"And?"asked Aida as she walked, blindfolded, with Francisco guiding her.
"And you just have to be a little patient."
"You know I'm too curious a person to be patient!"
"I know, I know, that's why I decided to make this…enigma as short as possible. It's only a few steps. Not a few days."
"A few step? I think I could have crossed all half of the hacienda already. You're not just making me go around in circles, are you?
"What would be the point of having you go around in circles? Though now that you mentioned it, it would not be such a bad idea. Why didn't I think of it before?"
"You…"she decided not to say anything.
Francisco laughed.
"How could you do this to me?"
"Because you'll see that it was worth it."
"It better be. Or you'll be sorry."
"Very sorry indeed?"
"Oh, yes. Very sorry indeed."
Francisco was leading her to the stables, but taking a different route, instead, to keep her from guessing a little longer.
"How much longer?"she demanded.
"Not much, now, not much. And…we're…here."
He took the blindfold off her face. In front of her stood the finest mare she had ever seen. The saddle on her was also striking, with silver trimmings.
"Oh, wow!"she didn't know whether to exclaim over the horse or the saddle.
"Well, I had the saddle, bridle, and everything made just for you. With your name on it. That way, no one else will be able to use them. And as for the mare, she's the best one in the whole region. There isn't another like her. Mind you, I had a hard time finding one like her. And she cost me a lot of money. Nothing but champions in her pedigree."
"Oh, my! And what should I call her?"
"Oh, let's see…I don't know, you choose."
"Then her name will be Hala. Hala just like the prophet Muhamadd's siter-in-law. Because she's just like the aura around the moon. She gives off a similar aura."
"Hala. I like it. Hala it is. Everyone will be envious when they see you on such a fine mare."
Aida climbed on the saddle.
"And how do I look?"
"Maravelous. You'll never lose a race on this one. She's the best of the best."
"I've never lost anything in my life! Much less something like a race."
That wasn't the only surprise Francisco had in store. Besides giving a party, he did, indeed, have something to do with the fair coming early that year. He had arranged for the fair to come on the same day of Aida's birthday, and the day after that, he hired her favorite artist to give a concert in her honor.
"How did you get him to come just right here?"she asked.
"Oh, it was nothing. If only I could have gotten him to have a song composed just for you."
"Really, Aida, I didn't know you learned to understand music in Spanish so quickly."Jasmine said.
"Well, it's very…romantic. I may have some trouble with the lyrics now and them, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying it."
"Oh, really."
"Don't you think that we should end this already?"asked Genie. "It's already half an hour past bedtime."
"Genie's right."said Iago, who was hiding behind Genie's head, hoping that the children wouldn't notice him and start to make his life impossible, once they got bored with the concert.
"No, Genie. No bedtime today. We can all stay up as long as we like."said Aladdin.
"Al!"
"Just for today,Genie, if it'll make you feel any better, then tomorrow they go to bed earlier and take longer naps, too."
"Oh, I don't know, Al. It seems pretty risky to me."
"You can't find a better nurse than a genie, can you?"asked Francisco.
"You can't find a more paranoid one is what."
"Not paranoid, Al, just…responsible."
"Today isn't a day to be responsible, Genie. Let's enjoy this."
"Hmmm."
Genie still didn't look too convinced, but decided best not to argue.
"You guys ought to be ashamed of yourselves!"exclaimed Iago. "Questioning Genie's judgement like that!"
Seeing he had an ally, Genie decided to take up the argument again.
"It's just not healthy, Al."
"They'll be fine, Genie."said Jasmine. "It's only for one night."
"You guys know that Genie only wants them to grow up healthy."said Iago.
"I would suggest you found yourself a new hiding spot, Iago."warned Aida.
"Ahhhh! No, no, not me, the monkey!"he shouted and he flew away.
"There he goes!"
"Polly want a cracker?"asked Sabdullah, getting a cookie from the table, and running after Iago.
"I'll never be able to understand why they like to traumatize that bird so much!"
Genie took the cookie away from Sabdullah.
"No crackers! Bedtime!"
"But Uncle Aladdin said no bedtime today!"
"Uncle Aladdin has just changed his mind."Genie told him, as he got out all the childrens' pajamas, and night dresses.
"I want to wear my blue pajamas!"
"No kitty pajamas. They're in the wash."
"But I want to wear my blue pajamas!"
Genie went to wash the pajamas immediately and came back with them clean and dry.
"No excuses now."he said as he began to braid the girls' hair. "Magic Carpet Express!"he called out to Carpet, and started loading the children on him. "From here to the bedrooms!"
And they were off.
"He really is paranoid!"said Aladdin.
"I'll say paranoid because he's nuts about you, Aladdin."
"Well, Genie is a good friend. Even if he is, as you say, a little paranoid."
"Not a little. A lot. Though, I think you can't blame him. My nana was always the same. Just take away the magic powers, and they're identical. That's probably why they get along so well. They agree on everything."
"Whew!"Iago flew back, and settled himself on Cassim's shoulder. "I don't understand why you keep those little monsters here. I'm glad you finally decided to listen to the Genie, we'll finally get some peace and quiet. You should just send them off to boarding school, or something."
"Boarding school?"
"Well, yeah, you know. I've heard it's the best thing you can do for your kids. They learn some independence that way, you know, not always depending on Mommy and Daddy."
"My parents have already sent Josema to boarding school. Military school , actually. They want him to go into the army, like two of my uncles. One was a colonel, and the other is a general."
"Did Josema want to go?"asked Jasmine.
"No. At least they had a hard time shipping him off, but, they decided he was going, and that was that."
"Now, there you see,"said Iago. "Smart parents. Good parents. I mean, they did what was best for the kid."
"I don't know if boarding school is the best thing for everybody, Iago."
"Oh, but it."
"Maybe we should ship you off with them. You know, to keep them company. Remind them of home."suggested Francisco.
"No. I wouldn't be a good nurse maid. Genie, on the other hand, would be excellent. Everybody knows that."
"But I though the point was for them to learn to be independent. With Genie there, how will they learn?"
"Oh, well, no Genie, then. But no me, either."
"That would be the other extremity."
"No. No, don't you see, the kids by themselves, with other kids their age?"
"I always knew you didn't like children, Iago, but this is ridiculous."
"I don't not like them. You wouldn't like them too much either, if they spend their time chasing you!"
"They just want to have some fun."
"Well, we gotta teach them another way to have fun. And to appreciate peace and quiet."
"Then it'd get boring."
Iago rolled his eyes.
"You got any idea how many feathers I've lost from those kids pulling them?"
"We've never bothered to count them."
"You're not exactly very quiet yourself, are you, Iago? Where's Genie? Or maybe we could find something to clamp your beak. After all, just like opposites attract, well, when you're the same, you don't get along too well, either."
"Now, you can't compare me with those brats."
"You can't call my babies brats!"cried Aida.
"Well, whatever. I'm just trying to make you people see how much better off these kids would be. You people just baby them too much."
"They've just got a lot of spirit, Iago."said Cassim. "And like you, a lot of mouth."