Sally Sunflower

“Hello? Is anyone here?” I said as I struggled to open my eyes. “Where am I?” I thought to myself. I looked to the left, to the right, above and then below me, but it was no use. All I saw was dirt. Then it dawned on me. The last thing I remember was being at a store in a package with a whole bunch of other seeds. My friends, Tallulah and Peter, and I were talking about what we were going to be when we were full-grown. Tallulah wanted to be something beautiful. She didn’t care what, as long as she looked good! She was always concerned with her appearance. While we were still in the package, she was the cleanest seed in there, not to mention the prettiest.

Peter was another story. Peter was a little… cautious… about everything. He wouldn’t do anything without knowing it was safe. When Tallulah and I would talk to him about growing up, he never would really answer. He didn’t think that he wanted to because he had heard that once you hit surface, you could get a sunburn, or a bug bite, or a child could stomp on you, or it would rain so much you could drown. Peter had a hazard sign for everything.

My friends would always ask me then the same question time and time again, “Sally, what do you think you are?” I never really knew how to respond to that. I just knew that I wanted to be special. I didn’t care if I was a tulip, hydrangea, rose; it didn’t matter. Finally getting to grow into who you are is half the fun.

See, that’s the thing about seeds that most humans don’t know. They buy us in little packages at the store. Some want roses, others want daffodils. But the point is, they know what they’re buying. Seeds can’t read. We don’t know what we are until we are planted and grown. It’s basically just a lot of waiting.

Well, one day, Peter, Tallulah, and I were just waking up in our little package at the store, when we felt like we were flying. We were being bought! How exciting! We were just trying to imagine what our new home was going to be like. Then the real thrill that everyone was waiting for, finally being planted! I could just see the expressions on my friends faces. Tallulah was grinning from ear to ear, as were many of the other seeds in our package.

And then there was Peter. Poor Peter, he looked sick. “I’m not so sure about this. Guys? What’s happening? The world is ending! Guys? Let’s just chew a hole through the bag and jump out! Wait, no. That’s not such a good idea. Then we could crack our shells. That wouldn’t be pretty. Maybe-”

“Peter, we are going to be fine! Please, calm down. I’ll make sure that we’re planted together. Trust me,” I had to cut him off.

And that’s the last thing I remember before this. Now as I’m opening my eyes, it’s so completely dark. I can hardly see anything. I wonder how far down I am. This is so exciting. Why in just days, I’ll be popping out of the ground. I can’t wait until I can see myself as I flower!

“Sally! Sally? Where are you? Oh, this is just gross! There’s dirt everywhere! Oh, I’m going to get eaten by a worm! I just know it! Sally? Are you there? I think I’m allergic to the soil. Sally!” It was Peter, but where was he?

“Peter! I’m right here. You are fine! You are not allergic to dirt. I promise,” I yelled.

“Oh, Sally, it’s you! Oh, good. I was afraid you might’ve been abducted by those evil space aliens we saw in the toy aisle at the store. Where’s Tallulah! Oh, no! She’s been abducted!” Peter cried hysterically.

“Peter! I need you to calm down. Tallulah is around here somewhere and those aliens at the store were not evil, they were plastic,” I tried to reason with him, although I was somewhat curious about Tallulah. I hadn’t heard anything from her. “Tallulah!” I shouted, but tried not to sound worried. I didn’t need Peter freaking out anymore. “Tallulah!” I screamed again, but there was no answer. This was so strange. Maybe she got planted a little farther away from Peter and me.

“See,” Peter said knowingly, “I told you the aliens got her.”

“Ugh! Peter!” but I didn’t feel like arguing anymore. It was time to get settled into my new home. But then something so strange began happening! I was getting wet! The dirt was getting slimy around me. I was thirsty though. I guess this water would have to do.

“Sally! What’s happening now? The sky is falling! I think I’m about to drown! And I’m thirsty, Sally!” Peter said frantically.

“Peter! Drink the water!” I shouted back.

“Ew, Sally. No way. Do you want me to get infected with all those germs. These walls are squishy. Sally, I changed my mind, I don’t want to be a flower anymore. I just want to be a seed, in a nice, dry package, back at the store.”

“Well, I hate to be the one to tell you, Peter, but it’s a little too late for that now. You’re going to have to deal with this. In the meantime, try to get some sleep. In the morning, we’ll get completely settled in.

“But, Sally! It’s wet and cold! I can’t sleep like this! Besides, what if there’s a really big earthquake, or tornado, or even worse, a dog, Sally! He could dig a hole and find us! Boy, then we’d really be in trouble! Dogs love little seeds, Sally. Sally? Sally! Are you asleep?”

I wasn’t asleep, but I knew that if I answered him, he’d think of even worse things that could happen to us and we’d be up all night. Finally, he stopped talking and awhile after that, I heard snoring. Things were definitely different from what we were used to. I looked again around me. I wondered how much longer it would be until we could reach the top, and then- And then, I fell asleep.

The next morning, I opened my eyes to a little speck of light at the roof of my new surroundings! This meant that I was going to be a flower really soon! I wished Tallulah was here so I could see how she was adjusting.

“Ew! Get away from me you evil ant! Please don’t eat me! I love ants. They’re my favorite. Please, just don’t eat me!” I could hear Peter shouting.

Something broke through my walls. It was a little ant, no bigger than me.

“Gee whiz, lady. Is he always like that? I just wanted him to fix my antenna,” the ant said to me. “He thought I was going to eat him,” the ant laughed.

“Sally, don’t talk to him!” Peter yelled. “He’ll eat both of us. Hey, buddy, I know kung-fu and I’m about to unleash the dragon seed within me unless you leave.”

The ant and I both looked at each other and giggled. “I’m Sally the seed. And you are?”

“My name is Anthony Avery Antenna Herman the Twenty-thousandth. But my friends call me Abe. Nice to meet ya. Hey, you’re not from these parts, are you?”

“No, I’m from a store, along with my friend, Peter over there,” I started, “Hey, Abe? Can you tell me what it looks like at the top?”

“Oh, just beautiful. We’ve got flowers popping up and the sunshine is just gorgeous.”

“I wish I could see it,” I said sadly.

“Don’t worry, doll. You’re only about a centimeter away from the surface. You’ll be popping through any day now,” Abe comforted.

“Don’t listen to him, Sally! It’s all a trap! He’s very evil! I’m sure- Whoa! Sally help! I’m being pushed up! What’s happening! I, ahh!!!” Peter screamed.

“Peter!” I shouted. “Abe, what’s going on? Where’s Peter?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, doll. He’s just hit surface. He beginning his flowering stage,” Abe explained. “Well, Sally, it’s been fun talking to you, but I gotta go back to the Mrs. See ya at the top.”

The rest of the day was pretty much a blur. I daydreamed about the top and the things Abe had said. I wondered how Peter was coming along. I couldn’t hear him, but I’m not sure that was such a bad thing. Then slowly but slowly, I drifted off to sleep. The next few days were just like that. I was still beneath the top soil waiting. I could feel myself slowly being pushed up, but not enough to break through.

But then one morning, I yawned and stretched my leaves. My leaves?! I had leaves! There was sunshine! I was no longer just a seed. I was becoming a flower. I was a stem.

“Sally, where have you been? I was waiting for like, well, I don’t know how long it’s been, but I’m sure it’s been close to a year, maybe longer. I was so worried,” Peter exclaimed.

“Peter, it’s good to see you. It’s only been a week and Peter you were worried? Never,” I joked. Then I looked really close at him and noticed he had petals. He was a very beautiful flower. “Peter? Have you seen yourself? Why, you’re a pansy! That explains a lot.”

“Ha, ha! Very fun, Sally,” he said glumly.

“But you’re a very handsome pansy,” I added quickly.

“Thank you. And you are… Well, you are, um, very green. Are you supposed to be green? And you‘re kind of tall. Did that evil ant curse you or something? I told you not to talk to him. I warned you, didn‘t I?”

“Yeah, thanks, Peter. Can you tell what I am yet?” I asked hopefully.

“Not yet. Just give it a few days. I’m sure- Hey, what’s all that commotion over there? Oh, no! I‘ve heard about things like this. It‘s nothing good, I can tell you that much. Let‘s just pop our heads under the dirt and wait it out. They can‘t get us, if they can‘t see us,” Peter informed.

I ignored him. “I don’t know, it looks like a bunch of flowers are gathered around something, but I can’t see what it is! Oh, if I were just a little bit tall- Whoa! I’m growing! Peter! Do you see me? I must be at least four feet tall now. What do my petals looks like? Am I pink? I love pink!”

“Um, sorry Sally, you don’t have any petals yet. Your face, it seems to have little specks on it. Sally, you’ve got the chicken pox! Or the measles! You could be very contagious. Oh, well, it‘s probably already to late for me. Sally, check my face; am I contaminated?” Peter yelled up to her.

“Peter, don’t be silly! Oh, I can see now! It seems all those flowers are all gathered around another flower. Hey, over there!” I yelled to the crowd. “What’s the big deal?” And then I saw the prettiest flower ever. I recognized the face. It was Tallulah!

“Sally? Peter? Is that you?” Tallulah shouted over to us. We talked for awhile and I have to admit, I was extremely jealous of Tallulah. She had beautiful pink petals. She was a tulip. I wish I had petals. I looked like a giant weed. Even Peter had petals. When was I going to get mine?

A few days went by and still no petals. It seemed nothing was going the way I had planned. I remembered those days in the package talking about growing up. Here I am, grown up, but nothing unique. The only think that separated me from the grass was the fact that I was taller. I went to sleep every night thinking that the next morning, I would wake up and I would be spectacular, but days went by and nothing happened.

One day, Tallulah, Peter, Abe, and I were all talking about my condition.

“I still think it was him,” Peter said pointing his leaves at Abe.

“Peter, it’s not Abe’s fault that I don’t have petals,” I said in Abe’s defense.

“Maybe you’re one of those weird Indonesian flowers without any petals. Some of them are very pretty,” Tallulah suggested.

“Thanks, now not only am I ugly, I’m a weird flower,” I sighed. “That’s ok, at least, now I know.”

“Sally,” they said.

“No, really, it’s alright guys. I understand,” I said.

“No, Sally, your face! It’s turning brown!” Tallulah exclaimed.

“And little yellow things are coming out the sides of your head! You’re on fire! Help! Sally’s on fire!” Peter yelled.

“She’s not on fire, you half-whit! She’s growing petals!” Abe shouted joyously.

“Petals?!” I said unbelievably.

“Sally, you’re not some weird Indonesian flower; you’re a sunflower!” they all shouted. Everyone in the garden turned and looked at me. I was the center of attention as they all started and admired my petals. This was worth the wait. All my friends looked up at me and smiled and then I knew that I truly was something special.

*The End*