by Raine Hughes
She neither confirmed nor denied that, laughing instead as she turned and skipped down the stairs.
Noah stacked two boxes, picked them up, and followed. As always he was entranced by the perfection of her swinging, tangle-free hair, held securely from a top knot. He’d love to set that hair free, to run his fingers through it.
When he got to the bottom, the rest of the boxes were there and his thoughts returned to where they should be. He rolled his eyes with pretended exasperation over how she’d used her magic once more. He really didn’t mind and his chuckle conveyed that, prompting her to giggle. He winked, then sidled around the cardboard cartons and headed outside.
Noah brought out a tall stepladder and carefully arranged a string of lights over his arm. Jasmine followed his lead, copying him. “Next, I have to climb the ladder.” He did that and without looking down, began the time-consuming task of fixing the red colored lights to the house roof. “The hooks are already here, along the edge of the roof. I don’t take them down so they’re ready for each successive year.” He glanced down. Jasmine wasn’t there.
“Noah. Did I do it right?”
If she’d been any closer and louder, he would have fallen off his ladder. He looked toward the distant sound of her voice. From his vantage point he could see the lights along the edge of the big hip-roof barn. There was no sign of a ladder but at least she wasn’t up on the barn roof. Her grin was wide with the joy of knowing that she’d done a good job. “It looks great, Jasmine. Thank you. That would have taken me days to finish.”
“Your ark should have lighting, too,” Jasmine suggested eagerly as she skipped back, “and now I know how to arrange them. You will see; it will be fantastic!” She bounced up and down at the prospect.
Noah nodded. “I never thought of making night runs, but I like the idea.”
Jasmine positively beamed at his praise and his approval, her face a study in delight made more so by her fresh, outdoors complexion. She looked practically mouth-watering with her apple red cheeks. Luckily he was standing on a ladder, attached to the roof by the string of lights on his arm that he had yet to put up! He finished what he had in record time and climbed back down.
“I have to get out the wooden scenes I have stored in the shed. Would you like to finish here while I do that?” She happily agreed and he watched her begin stringing another set of lights on her arm just like he’d shown her. They worked so well together. He’d never felt so happy and satisfied in his life but in the same breath he wondered what lay in store for either of them for the future. He couldn’t let himself dwell on the possibilities as he headed for the shed.
Noah carefully pulled out each Christmas scene and laid them on the snow. There were five of them intricately cut out and painted. It had been a project of his years ago and each year he tried to add a scene. These last two years he hadn’t gotten to it.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t done much of anything since Carol left. Not that he was sorry she was gone. That wasn’t it at all. It was more like he didn’t have the need to carry on full steam away from the house in order to avoid her constant demands.
Since Carol’s departure, he’d fallen into a rut of letting things wait. Truthfully, he’d procrastinated too long and so accomplished nothing when in fact he should have been engaged in all sorts of projects—including pushing forward with the ark. It had taken a special lady to jump-start that dream again.
He carefully began unfolding each wooden scene. When he got to Santa’s sleigh, complete with reindeer, it was apparent that Santa needed repairs. He carried the frame into his shop and began working on it, taking his time to enjoy the task. He’d missed the satisfaction of woodworking.
It was growing dark as he returned outside to discover the other scenes had vanished. Dragging the repaired Santa along, he went looking for them because he knew that Jasmine must be responsible for their disappearance.
The first scene he came to was already set up, lights illuminating it. Noah gawked. It was supposed to be a peaceful scene of the Three Wise Men, complete with their flock of sheep. They were there all right, but the sheep were anything but serene as they frolicked about in various animated poses. One of the wise men appeared to have taken a flying leap in order to capture an escaped sheep; he was holding it by one foot. The man’s companions were engaged in a good belly laugh over the escapade.
Noah laughed heartily himself.
The barn lights came on, attracting Noah’s attention. The roof edges weren’t the only thing illuminated. Above the peak of the barn stood the huge star that normally was firmly fixed within the shelter of the peak. A series of snowmen brandishing candy canes looked to be racing across his barn roof.
Jasmine’s sense of humor was delightful. She had changed the somber scenes into ones of activity and fun. Now why hadn’t he ever thought of something like that?
The nativity scene suddenly lit up, illuminating its place on the ground below the star. He half expected to see some changes in it but there weren’t. It remained as solemn as it should be. He recalled the scenes that were part of the Christmas catalogue she’d gone through, entranced not only by the clothing possibilities but with everything else, too.
He spotted a big blue-lit cross affixed to the light pole. Below it was another scene of shepherds on their way to see the Christ Child. They usually rode their donkeys and camels with dignity. Apparently the creatures had balked at the journey this time. One shepherd was trying unsuccessfully to pull his donkey forward; another shepherd was being dragged by an insistent camel. Still another donkey had his teeth firmly affixed to someone’s trousers. Noah whooped with delight.
As he watched, Santa’s sleigh appeared on the house roof complete with racing reindeer. With a whoosh, the wooden figurine Noah held lightly, glided from his hand and appeared up on the roof, too, but Santa wasn’t in the sleigh with the toys. He was lying on his back, feet up in the air, obviously having fallen out of the sleigh as the reindeer raced along.
Jasmine danced excitedly near the house, looking in awe at the transformation around them. He walked up and pointed to the house roof. “I just fixed that Santa. He was looking ordinary and predictable.”
She cringed as if expecting him to be upset. “I can change him and the others back, for thee, Noah.” She nibbled her lip, plainly uncertain of his approval. It was sad how her adventuresome personality and confidence in herself had been beaten down previously.
He shook his head. “Christmas is supposed to be a solemn time, or rather the meaning of Christmas is. Unfortunately, some people tend to get wrapped up in the material end of the festivities and forget the fun and merriment of celebrating the birth of Christ. Leave it. Leave them all. Things were due for a change, same as I was. It will give everyone a much needed laugh. I know my spirits keep rising all the time.” He chuckled as she resumed her spirited bounce. “Where is the big wooden tree, Jasmine?”
With a nod, the plywood tree lit up, its bright decorations and lights colorful on the ground in front of a corner of the house where it would be visible from both kitchen and living room windows. Jasmine had added presents, only most of them had been opened, exposing unusual gifts like a puppy trying to get out of a box, a child’s beribboned tricycle, and a fancy gown draped over a branch.
Then he turned once more and scrutinized the three snowmen brandishing candy canes. “They could be chasing something, our traditional turkey dinner perhaps?”
With a giggle of delight, Jasmine produced a turkey on the run from its pursuers. The candy canes were now long butcher knives.
Noah nearly choked with laughter. “You have the ability to brighten anyone’s mood, Jasmine. I can hardly wait for the old ferry to arrive so you can surprise me with your interpretation of our renovating plans.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Somehow, I think you’ve been humoring my staid and set ways.”
Jasmine flashed him a grin and ducked her head momentarily, confirming he was right. He was having trouble b
reaking out of the mold he’d cast himself in, but with Jasmine’s presence, he was changing.
He speculated on what the neighbors would think over the Christmas displays. Now that was a conversation he would really like to hear. “Besides the change of mood in the scenes, how am I going to explain the feat involved in placing them on roofs?” he asked Jasmine, then winked and with a shrug answered his own query. “I’ll tell them it’s Christmas magic. Let them puzzle over it, shall we?”
* * *
We. Jasmine met his conspiratorial wink with a widening grin. She liked this form of relationship. She liked Noah, more than a lot. Her heart was near bursting with love and she was filled with joy and wonder at it. Thank Allah, and her grandmother’s God, that Prince Rasoul and his family had rejected her marriage. She intended to use the freedom to pursue a mate of her own choosing, just like Noah and his people did.
For now, simply working with Noah was freedom enough because she was afforded with much opportunity. “Can we set up the house tree now?”
“Not until tomorrow,” Noah said, then took her by the arm and led her toward the house. “Don’t be so impatient.”
“Oh, yes, impatient. I am this and I should not be.”
He tweaked her chin. “Never mind. I’ll see that you wait, without giving in.”
“I am grateful to you, Noah. I will try harder to be patient.”
“I’m not sure I can, though.” With his gaze focused on her mouth he dropped a kiss on her mouth, his lips snow-cold and winter-fresh, and she eagerly pressed the advantage, returning his kiss with ardor.
With obvious reluctance, he withdrew, leaving her wanting.
“Patience. Remember patience,” he whispered then dropped a final peck on her mouth.
The kiss had ended all too soon and Jasmine was left wondering if he was reminding her or himself as he continued on and disappeared inside. She constantly hungered for his kisses.
* * *
Noah showed her how to decorate the spruce tree, sharing all the little intricacies of the task his mother had shared with him. He’d always enjoyed tree decorating, but he had to admit that watching Jasmine’s enthusiasm heightened the pleasure even more.
“Would this not look more wonderful in real candles?” Jasmine asked as they stood back and surveyed the Christmas tree now occupying a corner of the living room. Instead of the little lights that edged his outside roofs, two spotlights strategically stationed underneath stood ready to illuminate the tree’s reflective decorations.
“No!” Noah yelped, then explained with a little less force, “Many a house burned down from the use of candles on trees years ago. Thankfully, someone invented tree lights and spotlights, like this one.”
“But I can use cold candles on your tree, and your ark, too, instead of lights.”
“Oh, really?” Noah looked at her cautiously. At any minute she’d zap a hundred candles onto his tree, all blazing away. Maybe her candles were normally safe, but none involved a resin-filled tree that would burst into flames with one little mistake. To show he might at least consider it, even though he remained dead set on the idea, he asked, “Is it challenging to make cold candles?”
“Oh yes, Noah,” Jasmine said, alarming him further. “For most any Djinni it is, but remember, I am the Shamaa... Candle Princess. I have earned that name. Our magic is created from the wind and smoke, and fire and illusion. Candles are my specialty.”
“Smoke? Then it’s true you can disappear in a puff of smoke?” He’d discarded that idea previously, preferring not to know for sure.
“Smoke disguises movement. Under cover of smoke, you cannot see us move from one place to another. It is part of our powers of illusion.”
Noah frowned, still confused. “So, you can’t disappear?”
“Not into smoke. Smoke simply obscures the vision. Swirling air currents afford a similar method, our movements hidden by the displaced atoms until we are no longer seen. Then we…” She gave a little twirling motion of her hand that once more suggested that she could go in an instant.
“You can leave in a whirlwind? It’s not just camouflage?”
Jasmine gave him a puzzled look. “How else would we transport from place to place or return home?”
“Home? Can you or can you not return, right this minute, disappear to your home in that mountain you people inhabit in the desert or in a cloud or wherever it is?”
* * *
Jasmine cringed at the harsh words, spoken with his fists jammed on his hips and his eyes flashing angrily.
“I guess that answers that.” He left without waiting for her answer.
Of course he could not comprehend it. He would be greatly distressed by what he was about to witness but there was no other way to make him understand. Jasmine folded her arms, taking care not to bungle her entry by crossing them incorrectly, and summoned the wind. Since no one was about, she did not have to produce any camouflaging smoke. With a shriek of sound, the air storm swallowed her up and transported her to the upstairs bedroom where Noah had retreated.
She emerged from the whirlwind to find Noah gaping, wide-eyed, his hair and clothes in disarray as was the room. With another nod, she set things back to right and for once it all happened at the same time.
“I have not deceived thee, Master Noah. I may call on my father, and the wind, to take me back to Mt. Kaf. Thee will also recall that I do not want to do this, to disgrace myself again.” Noah attempted to speak but she raised a hand to silence him.
“While I can disappear into my glass urn, I cannot return home on my own, not without my magic urn and the brass stopper that contains a miniature propeller which can carry me around the world. A full-blooded Djinni would not need such device, but with my diluted blood, I must rely on it.” She should not be revealing the secret of the brass stopper but Noah would never stoop to locking her up in it for an eternity, she was sure.
“Thee have witnessed that I can transport by using the air currents, with or without cover of smoke. I have not done so before because I knew it would distress thee. This is my explanation, Master Noah.” She steepled her hands and whirled out of the room, creating a vacuum that accompanied a couple of doors slamming somewhere inside the house.
* * *
Noah sat speechless in the echo of slamming doors. But, he was unafraid as he tried to assimilate what he’d witnessed. Guilt swiftly assailed him. He also realized that he’d been acutely upset to think that she could return home, leaving him alone again.
His behavior might prompt her to do so. That was the real crux of the matter. Up here, as he sat on the edge of his bed, he had been pondering how he could possibly live without Jasmine in his life. It was clear now that he would be miserable without her. He couldn’t just love her for the here and now. He wanted her forever.
Noah couldn’t tell her any of that. He’d just barely realized the truth himself.
He sprang to his feet then thundered down the stairs barely slowing enough to refrain from bursting into the kitchen. Her head was bowed over her hands as if she’d returned down here in the same position as the one she’d been in as she left him upstairs.
“I’m sorry, Jasmine. I was so focused on other things you told me at the time, that I didn’t get the whole of your story and I closed my mind to all the possibilities.” That sounded more like an explanation rather than an apology. He softened his voice to repeat, “I’m sorry, Jasmine.”
She didn’t look up. She wasn’t forgiving him easily. He didn’t blame her. The space surrounding her was dark once more, no sparks or filaments of color. He was responsible for that, too.
“You’re right. It was more than a little disconcerting to have you appear before me in a whirlwind. I do appreciate that you realized that and have gone to great pains to do things my way. I will not object should you find it necessary to use that particular power—sometimes, anyway—since it looks like it’s something you should practice.” Blunder! “Not that you need to, er, practice. I
just thought you’d like to…” As she lifted her head to that, he ground to a halt.
“This isn’t coming out the way I want it, Jasmine. I just mean it’s okay by me if you transport. I won’t be frightened.” In theory, anyway; it was just one more thing to remind him that they weren’t of the same composition. But he refused to think of her as an alien!
Jasmine’s aura grew lighter. Maybe he would get used to her winds and her smoke screens. The auras might be different.
“Forgive me?” Noah bestowed his best disarming smile on her, relieved when she nodded. The aura around her went back to a pulsating pink with her returning good mood. She didn’t hold a grudge, thankfully.
“We shall return to our disagreement on candles,” Jasmine said, taking them back to the initial discussion before all this had happened. “I shall demonstrate for you.” She was obviously not upset any longer since she’d dropped the thee business once more.
But before he could wonder about that statement, she had summoned the wind and with a roar they were suddenly outdoors. Noah was so surprised that it was a moment before he saw the low flames dancing around them, fanned by the whirlwind their exit had produced. He felt a little tipsy before his head settled down.
“Jasmine!” What was she about to do next? Something he wouldn’t like, he was sure.
“These flames will keep us warm, Noah.” Instantly the flames rose into a wall that exuded heat like a blazing fireplace.
He was right, he didn’t like it! His stomach churned while he sought to check his panic and keep his voice calm. “This isn’t cold fire, Jasmine.”