Three Wishes Chapter 6

“I’m not normally like that, you know,” Christine stated the next morning as they ate their breakfast.

“Not like what?” Tariq asked. He was eating faster than Christine could cook. He loved American food.

Christine blushed as she answered. “I don’t sleep with total strangers.”

Tariq glanced up at her and grinned. “I would hope not.”

“I’m serious, Tariq. I can’t believe that was me yesterday. I don’t behave like that. I hardly know you or anything about you,” Christine stated, frustrated.

Tariq pushed his empty plate away from him and gave Christine his full attention. “Alright, what do you want to know?”

“Have you always been a Genie?” she asked.

“No.”

“So you were human once.” Tariq nodded. “How long have you been a Genie and how did you become one?”

Tariq thought a moment, trying to decide on the best way to answer her questions. “I was born in 1000 B.C.”

Christine choked on her coffee and began coughing. “You are three thousand years old?” she croaked.

Tariq sighed. “Yes. I was 27 and newly married. Her name was Carina. She was everything that was pure and innocent. Amid, who was a friend had also tried for her hand, but she chose me. Amid was insanely jealous and accused me of stealing Carina from him. I couldn’t understand his hatred. We had been childhood friends and suddenly I was his enemy.” Tariq paused, lost in thought.

Christine reached over and placed her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Tariq. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Tariq smiled sadly at her. “It’s alright, Christine. I want you to know.” Tariq laced his fingers through Christine’s and continued. “I was a farmer, and we’d had a good crop that year. I left to go sell our harvest in the city and was gone for several weeks. When I returned, Carina, my wife, was dead. Amid had raped her repeatedly, and then killed her when she still refused to leave with him. He then solicited a witch to curse me, only he wasn’t specific and the witch betrayed him.” Tariq paused to sip his coffee. “She cursed us both to become Genies. Amid was furious, but the damage was done.”

Christine sat shocked at the story Tariq told her. “Tariq, I’m so sorry. I can only imagine the pain you must have suffered.” Christine’s heart hurt for the man before her. “What about the curse, can it be broken? And what about Amid? Is he still a Genie and where is he?”

Tariq laughed softly at her questions. “You are an inquisitive one, my princess.” He brought her hand up to kiss her fingers. “I appreciate your sympathy, but it was a long time ago. As far as I know, Amid is still a Genie. Where he is I haven’t a clue. I have not seen him since the curse was cast upon us. There is only one way to break the curse and that is for one of us to die.”

“What?” Christine asked, shocked. “You can die? I thought you were immortal.”

“I am. The only way to kill a Genie is by another Genie. More specifically, the only way I can die is at the hands of Amid and vice versa.”

“So if you were to kill Amid, what would happen? The curse is broken and what?” Christine wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to that question.

“As far as I know, I become mortal again and live my life out in a normal fashion,” Tariq answered. “But honestly, Christine, I’m not positive what happens to the survivor.”

Christine sat back in her chair and stared straight ahead, thinking. Tariq’s long fingers were still laced through hers and they made her feel safe for the first time in a long time. Tariq squeezed her hand gently.

“Have you thought about what you’d like to wish for?” Tariq asked, changing the subject.

Christine laughed. “My goodness, where would I start!”

“Money is usually the most popular request,” Tariq stated simply.

“That does not surprise me. If you have money, then you can buy the rest.” Christine smiled.

Tariq stared at her. He reached out and caressed her cheek. “Whatever you wish for, my princess.”

“Can I wish for world peace?” Christine asked half jokingly.

Tariq smiled. “Sorry, but that is something that is not within my power to do.”

“Alright, well, how about a billion dollars in a interest bearing account at my bank.” She meant it as a joke as well, but when Tariq handed her a savings passport book, her jaw nearly fell to the floor. “You’re kidding me, right?” she squeaked.

Christine took the savings book from him and opened it. Her name and account number were typed neatly at the top and on the balance line it read “$1,000.000.000.00.”

“Oh my god!” Christine swayed in her chair, suddenly finding it hard to breath. Tariq moved quickly to catch her.

“You are not going to faint on me again, are you, Christine?” he asked, a twinkle in his eyes. “Take a deep breath and let it out. There you go.”

Christine’s head began to clear. She stared at Tariq. “Is that real? Is there really a billion dollars in a savings account in my name at the bank?”

“If you don’t believe me, call them and ask,” Tariq replied, sitting back down.

Christine swallowed hard. “No, no, I believe you.”

“So now you have two wishes left.”

Christine smiled nervously. “I think I will wait for a bit. I’m still reeling from the first wish.”

Tariq chuckled softly, then turned a serious gaze on her. “Do not wait too long, Christine. You have only 7 days left.”

“Seven days? I don’t understand.” Christine frowned.

“One of the rules of the Lamp is once the Genie has been called, you have 10 days to make your wishes. You can either make your wishes all at once, and then the Genie returns to the lamp, or you can stretch it out the 10 days. But once the 10 days are over, the Genie will return to the Lamp, regardless if you’ve made your wishes or not. And you can not recall the Genie, even if you didn’t use your wishes.”

Christine stared at Tariq, dumbfounded, and then anger began to take over. “Why didn’t you tell me this before, Tariq?”

Tariq raised an eyebrow at the anger he heard in her voice. “I did tell you Christine. I may not have explained the details, but I did tell you that you had 10 days to make your wishes.”

Christine suddenly stood up. She had to get away from him. “God, I can’t believe this. You knew that you were going to have to leave in 10 days, yet you made love to me anyways. I can’t believe I let it happen. I feel like such a fool.”

Christine turned to leave. Tariq stood and caught her by the wrist as she passed him. “Let me go, you bastard!” Christine tried to pull her arm away from him, but Tariq had a firm grip.

“Christine, stop,” Tariq pleaded, his expression full of hurt. “I never meant for that to happen, but I’m not sorry it did. I have not felt so alive and happy since the curse. Please understand that I care for you deeply.”

“Please let me go, Tariq. I need to get away and think.” Tariq let go of Christine’s wrist reluctantly.

Christine grabbed her purse on the way out. Tears streamed down her face as she made her way to her car. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she started the car and backed out of the driveway. She was half way down the block, when she felt cold metal against her forehead. She gasped.

“Hello, Christine,” Tom Morgan spoke softly from the back seat as he held a gun to her head. “I understand you have a Genie in your house.”