Here is the third of 65 short stories from my book, Life, Love and The Pursuit of Happiness. It is available in book form on Amazon, but in this blog you get them free of charge, at the rate of one or two per week.
This story is about a sad genie who unknowingly helps a clever young girl find her true love. I hope you enjoy it. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter to not miss future stories.
The Sad Genie
Tommy screeched the tires of his hot rod
after dropping his sister off at home. Samantha smiled at her brother’s
impatience; she knew he was off to meet his latest girlfriend. She had not
found a boyfriend yet, but she did find a bottle on the beach that pleased her.
Upon
returning home, Samantha placed the unusual bottle in the kitchen sink and reached inside the cabinet for a rag and
dishwashing liquid. She washed off all the dirt she could and placed it on the
kitchen table to buff and polish it.
She
rubbed it for a full minute, fantasizing that a Genie would pop out. Nothing
happened, of course, so Samantha turned her back and reached into the fridge
for a glass of orange juice. She dropped it when she heard a voice behind her.
“What
do you want, dear lady?” someone asked.
Samantha
turned to see a tiny man, no larger than her hand, standing on the table and
smiling at her. He wore a jungle pith helmet, white golfing shoes, red Bermuda
shorts, and a white T-Shirt emblazoned with Mickey Mouse playing putt-putt.
“Oh,
my gosh!” She ran to the living room to hide. It had to be her imagination, she
thought, so she peeked around the corner to look again. He was still there.
“Don’t
be afraid, young lady; I won’t hurt you. For goodness sake, you’re much bigger
than I am.”
Samantha
again ducked her head behind the living room wall. Still breathing heavily, she
took another quick glance at the tiny man on her kitchen table. At least he wasn’t
attacking her. Perhaps the bottle was a device that projected holographic
images. She’d heard about them. Slowly she stepped into the kitchen, careful to
keep a safe distance from him.
“Are
you a hologram, Sir? she asked.
“Well,
I’ve been called a lot of things but never a hologram. My current name is Alex,
by the way, though I change it to suit the times. May I ask your name, pretty
lady?
“Samantha.
Now explain why you’re here on my kitchen table.”
“Have
you forgotten, you brought me here in the bottle? As for the real substance of
your question, I am here to grant you the proverbial three wishes.” Alex folded
his arms across his chest.
“Are
you a Genie?” a wide-eyed Samantha asked.
“What
else?” Alex was downcast at the thought. “I was stuck in this cheap bottle for
2,000 years by a most cruel Sultan in Arabia. I was a magician before then, or
in modern terms, a ‘free-range’ Genie without a master. One day, out of the
goodness of my heart, I granted a wish for the Sultan that didn’t turn out as
expected, but, hey, nobody’s perfect, right? Anyway, the Sultan was a trifle
miffed and used his next wish to get revenge by trapping me inside this bottle.
A tad harsh, wouldn’t you say?” Alex shrugged his shoulders.
“I
don’t believe you.” Samantha said.
“Yeah,
it’s a little too weird even for me, but Genies aren’t allowed to lie to their
master. I can kid around, of course, but I cannot lie.”
“How
will I know whether you’re telling the truth or kidding?”
“You
won’t, but what’s the difference when we’re having such a delightful
conversation?”
“The
difference is that I want to know the truth,” Samantha replied.
“What
for, most of the time it’s unpleasant?”
“Why
are you so tiny, I thought Genies were normal size?”
“I
try to maintain a low carbon footprint.”
Samantha
laughed. She circled the kitchen table, inspecting the bottle which she still
believed was a holograph projector. “Are you really a Genie?”
“I
said so, didn’t I?”
“Yes,
but you might be kidding.”
“I’m
not kidding about that,” Alex replied.
“You’re
not exactly young, Sir, but you don’t look 2,000 years old.”
“I
hibernate between missions.”
Samantha
figured she would test him. “And you say I’m limited to three wishes?”
“Actually,
there’s room for debate on that point. A couple of centuries ago, one of my
tricky masters asked for extra wishes. I’m still not sure what the rulebook
says, but that clown wasted his wishes.”
“How
so?”
“The
greedy dolt spent the rest of his life wishing for thousands more
wishes. He died of old age before asking for anything else!”
“That’s
silly!” Samantha laughed.
“Just
kidding. Maybe.”
“You
talk more like a smart aleck Leprechaun than a Genie.”
“Gosh,
I was hoping you wouldn’t notice the Irish lilt in my voice,” Alex replied.
“Another
thing is that Genies don’t make jokes.”
“I
must have picked it up from watching TV.”
“In
fact,” Samantha said, “you’re not even dressed like a Genie. What’s up
with that dorky golfing outfit?”
“Genies
may be slaves, but not to fashion.”
Samantha
moved alongside the table and poked Alex in the stomach.
“Ouch,
that hurt!” he said.
“Sorry,
I was just checking to see if you’re real.”
“What
is reality, that’s still an open question, isn’t it? But let’s get down to
business, my pretty lady, and tell me your three wishes. I mean, I have other
things I could be doing, you know. Or perhaps you’d like a few moments to think
about them.”
“What
is there to think about?” Samantha asked.
“My
dear Samantha. What is there to think about, you ask? Why, everything,
of course. Don’t you know you should always be careful what you ask for?”
“Well...yes,
but—”
“But
what?” Alex interjected.
“I
already know for sure one thing I want: I want to marry the first man who truly
loves me, preferably a handsome one. Can you do that?”
“Certainly,
but you can find him on your own without wasting a wish.”
“Maybe,
but how will I know for sure that he truly loves me?”
“So,
is that your first wish?” Alex said, impatiently.
“Let
me think for a minute, okay?”
“Is
letting you think your first wish?”
“No,
no. Do I have to give you my three wishes today?”
“Rules
are rules.”
“Wait...I’ve
got it. My first wish is for you to help me decide what to wish for. After all,
I’m only 19 years old and new at this, and you’re much wiser than I.”
“Granted.”
“Great.
I’ve always dreamed of helping people, can you tell me if it would be wise to
be Supergirl or Wonder Woman?”
“That’s
not a good choice, Samantha. Being a superhero is not what it’s cracked up to
be.”
“Why
not?”
“For
one thing, you’ll have to wear an embarrassingly ridiculous costume. For
another, you’ll run yourself ragged doing errands for every fire department in
the country. Can you imagine spending the rest of your life rescuing cats out
of trees?”
“Good
point. Maybe I should ask for unlimited power to solve all the world’s problems
by twitching my nose.”
“Your
name might be Samantha, but you’re not a witch and you certainly don’t want
unlimited power. Look where it got me, for crying out loud!”
“If
you have unlimited power, why didn’t you refuse the Sultan’s wish to imprison
you in a bottle for 2,000 years?”
“Good
question. I granted it because I was on a guilt trip for accidentally marrying
him to a goat. Plus, I was only a rookie magician at the time and thought I
could escape. Whatever! The bottom line is that I’m doomed.” A tear fell from
his eye.
Samantha
felt sorry for the Genie and wiped his tiny tear. “There must be something I
can do to set you free.”
“I’m
afraid it’s hopeless, young lady. But you can have a good life if you
choose your last two wishes carefully.”
“I
shall take your advice, my fine Sir, therefore my second wish is to become
wiser than you and King Solomon.”
“Wish
#2 Granted. And what is your final wish?”
“Sir,
please make a wish for your own benefit.”
Alex
was so touched by her gift that he didn’t comprehend what thoughts lay in her
strange smile. All he knew was that in 2,000 years no one had ever placed his
suffering above their own desires. He gazed at Samantha with a gentle affection
he’d never felt for anyone. “You are the kindest master I’ve ever known, dear
Samantha.” He wiped a tear drop from his cheek. “But Genie rules do not permit
me to make even the simplest wish for myself; I can only make a wish for your
benefit.” Alex paused a moment to reflect on her desire to find a loving
husband. “Because you may be deceived by some man who pretends to love you, it
is my wish that you marry the first man who truly loves you.”
Instantly
the bottle disappeared, and Alex found himself standing on the kitchen floor,
now 6 feet tall and dressed in a wedding Tuxedo. Astonished, he said, “I don’t
understand why I’m still here and dressed like this; I’ve always vanished along
with the bottle after granting three wishes?”
“It’s
very simple, my future husband. You granted me the wisdom to suggest you make a
wish for yourself. But since you couldn’t make a wish for your own
benefit, you made a wish for my benefit that I marry the first man who
truly loves me. That’s you, dear Alex, just as I thought, and now you’re
free!”
“But
the Sultan’s wish prevented anyone from releasing me!” Alex said, confused.
“Yes,
but I never asked that you be set free – not directly anyway, and that was the
loophole we used. Of course, it does require that you become my husband so
you’re not completely free.” Samantha laughed.
“Truly
I do love you Samantha, but the problem is that I’m a lot older than you, even
in appearance.”
“You’re
still a Genie, aren’t you?”
“Yes,
but –”.
“But
nothing. You granted your wish that I find a man to marry who truly
loves me, now grant my wish that you become young.”
“I
can’t. You’ve already used your third wish that set me free to marry you.”
“Not
exactly. I asked you to make your wish, I didn’t make the wish myself,
you did. So, grant my third wish that you be young again.”
“Why,
Samantha, you are wiser than me or King Solomon! Your wish is Granted!”
“Now
give me a kiss, young man.”
“Is
that a fourth wish?”
“It’s
an invitation.”
“Granted!”
The End
Copyright
© 2018 by Ken Pealock
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