CHAPTER 4 – THE LONGEST YEAR: HOWARD

The Nelsons blinked back to Houston with Howard, who was beside himself with grief. It was as though someone very close to him had died. Tony sat up with him quite a bit that night, just listening to Howard talk about his time with Patty, how much he loved her and wanted to make a life with her, how he had just introduced her to his son whose wife was going to make him a grandpa in about 5 months, and that he didn't know what he was going to do without her.

The Nelson teenagers, Janae and T.J., took turns coming in to say goodnight to their father, both surprised that Mr. Borden was staying with them instead of the Healeys until T.J. remembered that Uncle Roger was attending his aunt Sue's funeral.

When he was sure that ears were not listening, Tony spoke to Howard about something that had been on his mind since they had come from Haji's Chambers. "Howard, I believe I know why this might have happened."

"Why?"

"I'm going to ask you a very personal question, and it's something you don't have to answer to me, but you'll want to answer it yourself."

"What?"

"Did you, by any chance, take Patty to bed with you since you've had her?" Tony was blunt, and from something Roger had said weeks before, he suspected that the couple had done just that. Howard looked at the floor, so Tony continued. "Djinn Law forbids djinn to do that before marriage. If you did, and Haji found out about it, his usual response is to put at least one in the bottle."

Howard looked up at Tony and nodded. "But I put it in the form of a wish!"

Tony smiled slightly. "It still doesn't make it right, in Haji's eyes. Who figured out how to do it that way?" He didn't figure it was Howard.

"Patty. She wanted it as bad as I did. And we'd already decided to get married." That was mostly true.

"You're lucky, then, that he only decided to bottle her for a year. I know one who's still bottled, and that was over 14 years ago." Tony didn't divulge any other information, or how he knew. "You are welcome to spend as much time down here in Houston as you like, getting used to the ways of genies. Jeannie can blink you back and forth or you can just fly in with your own airline."

Howard looked up at Tony again. "You all have been good friends. I really appreciate it. I haven't had such good friends since the Hartleys left."

"Did you want to talk to Dr Hartley too?"

"Next time I fly into Portland. But he wouldn't understand about the genie thing. You do."

Janae asked her mother, the next day, why Mr. Borden seemed so sad. She learned that he'd had a genie for a few months, but that genie had been bottled. "What rule did she break, Mom!"

Jeannie told her, "Haji is making them think before marriage, because he is so much older than she is." She paused, and then added, "Be aware of that, Daughter."

Janae was totally in awe. She had never heard of Haji doing that.

Back in Chicago, when Howard went back into work, he hadn't bounced back yet. He was still depressed, and remained that way for weeks. Frank Damian, his boss, called him into his office after some flights where everyone complained about Howard.

"Borden, what's going on? I've never had any complaints about you snapping at your fellow crew members until these last few days. EVERYONE has complained about you!"

Howard didn't answer right away. He was trying to think about how to phrase this. He had gone around introducing Patty as his wife, and now she was gone. "I'm sorry."

"You seem really down. Something on your mind? Family troubles? Fight with your wife?" Damian decided to take it from another angle, and struck a raw nerve.

"No – I lost her. I might get her back, but I lost her."

"Her? Who? Your wife?"

Howard nodded. "Patty's gone."

"Well … as a general once told me, all's fair in love and war. If you think you've lost someone, and you still love her, GO and GET her. I can give you time off if you need it."

"No, sir, it won't help. She's where I can't get to her. There's a – a – a family member who's interfering between us. I have to fight him."

Damian understood. "I said, if you need time off, call me or come see me. In the meantime, go home, get some sleep, and maybe you need to go talk to a counselor or a really good friend." He dismissed Howard, who went home to his apartment.

His apartment was depressing. He'd lived there with his second wife and, later, a live-in girlfriend, and it was never as depressing after they left as it was this time, without Patty. Everywhere he went in the apartment, he found traces of her or something she'd changed that reminded him of her. The hardest was the bedroom. He found himself sleeping out on the sofa for awhile, because all he could think of in the bedroom was the sweet love that they had made in there.

It was easier to take the maximum number of flight hours that he could take every week, and even spent some time working in the airline office when they were shorthanded during a flu outbreak. There was comfort in working long and hard hours. Several times, he accepted the offer of a blink down to Houston. He stayed with the Nelsons, because they were a happy and noisy family, and to make sure he didn't forget the ways of the djinn. Janae and T.J. were happy to have a guest that they didn't have to hide their powers from. Roger and his daughter Skylar would often come over and visit, but Howard noticed that Tracy would usually stay away. Tony questioned it and Roger just answered, "She's not comfortable having two of us around that look alike."

"Jeannie, is there any way I can communicate with Patty? I really want to tell her I still love her, that I'm still waiting for her," Howard asked her privately one time, about three months after Patty was bottled.

"No, I am sorry but I do not believe there is. I cannot get into Haji's Chambers, because there is a barrier placed on it. A few years back, Haji and Asmire both found that someone had blinked into their records rooms and taken some information, so they placed barriers on their chambers and their records rooms." Jeannie did not know that the "someone" was her own daughter, searching for information for her training master.

It was Veterans Day, in November, and Howard was in flight, going from Chicago to Anchorage, Alaska, when an exciting call came from a relay tower.

"Con-Air Flight 537 from Chicago to Anchorage."

"This is Con-Air Flight 537."

"Captain Borden, are you there?"

"I'm here."

"Congratulations, Grandpa. It's a boy." The voice in the tower sounded excited to be able to relay that kind of a message.

"A boy! A boy! I have a grandson?" Howard was elated. "What's his name? When was he born? How big is he?"

The other voice, a male, chuckled. "Sorry, Grandpa, we didn't get all that information. We barely heard 'Borden' and 'it's a boy'. Call home when you get to Anchorage."

Howard was in a hurry to get off the plane in Anchorage, and the flight attendants all understood and were laughing. "Grandpa isn't acting like a grandpa. He's acting more like a father!" they joked. He got off the plane and found a pay phone in the area, to call Howie.

"Yeah, Dad. My son was born at 4 this morning, he was 7 lbs. 4 oz., and he's healthy," Howie told him.

"What's his name! Doesn't he have one?"

Howie laughed. "Oh, sorry. Nicholas Howard Borden. I wasn't too thrilled about the middle name, but I wanted Nicholas and Barbara thought we should keep the name Howard in the family."

"I'll try to get a flight in to Minneapolis as soon as I can, son. I want to see my grandson!"

It wasn't long before Howard got that flight. He switched with another co-pilot who wanted a long run instead of a short run. Then he went again at Thanksgiving, which was held at Barbara's parents' home in St. Paul. Holding Howie's baby son, his grandson, brought back memories of Howie as a baby. Now, more than ever, he wanted Patty out of that bottle and was determined to get her pregnant the day they got married.

A big djinn party was being held in old Baghdad on the 10th of December, to celebrate the 200th wedding anniversary of a djinn couple. Tony and Jeannie were invited, as were Kashi and Mark. Janae and T.J. babysat in Houston for Kashi and Mark's 8 year old son Robert. Jeannie called Howard and invited him, to Tony's surprise.

"Jeannie, he's human. He can't go."

"Excuse me? You are human, and you are going!" Jeannie retorted, with a look of defiance on her face.

"But I have you. Howard's genie is bottled and there's no guarantee he will get her back, ever."

"Haji promised one year if he keeps himself clean. From all indications, Howard has not so much as looked at another woman. You heard that he was in trouble at work a few weeks ago for refusing to talk to the flight attendants that had spoken to him. He is fearful that Haji will not accept that," Jeannie defended Howard. "He needs to see what he is getting himself into, while he still has time. If Patna was here and they were not yet married, she would be introducing him to these functions, as I did for you."

Howard happened to be free that night, and went along. Jeannie had to come up with a djinn outfit for him. She chose one in a deep maroon, feeling that it would be close to Patty's red and gold without clashing with it when the time came. "I have to wear this?" Howard objected a little.

Tony was sympathetic. "Get used to it, if you want to be married to a genie. You'll blend in a little more if you look like one, even with no powers. Try to stick close to Jeannie or her sister Kashi, though. It's better to be near friendly powers if something breaks out."

The party was held in the building next to Haji's Castle. Howard recognized his surroundings and looked longingly at the Castle. After being there a couple of hours, Howard went to Jeannie with a whispered request, "Jeannie, is there a way you can get me into Haji's Chambers?"

"Why?"

"I just want to see Patty's bottle, to make sure it's still there and that he hasn't done anything else to her." It was an honest concern. Patty had been bottled a little over 6 months by then.

Jeannie looked around sneakily. "I do not know. We can only try. But there is a barrier on the room, so it is probably not possible." She pulled Tony in towards her and hung onto his arm, and then took Howard's arm in the same manner, as she blinked.

The three landed in the Castle just outside of Haji's Chambers. Lo and behold, there was no one about and the door to the Chambers was wide open. However, a guard came into the hall and saw the three, just as they were going to enter the Chambers.

"HALT! Who goes there!" stated the guard.

Jeannie answered. "Please, sir, is it possible to look into Haji's Chambers for just a short period of time?"

"That is normally forbidden. Why?" the guard admired Jeannie's beauty and wholesome good looks.

"This is Master Borden. His djinni fiancé is bottled in there. He just wishes to make sure that Haji has not removed her," Jeannie explained.

The guard softened completely. "Let us not tell Haji. But he did the same thing to my girl once. It helps to know if she is safe."

The four entered the chambers and Howard looked up at the shelf where Haji had placed the bottle. It was still there, but had gained a lot of dust. Howard looked at the guard, who nodded, and Howard brought it down.

"Just do not open it. Talk to her, but do not open it," the guard said. To Tony and Jeannie, he said, "He probably wants privacy. I will stay in the doorway and you go out in the hallway." Tony and Jeannie went out.

Howard looked at the bottle, then took his fingers and dusted it off. The dust didn't come off easily, so he took a piece of his djinn outfit and wiped it on the bottle. "Patty? Can you hear me, sweetheart? If you can, tap on the side twice."

There were two responding taps. Howard smiled and the guard was thrilled to help.

"Sweetheart, it's me, Howard. Howard Borden. Honey, I've missed you a lot. Knock twice if you still miss me."

There were two responding knocks, and Howard smiled again.

"I wish I could get you out of there, sweetheart. You need to see your new …" he stopped to rephrase this, "you need to see my new grandson. His name is Nicholas - Nicholas Howard Borden, and he looks just like my son. Knock if you heard me!"

There was a loud resounding knock.

"I'm here at a party for some 200th wedding anniversary. I just can't wait for us to have a party for our wedding, and a 1st anniversary would be nice too." There were several knocks on the side of the bottle, as if Patty were totally in agreement with Howard. "Tony and Jeannie have been really good friends. I wouldn't be here without Jeannie." He stopped to think, but the guard interrupted.

"Borden – someone is coming. Say goodbye to your girl," the guard said.

"Honey, I have to go now. I love you! Do you still love me? Knock two times if you do."

There were two loud knocks.

"I hope I see you in June, or maybe I'll get to come and do this again."

"Borden!"

"I love you!" Howard told the bottle as he put it back on the shelf where it was. He rejoined Tony and Jeannie, and they all thanked the guard and blinked out. Back at the party, Tony asked Howard, "Isn't that a weird feeling?"

"Isn't what a weird feeling?"

"Talking to a bottle."

Howard shrugged. "I suppose it's better than talking to your pocket."

Tony laughed. "One time I was talking to Jeannie, who was in my pocket, and I said, 'thank you, sweetheart'. My co-worker wanted to know, if I call my shirt 'sweetheart,' what do I call my pants, 'darling'?" Howard thought about that for a minute before laughing.

A short heavyset man with dark hair, wearing a blue and purple djinn outfit, walked up to Jeannie's little sister, Kashi. "I understand you may know something about the whereabouts of a genie named Patna?"

Kashi was shocked. "Sir, go talk to my sister, please. She is the woman in the gold beaded outfit, blond hair, with a tall dark headed man in a deep blue beaded outfit and a slightly shorter one in a maroon outfit."

"The humans?"

"Yes…"

The man went up to Jeannie and made the same inquiry. "I understand you may know something about the whereabouts of a genie named Patna?"

Tony signaled Howard with his eyes: 'don't answer'. Howard didn't get it, but he didn't know how to answer anyway. Both Tony's and Howard's instincts weren't right towards this man, and Jeannie was grabbing Tony to try to tell him that she didn't trust him, either.

"Is she at the party, sir?" Tony asked.

"No. She disappeared about 9 or 10 moons ago," the man said. Tony wondered if this might be her former master. Jeannie grabbed Howard's hand and when he looked at her, she shook her head. He "got" that.

"Disappeared? From where?"

"Patna was in service to an oil man in modern Basra. I went to see her at his place, and he stated that her bottle was accidentally left in a plane when he went to America. A few djinn here said you are an American djinni, so perhaps you have met my daughter."

"America is a big country, sir," Tony responded again. "Who are you? Her former master?"

"No. I am her father."

Howard blurted out, "Her father?" Patty had never mentioned her father.

Tony immediately interrupted to keep Howard from saying anything else, "And you don't know where she is? Hasn't she contacted you since her arrival in America?"

"No."

"Have you tried asking Haji, sir?" Jeannie intervened.

"I would rather not ask anything of Haji. He could have saved my Rashah from her death, when my Patna was a little girl, but he would not." Tony and Jeannie looked at each other, remembering that when Haji had agreed to save Tony from death, he had asked a big sacrifice from Jeannie. The man looked sad. "Patna is my only daughter, and I have not remarried since the death of her mother. I love them both so much, and I miss them terribly. I was just hoping to find someone that might know what has happened to my daughter."

Tony looked over at Howard, and nodded just as Jeannie also nodded. Howard spoke, "I know what has happened to her, sir. She's been bottled, but…"

"Bottled! Why! What did she do wrong!"

"She'll be released in June. She was bottled in June for one year…." Howard looked at his future father-in-law. The man looked to be about his own age, though djinn age is hard to tell, but was shorter and portlier than Howard. "I'm pleased to meet you, sir."

"You know my daughter? You know why she's bottled?"

Jeannie and Tony began to lead the two men to a place in the huge room that was somewhat secluded, so that no one else could hear their conversation. "Yes – it is to make her think about marriage, sir."

"Marriage! Was my daughter contemplating marriage? To whom?"

Howard took a deep breath. It was always intimidating to meet ones future in-laws, but even more so when your fiancé was not there for moral support and to lead you through it. "Me, sir. Howard Borden."

"YOU'RE a HUMAN!"

Tony intervened. "That's why Haji thought it best to bottle her. He's already got three genies who married their masters, but …"

Patty's father noticed something else, "How old are you!"

Howard took a big breath. "Fifty-two."

"Oh my gawd. You are a cradle robber!"

Tony smiled. He had never heard a djinn use that term. "Not really, sir. Jeannie and I were witnesses when your daughter was bottled. If you had seen the loving tenderness that Master Borden showed your daughter, you'd be pleased to see her married to him. She could do far worse."

Patty's father looked at Howard again. "Does my daughter love you?"

"Very much, sir, she says she will marry me when she gets out of the bottle. Haji says we may marry then, as long as we still love each other."

"Hmmpf," the man said, still not introducing himself. "I will be looking in on you, Borden, over the next few months. Where do you live?"

"Chicago." Howard was nervous over the prospect of his future father-in-law just popping in on him in the apartment. It was one thing to have Patty popping in and out, but quite another to have her father. Still, he understood. When Howie announced his engagement to Barbara, both Howard and Howie's mother, Lois, had made sure they approved of Barbara. If he'd had a daughter, he would probably be twice as careful, particularly if the man was twice his daughter's age.

True to his word, Najal popped into Howard's apartment about five minutes after he got home from a week of flights, in January. Najal looked around the place as Howard was unpacking from his trip.

"You expect my daughter to live here?" the future father-in-law asked.

"She lived here with me for three months before Haji bottled her," Howard replied, trying to be polite.

"But not as your wife. A genie in service to a master is accustomed to her bottle. When she leaves service, she expects a nice home."

"If that's what she wants, that's what I'll give her. But she didn't tell me she wants a house."

Three of Patty's American dresses were hanging in Howard's closet, and the observant djinn noticed. "Are those my daughter's clothes, or have you got another woman now?"

Howard stood up from where he'd been crouched over, putting things away. He was indignant that this man would accuse him of something he had not been guilty of. "Those are Patty's – Patna's – dresses for American wear. I've been TOTALLY faithful to her."

"Why are they hanging in your closet? Or did you make her your wife in THAT way before asking Haji for permission?"

Howard shook his head, lying through his teeth and hating it. "These clothes had nothing to do with her genie life, so she hung them there."

Najal seemed happy with the answer, and after a few more questions, popped back to Basra and left Howard alone. Howard was glad that he'd taken Tony's suggestion of disposing of all leftover condoms, because he and Patty usually left the box of packets sitting on the bedside table.

A month later, on Valentines Day, Howard was depressed again. He would have liked to have taken Patty out that night. Instead, he sat at home watching television. The room suddenly filled with royal blue smoke, and it was Haji. Howard stood, not knowing what the protocol was for a human towards the head of the djinn.

"Haji! Have you brought Patty – Patna – to me?"

"No, Master Borden. But I assure you that she is still in her bottle on my shelf."

Howard always wore his heart on his sleeve, and this time was no different. "Haji – I miss her SO much. These last few months without her…" he looked down at the floor, sad.

"That is actually what I came to ask, if you still love her."

"More than ever, Haji, if that's possible." Howard looked up in hope. "Are you going to give her back to me early?"

"No, I cannot do that. You may come and get her on June 4th, if you continue to stay faithful and still love her. I have admired your faithfulness, but wish to let you know that you MAY talk to your co-workers. That is not considered unfaithful, as you must talk to those ladies in performance of your duties as a … pilot?"

"Co-pilot, sir. Most of the flight attendants are married, too. I'm married to Patty in my heart."

"Yes. Well, good-day." Haji smoked out, leaving a small trail of blue smoke that made Howard cough. Now Howard wondered who else might just pop in.

Howard had made a habit, all year, of volunteering to take the holiday flights. He'd done that for years, when he was a bachelor, so that the married guys could stay home with their wives and families. The exception had been Thanksgiving, because of his grandson Nicholas. Otherwise he flew on Labor Day, Halloween, Veterans' Day weekend, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, the entire Presidents' Day weekend, Palm Sunday and Easter, Mother's Day and Memorial Day. After Memorial Day, he stayed in the air 5 more days, and then came down with a request to be off for 4 days starting June 4th. He also told Frank Damian that he'd probably be requesting his accrued vacation, but wasn't sure when yet.

"What's going on, Borden?" Damian asked.

"I'm trying to get my wife back. If I can do it, I'm going to want the honeymoon I've never gotten."

Frank Damian grinned. "Finally winning against that obstinate relative, eh?"

"You could say that."

"Come to me personally. I'll work it out for you."

Howard thanked his boss, and went on his way.