History of Talisman

Some people reported seeing an unidentified object in the sky over Tokyo at sunset on January 31, 2021. Since very few people witnessed it and there was virtually no proof of its existence, it is not a well-known incident. I was there, though, and I was the one who greeted them. It all began on my birthday, one day before the event.

…

Both of my parents clapped as they sang, "Happy birthday to you~," waiting for me to blow out the candles on the chocolate cake. So I did. I inhaled heavily and, with one breath, blew out all the candles.

"What did you wish for?" my mother inquired, looking at me with curiosity.

"I forgot," I said, slapping my forehead. I had actually forgotten to wish for something.

"It's fine, honey; you can wish for next year," she said with a smile. "Let's cut the cake."

She calmly took the knife and cut a few pieces of the cake, placing them on plates and serving me, my father, and herself.

After eating chocolate cake, it was time for the prize. Normally, each of them would buy a different gift. However, today seemed a little different.

"Happy birthday, Arata," Mother said as she handed over the bright red-covered small box. "This is from your father and me."

“Thank you.” I bowed slightly and took it from her, then opened the box.

A fancy-looking black watch box was inside. My eyes went wide with excitement and concern as soon as I opened it. I immediately placed the box on the table. "I cannot accept this."

“Why, dear? "You do not like it?"

"I do, but it's expensive. It must cost a lot to you. I can’t accept—”

"It is not polite to refuse a gift." I was interrupted by my dad. "Don't be concerned about the price. We decided that we should buy you a nice gift since we had enough saved up.

I let out a smile. "Thank you; I'll wear it with care."

"Of course, you will." Mother patted my head. “I know how responsible my son is.”

This helped calm me down a little. I expected them to buy something expensive, but receiving an expensive brand watch was not in the list.

"Let me put this in my room," I said, getting up.

Father gently pushed me down from my shoulder, saying, "Don't move so fast. We've got another thing for you."

“Another present?” I exclaimed excitedly before lowering my voice. "But you've already spent a lot of money on this watch."

Father adjusted his posture. “Look, son, there are two types of presents in this world, one with material value and the other with moral value. The watch we just gave you only has material value; it doesn’t tell a story, and it doesn’t mean anything. But this…” He pulled a cloth out of his pocket and showed what was inside of it: “...this has immeasurable moral value.”

“What is that?” I asked, looking at the talisman-like object in front of me. It had a bright red crystal in the center and what appeared to be hand-carved ornaments surrounding it.

"This is the treasure of the Hoshikawa lineage."

“A treasure?” I asked, surprised by his words. As far as I knew, our family did not have treasure or royal blood, so hearing this surprised me.

"Yes, for over eleven generations, parents have passed this talisman down to their children on their sixteenth birthdays. "And as my son, you must accept and hold onto this," he said with a smile.

"I had no idea we had a history like this." I attempted to make sense of everything.

"Indeed, we do not discuss this very openly. It's because this is a gift from God himself!"

“From God?” My eyes widened. “Father, I don’t think that is possible.”

“It is. The story of this talisman is as important as the talisman itself. What me to tell?” He did not drop his smile.

“Of course,” I nodded.

He picked up the talisman. “It is simple, really. Hundreds of years ago, one of our ancestors, Hirako Hoshikawa, lived in old Japan. His life was not going well; he was among those experiencing extreme poverty. One day, while working on one of the local farms, something fell from the sky right in front of his eyes. It claims that the object was so fast that it was in flames when it came into view. Hirako rushes towards it and discovers a talisman stuck in the mud. Its appearance was stunning, and it appeared expensive to him, so he decided to keep and sell it. He didn't, though, because receiving this talisman changed his life. Only two days later, he met an old friend who offered him a high-paying position. From that point forward, his life only improved; he married a year later and had five children. He kept this talisman safe and passed it down to future generations."

I was listening to his story, without asking anything. It did sound interesting; however, a luck talisman that has been in a family for ages? This was something I never expected to be part of.

"And now, my dear son, since you have reached adulthood, I will give you our family treasure. I hope this brings you good health and happiness.”

I carefully opened my hand, taking it from Father. “But what do I do with it?”

He frowned in thought. “Interesting question. I don’t remember asking the same question to my mother when she gave me this. She just told me to hold onto it. So I don’t have a clear answer for it. You can keep it for the next generation or use it if you find an opportunity. For our generation, it was a treasure but most importantly, a luck charm. What you shall do with it is up to you. You are old enough to decide that.”

I checked out the talisman again. “So I am free to do anything I want with this…”

“Exactly,” Father replied. “That is what adulthood is. You decide for yourself and also take responsibility for things.”

“Does that mean I can sleep anytime I want?” I looked at my mom with wide-open eyes, waiting for a confirmation.

“Of course, you are free to sleep anytime as long as it is before ten.” She smiled.

Father giggled a bit, which annoyed me a little. “Then what do I get from this adulthood?”

“More chores to do,” she replied and lifted her plate. “I give you the responsibility of washing the dishes.”

“I don’t think I will enjoy this adulthood,” I said, taking the plates from the table to wash the dishes.