It was a normal day in the middle of the week and Jeannie had nothing to do. Her master had gone to work. She had tidied the kitchen, cleaned the house, the garden and her bottle. She was bored. "I think I will take a walk," she thought. She blinked on herself a pink dress and a purse and left.
She walked through the park, sat on one of the benches there and watched people walk by until she saw a pawn shop across the street. She decided to go there. "I think I will buy a little something for my master."
The shop looked small, and it was one of those stores where a bell rings when you open the door. There were several things scattered around shelves. Some were big, some small, from all over the world and from various eras. Some were very valuable, others not so much. It was very hot inside and it had a very distinctive aroma. Of spices, it seemed. "Hello?" she called. "Anybody there?" A middle-aged man appeared and greeted her. "Good afternoon, miss. Can I help you?"
"Oh, yes. I am looking for a gift for my mas… uh ... friend."
"Hm. And does your friend like antiques?"
"Well, he ... I have given him antiques and he was upset because they were too expensive."
"Oh, so you're looking for something with an affordable price."
"Yes! I think so."
"Um …" The man took a look at the shelves and the counter and pulled a pocket watch from a drawer. "What about this pocket watch? It is from the last century!"
Jeannie took a look at the watch. "Um, I do not think so, my ma… friend already has a watch."
"All right ... what about these cufflinks? They belonged to a prince in the Middle East!"
She thought the cufflinks were very beautiful, but they were not what she was looking for. Besides, if she wanted cufflinks that belonged to a prince from the Middle East, She could just talk to her mother ... she could get them for her! But that was not what she wanted.
"They are beautiful, but ... no! Thank you."
"How about this ..." the man had picked up a fountain pen, but Jeannie saw an object which stunned her. It was on a shelf behind the man and she could not stop looking at it. It was an oval stone in a beautiful shade of purple.
"What is that?" she asked, pointing to the stone.
"Oh, that? It's just a paper weight." said the man, taking the stone. "I've tried to evaluate it, but it's not worth more than 10 dollars."
"I will take it!" She really was mesmerized by the stone, and did not know why.
"You think your friend will like it?"
"Oh, well ... no ... I think I will make something for him."
"Make?" He looked at her incredulously.
"Yes! Uh ... I think I will make a clock like that one." She pointed at a huge grandfather clock.
"Miss, you are going to make a grandfather clock for your friend?"
"Yes! I think he will like it! Can you wrap my stone, please?"
The man shook his head and put the stone in a brown paper bag.
"Here you go, miss. Ten dollars."
She opened her purse, took out a bill and handed it to the man. "Thank you," she said, leaving the store.
She walked home staring at the stone in her hands. She was fascinated. She didn't understand exactly why, and the stone seemed to be a regular stone, but she could not stop looking at it.
She got home, put the stone next to her bottle and glanced at the clock; she should fix something for Major Nelson to eat - he would arrive in half an hour.
Exactly half an hour later, he walked through the door.
"Jeannie!"
No one answered. He threw his cap on rack on the right and called again.
"Jeannie! I'm home!"
He walked towards the living room. "Jeannie! Where are you?" He looked inside the bottle. "Jeannie? Are you upset with me?"
"Huh? Oh, no, Master! I will come out now!" And she smoked out of the bottle.
"Good evening, Master." She said, giving him a peck on the cheek.
"Hello. Do we have something to eat? I'm starving!"
"Yes, yes. In the kitchen." She said, without paying much attention.
"Jeannie, did something happen? You look a little ... distracted."
"Huh? Oh no, Master, it is just ... well, look."
She showed the stone to Major Nelson.
"A stone?"
"Yes! Is it not beautiful?"
"It looks like an ordinary stone to me. Well, I'm going to go eat. Do you want to join me?"
"No, Master, thank you, I am not hungry."
Major Nelson was surprised. Normally she'd never refuse his invitation.
After eating, he read the newspaper. After reading the newspaper, he took a shower. After the shower… he decided to go see what was going on with his genie.
"Jeannie!"
She had smoked into her bottle again. As soon as she heard him call, she came out.
"Yes, Master?"
"Can we can sit there on the couch?"
"Of course!"
They sat on the couch and he stared at her.
"Jeannie."
"Yes?"
"Did something happen? Are you sad?"
"No, Master. I am fine. Why?"
"Well, because ... are you sure that there is nothing wrong?"
"Yes I do, Master. I am fine."
"Well ... fine then. Good night. "
"Good night, Master." And she disappeared.
Major Nelson sat for a few minutes on the couch, thinking. There was something wrong with Jeannie. She was so ... far away! And as for him ... he missed her.