Francisco went over the list on his desk.
"It's perfect, Nana!"he said, as he handed it back to a lady wearing a simple dress with flowers embroidered on the sleeves and the hem of the skirt. "I want everything absolutely perfect for Aida's birthday."
In Agrabah, the dinner table was in chaos, as usual. Genie tried to persuade the children to eat their vegetables, but none of them would listen, only laugh while Genie pretended to rage as they tortured Iago, who was flying around the room, trying to avoid them.
"AAAAAARRRGGGGH!"Iago screamed as Janan grabbed his tail feathers.
"Janan, leave Iago alone already!"Aladdin scolded her.
Genie went to save Iago from Janan's grasp.
"Iago started it."
"I did not! I think I'll skip dinner today. Again. And maybe tomorrow, too, along with breakfast, and everything."
"No! Tell him he can't, Daddy."cried Aaliyah.
"He can if you keep tormenting him."
"We don't torment him!"cried Ali. "He torments us."
"Well, we'll have to work something out."
"Right on, Al. Now, all of you! Eat your vegetables. Let's see, I should say, minimum six servings a day. How many?"Genie checked his list, to see how many servings of vegetables each child had eaten during the day. "Right, so, Ali."He measured out the right amount of broccoli and put it on Ali's plate.
"I don't want broccoli."
"No."said Genie. "No choice. We'll have something else tomorrow."
"Uh, Genie, don't you think you should just let them skip vegetables for today?"
"No, Al. Can't do."
"You can't be keeping watch on them twenty four seven."
"Are you doubting my aptitude at handling these children. You've got enough problems of your own. You leave these children to me."
"Oh, just look. Francisco is preparing a special surprise for Aida's birthday. Would you believe that?"said Jasmine, as she finished reading a letter that had just been brought to her. "Hmm. He wants us to come over."
"Well, I don't know if I'll be able to come just right now."said Aladdin.
"Yay!"went the children.
"Nobody's going anywhere! Not until those vegetables are off those plates, into the stomachs they belong to."said Genie.
Ali tipped over his plate. Genie snuck down and caught it just in time.
"Whew! Saved."
"But they've been on the floor!"
"This plate never touched the floor."
"Why can't we go to Aunt Aida's? She's always fun. She never pressures anybody to eat their vegetables."
"That's because nobody's a picky eater over there. If you'll notice, they all eat their vegetables."Jasmine told him.
"But not if they don't want to!"
"Enough fighting! We have exactly twenty five minutes before the first bedtime."
Genie took out his stopwatch.
"Oh, yes, yes, Genie."said Jasmine's father. "Definitely. Now, children, Genie's right. Enough bothering with Iago, and eat. It's almost bedtime, and it's not good to go to bed on an empty stomach."
"Genie's the one who wants it empty. I want some cake."
"No cake."
"Please."
"No, no, my dear. Maybe tomorrow."
"Why not now?"
"It's too late for cake."
"Fifteen minutes!"yelled out Genie.
Jasmine rolled her eyes.
"You're being too strict, Genie. You can't have them all on such a strict schedule. Today, bedtime will be five minutes later."
Genie shook his head.
"You're not thinking of them."he said over Jasmine's shoulder.
"Oh, just let them have some fun."
"Jasmine's right, Genie."said Cassim. "Let them have fun now. We don't want them to be bitter and sour people now, do we?"he said, beaming at Ali.
"Ha! In your face, Genie! I want to go Iago and Abu hunting!"
Aladdin laughed.
"No, no more anybody hunting. Whoever tries to hunt anyone else will not be getting any dessert for a week."
"Can we go bird hunting?"
"No. No more hunting."
"Right, Al. No hunting, sentence for hunting being no dessert for a week."Genie commented as he wrote it down in his notebook.
"Now, that, Genie, I leave to you."
"Right on, Al."
"Genie's no fun anymore."
Aida galloped on and on, around the country. She loved to feel the wind in her hair. It might blow it out of place, but she never cared much. It was worth it, just to feel such joy for a few minutes. She was the best rider in the region, everyone agreed to that, and she was determined that all of her children should be just as good on a horse as she was. Right now, however, they were in their private schoolrooms, listening to their reading lessons, and she had the chance to go by herself. She looked out, over the scenery. It was so beautiful, the lake, the jungle, the mountains, the river, everything, even the neatly plowed fields. The wilderness was always more beautiful to her eyes, though. She looked up, and saw that the sun was almost setting in the west. I've got to get back, she thought. They'll probably send a search party after me. She was about to turn around and go back to the house, when she saw the silhouette of another person coming towards her.
"Aida! How did I know you would be here?"she heard Francisco's voice.
"I was just about to go back. Don't tell me you've already started worrying about me?"
"No. The ones who does all the worrying for me is my mother. When she's around no one else should worry, because then there would be a worry overload."
She gently slapped his hand.
"Oh, if she were ever to hear you say that about her."
"She'd have a tantrum. She's too old for such childish tantrums."
"Oh, just let her be."
"That's just what I try."
"If I can put up with her, so can you."
"You forget, you've only known her for a few years. I've had to put up with her all my life. Besides, I don't know if she's even noticed you're not home."
"Hasn't she?"
"No. She's probably busy with something or other."
"So what are you doing here?"she asked.
"Coming to ride with you. Or rather race you."
"Ha! You don't stand a chance. You should know that."
"Well, I never give up hope. Dicen que la esperanza es lo ultimo que muere, and mine still hasn't died."
"I'll make sure it does one of these days."
"No, I don't think you do."
"So, race me where?"
"Hasta el manantial."he said.
"Fine with me."
They took off, and as usual Aida won. At the front of the house, Achmed took the horses from them, to take them to the stables.
"I never will get used to seeing you like that, Achmed."she told him, as she tossed him the reins.
Achmed didn't answer.
"Well, he's certainly better than I thought he would be."said Francisco. "Not as good as some, but with a little…persuasion, you can get work out of just about anybody. That's why your sister shouldn't visit so much anymore! It depresses and angers him. Tsk, tsk, every time one of the men don't work to their full potential, I lose money, you know."
"Ha! It's just a pity I can't see his face when they're here."
Francisco shrugged.