Harvesting Acorns

by Deirdré Amy Gower

  On her next visit with James, she told him this news. He was overjoyed. She also told him she had a big request to ask of him.

  “James, may I please share your story about collecting acorns and your dream. I think it will really help us to help Hannah. I think your story holds so much love and hope that people need to hear about it,” she asked him hopefully.

  “I just want Hannah to get better. Whatever you need me to do, I will do it,” he responded sincerely.

  When he consented she shared his hopes and found herself believing with everything she had in Hannah’s cause and James’ dream. That evening Chloe phoned Grace and asked her if she would mind if she interviewed them and shared their story to give a bit of the tree’s history leading up to James’ beautiful endeavour. Grace said they were willing to help in any way they could and was sure Joel would not mind sharing either. Chloe set to work forming the outline of her story, the course she wanted it to take and formulating the questions for her interviews with Ben, James, Grace and Joel. She also did her research on Leukaemia, bone marrow transplants and the donor registry.

  Over the next week she conducted her interviews and started writing her story. She got permission from all of her interviewees to take photographs and she asked Ben to take photos of Hannah for her. Ben told her he had an even better idea. Hannah was well enough for a visitor. She and James were welcome to visit for half an hour the next day and she could speak to Hannah as well about her experience. Unfortunately, the next morning Hannah had taken a bit of a bad turn and Ben had had to cancel the visit but he said he would drop some photos off with Chloe the following day.

  By the time Chloe started putting all the bits of her story together she had a wealth of information and viewpoints. By the end of the week she was ready to submit her story to Edward for approval. He was so impressed and granted her permission to make it a cover feature. He also contacted their partner magazines and they agreed to run the story as well so that it would reach as big a readership base as possible.

  That Monday the story hit the shelves. It told of a little girl fighting a deadly illness; the astronomical costs of treatment needed to save her life; and the plea for people to register as bone marrow donors to increase the survival chances of children fighting Leukaemia and other diseases requiring bone marrow transplants. It continued with the dream of a little boy to save his best friend’s life and his acorn gathering project and plan to spread dreams among as many people as he could and how his own altruistic dream had sparked an idea of hope.

  The history of the tree and the first dreams it granted were told through the love of the elderly couple who started it all and kept the tradition alive through three generations to this point where their grandson wisely chose to share the magic. It ended with contact details for the donor registry and a plea for anyone to help with sponsorships towards treatment for Hannah.

  By Tuesday morning the first three phone calls and two e-mails had come through with pledges towards Hannah’s treatment. Chloe was over the moon. She couldn’t wait for James to get out of school that day so that she could tell him. He astounded her even more with his reaction.

  “Please deliver an acorn to every person who donates. They are making my dream come true, and giving Hannah hope, they all deserve a dream of their own to come true.”

  This little boy continued to amaze Chloe. She asked him to design a card explaining exactly what he had just said so that she could send it with the acorn. She got beautiful little gift boxes for each acorn and had James’ design printed onto the front of a card with instructions for planting the acorns on the back. Inside was a picture of Hannah and James and a short thank you note.

  Within a week they had twenty more pledges and had been delivering gifted acorns around town. News spread and the articles were circulated and within another week pledges started to come in from all around the country. Other reporters arrived and asked to do stories for magazines in their areas. James’ initiative had begun to touch the hearts of people all over the country and pledges came from all corners of the country and some requests for magic acorns from people needing a little, or a lot, of hope of their own. James and Chloe decided to keep gathering acorns, they realised there were so many more people willing to open their hearts to help Hannah and needing dreams of their own. Ben came one afternoon to help and James’ grandparents also joined, and then Phoebe and Jean Pierre arrived too. They all had so much fun collecting together, knowing they were spreading hope far and wide, not only for Hannah, but for so many others facing hardships of their own. They laughed and talked and had a wonderful time and then James had another idea.

  “Why don’t we arrange a Saturday afternoon picnic in the park where people can come and find their own acorn?” he asked shyly as everyone hushed and looked at him. “We have only collected just over two hundred; this tree should produce around two thousand, which is many more dreams that may find a home.”

  Joel answered him, “That would be a fantastic idea, James. We could hold a fundraising event. We can sell picnic baskets and have games, like paper sailboat races on the dam with all the funds going towards Hannah’s treatment.”

  “Yes!” James almost shrieked, “But the only things we will not sell are the acorns. Dreams should always be free. They should never come at a price.”

  Chloe agreed with him.

  “Yes, and if people feel that they would like to help towards Hannah’s treatment based on that, they should be allowed to do so freely, without any obligation,” she said.

  So they all set about planning the picnic in the park with many exciting events and preparing picnic baskets. Chloe ran an article in the magazine and sent an advert to the local newspaper promoting the event. Phoebe baked biscuits, muffins, and croissants for the baskets. Chloe organised the gift boxes so that everyone could take their acorn home beautifully packaged and with James’ message of hope and gratitude. Everyone found some way to contribute to preparing for the picnic and by the time the day arrived, everything was perfect. That morning they all gathered to set up the tables and benches in the park. It was a perfect morning, not a breath of wind and the sun sparkling through the leaves of the oak. She stood proud and elegant, a gracious hostess welcoming her guests to her Party of Hope. By midday the first guests began to arrive. Within an hour the park was lively and full with people bustling to find a place to picnic.

  There was such a spirit of love and community that filled the spaces between strangers. All were here for the same reason – to give and receive hope. This shared wish tied the hearts of this multitude of people together. People were introducing themselves, sharing their stories, offering encouragement and commending each other’s victories. The park was filled with survivors coming to pay their dues by helping others, especially Hannah. Others had sick children too and had come for their acorn of dreams. Chloe called James aside, she had a big request.

  “James, how would you feel about giving a short speech? All of these people are here because of your unselfish dream. You have touched their hearts and have given them hope. Would you say a few words?”

  James hesitated.

  “I am really shy, I would not know what to say.”

  “You are a very wise young person James, whatever you say will be perfect,” Chloe encouraged.

  “All right, I will try,” James agreed.

  After everyone seemed to have finished eating and had been enjoying the games for a while, Chloe called everyone’s attention over the microphone. The crowd gathered together around where she was standing.

  “Thank you all for being here today. Your support and the spirit in which you are here mean the world to everyone concerned. It is beautiful to see the willingness to help and the love in your hearts. James, the special person who started this, would like to say a few words.” James stepped up shyly and took the microphone.

  “Thank you, for helping my friend Hannah. My dream is for her to get better and for there to be funds for her treatment.
You are all helping to make my dream come true. Please, I want you all to find your acorn. Treasure it. Water it. Nurture it. Watch it grow. And as it grows, know your dream is growing with it too. Thank you all.” As he handed the microphone back to Chloe the crowd exploded into applause and there was not a single person in the crowd without tears streaming down their faces. Chloe took the microphone back and continued.

  “As James said, thank you all for helping Hannah with your prayers, thoughts and donations. The other challenge that we would like to appeal to you all is this…” and she proceeded to explain about the shortage of bone marrow donors nationwide and how many other children were on waiting lists.

  She urged everyone to register as donors and gave out the contact details for the registry. As they all started to disperse, a young lady stepped up to Chloe and whispered something to her. Chloe handed her the microphone and she addressed Ben who was standing beneath the tree with Grace and Joel. The crowd stopped and turned to listen as well.

  “I am Clara, and I am secretary to a prominent businessman who has asked to remain anonymous. He has said that whatever treatment Hannah needs that has not been covered by what has already been raised - he will fund the full balance and all further costs involved.”

  Ben burst into tears and stood among the crowd, speechless and unable to move from his spot. Chloe went to him and put her hand on his arm.

  He looked at her and took her hands, “Thank you Chloe, for believing in James, and for all you have done to bring this moment into being. I am forever grateful.”

  “James is our little hero. He, one small boy with a dream, has brought us to this moment. He has brought a nation together in goodwill and sparked the flames of purpose and determination in all of our hearts. We are all blessed to know him.”

  Chloe put her arm around James and gave him a hug, then she went back to speak to Clara. The crowd had dispersed again and people began packing up. James went to stand at the gate, giving each person the gift box for their acorn and thanking them for their time and generosity.

  Clara told Chloe she would call her on the Monday to get further information and liaise with her regarding what funding was still outstanding and where things would go from there. They greeted each other and the Chloe went back to speak to Ben.

  “It is all happening now Ben, very quickly. Can I meet with you tomorrow to get an idea of the costs and where we begin?” she asked.

  Ben was still mesmerised and in shock.

  “Yes, come over for tea tomorrow morning and we can talk about it then.”

  They all left, awestruck and overwhelmed by the day’s events. Chloe went home and climbed into a hot bath, this was becoming one of her favourite pass times. She had a glass of wine next to her and her book. She just needed to unwind after being supercharged on the excitement of the day. She tried to reflect on the events leading up to this, from her arrival in town, meeting Phoebe and then James, and then today! It was astounding at how it had all happened in such a short space of time, without any planning or even an inkling of a hint at what was going to happen.

  She thought that not one single person who had been there that day could possibly have predicted the day’s outcome. She thought about James, how such a tiny idea had sparked a chain reaction that within a few weeks had made his dream come true at such a high magnitude. She thought about Joel and Grace and how their childhood dream had been the initial instigation, and their keeping of tradition that led James to his belief in the tree’s magic.

  Magic… it was such a mysterious and fantasy evoking word. Whether it existed or not depended on the once perceiving it. Someone more cynical could say that it was just a tree, like any other tree, that produced acorns, just like any other acorns. That it was more the romance of a little boy’s belief that roused people’s interest and compassion. Chloe believed a little differently. After hearing Joel and Grace’s story, her experience in the park with James when the first nut fell, and what had just happened today… Chloe found herself believing in magic. And if she believed in magic, then she most definitely believed in miracles. And serendipity.

  Everything was being orchestrated by a great power that when kind, loving, unselfish thoughts were sent out to it, it bent over backwards to create miracles and support goodness and love. Chloe had never been religious, but she believed in that power. She started to feel comfort in that that she had never before experienced. It felt nice to feel support for good intentions. To feel that there was something bigger than her looking out for her wellbeing and guiding her in her decisions, even when they seemed to be the wrong choices.

  The next morning she met with Ben and they discussed a starting point. He would be meeting with the doctors the next morning to tell them the good news and that they could go ahead with starting the process of a bone marrow transplant for Hannah. The first step would be to begin testing Ben as a donor for Hannah’s transplant. He would ask the doctors to put all the quotes together of current and expected costs for post transplant treatment.

  Chloe was enthralled listening to and watching him. She remembered the day she met him and the worried and fatigued stance he had had. Now he was bursting with renewed energy and enthusiasm. His hope had been restored. His little girl was going to receive all that she needed to help her be healthy again. They spoke about it for some time more. They both acknowledged that it was going to be a long and difficult journey, both for Hannah and for Ben who would need to be strong to take care of her. They also chatted about their lives and Ben recounted the challenges of raising Hannah alone and the special bond they had.

  It had been a difficult pregnancy for her mother and they nearly lost Hannah a few times. She had not been a very strong woman physically and carrying Hannah and the constant hospital visits had taken a toll on her health. She had lost a lot of blood during the birth and the doctors had done everything they could to save her but she just had not been strong enough to fight. She lived long enough to hold Hannah for a moment and name her. Hannah; it meant ‘Graceful one’.

  And graceful she was. She dreamed of being a ballerina princess. Ben had been devastated. It was such a bitter sweet moment, the death of his wife and the birth of his child. Such a joyous moment had been tainted by his grief. Hannah had been such a beautiful baby, and was such a pleasure as a baby. She slept and fed well and was always full of smiles. She had reached all of her milestones on time and as she grew her character developed into a sweet, loving and affectionate little person. She was kind to everyone but enjoyed her own company. The friendship she had with James was quite unusual for Ben to see at first.

  When she got ill, Ben was terrified. All those old memories of his wife’s poor health and her decline during her pregnancy came rushing back. He was tormented day and night by the thought of losing Hannah too. His life was devoted to her, it had just been the two of them for eight years and he liked it that way. He had dedicated his life to protecting her and making sure she was happy. The tears welled again.

  “Thank you again Chloe, for stepping in when I didn’t know which way to turn.” Genuine gratitude reflected in his eyes. Chloe felt a strange feeling, and not recognising it, brushed it aside and continued with their conversation.

  “I was just the catalyst for what James dreamed. I was drawn to him by the dream he cast out beneath that tree.”

  Chloe left and Ben said he would contact her the next day to let her know what the doctors said and when everything could begin.

  The next day when Chloe arrived at work there was a huge bouquet of flowers with an anonymous note, from someone who had been at the picnic that weekend, congratulating her on the story and giving a little boy’s dream a voice. Her e-mail inbox was also inundated with mails from all around the country and she heard about people who were at the picnic who had travelled hundreds of kilometres to be there, to meet James and to either collect an acorn, make a contribution or both. Edward came in to tell her how proud he was and that he was feeling so blessed by fortune tha
t she had stumbled into Phoebe’s café when she had and as a result into his company.

  Ben phoned that afternoon, the doctors had already drawn blood from him to begin testing, he would hear in about a week if he could be the one to give Hannah her ‘seeds of life’. Chloe said she would keep them both in her thoughts until the results came through.

  Phoebe invited her around for dinner that evening, earlier in the week than usual, but Jean Pierre had left for an assignment out of town the day before and would be arriving on the Wednesday, their usual dinner time. She said she would love Chloe’s company that evening while he was away. Chloe sat at her desk and pondered gratefully on how full and beautiful her life was at the moment. She had a dream career, lived in a wonderfully quaint village and was surrounded by amazing people. Life was perfect for her and she couldn’t imagine needing anything more in her life at that point.

  Her week turned out to be very eventful. Everyone wanted to meet with her and discuss the success of the picnic and her article. She made time for James a couple of afternoons during that week. This had been quite overwhelming for him and he had suddenly started to come out of his shell. Chloe sensed that he held her in close comradeship and trusted her to open up a little more. He was so excited for Hannah, and couldn’t wait for her to be healthy enough for them to start visiting each other again. Chloe explained to him that it was still going to be a difficult time for her, that a bone marrow transplant was a very severe procedure and it would still be quite some time before he would be able to see her again. But she promised that if he ever felt alone, or needed company or just to talk about his concerns, she would be there if he wanted a friend.

  Chapter Nine

  The next weekend Chloe invited Grace over for tea. They had gotten closer too during the recent events but had not had some time over the last week or two to really chat and catch up. Grace arrived on the Saturday afternoon and Chloe welcomed her into her home, it was the first time she was visiting. As they went through to the lounge, Grace stopped in the doorway, seemingly frozen. Chloe traced her gaze; she was looking at the drawing that Chloe had found in the antique store, the one of the young oak in the park that had drawn Chloe’s interest.