Jacob's Genie

Jacob gets a dirty tea pot from his aunt for Christmas, only to find it holds a Genie inside that grants his every wish, but he learns quickly to be careful what you wish for.

Jacob's Genie

A

Story 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 turned his head toward the window with his bottom lip sticking out. This is what he did when he didn't get his way. His mother rolled her eyes and turned toward 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 crisp-cold Christmas day. Some of the other family members had already arrived. Jacob, still pouting, climbed out of the back seat and stomped over the thin layer of snow to the front door. Aunt Helen greeted him with a big hug and a smile. He put on a happy face and hugged her back.

 

  Once the coats and scarfs were hung up 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 gathering of relatives.

 

  Jacob was bound and determined to make sure his parents knew that 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. He was told that you can't always get what you want by his mother, and that made him even angrier. He didn't believe in Santa anymore, so he blamed his parents and hated them for not getting him what he wanted this year.

 

  After dinner, everyone sat around the tree and sipped eggnog and opened 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 tea pot. 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 the youngest boy 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 in 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 his parents 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 to show was a 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 tea pot. He meant to throw it on his shelf and forget about it, but something about it 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 could feel a slight vibration. Then it started shaking uncontrollably in his hands. He paniced 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 tried to find the door as he went into a coughing fit. He had to tell his parents that the room was on fire. But as quick as it came, it dissapeared. 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 out of the little one's everytime. Hope you didn't wet yourself?"

 

  Jacob stood dumfounded. The strange man was dressed in a long gold robe with a funny sparkling crown. He had a long beard tied into a braid and a ponytail. Tons of jewels hung around his neck and he constanly played with his thin 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 his bed like a child. "Comfy bed."

 

  "But...How? Where? Uhh..."

 

  "Calm down buddy! Come have a seat! I'll explain everything." The stranger waved him over to sit beside him. "I don't bite."

 

  Jacob hesitated, but the man seemed harmless. Plus, he had just appeared out of an old tea pot, so if he wanted to cause him harm, it was already too late to start making a run for it.

 

  Jacob sat as far 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 exsist."

 

  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 want to 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 here. 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 louis 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 see's me Sir Jacob. I'm your personal ghost."

 

  "Cool." Jacob continued asking questions until he could hardly keep his eyes open. The Genie informed him that he had 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 bed and scanned his room. Everything seemed normal. He hung his head in dissapointment, 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 of the floor. Jacob's excitement came back full force.

 

  "You are real." He almost shouted.

 

  "Oh Lordy. Didn't we discuss this lastnight?" The genie was strething is legs. "Y'know, if I had a guest over, I would at least offer him a bed to sleep in. Especially since he'd spent the last sixty years or so stuck in a tea pot."

 

  "Oh yeah, sure, whatever, go for it. I...I think I got my first wish." Jacob was rambling.

 

  "Whoa, whoa. Take your time. Trust me kid, I'm in no hurry to get stuffed back in that pot."

 

  "I want my parents to do everything I tell them."

 

  The Genie shook his head. "You might want to reconsider. That might not work out as good as you think it will."

 

  Jacob ignored him. "I just have to say I wish, right?"

 

  "Yeah, but..."

 

  "I wish my parents would do everything I tell them." Jacob demanded.

 

  "Oh no. Well, too late now. Here we go." The Genie stood with his legs together and his arms folded over his chest. He nodded his head in a quick motion and the room filled with a puff of smoke and then evaporated.

 

  "Did it work?" Jacob asked.

 

  The Genie said wearily, "Go see for yourself kid."

 

  Jacob booked down the stairs anxious to see if his wish came true. The first person he ran into was his mother. She was cooking breakfast at the stove. It smelled of bacon and eggs. Jacob was tired of bacon and eggs. He wanted ice cream for breakfast.

 

  "Mom, I want a big bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocalate syrup for breakfast." He demanded, expecting to get yelled at.

 

  "Okay honey." She began to dig in the freezer.

 

  Jacob was stunned. He couldn't believe it. There she was, scooping out big globs of ice cream and putting it into a bowl with syrup, and she even topped it off with a cherry. Jacob's father came strolling in while he was indulging in his treat and asked his mother what the deal was with letting him have ice cream for breakfast?

 

  "That's what he wanted." His mother responded.

 

  "Oh, I guess that's fine then." He walked out of the room whistling with a newspaper under his arm.

 

  Jacob was amazed. He finished his last bite and instructed his mother to put his bowl in the sink. She did so without argument. He strolled to the livingroom to try his new power on his dad.

 

  "Hey dad, I want to go to the store to get an X-box 360. Will you take me?"

 

  "Son, I got to go to work in a half an hour. Plus, you know we can't afford that."

 

  Jacob was puzzled. He was supposed to do what he tells him. He tried again.

 

  "I want you to take me to get an X-box."

 

  "Oh, alright. Get your shoes on."

 

  He was getting the hang of it now. He had to order them, not ask. This was going to be great. His head was spinning with things to do. He was going to be the coolest kid on the block after all.

 

   A few days had past and Jacob sat in his room reeling with excitement. The shelves and corners were stuffed with new toys and sports equipment. He had been to arcades, sports centers, laser tag, Chucky Cheese, and carnivals. Everything his little mind could conjure up, his parents agreed on and went along for the ride.

 

  The Genie sat behind him and watched him play some video game. He couldn't take it any longer. He had to tell the boy what he thought.

 

  "Look, I'm not supposed to influence you on your wishes, but... have you looked at your parents lately? They're miserable."

 

  Jacob didn't bother to pause from the game action. "They seem fine to me."

 

  Frustrated, the Genie floated in front of the t.v. screen. "Fine? They look tired and worn out. So do you, in fact. Your dad hasn't been to work in two days and is probably on the verge of losing his job. You think that's fine?"

 

  "He always complains about it anyways." Jacob argued.

 

  "If he loses his job. How are you going to have money for food or bills?"

 

  "Maybe I'll wish for it."

 

  "Ahah. I told you I can't make things appear."

 

  "What if I wish for him to win the lottey? Then I could tell him I want him to buy a ticket?"

 

  The Genie grumbled and slapped at his forehead in frustration. He floated back to the bed and sat with his head in his hands.

 

  "They never listen." He mumbled.

 

  Wish 2

 

"That's what I'm going to do. I..." Jacob was standing before the Genie.

 

  "Wait! Why don't you think about it for a minute." the Genie pleaded.

 

  "I wish for my father to win the lottery."

 

  It was too late. The Genie reluctantly folded his arms and nodded his head. When the smoke cleared, Jacob ran downstairs.

 

  "Dad, we got to go to the gas station."

 

  The trip was quick, but they barely made it home in time for the ten 'o clock drawing. As the numbers appeared on the television, Jacob's heart began to race along with his father's. When the final number was read, they jumped in the air screaming and gave each other tight suffocating hugs. Jacob's mother came in the room, and when she found out the news, she joined in on their little celebration. The genie hovered in the corner shaking his head. Humans could be so stupid.

 

  "How did you know?" His father asked.

 

  "I just had a feeling." Jacob said and winked at the Genie.

 

  The Genie had seen enough. He floated upstairs and tried to think of a way to straighten out the mess that was certain to come. Sometimes he really hated his job. He really hoped that just once, he would get a boy who didn't think of only himself. It only leads to trouble in the long run. He had to find a way for Jacob to fix what he'd done without telling him what to wish for. Oh, the troubles of a Genie.

 

  It took a couple weeks before the money started rolling in. Jacob's father had instantly quit his job upon recieving the check...$2.5 million.

 

  Jacob demanded family vacations to Disneyworld and the Grand Canyon. They stayed in luxury hotels and ate the best of foods on the menu. When they were home, Jacob's father had installed a full-length basketball court and indoor swimming pool. They bought boats, jet-ski's, snowmobiles, motorhomes, trucks, they're own personal limosine, and many other unneeded items. They were having the time of their lives.

 

  Jacob's father began to notice that the money was running out, but he was helpless to stop getting whatever his son's little heart desired. Jacob didn't worry about such things. He just demanded more and more.

 

  Eventually, some of their fun toys began to dissappear. Jacob didn't understand the concept of a loan, so he became angry. He decided he was going to confront the Genie.

 

  "What's going on? Why are they taking all of our stuff? It's our's." Jacob screamed.

 

  The Genie tried to explain. "Look kid, money doesn't last forever. I tried to warn you."

 

  "It's not fair. You liar. I hate you." Jacob ran to the bed and buried his head into a pillow. He sobbed uncontrollably for a good half an hour. The Genie waited patiently.

 

  Meanwhile, Jacob's parents were arguing in the next room. Their fight escalated to talks of divorce. Jacob stopped crying just in time to realize how upset and unhappy his parents were. He sat up and listened to their screams.

 

  "Is this what you wanted?" The Genie said lightly.

 

  "No." Jacob sniffled.

 

  "Objects and money can't buy happiness my boy. I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way."

 

  "But how do I get back to the way things were. How can I fix this?"

 

  "There's one more wish. You better think hard about it."

 

Wish 3

 

Jacob did think hard about it. He thought for what seemed like forever. Still, he could think of nothing to fix the mess he made. His parents had stopped arguing because his father had left, leaving his mother crying on the couch. There was no solution, he was doomed.

 

  The genie could not help him. He could not tell him the wish he needed to get his family back together. Jacob would have to figure that out himself, but he sure could hint at it.

 

  "What do you think makes a happy family, boy?" The Genie asked.

 

  "I don't understand what you mean?" Jacob said.

 

  "What makes families stick together through thick and thin?"

 

  "What?...um...Love?"

 

  The Genie shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

 

  "I wish for lo..." Jacob began.

 

  The Genie held up a finger and twisted his face in panic. "Think carefully now."

 

  Jacob was stumped again.

 

  "Oh, I know." Jacob jumped off the bed. "I wish to go back to Christmas day."

 

  The Genie patted the boy on the head with a broad smile stretched across his face. He folded his arms and gave his final nod.

 

Christmas Day

 

Jacob woke up in the backseat of a car. His parents were in the front singing along to "Jingle Bells." In his lap sat a remote control car. He smiled and began to sing along.

 

  When they got to Aunt Helen's, Jacob ran to the door and gave her a great big hug. They gathered at the table, and he laughed and joked with his cousins while he enjoyed the meal.

 

  Later, the family sat down to open presents. Only this time, Aunt Helen gave him a big ugly sweater she had knitted herself. He slipped it over his head and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. Everyone laughed. Everyone was happy, and Jacob knew that this was all that mattered.

 

***

Author's note: This story started without a lesson to be learned, but somehow it ended up with one, I guess. I wrote it for my two boys and it's my first children's story. I'm sorry if the ending is a little too mushy for you, (I think it's a little to mushy for me even) but It's a far cry from my typical writing. So if you liked, or disliked it, please don't judge me on this single story. There's plenty more to come and I like to explore all genre's of writing. Thanks for your time.   M.D. Stephens   

 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

  

 

 

Author's Note

My first chidren's story. Please feel free to let me know of any dialogue, grammer, punctuation, spelling, or overall flow problems. I'm alway's willing to accept constructive critism.