Genie in a Bottle

The nor’easter had been blowing for days now it seemed, Jane could hardly wait to get back out on the beach. She loved storms and this one had given her all that she loved with the roar of the ocean and the howling winds, the blackness of the night and the grey days. She had always known she was a bit odd in liking such things, but she thought to herself as she slipped on a light jacket and kicked her shoes off, “I like it, that’s all that matters” and went out the door, letting it slam a little as the blowing wind grabbed it out of her hand.

It was still early as she neared the beach, she looked about and saw no other people, “good” she thought, “I have it all to myself.” She loved the soft sand beneath her feet, even now that she had grown quite older, that feeling of youth leapt into her heart once again as she stretched out her arms and flung them about dancing in circles now with the wind whipping her jacket and sand stinging her face. “Oh how I love this place” she said into the wind and stopped twirling to sit down letting the dizziness pass,” I think maybe I am getting too old for this” she said aloud once again into the wind and roaring waters.

Jane began her search as she walked letting her eyes seek out the shells that appealed to her. She wanted to find another perfect Sand Dollar, like the one she had found when she was twelve. She had searched for years and never found another perfect one, “did that mean a just once in a lifetime” she thought as her eyes kept up the vigorous search. Jane spent an hour walking in the light rain and wind, then turned to go back as she stumbled a bit, her foot hit something sticking out in the sand. ”Ouch” she said as she bent down to look and see if she had cut her foot. She forgot about her foot as she saw the bottle sticking out from the sand, reaching down she picked it up and gasped with delight as the colors were beautiful and the glass picked what rays of light there was to reflect back at her to see. It was the most beautiful bottle she had ever seen as she gathered it up for closer inspection. The deep reds were entwined with gold lacing through and through the beautiful royal looking blue covering the bottle, taking her hand she gently wiped away the sand and grime.

Holding the bottle up toward the grey skies to see what might be inside, she rubbed a spot that seemed to want to stay on it and all of a sudden she gasped aloud, “oh my, oh my” as a stream of fogginess came from the bottle, she almost dropped it with alarm, but held it firmly, as a voice said “thank you for holding on and not dropping me.” Stunned Jane looked at the bottle and there before her eyes was a cute little person, dressed in foreign looking clothing, “much like those from Sinbad movies,” she thought, as the little person spoke to her. “Hi Jane my name is Genie and I am so glad you found me. I’ve been washed from shore to shore and beat around for many years now and it seems you are the lucky one to find me.” “Please don’t be afraid, I am here to serve you, as you know from stories told, yes, yes I do, I grant wishes and now I must go back inside for awhile, my journey has been long and I need to rest a bit, so come back and get me at dawn please and I will serve your wishes then.” Stunned Jane watched as the fogginess went back into the bottle and she held it tightly and walked slowly home as the wind seemed calmer now and the rain had stopped, she smiled and said to herself “well I be darn.” and quickened her pace for home.

Entering her home she sat the bottle gently down on the dinning table and went into the kitchen to brew coffee. Afterwards she jumped in for a quick shower and slid into her old housedress and went back to pour her coffee. Walking back through the house she picked the bottle up and entered her living room, it was a sparse room and had only the necessary things she needed, flipping the television on she tuned in CNN and sat down, still holding the little bottle. “Goodness its hard to believe that someone is really in there, am I going crazier or what” she thought and gently sat the bottle on the coffee table. Stretching out on the sofa now she listened to the news and drifted off for a quick nap before fixing dinner.

It was almost dark before she woke stretching and looking to see if the bottle was still there. Picking it up again she went back to the kitchen and pulled out the fixings for dinner,”hmmmmmmm skillet dinner it is” she said to herself and went about putting it together, it would be done quickly and then she would feed everyone and clean up and return to her television or maybe she thought “a few games on my computer tonight” before her House Hunters program came on. Whisking about, things were soon done and she went back to her living room till bed. A few hours later picking up the little bottle, she dressed for bed and soon fell asleep for the night.

Suddenly she came wide awake; looking about the light was barely coming through her windows and just as suddenly Genie appeared again. “Gosh when you said dawn you weren’t kidding Genie” rubbing her eyes to come more fully awake now. Genie said to her “shush Jane, be quiet and just listen a minute then you can go back to sleep for a while.” Jane now was fully conscious now, sitting on her bedside, “yes Genie, I am listening.”

“I will give you just three days to think on this and then I will grant to you just one wish, you must say it when you take me back to the ocean and toss me as far as you can and then only at that moment will your wish will come true my dear,” she said as she drifted back into her bottle.

Jane lay back down upon her bed and drifted into a frightful sleep, tossing back and forth she soon went into a sound sleep. She saw herself in a beautiful room and walked about looking at all the splendor, the house was huge and filled with many wonderful things, and all the colors she liked filled the rooms. Going up the rounded staircase she went into a huge master suite, there before her eyes was a bed covered in silks of beiges and golden lush colors, the bath had every thing one could ever want, she felt herself close the doors and then she was standing near her children, all were well and had secure futures but one, she looked at him and knew he would be alright. She turned and saw her husband, still lost in his own world, and knew that time would do what was necessary for him. Soon she was seeing herself driving down the road in a beautiful one seater brilliant Red Lotus, her dream car, what a thrill it was to finally be behind the wheels, racing to where she didn’t care. Then it seemed she was back walking on the beach as she woke up again.” Goodness, Goodness, what am I to do, or choose,” she asked out loud and then got dressed for a walk on the beach to clear her head and feel the wind whip through her hair, soon she let the door close and once again she was searching for shells.

Time passed quickly for the next three days but for the very last hours as she knew her time was up and a choice had to be made soon. She had thought of many things she wanted and could use to make her life easier, she could help her family to ensure a better future for them, but to her they needed to make their own mark, as they all had skills and such to make a good way and be happy. She could finally travel to Africa and Alaska, and visit Sweden and the castle there where it was said her family roots came from. The dream of owning a Winnebago was tempting and traveling, but she knew she would never be happy without being grounded. Maybe she could hire a private teacher to teach her how to write and paint better, now that was something she really loved doing, but even that didn’t fill her desires. “Oh my it’s time and I still do not know what I will wish for with all of my heart and soul,” she said quietly as she picked up the bottle and let the door close ever so slowly.

The beach seemed to appear fast or was she just walking faster than usual, her feet seemed to pull her faster and faster as she clutched the beautiful little bottle, then her feet just seemed to come to an abrupt stop and the fogginess appeared once more, letting her see Genie again, “goodbye my new friend, be sure to throw me way out now and don’t worry, you know in your heart what you want, as do I.” Genie slipped back into her bottle and Jane walked into the water to be able to throw the little bottle far out. Pulling the little bottle close to her she kissed it and then pulled her arm back and cast it into the wind as her words streamed out to the wind, I want peace for all of mankind.

© Tobie Haga Roy-
Credit given to my son Eric for saying if he had one wish from a Genie, it would be to fix his shoulders,which put me on this road to travel for today, thanks son.