300 Bulbs

Long after I had begun living on my own I received a call from my half-brother because he needed a place to crash on his way to Canada with his girlfriend and her dog. After he arrived, he admitted that they also needed my dog's license to get into the country because her dog was unlicensed.

I really didn't want to, but sucker that I am I agreed. I was suckered another time when my brother invited me to join him at our parents' country house, sans parents. After I arrived he explained that we were obligated to plant 300 daffodil bulbs. It was October and our fingers froze from the grueling work. It took all day. This was the payment for being allowed to stay at the country house. Nothing was a gift from our parents. They made a show of being generous but always required a payment. 

The following spring my parents invited me and my siblings to the country house. The daffodils my brother and I had planted were in full bloom. When it was time for me to drive back to RI I asked my mother for a few flowers. She turned to me and said, in her witchiest voice, "you rat!"