Flowers from 1970

She's Allergic

George held the 50-year-old seed packet in one hand, and the phone in another,

"Dream, I've got no idea how to grow flowers, and don't have any supplies"

"You don't have to grow them, you can keep the seeds and say they're flowers because technically they are." George shook his head, "No. You went through the trouble, the least i could do is grow them. Plus i needed a new hobby again anyway and gardening seems like a fun thing to try."

"I left a little list of things you need and some tips in the container." Dream reminded him, and George picked up the capsule and indeed there was a small piece of paper with chicken scratch-like handwriting. "Nice handwriting."

"Oh shush," Dream chuckled,

" I never was one for good penmanship." George read over the paper,

"If you don't mind, I'll be off now to get supplies before it gets too dark."

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Dream sighed in defeat, he felt a little selfish for always wanting to be the person George spent his time with, but understood he had a life. "Alright," He said,
"can I call later?"

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"I'm not sure but definitely try," George said as he put on a jacket and grabbed his car keys.

"Goodbye for now then, George." Dream said over the phone.

"Bye, Dream," George responded before putting the phone down and walking out of his house into his car.
He sat on the driver's seat and put his cell phone on his phone holder, "Hey Siri," the phone beeped,
"directions to the nearest gardening store." The phone took a moment before it spoke, "Alright, I found gardening stores near you."The first store was only 0.5 miles away, which was awful close, so he chose it and then pulled out of his driveway.

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George got to the gardening store, which was a bit run down from the outside but when he walked in it was very clean and nice and a beautiful place. He looked around, unsure where to begin to look, when an old man who was watering a row of soil turned to him, "Why hello!" He smiled happily,

"Anything I can do for you, sir?" George took out the piece of paper with Dream's list of supplies but realized he left it at home. "You alright, sir?"

"Do you know how to help me get what I need to grow a certain type of flower?" George asked politely. "Do I?" The old man put his fists on his hips like a superhero, and George was surprised at how he could still be so energetic even in his old age.

"Why I'm probably the best in town to help you with that, young lad.

What are you growing?"

"Calendulas." George showed him the seed packet. The old man looked at the brand and label closely,
"Why this here is one of our seed packets! We haven't had these flowers in stock since good old '70. How did you get your hands on these?"

"Er-" George scratched the back of his head, "found them in an old drawer." The man looked at him skeptically,

"Well, I can go get what you need myself and you can wait here, look around if you'd like."George raised his eyebrows,

"Oh, I can help you if you'd like." He offered but the shopkeeper shook his head furiously. "No no, I haven't helped a customer like you in months. Maybe years. Let me feel like i am doing my job again." He assured me. George became sad at how the man's business was seemingly slow and dry and agreed to let the man get the supplies for him.

After a (surprisingly fast) few minutes, the man came back with a garden of basic supplies he needed to grow the flowers. George followed him over the counter,

"Thank you."

"No problem. So why the interest in beginning gardening?" The old man asked while placing his items in a tote.

George thought about it for a while, "Just wanted to see if these old flowers have any hope of growing."

"You'll need a lot of love and patience if you want to see even a leaf come out of the dirt of flowers from 1970-something." He told George before telling him the total price of his items, which was cheap. George took out a one hundred dollar bill, "Keep the change." He smiled. The man's eyes widened,
"Why thank you! You're lucky to be able to grow flowers at home. I can't."

"Why is that?" George asked as he took his tote of items.

"My wife hates most flowers" He answered plainly.

"Hates them? Who could hate flowers, though?" George wondered aloud.
The man smiled, "Her since she's allergic." George was taken aback. A flower store owner whose wife is allergic to flowers? "Wow, that must be complicated then."

"It always is." The man said, with a big smile, "But we've lasted over fifty years so I guess it hasn't been that complicated." He assured happily, then he suddenly shivered. "Are you alright sir?" George asked.

"Oh, why yes." He smiled goofily,

"I just got a weird sense of deja vu. Anyway, my name is Karl, and if you need anything else you're welcome whenever you'd like!" George chuckled,

"I'll be sure to turn to you, Karl. Thank you."

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George got home and placed his stuff on his bedroom floor. He looked through the items and grabbed the piece of paper with Dream's instructions he had left on his desk. The phone then rang and George rushed to answer it, "Hello Dream, I just got supplies."

"That's good, will you start growing the flowers soon?" He asked. George organized his new items,
"I should be, I'm not busy anytime soon."
"Good." Dream audibly smiled.

"It was a funny story, I met the cheeriest old man i could ever meet."

"Was it me?" Dream joked.

George rolled his eyes, "No. It was the man who owned the flower shop."

"Bummer it wasn't me." He said lightheartedly,

"Anyway, why was he funny?" George sat down on the edge of his bed, taking his jacket off,

"He owns a flower shop but his wife's allergic to flowers." There was silence on the phone.

"Dream?"

"No way!"
He shouted suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Was his name Karl?" Dream asked excitedly.

George's eyes widened, "Y-yeah! You know him?"

"He's who i bought the seeds from, George!" He laughed,

"That means we've officially been connected through one person."

"That makes sense. He said he hasn't sold Calendula seeds since 1970. Oh goodness, this is so weird."
George shook his head.

"Weird? It's awesome!"
Dream exclaimed.

"Also it's great and surprising he's still with the lady allergic to flowers." George thought for a second,

"Wait so," he thought some more,

"isn't it interesting how we both talked to Karl these last two days, but in reality us meeting him is fifty years apart."

Dream sighed when he heard "fifty years apart", but he hummed in agreement. "Anyways, I'll get on to sleep, so i can spend the morning trying to grow these flowers."

Dream smiled, "Alright then. Goodnight wrong number."

"Sleep well, old man who's technically not old yet." Dream smiled before hanging up the phone and laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling until he eventually drifted off to sleep.
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