have no sense of direction and you will get you both lost. C, There is no phone signal so no one can get in touch with anyone and D, It says no food in that part you two want to go running to see and you both just dripped ice cream down your tops.” We both looked down, it was true. One chocolate streak for me, strawberry for Holly. I sat down defeated, Holly glared at her mam and Rose looked triumphant. The boys oblivious to the situation just kept eating their burgers.

Holly and I made it through all of our treasure map list of things to find and riddles to solve. The car ride home did’t seem like two hours as we chatted non stop about how great our day out had been. I was please that the Forbidden Garden had not been a let down when viewed through my ‘adult’ eyes. I loved being able to share the place I had loved as a child with my god daughter.

I sat talking to my mam about it a few days later. She was surprised and glad I had still enjoyed it. I hope to go back in another 15 years to see what they had done with the place.

Sometimes magic doesn’t fade.