Today’s flash fiction writing prompt: Write about a wish. I wanted to have a little fun with this one. Enjoy!
Sly Genie
I bought a genie a coffee once.
He was standing in line in front of me at a local café, fumbling around his vest as he explained to the barista that he left his wallet in his ‘other lamp.’ I was in a hurry, so I told him his drink was on me, paid for us both, and walked out. He was so grateful he followed me to the bus stop. I should have let him follow me to the police station.
“Thanks for the coffee,” he said. “Let me make it up to you?”
“No, that’s okay.” I peered down the street and checked my watch.
“That’s a nice ring.” He whistled, eyeing the diamond on my left ring finger. “You married?”
I nodded, unable to help the small smile on my lips. “Three months now.”
“Newlyweds? Nice. About that wish?”
My smile slipped. Genies have a bad rep, and while I wouldn’t call myself prejudiced, I didn’t want any trouble. “It’s fine. Really.”
“No, no! You did something for me, I’ve got to do something for you. Genie’s code.”
“I’m already happy. I don’t need anything else.”
“What if I could guarantee your happiness forever?”
“You can do that?”
“I’m a genie.” He snapped his fingers. “How about a choice? Eternal happiness for you, or for the person waiting for you at home?”
And there it was. “Tempting, but no.”
“You wanna pass for yourself, fine. But not wanting your partner to be happy? That’s just selfish.”
“No, it’s smart. Genie wishes always have a catch.”
He frowned and gave me a wide-eyed stare. “Wowwww. I didn’t take you for one of those. We genies aren’t all alike, you know.”
“No, of course not-”
“That’s just hurtful. And here I thought you were a nice lady. Sorry to bother you.” He started walking away.
I caved with a sigh. “Fine. I wish for my husband to be happy forever.”
He turned around and smiled. “That’s very generous of you. Just one formality and our transaction is finished.” He fished out a lamp from his, well, actually I don’t know where it came from. “All you gotta do is rub my lamp.”
“That’s it?”
He nodded. It sounded easy enough, so I gave it three or four strokes across the top. The genie grinned and disappeared in a puff of smoke with a “So long, sucker!” on his way. I stared at the smoke in silence.
“Well, that sounded ominous.” An understatement from the old woman quietly watching on the bench. I was inclined to agree. She scratched her head. “But wait. I thought you had to rub their lamp first and then make your wish?”
Food for thought on the way home. But when I got there, everything was fine. My husband greeted me with a kiss, and I forgot all about it. Until a few weeks later, when a dozen mysterious credit card bills came in. I knew the genie didn’t grant my wish then, because my husband was livid.
“You spent ten grand on oriental rugs and gold bracelets?”
“No!” I sifted through the statements, baffled by the charges. Trips to Bali and Paris, charges for jewelry and antiques, maxed out accounts at three different shoe stores (a mystery to me), and a gold membership at Magix R Us. Each charge recorded my fingerprints approving the transaction. The bills kept coming, and one day I got a card in the mail with the image of a lamp engraved on the outside, and a single line printed neatly on the inside.
WISHES ARE FOR SUCKERS.
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