Granted

Written by Liz Frisbie of Richard Montgomery

The woman smiled at the gray sky and let out a laugh. She studied the letter in her rough hands again to make sure the news it bore wasn’t some cruel joke.

Please visit my office at your requested hour. I look forward to our session.

The woman squealed in delight, making hollow-eyed passerbys stare in wonder and envy. Everyone knew what a letter meant on the first day of the new year. It was a chance for something great—a chance for someone to become their best self. A chance for a seemingly impossible wish to be fulfilled.

But having that chance was the truly impossible wish for most. Who the Granter helped was determined by a lottery drawing. Well-off people got the advantage, as they could afford to buy many of the expensive tickets. The poor masses seldom got to lay eyes on the golden ticket, or even know of anyone who met the Granter.

The woman carefully stashed the letter inside her worn travel bag and headed towards the bus stop. On the way, she observed the dilapidated buildings that surrounded her and the bowed-down people that walked in between them. Soon, I’ll be out of this miserable place, she thought.

As the woman boarded the dull bus, she scraped what few coins she had together and, careful to avoid the driver’s full drink, dropped them into the paybucket.

“I don’t get many passengers on the first day of the year. Where’re you off to?” the driver inquired, strangely friendly.

“The Granter.”

“What? How’d someone from around here get chosen? Are you pulling my leg? You’ve got to be messing with me.” The driver shook his head in disbelief and pointed at the woman.

“If you’re not joking, listen closely to me. I’ve been driving this route for many years, and I’ve seen many people go to the Granter.” He leaned in closer, narrowing his eyes. “Be careful and precise with what you wish for; the Granter takes your wish literally. You don’t want to end up like that man I drove a while back.” The driver grimaced at the thought. “He wished for a soul mate, but ended up with another person stuck inside his head.”

The woman leaned back in horror, one hand on her mouth. The driver laughed heartily.

“Ah, but don’t worry. I’ve also seen a lot of people get exactly what they wanted. Just—think about what you truly want, and then think about the best way to ask for it! That’s what I’d do, anyway…” His voice trailed off.

As the woman traced her way to the back of the bus, she reflected on the driver’s warning. Think about what I truly want, and then find the best way to ask for it... What do I truly want? She thought back to her childhood when she wanted to be on a sports team, but her family couldn't afford it. She thought back to when her father was laid-off, and when her family had to skip lunch for a month until he found another low-paying job.

After some time, the tarnished bus squealed to a halt outside an expensive-looking steel skyscraper that sparkled in the warm sun.

“Alright, miss. This is your stop.” With a start, the woman realized the driver was talking directly to her, and that she was the only one riding the bus.

“Thank you,” she said, walking down the aisle as the driver took a big gulp of water. When she was on the sidewalk in front of the looming building, the driver called out to her.

“Hey! Good luck in there.”

The woman turned and walked deeper into the shadow of the mountainous building. When she reached the top floor, she stepped into the lobby of the Granter’s office and saw row after row of people waiting. Some paced the floor, anxious for their turn, while others sat perfectly still, as if to preserve the moment for the rest of their lives. The woman spied a free seat, where only a half-empty cup of water resided, and headed over. With no apparent owner in sight, the woman set the cup on the floor and looked around for something to do while she waited.

“Hey. Hey.” The harsh whisper came from the woman’s left. She looked over in alarm.

“What are you here for?” The owner of the voice was a hunched over middle-aged businessman.

“I’m here for the same reason as you.”

The man laughed dryly. “Oh, I assure you, there is no way that is true.” He opened his coat to reveal an elongated lump in the middle of his abdomen. The woman recoiled.

“What—what is that?” she said as politely as possible. The lump wiggled.

“That,” the man replied, “is my wish. Of course,” he laughed, “now I have a new wish.”

“What did you wish for?”

“Well, you see, I own a very successful business. But lately, I’ve been struggling with my workload. I don’t trust any of my employees to be my assistant, so I asked for a hand in running my business. And, well, I meant a person, but,” the lump wiggled again, and this time, the woman could make out fingers. “The Granter gave me this buddy.”

“So what are you going to do?”

The man sighed deeply. “I’m going to ask him to take my wish back.” He swept his gaze over the room. “And I bet you my extra hand,” he let out a chuckle, “all of these sad sods are here for the same reason.”

Before the woman could respond, a voice directed at her boomed across the room.

“Miss! It’s time. Please follow me.”

In her haste to catch up to the announcer who had already started down a long hallway, the woman knocked over the cup of water, spilling its contents across the carpeted floor.

The walk through the hallway was too short. In no time at all, the woman found herself seated across from the Granter himself. Looking at the short, balding man with wispy white hair, the woman almost laughed. He did not seem like the sort to give people extra hands; he seemed kind hearted. The Granter sighed.

“Well, aren’t you going to ask me for love? Money? A new house? What do you want?”

“I—I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”

The Granter seemed taken aback by the woman’s hesitation. “What do you mean you don’t know? Don’t you want fame? Adventure? You can have anything you want.”

The woman reflected on her life. What do I truly want? Her gaze fell onto the empty glass teetering on the edge of the Granter’s desk. When she was younger, the woman had been confident that she would grow up to have a better life. But when life and circumstances beat her over and over again, she had given up. What do I want? What she wanted was another chance. Another chance to be better. She wanted—

“Hope. I want people to have hope.”

The Granter glanced up in astonishment, but then narrowed his eyes warily. “For you, or for others?”

Without pause, the woman responded.

“For others.”

The Granter stood up, bewildered. Throughout his whole career, nobody had ever wished for something like this. They all wanted the same things. Money. Love. Power.

“You know,” the Granter said slowly, “I have been wishing that someone would ask for something for others.” He laughed, rubbing his eyebrows with his fingers. “It’s the only wish I’ve never been able to grant.”

The Granter thought for a long moment.

“I grant your wish, and mine as well. Know this: there will be hope for you, and wherever you go, it will follow you.”

The woman stepped out into the warm sunlight, laughing as she skipped down the sidewalk. This time, nobody stopped and stared; they were all too focused on their own excitement. Children played jump-rope in the street, adults threw back their heads in laughter, and the woman continued her journey home, grateful to be in a world where wishes were granted.