"And what are you doing brother dearest?" His little sister suddenly
appeared on top of his dresser from out of nowhere.
"Not much, how about you?"
"It's summer. Nothing." She smiled. "I'm trying to get Mom to let me go to Paris or Milan, or something like that. But she just won't!"
"You know, Dad still doesn't know about that!"
"I know, and don't tell him. Meanwhile, what are your plans for today?"
"I have a date."
"Oh no, don't tell me! Not with her again!"
"Yes, with her. Oh come on, Alyssa isn't all that bad."
"Yeah, and I'm just a normal kid."
"What exactly are you getting at?'
"Your girlfriend tortured me all throughout my early childhood! In fact, she still tortures me!"
"Well, may be you should just try to look at her differently."
"Hah! That's a good one. Well, I am going to go find Mom, maybe she'll give me something to do." She blinked, and in a flash of a second she was gone.
"Can't I please go to Milan?"
"No."
"It's not like anyone's gonna notice." She sighed.
"What, that you're gone?"
"Yeah."
"Don't you think your Father will?"
"Yeah, I guess but he doesn't have to know about it. Besides, he's in space right now anyway, he's not gonna know!"
"I don't like keeping secrets from your Father."
"I know, but at least admit that there is no other reason that you won't let me go."
"Well, there is one but with you being a genie and all, I really don't think that it matters much. Don't you think that going alone is kind of dangerous?"
"I suppose so."
"See. That's what I mean."
"Well that's even better then, you could come with me."
"No darling, I have a lot to do in the next few days."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Well you could help around the house a little, and I know that it's the last thing you wanted to hear."
"Well, why the heck not, it's better than nothing."
"Before you dust the furniture, where's your brother?"
"Where do you think, he's out with Alyssa Bellows again. Now that's a relationship that really, really needs to be put to an end."
"Oh stop it! I think Alyssa's a nice girl, I always have. Besides, your brother's going to marry her one day."
"How do you know, are they betrothed?"
"No, they got engaged last week and we decided not to tell you."
"What? You just don't get engaged at seventeen! It's not normal!"
"They got engaged...sweetie, are you okay?" By this point Jackie had passed out.
"Mom," she said as she woke up. "My fainting spell sent me back through my childhood."
"Yes?"
"And I wanted to know, may I turn her into something!"
"No! She doesn't even know what you are!"
"Well, I better go dust then, and ignore her because she is sure to come over."
"And be quite and nice because her Mother will be over shortly." Jackie groaned as she headed into the living room to dust.
"I'm so glad that we're doing this."
"Me too. I think we should've started dating so long ago."
"What, like at five?"
"No, five would've been too young. Even for us."
"Speaking of us, does your sister know about the engagement yet?"
"No. We didn't tell her, so don't say anything."
"It's a shame, we should get along, don't you think?"
"Yes, sweetheart." He told her.
"Oh Andrew I love it when you call me sweetheart, I just melt."
In the living room, Jackie was working on cleaning. After a short time she became bored and she blinked the feather duster into a dance of it's own about the living room, dusting as it traveled along. As Jackie rose into the air Alyssa and Andrew turned to come into the house and Alyssa saw Jackie and her feather duster through the window and promptly fainted.
"Way to go stupid, you just wrecked a secret that's been hidden for like, over twenty years because, oh never mind, all we need now is your harem costume."
"No problem," she said sarcastically as she blinked into her harem costume, (meanwhile she was still sitting in the air).
"Jackie, do you have any idea what you may have done?"
"I'm not really sure that I care Mom."
"Well, blink out of that costume and get on the floor right now young lady! Now!"
"Fine! Oy vey, you know how to wreck a good time." She said as she obeyed her Mother's command. But it was to late for that; Mrs. Bellows had already seen everything.
"Jeannie, can I talk to you, alone in the kitchen for a few minutes?"
"Sure." She said nervously.
"Listen, I don't know what I just saw. But I do know that I have trained myself to ignore a lot of things like that, but this has been going on for around twenty years, so just tell me, are we crazy? I mean, after all, my daughter just fainted."
"Amanda, do you believe in genies?"
"Why I suppose...haaaaaaa....are you, are you a genie Jeannie?"
"Yes, yes...you know, it feels so good to get that out in the open."
"Is that why Jackie was in the air?" Jeannie nodded, "Well, for me, this is a relief too. What about Andrew?"
"No, he's like you, he's mortal."
"Well, great let's go see the kids."
"Wait, before you go through with this, I just want you to know if they have children they could be..."
"Genies."
"Yeah."
"And that would be just fine with me." She smiled, "After all, my best friend is one, right?" Jeannie nodded relieved that the unveiling of her secret had not destroyed one of the best friendships she'd ever had.
"Darling, it's Mom wake-up. Alyssa Elizabeth Bellows, I am not kidding, you're scaring me!" She said as she held her daughter's head in her lap.
"Oh, just pour some water on her and she'll be fine." As Jackie said this, a pitcher of water appeared over Alyssa and it's contents spilled onto her and her Mother.
"Jackie, just do me the grand favor of making us dry." She did just that.
"And, now, you can go to your bottle and think about today." Jeannie said.
"So that's what that is, I always knew there was something about that bottle. Well, actually the other one." Mrs. Bellows commented as Jackie went to her bottle.
"What's what what is?" Alyssa asked as she woke up. Her eyes shifted to the feather duster, which now lye on the coffee table. Upon seeing this, she became hysterical.
"Calm down, calm down. Alyssa I know what you saw and there's a perfect explanation for it."
"What? Feather duster's can't move by them selves and people's little sister's can't just lounge about in mid air. But his did."
"Alyssa sweetie, what was that story you liked so much when you were a little girl?"
"Cinderella?"
"No, the other one."
"Aladdin?"
"That's right, Aladdin."
"Wait, you expect me to believe that someone here is a, is a genie?"
"Just my Mother and my Sister."
"Just your mother and your sister, what about you, you're a ...."
"I'm just human like you, nothing more nothing less."
"You know, I think I'm going to get out of here, I have to get out of here!" Alyssa got up and ran out the door.
"Don't worry, Andrew she'll be back, she loves you a lot you know." Mrs. Bellows told Andrew before running after Alyssa.
"Yeah," he sighed. "I just hope you're right."
"Sweetie, we really should go back inside."
"No, I'm not ever going to go back in there. Now I know what Daddy's been talking about all this time."
"Well, you take the car and go home, I am staying. But whatever you do, do not tell your poor father about this, he'll go out of his mind."
"Gee, I wonder why."
"Bye Alyssa. See you later." She said, going back to the house. Alyssa thought for a moment. Two different paths sat before her as her eyes shifted from her fiancé's front door to the open road ahead. She pulled the car key from the ignition, got out and slowly made her way to the door.
Not long after word Alyssa and Andrew had made up. Andrew left to go to football practice and Alyssa, her mother and Jeannie stayed behind discussing what to do about Jackie. "Why is it that the two of you have never gotten along?" "She is right, I guess I was mean to her when we were little." Alyssa admitted. "Well, I think it's high time that your quarrel ended, don't you?" "But Aunt Jeannie, how am I ever going to talk to her, she's not going to come out of that bottle." "Here's an idea, Jeannie, can Alyssa go in the bottle?" "Sure, that would be a great idea!" "But Mom!" "Oh don't be ridiculous Alyssa, you'll be fine." And with that Jeannie sent Alyssa into the bottle and put the top on so neither of them could escape, but not before saying, "And the two of you are going to be in there until you solve your differences!" Mrs. Bellows laughed. "I'm glad we're doing this, it's for their own good. I love Alyssa you know, she's my baby, but she's right you know. She was kind of a brat, and she still can be. And I'll admit, we helped, we spoiled her." "I feel the same way about Jackie."
"Don't tell me, I heard the whole thing." Jackie said, "And if you're going to be in my bottle, and there's nothing I can do about it, then you are at least going to have to dress appropriately." She said as she blinked and suddenly Alyssa found herself in a blue harem costume much like Jackie's. "Blue?" "Yes blue! It's not like you can have pink, because you can't. Plus it's not like your going to be wearing it for that long anyway..." "You see, this is our problem. This is what we've always done. It's a cycle and it needs to stop. It's going nowhere and serves no purpose. I mean we've been like cousins for, well for our whole lives, and now I am marring your brother. We really should be friends, don't you think?" "I guess so." "Now, in order to get to the root of the problem, we must discuss our childhood's." "This is goofy psychiatrist talk, isn't it?" "Yes, but it's not goofy. It's logical." "Whatever." "You go first." "Me, why me?" "Because I said so." "Fine, I'll do it."
"Ok. I guess you could say that my childhood has been less than typical. It began in 1974 when I was born. I don't remember that. My first memory was probably my parents reading to me. And my second had something to do with you and my brother. When I was about two or so, I discovered that if I wanted something, and I blinked my eyes I would get it. My Mother noticed this and I have been a practicing genie ever since. I have had a happy existence. My brother and I get along very well. I have a best friend, who's been my best friend, my whole life. I have, however, had a few things that have really bothered me my whole life. One is my Mother's sister, but whom doesn't she bother that she comes in contact with? And the other is you. I like to read and shop, and I love Saturday Night Live. But don't even bother asking me what I am going to do when I grow up, there is no point. I have no idea."
"Very, um, good. My turn. I was born in 1971. I guess that my first memory would have to have been when my Mother was pregnant with my brother."
"What?" Jackie whispered.
"Oh, yeah, you don't remember that do you? He was just a little bit older than you. Just three short months actually. I miss him a whole lot. I wonder what he would be like now, if only...."
"If only what?"
"My second memory is probably of the kitchen floor, although I know it's odd. Unlike you, I am just a human. My favorite activities are shopping and cooking, I love to cook and entertain and I love to memorize the names of wine, even though I've never taken even just the tiniest sip of it."
"Now that we know each other, we still don't know what the root of our problem is, do we?"
"No, I guess not."
"This was a bad idea!"
"Alright, I'll admit it. Jackie, I have always been mean to you. I am sorry and will try to be better. And I would like to get to know you."
"I would too. Thank you. And I'll admit that I haven't been the nicest to you either." They hugged.
"Now, how do we get out of here?"
"We wait until my Mom lets us out. Sit down, relax, make yourself at home."
"So, do you, um sleep here?"
"Sometimes, I suppose that it's my equivalent to a tree house." Alyssa laughed.
"What's this?" Alyssa asked as she picked up a blue bottle that she found sitting on a table.
"Put that down! And carefully! Be sure not to rub it."
"Why? It's just a bottle?"
"Wasn't this just a bottle before you were able to get inside?!"
"You've got a point." Alyssa said as she put the bottle down, but it was too late, she had already rubbed it.
Suddenly blue smoke began to rise from the bottle.
"Did you rub that bottle?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Now we're in trouble." She said as she began to bang against the wall of her bottle with all the force of her entire body. "Come on join me, we've only got a few minutes! Mom! Mom! M....."
"Jeannie, did you hear something?"
"No, no did you?"
"Yeah, I thought I heard someone screaming, 'Mom,' I think it was. With their complicated relationship, do you suppose that they could be done yet?"
"Maybe, I'll go check." Jeannie got up and went to look in the bottle, but to her great alarm, their daughters were not there, and neither was the bottle of the Blue Gin.
"Not much, how about you?"
"It's summer. Nothing." She smiled. "I'm trying to get Mom to let me go to Paris or Milan, or something like that. But she just won't!"
"You know, Dad still doesn't know about that!"
"I know, and don't tell him. Meanwhile, what are your plans for today?"
"I have a date."
"Oh no, don't tell me! Not with her again!"
"Yes, with her. Oh come on, Alyssa isn't all that bad."
"Yeah, and I'm just a normal kid."
"What exactly are you getting at?'
"Your girlfriend tortured me all throughout my early childhood! In fact, she still tortures me!"
"Well, may be you should just try to look at her differently."
"Hah! That's a good one. Well, I am going to go find Mom, maybe she'll give me something to do." She blinked, and in a flash of a second she was gone.
"Can't I please go to Milan?"
"No."
"It's not like anyone's gonna notice." She sighed.
"What, that you're gone?"
"Yeah."
"Don't you think your Father will?"
"Yeah, I guess but he doesn't have to know about it. Besides, he's in space right now anyway, he's not gonna know!"
"I don't like keeping secrets from your Father."
"I know, but at least admit that there is no other reason that you won't let me go."
"Well, there is one but with you being a genie and all, I really don't think that it matters much. Don't you think that going alone is kind of dangerous?"
"I suppose so."
"See. That's what I mean."
"Well that's even better then, you could come with me."
"No darling, I have a lot to do in the next few days."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Well you could help around the house a little, and I know that it's the last thing you wanted to hear."
"Well, why the heck not, it's better than nothing."
"Before you dust the furniture, where's your brother?"
"Where do you think, he's out with Alyssa Bellows again. Now that's a relationship that really, really needs to be put to an end."
"Oh stop it! I think Alyssa's a nice girl, I always have. Besides, your brother's going to marry her one day."
"How do you know, are they betrothed?"
"No, they got engaged last week and we decided not to tell you."
"What? You just don't get engaged at seventeen! It's not normal!"
"They got engaged...sweetie, are you okay?" By this point Jackie had passed out.
"Mom," she said as she woke up. "My fainting spell sent me back through my childhood."
"Yes?"
"And I wanted to know, may I turn her into something!"
"No! She doesn't even know what you are!"
"Well, I better go dust then, and ignore her because she is sure to come over."
"And be quite and nice because her Mother will be over shortly." Jackie groaned as she headed into the living room to dust.
"I'm so glad that we're doing this."
"Me too. I think we should've started dating so long ago."
"What, like at five?"
"No, five would've been too young. Even for us."
"Speaking of us, does your sister know about the engagement yet?"
"No. We didn't tell her, so don't say anything."
"It's a shame, we should get along, don't you think?"
"Yes, sweetheart." He told her.
"Oh Andrew I love it when you call me sweetheart, I just melt."
In the living room, Jackie was working on cleaning. After a short time she became bored and she blinked the feather duster into a dance of it's own about the living room, dusting as it traveled along. As Jackie rose into the air Alyssa and Andrew turned to come into the house and Alyssa saw Jackie and her feather duster through the window and promptly fainted.
"Way to go stupid, you just wrecked a secret that's been hidden for like, over twenty years because, oh never mind, all we need now is your harem costume."
"No problem," she said sarcastically as she blinked into her harem costume, (meanwhile she was still sitting in the air).
"Jackie, do you have any idea what you may have done?"
"I'm not really sure that I care Mom."
"Well, blink out of that costume and get on the floor right now young lady! Now!"
"Fine! Oy vey, you know how to wreck a good time." She said as she obeyed her Mother's command. But it was to late for that; Mrs. Bellows had already seen everything.
"Jeannie, can I talk to you, alone in the kitchen for a few minutes?"
"Sure." She said nervously.
"Listen, I don't know what I just saw. But I do know that I have trained myself to ignore a lot of things like that, but this has been going on for around twenty years, so just tell me, are we crazy? I mean, after all, my daughter just fainted."
"Amanda, do you believe in genies?"
"Why I suppose...haaaaaaa....are you, are you a genie Jeannie?"
"Yes, yes...you know, it feels so good to get that out in the open."
"Is that why Jackie was in the air?" Jeannie nodded, "Well, for me, this is a relief too. What about Andrew?"
"No, he's like you, he's mortal."
"Well, great let's go see the kids."
"Wait, before you go through with this, I just want you to know if they have children they could be..."
"Genies."
"Yeah."
"And that would be just fine with me." She smiled, "After all, my best friend is one, right?" Jeannie nodded relieved that the unveiling of her secret had not destroyed one of the best friendships she'd ever had.
"Darling, it's Mom wake-up. Alyssa Elizabeth Bellows, I am not kidding, you're scaring me!" She said as she held her daughter's head in her lap.
"Oh, just pour some water on her and she'll be fine." As Jackie said this, a pitcher of water appeared over Alyssa and it's contents spilled onto her and her Mother.
"Jackie, just do me the grand favor of making us dry." She did just that.
"And, now, you can go to your bottle and think about today." Jeannie said.
"So that's what that is, I always knew there was something about that bottle. Well, actually the other one." Mrs. Bellows commented as Jackie went to her bottle.
"What's what what is?" Alyssa asked as she woke up. Her eyes shifted to the feather duster, which now lye on the coffee table. Upon seeing this, she became hysterical.
"Calm down, calm down. Alyssa I know what you saw and there's a perfect explanation for it."
"What? Feather duster's can't move by them selves and people's little sister's can't just lounge about in mid air. But his did."
"Alyssa sweetie, what was that story you liked so much when you were a little girl?"
"Cinderella?"
"No, the other one."
"Aladdin?"
"That's right, Aladdin."
"Wait, you expect me to believe that someone here is a, is a genie?"
"Just my Mother and my Sister."
"Just your mother and your sister, what about you, you're a ...."
"I'm just human like you, nothing more nothing less."
"You know, I think I'm going to get out of here, I have to get out of here!" Alyssa got up and ran out the door.
"Don't worry, Andrew she'll be back, she loves you a lot you know." Mrs. Bellows told Andrew before running after Alyssa.
"Yeah," he sighed. "I just hope you're right."
"Sweetie, we really should go back inside."
"No, I'm not ever going to go back in there. Now I know what Daddy's been talking about all this time."
"Well, you take the car and go home, I am staying. But whatever you do, do not tell your poor father about this, he'll go out of his mind."
"Gee, I wonder why."
"Bye Alyssa. See you later." She said, going back to the house. Alyssa thought for a moment. Two different paths sat before her as her eyes shifted from her fiancé's front door to the open road ahead. She pulled the car key from the ignition, got out and slowly made her way to the door.
Not long after word Alyssa and Andrew had made up. Andrew left to go to football practice and Alyssa, her mother and Jeannie stayed behind discussing what to do about Jackie. "Why is it that the two of you have never gotten along?" "She is right, I guess I was mean to her when we were little." Alyssa admitted. "Well, I think it's high time that your quarrel ended, don't you?" "But Aunt Jeannie, how am I ever going to talk to her, she's not going to come out of that bottle." "Here's an idea, Jeannie, can Alyssa go in the bottle?" "Sure, that would be a great idea!" "But Mom!" "Oh don't be ridiculous Alyssa, you'll be fine." And with that Jeannie sent Alyssa into the bottle and put the top on so neither of them could escape, but not before saying, "And the two of you are going to be in there until you solve your differences!" Mrs. Bellows laughed. "I'm glad we're doing this, it's for their own good. I love Alyssa you know, she's my baby, but she's right you know. She was kind of a brat, and she still can be. And I'll admit, we helped, we spoiled her." "I feel the same way about Jackie."
"Don't tell me, I heard the whole thing." Jackie said, "And if you're going to be in my bottle, and there's nothing I can do about it, then you are at least going to have to dress appropriately." She said as she blinked and suddenly Alyssa found herself in a blue harem costume much like Jackie's. "Blue?" "Yes blue! It's not like you can have pink, because you can't. Plus it's not like your going to be wearing it for that long anyway..." "You see, this is our problem. This is what we've always done. It's a cycle and it needs to stop. It's going nowhere and serves no purpose. I mean we've been like cousins for, well for our whole lives, and now I am marring your brother. We really should be friends, don't you think?" "I guess so." "Now, in order to get to the root of the problem, we must discuss our childhood's." "This is goofy psychiatrist talk, isn't it?" "Yes, but it's not goofy. It's logical." "Whatever." "You go first." "Me, why me?" "Because I said so." "Fine, I'll do it."
"Ok. I guess you could say that my childhood has been less than typical. It began in 1974 when I was born. I don't remember that. My first memory was probably my parents reading to me. And my second had something to do with you and my brother. When I was about two or so, I discovered that if I wanted something, and I blinked my eyes I would get it. My Mother noticed this and I have been a practicing genie ever since. I have had a happy existence. My brother and I get along very well. I have a best friend, who's been my best friend, my whole life. I have, however, had a few things that have really bothered me my whole life. One is my Mother's sister, but whom doesn't she bother that she comes in contact with? And the other is you. I like to read and shop, and I love Saturday Night Live. But don't even bother asking me what I am going to do when I grow up, there is no point. I have no idea."
"Very, um, good. My turn. I was born in 1971. I guess that my first memory would have to have been when my Mother was pregnant with my brother."
"What?" Jackie whispered.
"Oh, yeah, you don't remember that do you? He was just a little bit older than you. Just three short months actually. I miss him a whole lot. I wonder what he would be like now, if only...."
"If only what?"
"My second memory is probably of the kitchen floor, although I know it's odd. Unlike you, I am just a human. My favorite activities are shopping and cooking, I love to cook and entertain and I love to memorize the names of wine, even though I've never taken even just the tiniest sip of it."
"Now that we know each other, we still don't know what the root of our problem is, do we?"
"No, I guess not."
"This was a bad idea!"
"Alright, I'll admit it. Jackie, I have always been mean to you. I am sorry and will try to be better. And I would like to get to know you."
"I would too. Thank you. And I'll admit that I haven't been the nicest to you either." They hugged.
"Now, how do we get out of here?"
"We wait until my Mom lets us out. Sit down, relax, make yourself at home."
"So, do you, um sleep here?"
"Sometimes, I suppose that it's my equivalent to a tree house." Alyssa laughed.
"What's this?" Alyssa asked as she picked up a blue bottle that she found sitting on a table.
"Put that down! And carefully! Be sure not to rub it."
"Why? It's just a bottle?"
"Wasn't this just a bottle before you were able to get inside?!"
"You've got a point." Alyssa said as she put the bottle down, but it was too late, she had already rubbed it.
Suddenly blue smoke began to rise from the bottle.
"Did you rub that bottle?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Now we're in trouble." She said as she began to bang against the wall of her bottle with all the force of her entire body. "Come on join me, we've only got a few minutes! Mom! Mom! M....."
"Jeannie, did you hear something?"
"No, no did you?"
"Yeah, I thought I heard someone screaming, 'Mom,' I think it was. With their complicated relationship, do you suppose that they could be done yet?"
"Maybe, I'll go check." Jeannie got up and went to look in the bottle, but to her great alarm, their daughters were not there, and neither was the bottle of the Blue Gin.