This Magical Plant Changed Me Forever

Note: This is a day 3 activity in the #WriteWithOSMe Group Exercise

We brainstormed and picked a random object from her bookshelf. A plant.
“A plant changed my life” was the writing prompt for the day.

My life changed the day when I met Charlie.

It was a morning like any other, I was starting for my morning walk in my street in the suburbs of Maryland.

“Good Morning, Ron”, greeted Linda, my next door neighbor. 
“Good Morning Linda”, I replied cheerily. It would have been a better morning if I didn’t run into your face.

I walked to my street corner when Greg, whose son goes to the same school as my daughter, bumped into me.

”Good morning Ron, gorgeous weather today”.

“Good morning Greg, yes, great weather today.” Can’t you talk about anything other than the weather? What a bore.

After walking a mile, another voice greeted me from behind.

“Morning Ronny!”

It was my pastor. 

“Morning Pastor Bob!” If I stay for one more minute, you will ask me to contribute to the church fundraiser. Does money grow in trees? 

By the time I was going home, I heard a voice greet me from my garden.

“Hi Ron”.

There was nobody. 

“Hello Ron”, the voice came again from the plants. I moved the bushes again to see who was talking. There was nobody. “Hello, Ron”, the voice greeted me a third time.

To my amazement, it was a plant who spoke to me!

This was a plant which my sister Sarah gifted me a month ago. “This is  special plant”, she had told me, refusing to give me any more information.

I quickly overcame my disbelief and talked to the plant. I soon learned that the plant was named Charlie. He had special powers. He wouldn’t tell me what those were. 

***********

The doorbell rang. 

I opened the door to find Linda. “Hello Ron, I am throwing a party today, would you like to come over?”, she asked.

Charlie cleared his throat. I didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t matter. I will have a word with him to teach him plants should be seen and not heard.

“I would love to, Linda, but I have other plans today”. And your husband is a colossal bore.

And your husband is a colossal bore. 

Charlie spoke these words in a loud voice. Linda was shocked. I was mortified. She turned back and walked home without saying another word. 

“Charlie, what was that?”, I admonished him (aware after a long time that I was speaking to a plant).  

Charlie explained himself. “My purpose in life is to make the world a kinder place. Every plant gives out oxygen, raah raah. I wanted to do something different to make a dent in the universe. I broadcast the thoughts of people who think nasty thoughts. Oh, I give out oxygen too, by the way”, Charlie explained.

“What if I don’t stop thinking ill of people”, I asked meekly.

“I’ll broadcast your nasty thoughts. That’s all”

**********

The bell rang again. 

This time it was Pastor Bob. 

I had to make a split second decision. Do I want my lies broadcast, or do I change myself?

I had a standing in society, and I didn’t want to be ostracized. I forced myself to think good things about Pastor Bob and all that he does for the community. 

I swore I saw Charlie smile.

**************************

Charlie made me do the impossible. 

I only think nice thoughts about people now.