Jacob’s Genie
By
M.D. Stephens
Copyright 2012 by M.D. Stephens
For Jaden and Dylan
Aunt Helen’s
“Mom, do we have to go?”
“Yes, Jacob.”
“But I don’t want to.”
“You’re twelve years old, stop acting like a baby.”
Jacob’s father sat silent in the driver’s seat drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He was pretending not to hear the argument. Hopefully, it wouldn’t grow to the point where he’d have to get involved.
“But it’s boring.” Jacob whined.
“Now… How do you think Aunt Helen would feel if she heard you say that?” His mother argued.
Jacob crossed his arms, and with his bottom lip sticking out, he turned his head toward the window. This is what he did when he didn’t get his way. His mother rolled her eyes and turned to his father, “Are you gonna help me out here?”
Jacob’s father shrugged and kept his silence.
They arrived at Aunt Helen’s around noon. It was a frigid Christmas day. Some of the other family members had already arrived. Jacob climbed out of the backseat and stomped over a thin layer of snow to the front door. Aunt Helen greeted him with a big hug and a kiss. He gave her a fake smile and barely hugged back.
Once the coats and scarves were hung and the greetings were said, they all gathered at the dining room table for a giant feast. Jacob picked at his food, trying to prove to his parents how unhappy he still was. His sulking went unnoticed by the cheerful relatives.
Jacob was bound and determined to make sure his parents knew he wasn’t satisfied about his gifts this Christmas. All he wanted was a new game system and a cool skateboard, all he got was some stupid clothes and a cheap remote control car that he had no desire to even take out of the box. His mother told him that you can’t always get what you want, and that made him even angrier. He stopped believing in Santa because his friends told him it was un-cool, so he blamed his parents and hated them for not getting what he wanted this year.
After dinner, everyone sat around the tree, sipping eggnog and opening Aunt Helen’s gifts. Jacob was not excited about this either. Aunt Helen always gave away old hand-me-downs that were meaningless to him. His previous gifts from her sat on a shelf in his room collecting dust. So as he figured, when he opened his present, it was a dusty old teapot. Aunt Helen went on to explain that it was handed down from his Great Grandfather and it was a very precious family relic.
“Your grandfather had always cherished that, and he insisted that if anything should happen to him, that it be given to youngest child in the family. Well, you’re the youngest, so take good care of it.” She kissed him on the cheek.
Jacob set the gift aside and forgot about it until it was time to leave. His mother had to remind him to grab it. He stuffed it into the inside pocket of his winter coat without much care and gave his farewell hugs and kisses to his aunt’s, uncle’s, cousins, and grandparents.
When they got home that night, Jacob decided he was going straight to his room. He informed his parents that he didn’t want supper, or desert, or nothing. He was still mad and he wanted them to know it. They just shook their heads and let him go on his way.
He lay in bed that night thinking about the horrible day. He felt like the most deprived kid on the block. In the morning, all the kids would be running around, showing off or bragging about their new toys. All he had was the cheap remote control car that probably wouldn’t even move in the snow.
After tossing and turning, he climbed out of bed and retrieved the stupid old teapot. He meant to throw it on his shelf and forget about it, but something caught his eye. It seemed to be glowing. A golden light made it bright in the dark room. He closed his eyes and opened them again. It still glowed in the dark. He ran his hand along the side of it and felt a slight vibration. Then it started shaking uncontrollably in his hands. He panicked and dropped it onto the bed. The whole room filled with that golden glow.
The Genie
The room began to fill with a thick cloud of smoke. It stung Jacob’s eyes and filled his lungs. He went into a coughing fit and tried to find the door. He had to tell his parents that his room was on fire. But as quick as it came, it disappeared. Jacob’s room was normal again. Except, that is, for the stranger sitting on the bed.
“Man, sorry about that kid. I gotta find a better entrance.” The stranger was clearing his throat and wiping his eyes. “It scares the crap out of the little one’s every time. Hope you didn’t wet yourself?”
Jacob stood dumfounded. The strange man was dressed in a long gold robe with a funny sparkling turban on his head. He had a long beard tied into a braid and a ponytail. Tons of jewels hung around his neck and he constantly played with his mustache.
“Who are you?” Jacob uttered.
“Why…A Genie; of course. Who are you?”
“Genie’s aren’t real.” Jacob began to back up.
“What? Do you think you’re dreaming kid? Of course we’re real.” The stranger bounced on the bed like a child. “Comfy bed.”
“But…How? Where? Uh…”
“Calm down buddy! Come have a seat! I’ll explain everything.” The stranger patted the spot beside him. “I don’t bite.”
Jacob hesitated, but the man seemed harmless. There was happiness in his eyes. Plus, he had just appeared out of an old teapot, so if he wanted to cause him harm, it was already too late to start making a run for it.
Jacob sat as far away as he could from him. “So, you’re like a real live wizard?”
“Ha…A wizard? No way, no how. I’m a Genie kid. Wizards don’t exist.”
The stranger said this as if it made perfect sense. ‘Wizards are only in fairytales boy. Wizard? Ha…You’re funny.”
“Can you do magic?” Jacob asked.
“I can only do restricted magic. I can do what you ask of me, but only to a certain extent. You have three wishes kid. That’s three magical things I can do for you. After that, ta-ta, bye-bye, nice to see ya wouldn’t wanna be ya.”
“Wait…I can ask you any three things and you will do them for me?”
“Well kinda. Some wishes are forbidden. I can’t kill anybody, and I hope you wouldn’t ask that of me, or we might not be the greatest of friends. I don’t hang around with psychos. I can’t change your physical appearance. People might find it a little odd if you woke up one day and were seven feet tall with muscles the size of my head. The same goes with anyone else. I can’t change their looks either.” The Genie paused for a moment to see if Jacob was listening.
“Let’s see…I can’t make objects appear. For instance, I wouldn’t be able to put a new car in the driveway or a basketball court in the backyard… If you think really hard, there are ways around that though. I can’t…”
“What can you do?” Jacob cut in.
“Ouch kid. Jeez…That hurt. I can do a lot of things, thank you very much.” Now the Genie became silent and crabby.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to make you mad. I… I just want to know what I can wish for.”
“Well, you can wish for a better attitude for starters. Jeez Louise kid. I appear on your bed in a ball of smoke and you act like it happens all the time. No respect, I get no respect.” The Genie crossed his arms and pouted like Jacob had done earlier in the car.
“I’m sorry. I really am. Let’s start over.” Jacob stuck out a hand and after a moment the Genie shook it. “What if my parents come in here? They would flip out.”
“They wouldn’t see me. I’m invisible to them. You’re the only one who sees me Sir
Jacob. I’m your personal ghost.”
“Cool.” Jacob continued asking questions until he could hardly keep his eye open. The Genie informed him that he needed to think very carefully about his wishes. He only had three. And once they were gone, so was the Genie. And nothing could be changed back after that. Jacob fell asleep thinking hard about what his first wish should be.
Wish 1
When Jacob woke up the next morning, He feared the night before was all a big dream. He turned over in his bed and scanned his room. Everything seemed normal. He hung his head in disappointment; he really wished it had all been real. He swung his legs off the bed and stepped on something.
“Ouch, get off! Good morning to you too kid.” The Genie was picking himself off the floor. Jacob’s excitement came back full force.
“You are real.” He shouted.
“Oh Lordy. Didn’t we discuss this last night?” The Genie was stretching his legs. “You know, if I had a guest over, I would at least offer him a bed to sleep in, especially since he spent the last sixty or so years in a teapot.”
“Oh yeah, sure, whatever, go for it. I…I think I got my first wish.” Jacob rambled.
“Whoa, whoa. Take
Jacob's Genie Page 1