Three Wishes

As Mike stood out in front of Cindy’s house, he looked at his watch.  It read 8 pm.  He took a deep breath to steady himself and knocked on the door.  Cindy opened it, and when she saw it was him, she glared at him.

“What do you want?”

He took a deep breath before he spoke.  “Cindy, let me in.  I need to tell you something.”

“You don’t have anything to tell me,” she said as she started closing the door.  “You told me everything I needed to know last night.  Now go away!”

“But…”

The slamming of the door ended the conversation. 

Mike hung his head and sat on her front steps.  He couldn’t move.  He planted his elbows on his bent knees, and balled his hands into fists.  For a few moments, he rested his chin on them.  Then he stood up and walked back to the door.  He knocked again.

“Oh, come on, Cindy!” he yelled.  “Open the door!”

“Go AWAY!” he heard her yell from inside.

Defeated, he walked back to his car.  He pulled the door closed and pulled the seatbelt over his shoulder, fastening it with a click.  There was no way she’d talk to him now.  Why did he say what he said to her?  It was a stupid fight anyway.  A day removed, he couldn’t even remember what they were fighting about in the first place.  But in the heat of the moment, he said things he could never take back.

He was about to start the car’s engine when he looked at the passenger seat next to him.  The strange lamp he’d found on the beach that morning was still there.  He closed his eyes and rubbed it.  A puff of smoke and a whiff of ozone later, the genie appeared before him, as he had earlier.

“That was your first wish Master,” his booming voice said.  “What do you desire for your second?”

“Take me back in time and let me try again.”

“Your wish is my command, Master.”  The genie clapped his hands three times.

POOF!

As Mike stood out in front of Cindy’s house, he looked at his watch.  It read 8 pm. 

“Here goes,” he said to himself. 

He took a deep breath to steady himself and knocked on the door.  Cindy opened it, and when she saw it was him, she glared at him.

“What do you want?”

He took a deep breath before he spoke.  “Please let me in.  We need to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she said as she started closing the door.  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“No!  Wait!  I…”

Once again, the slamming of the door ended the conversation. 

Mike sighed and leaned against the wall. 

That went well, he thought sarcastically to himself.

When he had collected himself, he knocked on her door again, hoping against hope that maybe he could change how this ended right here.

“Cindy,” he called.  “Please open the door!”

“Go AWAY!” he heard her yell from inside.

He shook his head and slowly walked back to the car.  He pulled the door closed and with a deep sigh, rested his head on the side window.  There was no way she’d talk to him now.  He sat and thought until he could remember all the details of the fight they’d had the night before and had to admit to himself that if he was in her place, he wouldn’t want to talk to him, either.

He was about to quit, but then he thought about her.  The way she smiled, the way her eyes lit up when he made her laugh.  The way the light caught her hair when she stood just right.  The way it felt just to be around her.  He shook his head again.

“No,” he said.  “I won’t let it end this way.”

He closed his eyes and rubbed the lamp again.  With another puff of smoke, his genie was back again.

“That was your second wish Master,” his booming voice said.  “What is it you desire for your third?”

“Take me back,” he said without missing a beat.  “I have to try one last time.”

“Are you certain, Master?” the genie asked.  “You have already tried to change things twice and failed.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said with a grin.  “And they say that the third time is the charm, right?”

“This is your final wish,” the genie cautioned.  “You can ask me for power.  For riches.  You can ask me for anything you want.”

“I know that too,”  Mike said.  “And what I want is her.”

“She is that special to you, Master?”  The genie held his gaze.

Mike’s gaze was level.  “Yes.  This is all my fault.  If I could just show her how sorry I am…”

“Your wish is my command, Master.”  The genie clapped his hands three times.

POOF!

As Mike stood out in front of Cindy’s house, he looked at his watch.  It read 8 pm. 

“Last chance,” he told himself.  “Make sure you do it right this time.”

He took a deep breath to steady himself and knocked on the door.  Cindy opened it, and when she saw it was him, she glared at him.

“What do you want?”

He took another deep breath before he spoke.  “Cindy, please don’t close the door.  I love you, and I’m sorry that I hurt you.  Would you please talk to me?”

“Why should I?”  She looked as if she was about to slam the door in his face, but when she looked in his eyes, she saw that they were red, and there were tears in them.  She had never seen him look this way before.  Sad.  Lonely.  Vulnerable.  She wanted to cry with him, but somehow, she stopped herself. 

Then it hit her.

Wait a second, she thought to herself.  Did he just tell me he loves me?  She remembered every angry and horrible thing he had said the night before when he broke up with her.  But she had never heard him say that before.  Maybe it was worth hearing what else he had to say.
Maybe that was the only reason she needed.

“Okay,” she said, as a tear ran down her cheek.  “Let’s talk.”



WORD COUNT: 1048