Chapter 145 All About Jeannie
Jeannie's bottle is being held by Ryan. Actually its not physically held by him at the moment.. I simply mean her bottle is in his apartment. His friends will be stopping by later so they all can discuss the issue concerning Jeannie at hand.
The school day is rolling on by.. Nakia is at her locker now putting away her books. Zelda and Kimberly show up a few minutes later because school is almost over. Chet is outside because he got out of class early due to him having to pick something up from his counselor. The last bell for the day rings, and so everyone leaves the building after going to their lockers. Nakia, Zelda and Kimberly all make it over to Ryan's car, they see Chet is already there.. Ryan soon shows up after putting away some equipment in the gym.
They all say their hello's to each other and so Ryan opens his doors.. Nakia sits in the front passengers seat while the others crawl into the back. Ryan gets in the drivers side then starts up his car. Nakia asks him.
Nakia-So any ideas as to what we should do with that genie?
Ryan responds and everyone listens.
Ryan-Honestly. I heard Genie's can be some serious trouble.
Chet adds to that.
Chet-Yeah me too.
Nakia-But don't you all think it would be fun to have all of our wishes granted?
Zelda agrees, Kimberly thinks for a minute then agrees as well.. Ryan says slightly.
Ryan-It would be nice. But what if she like mixes up what we want.
Kimberly-Yeah, like the story about the monkey's paw.
Nakia looks back at Kimberly and asks.
Nakia-Monkey's paw?
Kimberly-Yeah, you never heard of it?
Nakia-Hmm. I think I did see a movie about it.
Kimberly-Wicked wishes.
Zelda finally says.
Zelda-Maybe we should just let her go.
Chet-Go where?
Zelda-Back to where she came from.
Ryan backs out of the parking lot, he then puts it forward then drives away from the school.
Princess Andromeda is waiting patiently for her energy sphere to generate the stolen energy to the Queen and the rest of the empire.. She sighs heavily, but does nothing except continue to wait.
Thirty minutes pass and everyone finally makes it to Ryan's apartment, well everyone except for Joey that is. They all wait for him in Ryan's living room area sipping on soda and watching a bit of TV. Nakia looks at the bottle on Ryan's coffee table. She then exclaims when she stands up.
Nakia-I can't believe this. Here we have a bottle filled with a genie that could grant our every wish. And what are we doing? We're sitting here watching TV and drinking pop!
Ryan says.
Ryan-Nakia we're just thinking. Genie's aren't always good.
Jeannie hears Ryan's statement and says from inside of her bottle.
Jeannie-Oh no masters. I am very good.
They hear her.. Kimberly says.
Kimberly-Let's open the bottle and let her out.
She takes the bottle and opens it.. Seconds later after a pink cloud of smoke starts to appear, Kimberly puts the bottle back on the table. The smoky cloud bursts into a large cloudy heap.. When it clears, everyone sees Jeannie floating a few feet above her bottle. She looks at them and says with a smile.
Jeannie-Hello masters.. How may I serve you all?
Kimberly asks.
Kimberly-Why don't you call us by our names?
Nakia-Yeah, saying master is a bit strange.
Jeannie-But my masters is what you all are.. You saved me from the Green Djinn.
Chet-Still. Just call us by our names.
Jeannie-I cannot. It is forbidden.
Ryan-What?
Jeannie-I am a Genie. I have been one for thousands of years. And in those many years I have never used my master's names.. I have always used the title master. It is forbidden for me to say otherwise.
Zelda decides to ask.
Zelda-Jeannie.
She looks at Zelda and asks with eagerness.
Jeannie-Yes?
Zelda-Tell us what happened between you and the Green Djinn.
Jeannie-Yes, if that is what you wish.
Zelda-It is.
She begins to tell her tale..
Jeannie-Many centuries ago before I was turned into a genie..
Ryan interrupts her with a question.
Ryan-You were turned into a Genie?
Jeannie-Yes, the Green Djinn turned me into a genie.
Nakia-Whoa. You were human.
Jeannie-Yes.
This really interests everyone.
Nakia-Wow.. Keep going.
Jeannie nods, but stops before she gets started because a bright blue beam of streaking light appears above the ceiling next to the front door.. Everyone watches as it streaks down to the floor and transforms into Joey. He says to them all.
Joey-Sorry I'm late. I had to go back to Palmers Farm.
Not really interested in Palmers Farm anymore, everyone turns back to Jeannie.. And Joey takes a seat in a chair next to the couch after being filled in by Kimberly about what Jeannie is telling them..
Jeannie-So as I was saying. I wasn't always a Genie. Centuries ago right before I met the Green Djinn. I was engaged to marry the Prince of Baghdad. I didn't want to marry him though. He was a hateful man who didn't care for anyone but himself.
Kimberly asks.
Kimberly-If you didn't want to marry him why were you engaged to him?
Jeannie-I had no choice in that. After I turned 18 I was sold into being a slave girl for the Prince. The deal was sealed when my parents accepted the gold offered to them from the Princeā¦
Zelda stops her and says.
Zelda-That's terrible. Really terrible..
Jeannie nods and continues.
Jeannie-The Prince treated me very badly. I wasn't able to converse with other servants in his palace or anyone else for that matter. The only one I was able to speak to was the Prince and that was when he spoke to me. I had a mind of my own but the way I was treated you would of thought I was very simple.
Chet asks.
Chet-What did he do to you?
Jeannie-From sun up to sun down I had to do work. I had to feed his many animals, clean the palace's old rooms from top to bottom every day. And after the cooks were done preparing his meals I had to serve him and his many guests in the royal dining room. And that was not always easy. Actually it wasn't easy at all.
She sighs..
Jeannie-I remember one time, well a couple of times when I dropped some food on the floor.
Tears start to show themselves in her eyes.. She continues on in a choked up tone.
Jeannie-I.. Dropped.. Food.. On the floor.. Accidentally.. And.. I was beaten.. Badly. Then. After I couldn't walk.. I was put in.. a dungeon where nothing.. Held me up but.. The chains on the wall. I was.. There.. For.. Thirty days..
Zelda says in a sympathetic tone.
Zelda-I'm sorry.
Nakia adds.
Nakia-It's okay. You're out now.
Jeannie nods her head in agreement once again. Ryan gives her a Kleenex.. After she wipes her eyes she continues on.
Jeannie-The Prince decided after years of service to him. It was time to marry me. I was informed of this information while I was cleaning out the very old dungeons that hadn't been used in a long while. When I was told the Prince wanted to marry me.. My voice went numb. I couldn't speak for days. Even if I wanted to speak, I had no say in what he wanted. I had to go along with it.
Joey asks.
Joey-How old were you?
Jeannie-I was 25 years old.
Nakia-How were you turned into a Genie?
Jeannie-I haven't gotten to that part yet.
Everyone continues to listen..
Jeannie-I finished cleaning one dungeon room when three guards came to get me. I knew if I refused to go with them I would be beaten so I went without a struggle. After they took me to see the Prince, I quickly kneeled before him. If I didn't I would have been beaten. He looked at me with disgust because I was dirty from cleaning out the dungeon. When he told me to stand he spat on me and said no wife of his should look so ungodly dirty. I wanted to explain that it was me cleaning out the dungeons for him that made me so dirty, but if I said that to him he would have had me beaten.
Everyone starts to sigh with contempt in regards to what happened years ago with Jeannie.. They feel deeply sorry for her but say nothing because they want her to finish.
Jeannie-Fast forwarding. On the wedding day well the first one. I was extremely nervous and not willing to go through with it. That is the day I met the Green Djinn.
Nakia says in a whisper.
Nakia-Uh oh.
Jeannie-It is not as bad as it seems yet. Anyway, the Green Djinn was serving his master, the Black Conqueror. The Black Conqueror was a powerful man, he was also a general in one of the biggest armies in Baghdad. Besides all of that, he was a good friend of the Prince's as well. The Green Djinn spotted me walking out of the room I was getting dressed in.. He stopped me along the way and the first thing he said was he wasn't going to be able to talk to me long because he had to get back into his bottle before his master, the Black Conqueror returned to get him. I didn't say anything.. I only listened to him tell me things no one has ever told me.
Chet-What did he tell you?
Jeannie-He told me I was beautiful. He told me I should run away from being mistreated. I had no idea he knew how I was being treated at the palace, but he knew. I guess because he had the power to know.
Nakia-So he was nice to you at first?
Jeannie-Yes very.
Ryan-Go on.
Jeannie-I thought about all the things the Green Djinn was telling me. My spirit was broken but his words were mending my spirit back together again. So on the first wedding date.. I pretended to be sick. So it was postponed. And that way I could think of a way to leave the Princes' palace.
She sighs when she remembers another part..
Jeannie-One of the guards found out I was pretending to be sick.
Joey-How?
Jeannie-I didn't know he was watching me in my room. I thought everyone had left. But he saw me acting normal again.. He told the prince and almost faster than light, the Prince had me brought to his chambers where I was flogged severely.
Zelda-Flogged?
Jeannie-It means beaten. With a whip.
Her voice slightly breaks up.
Jeannie-I was beaten in my wedding.. Dress.. I lost consciousness. When. I awoke. I saw myself laying in one of the dungeons in a pool of my own blood.
Everyone becomes shocked to hear this.
Zelda-Oh my god that is really terrible..
Nakia-It's beyond terrible.
Kimberly-What a awful thing to do.
Ryan-Man that is way rough.
Joey-It's barbaric!
Chet-And really cruel!
Jeannie nods.
Jeannie-Yes. I was nothing to him or anyone else. Nothing but property.
Kimberly-Your life is really tragic. Or was tragic.. You don't have to continue.
Nakia-Kim's right. I think we've heard enough.
Zelda-Yeah.
Jeannie-No, no. I'll go on. I want you to know.
Chet-Are you sure?
Jeannie-Yes.
They all continue to listen.
Jeannie-After I sort of healed from being flogged.. Another wedding date was set. Mind you, the Black Conqueror and the Green Djinn were still at the Princes' palace. The Green Djinn was able to come out of his bottle again, this time he spoke to the Prince. He told the Prince he saw me flirting with other men.
Nakia-Oh no!
Jeannie-It was not true.. Not true at all.
Nakia-We believe you Jeannie. I was just saying oh no because I have a feeling the Prince had you beaten again.
Jeannie shakes her head for a change.. When she stops she says.
Jeannie-No. I was not beaten. Instead, the Green Djinn convinced the Prince of letting me go.
Kimberly-Really?
Jeannie-Yes. He told the Prince that I should be punished for flirting with other men and he knew of a way.
Zelda-Meaning he turned you into a genie?
Jeannie-Yes. And with me being changed into a genie I was forever condemned to serve any human who found me wherever I went. A slave behind the force of magic which I cannot use unless someone wishes.
Nakia-Why did the Green Djinn turn on you like that?
Jeannie-I found out after the Black Conqueror took us both away from the Princes' palace. The Green Djinn told me that he wanted to marry me. And would not do so unless I was a genie. He wanted me to be his slave forever. But I refused.
Joey-You're saying he just wanted you for himself?
Jeannie-Yes.
Kimberly-So his talk to make you stronger was just a way for you to like talk back to the Prince so he would let you go?
Jeannie-Yes, but I'm glad I didn't talk back to the Prince.. Otherwise I would have been beaten and probably killed.
Nakia-So when the first part didn't work, he came up with another idea which was saying you were flirting with other men?
Jeannie-Yes.
Chet-What happened after you refused him?
Jeannie-He slapped my face till it was numbed.
Nakia-Oh no.
Jeannie-He did. But I escaped.. I used my new powers to leave. Though it was not enough because he found me in each time period I went to. I had a master throughout the different time periods till the Green Djinn found me.. He wouldn't find me for about two years at a time, and when he did, I had to flee again. My last attempt to escape him brought me to this time period where he found me and trapped me inside of the bottle you now see below me. He told me was he going to bury me in the ground and leave me to rot for all eternity if I refused to marry him again. I thought I was doomed till you all saved me from him.
Kimberly-I'm glad we were able to save you Jeannie.
Ryan-Yeah me too.
Nakia thinks about Jeannie's hardships with being a slave.. She says.
Nakia-Jeannie. I think its time you were freed from all of this.
Jeannie looks at Nakia and says.
Jeannie-I cannot be freed. This is forever. The curse of being a genie is that it is for all eternity and nothing no one can do can reverse it.. Ever.
Nakia-What if we wished you were human again?
Jeannie-I do not think it would work.
Nakia-Would you be willing to try?
Jeannie-I can't. I would risk destroying myself all together.
Nakia-Oh.
Jeannie-As long as I have nice masters I am allright.
Ryan-Um I have been thinking about that.
Jeannie looks at Ryan.
Ryan-I know we said this before.. And I'm going to say it again. Please just call us by our names.. Don't call us master.
Everyone speaks out in agreement.
Jeannie-But.
Nakia says in a harshly playful way.
Nakia-No buts! That's an order. We want you to call us by our names.
Jeannie-Well if that is what you wish.
Jeannie smiles.. And so does everyone else.. She then asks.
Jeannie-There is one thing.
Zelda-What's that?
Jeannie-What are your names?
Everyone bursts out laughing for the simple fact that they forgot to tell her.. Jeannie smiles again. When they stop laughing they introduce themselves properly.. She then asks.
Jeannie-Will you tell me how you became soldiers of the rainbow?
Ryan answers her.
Ryan-Another time Jeannie.. Right now I think we have some studying to do.
Jeannie-What is studying?
Nakia responds to that one.
Nakia-It's something we're all going to have to do if we want to get out of high school this year.
Jeannie-Huh?
Nakia shakes her head and says.
Nakia-We'll explain it another time.
Jeannie-Okay. Anyone want me to grant a wish.. I feel so happy now. So alive, and brand new.
Kimberly says.
Kimberly-I do.. I do..
Jeannie-Yes?
Kimberly-Um. I wish..
She scratches her head.
Kimberly-I forgot.
Everyone laughs.. Ryan gets up from the couch to get his book bag, and soon everyone else does the same except for Joey.. He decides to talk to Jeannie for a while longer as everyone starts to study..
So now that Jeannie has told her story.. And is happy now, who knows what life will bring her in the future.
