jEAN!E
I remember how it all started, just not how long ago it was. I've lost count of the time, after 256 days I lost count. Too bad really, I guess I'll just have to wait until someone lets me out to know right?
It was a few months after Nyu/Lucy died. It was a Saturday I think, no it was. I remember because I didn't have school and the district would have been closed on a Sunday.
So I was walking along and this cute little curio shop caught my eye. Things like that always amused me. So I went inside to have a look around.
"Hello! How are you today?" The shop owner waved at me from behind the counter. I smiled and waved back,
"I'm fine thank you." I said and turned one of the isles, of course there weren't many but you get the idea. The place was stuffed with oddities. Pigs feet in jars, shrunken heads on one shelf, bone daggers behind this glass plate. There were lamps and things hanging from the ceiling, puppets and stuff. Balls, bats, cards, foreign candy, you name it. I wish I had remembered what it was called though. They had a red carpet, and it smelled like pine needles, very clean. I liked that, cleaning reminded me of Nyu.
I eventually drifted to the back of the store to were the more expensive things were kept. Jewelry, and antiques mostly. Their had been this really cool black spear I wanted. There were carvings and pictures all over the handle. The spear head was sharp and had dozens of pointy teeth sticking out. I knew what those were fore, harder coming out than in. I was about to turn and leave when it caught my attention.
It, was a bottle. Hourglass shaped with intricate designs in the center, painted red, blue, purple. I knew I had to have it, even though it was 30 dollars. At that time I thought Mayu would love to see it, maybe we could all put flowers in it or something. So I bought it and brought it home.
"Hello everybody! It's Nana, I've come home. I have something to show you all." I said and waited for someone to answer.
"Nana! Hello how was your day? The others are out shopping they should be home soon." It was Kouta, he was always so kind to me. Like Papa was, I always loved Kouta. He came into the hall holding a steak knife and a bunch of carrots. "So?", he said giving me a quizzical look, "What is it you've got to show me?"
I swiftly pulled the bottle out from behind my back, I had used my special hands because it was easier. The bottle floated between us. "It's a bottle Kouta! Look how pretty it is!" I said it excitedly. I really hoped he would like it as much as I did, I already knew Mayu would.
Kouta smiled. "Nana this isn't just any bottle. It's a Jeanie lamp! Where did you get this?" Kouta looked very closely at the bottle. I knew his hands were full so I had used my vectors to turn it around for him.
"I bought it at some junk shop. They had all these things in there Kouta! I thought it was a vase for flowers or drinking. Look it even has a stopper so the water won't fall out! What's a Jeanie Kouta?"
He laughed at me and told me what it was, "Nana a Jeanie is a magical being that grants you three wishes. If your lucky there's one inside that bottle waiting for you to let him out!" He gestured towards the bottle.
"Whoa.." I had said unbelieving. I took it into my human hands and looked very closely at it. "So there could be a little man living inside my bottle? A real Jeanie?" I went to pull the stopper out when Kouta stopped me
"No no Nana! Don't do that! You have to rub the bottle for the Jeanie to come out!" The oven buzzer started buzzing, and Kouta ran off with his carrots down the hall. "I'm sorry Nana I have to go get the food before it burns!"
I laughed at Kouta. He was always so clumsy in the Kitchen but he took it so seriously. Mayu and Yuka came home at five from their shopping trip. They bought me a new dress, it was blue. I like that color.
"Mayu, Yuka, Nana has something that she'd like to show you all." Kouta winked at me happily.
"Oh right! You guys I have a Jeanie lamp! would you like to see it?"
"Really Nana? Are you sure it's not just a fake, where did you get it?" Mayu finished her meal and came over to me.
Yuka giggled and looked at Kouta, "Were you the one to feed her this bit of information? Jeanie's Kouta? Really?"
"No! It's true Kouta wouldn't lie to me! He said that there could be a Jeanie in my lamp! I don't really think there could be because how could a little man live in a bottle? But it is a Jeanie lamp!" I really wanted everyone to believe me. The lamp was special, it was so pretty looking.
"Well have you rubbed it yet?" Yuka challenged me to rub it. It's not that she was mean or strict or anything like that, she was just trying to be a good mother to me. I actually thought it was kind of funny. Challenging someone to rub a lamp?
I laughed at her. "No! Of course not yet! I'm going to tonight though." Mayu tugged on my sleeve. Since I wasn't really paying attention my arm popped off.
"AHH! I'm so sorry Nana!" She said and handed me the arm. I put it back on with my vectors.
"No problem Mayu. It's ok." I grabbed her hand then pulled her up the stairs.
"Are we going to see the lamp?" She giggled happily and raced me the rest of the way up.
"Yeah it's in my room!" I lead her into my room and over to my dresser where I had placed my lamp. Right next to Papa's tie.
"See, " I said, "Isn't it beautiful? It's a Jeanie lamp right? That's the kind?"
Mayu picked it up and looked carefully, brows furrowed in concentration. "Yep. Sure thing. It's a Jeanie lamp no question. So," She looked up at me, "What are you going to wish for if it's real?"
I paused. I wasn't really sure of what I wanted at first, I hadn't given it any thought. But then something came to me. "Papa. I want Papa back." Mayu had given me a sad smile at that.
"That's a good wish Nana, a real good wish."
That night I sat up in bed staring at my new treasure. I had decided to give the rubbing thing a try, so I rubbed it.
That was the stupidest thing I ever did.