You never know what you will get. Sometimes it will be the greatest thing that happens to your family, while other times it couldn't make a difference at all. Or, the item, that one item, could be a grim gift that makes you sick to your stomach and rattles you with fear. Once in awhile it is hard to determine what type of gift you have received.
      The gifts are simple. They are delivered once a month to every family. Some might get possessions such as a month’s worth of food. Others could receive attributes such as generosity or envy. Finally, the one last type of gift you could receive is a single poppy blossom. This ruby signifies the incoming death of a loved one within the next month and there is nothing that you can do to stop it from happening. This is our world. This is how we live.

     “Lennon, get down here!” I looked down from my tree branch seat to see my brother standing there in a collared shirt and dark gray pants.
“What's going on, Frankie?” He never dresses up.
“Mom said that we have relatives coming over and we need to look presentable.” he said with a sigh. I groaned as I climbed my way down from the tree.
“What? Relatives are coming over?” I questioned.
“Yeah. I know it’s strange, but c’mon. We gotta get home fast or Mom will kill us” Frankie said as he grabbed my arm and took off.
       I thought someone replaced our humble, little abode with a brand new house. I had never seen it this clean. Ever.
“Scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing. That's all I've been doing alllll day long. ‘Oh hey Fraya, we haven't talked in 10 years, but I'm bringing my family to your house for a month! We’ll be there at 3 o'clock today!’ Oh that's just fine…...Not! How am I supposed to get this whole place ready for guests in less than 5 hours!?!? Impossible….” I heard Mom talking to herself which she does a lot, especially when she's nervous or annoyed. Maybe both this time. I walked around the corner to where she was currently shoving various items into a closet.
“Um hi mom.”
“LENNON! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?!?!? I have been working my tail off all day long! Have I had any help? NO! So here take this broom and sweep off the front porch. They’ll be here soon.” I took the broom and stepped out to the front porch. Besides my tree, the porch was my favorite spot. Just like the tree, you could see everything in town from it. Yes I know, we have a very small town. Some would call it quaint. I wouldn’t though. To me, the word quaint refers to those small towns you would read about in historic novels. I don’t live in a historic novel, but I do live in a small, quiet town. I live in Kearney, Massachusetts which is a small sea town south of Boston. The dust swirled in the air as I swept it off the porch. I looked around the town and saw everyone cleaning their stores, houses, and cars. Bestow day is a large event in Kearney. Everyone spends several days preparing for it, and the night before everyone has parties at home in case they receive a red poppy the following day. Everyone wants to make sure they spend enough time with all their family members.
      I swooshed the last of the dirt off the porch, and as I stepped through the doorframe I saw a mustard yellow Volkswagon van pull up. Inside I could see the narrow, sharp face of my uncle and the round, cheerful face of my aunt. They, freakishly in unison, stepped out of the car and slid open the side door. My two cousins tumbled out. Abbey is the older one. She sits behind me two years at fourteen. People say she's a old lady trapped in a teenager’s body because she's wise beyond her years. Then there's the ten year old Jackson, who is very likely to be a salesman when he's older; or maybe a suave thief… Anyways, the point is that he could get whatever he wanted by the use of his convincing words. Last time I saw them was ten years ago, but I've heard things.
     “Lennon, go change into a skirt, dress, or something nice. Ok?” Mom said as she finished washing the kitchen windows. I quickly rushed to my room and pulled on a black skirt with a gray t-shirt. I heard Mom swinging the door wide open and welcoming them into our home. I could hear their conversation as I walked out of my room.
“Why Marley and Ella! I'm so glad you're here!” Mom embraced her brother first (who looked rather uncomfortable) before moving on to her sister-in-law, who was a bit more welcoming of the hug. I stepped through the doorframe and all eyes were on me.
“My my! Look at you, Lennon! What a fine, young lady you've grown into!” Aunt Ella gushed. Aunt Ella has that grandmother type demeanor about her. She's always asking how you are doing and making sure you have everything. One would say she's quite old fashioned. Uncle Marley on the other hand… Well he was a bit more harsh. His face has a hardened look to it, and he glares at you with stone cold eyes.
“Lennon, please show them to their room.” Mom said as she rushed off to the kitchen.
“Here I'll take that.” I said grabbing Aunt Ella's suitcase. Just then Frankie walked in.
“Aunt Ella! Uncle Marley!” He said with a big smile on his face. “It's so good to see you!” He hugged Aunt Ella and shook Uncle Frankie's hand.  “Here I got this.” Frankie grabbed the suitcase from me.
“Show them to the guest room.” I said before going to the kitchen. Mom was viciously beating the life out of some eggs in a glass bowl.
“What did those eggs ever do to you.” I said with slight smirk in my voice.
“Oh my goodness, Lennon you scared me! I'm trying to make meringue for a lemon pie, but it doesn't seem to be working…” We always have lemon meringue pie on Bestow Eve, and I can't imagine tonight without it. After some time, Mom felt like it was as good as it was going to get and started cleaning up.
“It might not be as good as Grandma’s, but we’ll survive.” Mom said with a sad tone in her voice. Last month, we received a red poppy on Bestow Day. Within two weeks, Grandma was on her deathbed with an unknown illness. She died after 2 days of immobility. We all knew this Bestow Day would be hard on us, especially Mom. After all, her dad and sister died from red poppies and my dad died as well from one.
        We began the Bestow Eve festivities with a game of charades and then we moved onto dinner. It's the same every month. Roast chicken, steamed vegetables, and mashed potatoes. Then for dessert we indulge in brownies and lemon meringue pie, of course. After dinner, we went out to the front porch to watch the fireworks. They bursted in the night sky, like millions of multi-colored fireflies. Every month they take my breath away...
  
    I wake up to a mixture of sounds. I hear people laughing as well as crying outside. I also hear Frankie clunking around in the kitchen. Every Bestow Day he cooks breakfast for us. I better go see how many things he's destroyed. I slipped out of my covers and shivered when my bare feet hit the cold wood floor. I put on a pair of slippers and a sweatshirt then walked to the kitchen.
“What do you think you're doing!” I yell at Frankie. The kitchen was an absolute disaster. There were dirty dishes piled to the ceiling in the sink. A burnt hand towel was sitting on the granite countertop, still smoking.
“Oh shut up. It always looks like World War III when you cook!” Frankie said crossing his arms.
“It does not! Anyways it doesn't matter, we just need this clean before mom gets up.” He finishes cooking the food while I start on the dishes.
      After stacking the last of the dishes on the drying rack I tell Frankie, “I'll be back. I gotta go to the tree.” I said as I pulled on my boots.
“I still don't understand why that tree fascinates you so much.”
“I just love climbing it and watching the town.” I said crossing my arms this time.
“That's probably the most greeting card-ish thing you've ever said.” I rolled my eyes and walked out the door.
     The autumn air tickled my cheeks as I ran to my tree. I’ve been spending more time here than at home since I was big enough to climb it. I sat down on my favorite branch and gazed out upon Kearney. After a little while, I dozed off to sleep. When I finally woke up, I had a strange feeling. I realized it was Bestow Day. Everyone has a strange feeling on this day. You never know whether you should be looking forward to receiving your basket or dreading it. As I sat again, observing the town, an eerie feeling jolted through my body. I almost fell out of the tree! Thankfully, I grabbed another branch and hung onto it. I just hung there, suspended in the air until I remembered that I was wearing a skirt. I quickly hoisted myself up onto a branch. I sat there again, once more…
“Shoot, how long was I asleep for!” The sky was growing darker so I climbed down and ran back to my house.
“Lennon, Lennon, Lennon. I haven’t seen you all day! Where have you been!” Mom said tapping her foot on the ground.
“Well… I just wanted to get some fresh air, so I went to my tree, but then I fell asleep. All that partying last night sure got to me!” I said with a nervous laugh. Mom only gave me a disapproving look before turning to the kitchen.
“Does anyone have the time?” I asked.
“6:49”, Uncle Marley said in a bored tone.
“11 minutes! Who’s excited?” Not a word. They all just stared at me. I turned on my heel and walked to my room to escape any further awkwardness. I counted down the minutes until my clock hit 7:00 and I burst out of my room. Everyone was standing by our front door, waiting to hear the doorbell ring. I joined them just as we heard the familiar bell. Mom opened the door and picked up the gray basket. She walked over to our dining room table and everyone sat around it. Mom gently pulled the red cloths from around the gift. The suspense was killing me so I jumped out of my seat and rushed to Mom’s side.
“A bottle? That’s it?” I said as I picked it up. It was a mirrored bottle with intricate, golden designs etched on the sides. Everyone had a chance to look it over, before they all went off on their own ways. I continued to sit at the table, perusing the bottle. There has to be something that we’re missing… That’s when I saw it. Black words appeared out of nowhere, spreading down one of the sides. “Sometimes luck is not a blessing, but a burden.” What does that mean? The words soon disappeared. Ok, I don’t understand this. I thought the roses are weird enough, but this? I don’t get it. I unscrewed the lid of the bottle and sniffed. It smelled like fresh, clean sheets. Well it was a gift. Might as well try some right? I snuck a small sip of the “potion”. It tasted like laundry detergent…
     I don’t feel anything. Maybe it’s a dud. I got out of my chair and decided to go to bed. I guess a day-long nap in a tree wasn’t enough sleep for me.
     The following morning I had the strangest feeling. I got up and looked around my house. Everyone was busy doing something so I didn’t think anyone would notice me go outside. I decided to go for a stroll around town. I like to see if I can tell what people’s gifts are. I saw a family wearing, what look to be, brand new wardrobes. As I walked by Tenth Avenue, I saw Leonard the skinner holding a brand new rifle. I bet he’s ecstatic! He lives for hunting! He’s always making clothes and decorations out of those trophies. That’s when I saw one. A family that was struck by the red poppy. They were all sitting on their porch bearing soloumn faces with red, puffy eyes. I saw the crumpled flower lying on their driveway and I cast the unfortunate family an understanding, sorrowful look.
     I decided to head back home and see what everyone is up to. As I crosses the street, I heard an unhealthy screech of brakes. I saw a car speeding towards. I screamed and braced for the impact. What? How am I not flattened to the pavement? I opened my eyes and saw the car not more than a foot away from me. The driver hopped out and rushed towards me.
“Are you OK? I have no idea what happened! One minute my brakes were out and I was ‘bouta turn you into a human pancake, and then the next I got a flat tire! You’re one lucky girl! Man, if I had pummeled you, I woulda been so stinkin’ mad at myself…”
“Hey, hey it’s fine! I’m alive!” I said trying to calm the man down.
“Gee, you really are lucky! I gotta see what’s wrong with my car.” He said as he dialed a tow truck. I continued to my house and ran up the steps.
“Hey everyone, I’m home! Oh yes!” I said as I saw chocolate chip cookies sitting on the counter
“How was your day, missy?” Mom said as I stuffed my face with cookies.
“Ghhudd.”
“Lennon, don’t speak with your mouth full. No one can understand you.”
I swallowed and replied, “My day was good. Soooo have any of you figured out what the gift is?”
No one moved a muscle. “I’ll take that as a no. I’ll be in my room.”
     I sat down on my bed and picked up my old guitar. She didn’t look very pretty, but her sound was angelic. I quietly strummed the strings, searching for new melodious tunes. Suddenly, I heard flapping sounds. I looked around and saw an array of Benjamin Franklins staring at me. $100 bills, that is. I slowly opened the window, careful not to let any of the money blow away. I put them all together in a stuck and began counting. Five $100 bills. Five hundred dollars. This is crazy. How does money even get stuck in windows, let alone $100 bills! Shaking my head, I walked into the living room and bumped into Uncle Marley.
“Hey, watc….. What are those?” He said with huge eyes. I’ve never seen this much expression in his face.
“I found them?”
“No one just finds money like this lying around! Here let me see them.” He said, trying to take them from me.
“No, they’re mine!”
“Ok! What is going on here!” Mom said walking out of her bedroom. “Lennon, what are those!”
“Mom, I found them I promise!” She gently took the bills from my hand and examined them. “I was sitting in my room and suddenly they were there. Stuck in my window.”
“I don’t understand.” She said with a confused look. “You’re telling me they were just stuck in your window?” I nodded my head. Sighing, she handed the stack back to me and went to the kitchen. Uncle Marley and I just stood there for a minute, and I could tell his eyes were on the money. I returned to my room and searched under my bed for a certain box. I pulled it out and brushed the dust off. Carefully, I placed the bills inside and locked it up.
     All night long I couldn't stop thinking about the near-death experience I had and the large amount of cash that I found. What is going on? Then that man’s voice replayed in my head, “One minute my brakes were out and I was ‘bouta turn you into a human pancake, and then the next I got a flat tire! You’re one lucky girl!” One minute my brakes were out and I was ‘bouta turn you into a human pancake, and then the next I got a flat tire! You’re one lucky girl. Luck? Is this all just good luck? I don't understand why it's all happening to me now I…….. Wait a minute. The gift.
     I ran to the kitchen and searched for the strange little bottle. Finally, I found it in a cupboard above our fridge. For a moment, I only held it, lightly tracing my fingers over the etches that adorn it beautifully.
“If this is making me lucky, why not have some more?” I say to myself.  I took a swig and coughed as it tickled down my throat. After tightly closing the cap, I put it back where I found it and started walking away. But then stopped in my tracks. I got a feeling that seemed to control me. I need that bottle. I rushed back to the kitchen and grabbed the bottle. Secured safely in the sleeve of my shirt, I smuggled the bottle back to my room.
      I locked it in the box along with the money I found. After awhile of thinking what I should do with my newly found “luck potion”, I heard my name being yelled.
“Yeah?” I said as I walked out of my room.
“Out here on the porch, Lennon.”
I opened the screen door and saw Mom sitting on a the porch.
“I have a splittin’ headache. Could you get me some Advil?” She asked as she closed her eyes.
“Sure. Need anything else?”
“Well, if you don't mind, could you make dinner for us tonight?”
“Yeah I guess so.” I said as I went to fetch some medicine. I brought it out to her before returning to the kitchen to figure out dinner. Now one thing you should know is I can't cook for my life. Me in the kitchen is the equivalent of a lumberjack doing ballet. It's just not natural and is a sight that could easily frighten the daylight out of any given onlooker.
     Somehow I managed to make a whole turkey dinner without a scratch. This luck stuff must be working! I can’t help myself from smiling. I can’t wait to see what I can do tomorrow with it!
     I got up early and sprinted outside. Let’s see what I can do today! First, I ran to my tree and climbed up it in a record time. As I sat there I had an idea. What would happen if I jumped from up here? It couldn’t hurt me, right? I mean, I should still have some luck left from yesterday. I might as well try! I carefully stood up on the branch and gazed down. I must be at least 20 feet from the ground. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and jumped. I thought I would hit the ground fairly quickly, but as I fell it felt like slow-motion. I pictured myself as a feather, casually floating to the ground, just falling from a soaring seagull. Wow! That was amazing! I think of the bottle sitting in the locked wooden box, under my bed. This gift has no limits.

?               ?              ?
    
     It’s been almost 4 weeks since I got the bottle and this month has been amazing! I’ve had so many incredible things happening to me! This is exactly what I needed. I’ve been helping people find not only possessions, but I also helped an old lady find her lost dog! Then of course I’ve received lots of things such as awards from Mayor Gaskarth! Oh and that resulted in a lifetime supply of waffles at Crosby’s diner! I think you get the point though. Tomorrow is Bestow day. I don’t think a gift will ever stand up to this one though…
      Tonight my family had a huge argument. Somehow after dinner we started on the topic of Uncle Marley’s distancing himself and his family, from our family. Mom was screaming at Uncle Marley for his, in her words, “Selfish endeavours and sickening disregard of family”. She has a point though. When Grandma passed away, we never received any visit, phone call, or even card! All we got was a dumb fruit basket. Who sends their sister a fruit basket when their mother dies? Anyways, I was fed up with all the arguing that had ensued, so I decided to take a nice relaxing walk. They’ll probably be as cool as cucumbers by the time I get home.
     I circled around the center of town before noticing my stomach growl extremely loudly. I guess I could stop for a bite to eat. Oh wait. I felt my pockets. I didn’t have any cash with me. Just then I noticed a $20 bill lying on the ground. Well that was good timing! I guess I should’ve known I would find some money, after all, I did drink some of that luck juice or whatever it is.
I walked over to Crosby’s diner and stepped through the door, hearing the familiar ring of the small, rusty bell overhead. Sitting down in a booth, I took in everything around me. I always loved this place. It was a typical retro-style diner. Checkered floors, jukebox, red and white booths, along with plenty of Coca-Cola merchandise adorning the walls. I could hear the unforgettable, cheerful whistle of Johnny in the kitchen. Seeing as no one else was around, I walked behind the main counter and peered through the window. I saw a man in his 70s mopping the floor.
“Hey Johnny, how ‘bout you cook me up some pancakes?” He turned around and gave a smile before setting his mop down.
“Why Lennon, one would think that you’d be at home seeing as how your relatives are in town!”
Kearney is a small town. Everyone knows everything. Including when an insensitive brother comes to visit after 10 years of being disconnected.
I let out a small laugh, “That’s why I’m here.” Johnny nodded and started cooking the pancakes.
     “Well those hit the spot. Thanks Johnny.” I said as a put my silverware on my empty plate. “How much do I owe you?” I asked, pulling my money out of my pocket.
“Nothing at all. It’s on me.” He said with a smile once again. I couldn’t use that Luck potion on him. He was like a grandfather to me.
“No seriously I…”
“Lennon. It’s OK. It’s on me.” Johnny said walking into the kitchen. As soon as he was gone, I started to put the $20 in the tip jar, but then I realized, “Wait. He said it’s fine. Why should I have to pay?” I shoved the money back into my pocket and walked outside. As I was walking I had this strange feeling of power. All I did was keep the money for myself, how does that give me power? I couldn’t explain it, but the feeling kept expanding inside of me. I started seeing opportunities everywhere! Why, I could go walk into a bank and take all the money! No, I’m not a criminal. Hmmm…. I could get Mom to make whatever meals I wanted for the rest of my life! No, I need something a bit more adventurous. Something out there! I got it! I’m going to climb the tallest tree in Eleda Park, then jump! Hopefully this Luck can make me fly too! If not, it won’t hurt me at all just to fall. Ecstatic about my idea, I sprinted to the park and found the tallest tree. Thankfully it was a humongous one! It was an oak, probably about 70 or 80 feet tall. Large branches were reaching out, begging to be climbed. I tightly grasped the grooved branches, hoisting myself up higher and higher. The feeling of freedom powered me to climb faster and faster. Soon enough, I had reached the top. Standing on the edge of a strong branch, I gazed out upon the town. The cool night air tickled my moonlit skin. I felt a small breeze float through my hair. A deep smile emerged on my face, I closed my eyes, and I jumped.
     That feeling of exuberance didn’t leave until I heard the midnight chimes of the town’s clock. Soon, blackness overcame me.