The Wish Granter

Driving to the office I had to put on the windshield wipers as they were falling fast and furious. Why so many today?

I’m not stopping, I decided. It’s tax season, and I have a growing pile of work on my desk. I can’t play. Not today, especially being Monday. I clicked my wipers to the fastest speed possible and leaned forward in my seat to see out. Last thing I needed was to crash my car. That would really put the icing on this rotten cake.

Pulling into my parking spot, I glared out the window at the industrial looking building that was my home forty hours in a typical week, closer to fifty or sixty this time of year. Damn you. How I hated that building, the bland beige matching those decrepit old folders inside. 

I pulled on my hood, preparing to make a run for it as I opened my car door and stepped one foot outside on the blacktop. Deep breath and … go …

Almost reaching the door, I saw my boss pull up in his fancy new car. What? Wasn’t he supposed to be at a client today? I stood still, allowing myself to be covered by those cascading down on me. Stretching out my arm for the door handle, I imagined entering the dank hallway to make the trek up those silent steps to my upstairs office. In seemingly slow motion, my hand went without my permission, not for the door handle, but to catch one floating down landing in my palm.   

***

“You again?” She looked at me with those blue eyes, those saucer eyes. Damn. I clearly had no control.

“Me again. I don’t even want to be here. You tempted me relentlessly.”

“Don’t blame me. You took it. No one forced you.”

“I hope it’s a good one this time. I don’t have time for this.”

“Hand it over. Let’s see what you got.”

I handed her that which had been clutched in my hand. 

“I wish to be a cat,” she read.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“Nope. That’s what it says.”

“And I have to honor that? Who in their right mind would wish for that, and why would it be granted?” I was getting mad.

She stared at me with those blue eyes. Those saucers.

“Did it ever occur to you that it’s the wish of a child? Some children have imagination, wonder, playfulness. Not everyone is old and jaded like someone I know.”

“Excuse me?” I was pissed now. How dare she? 

“You best get your childish side ready for this. You don’t want to be a disappointment, do you?”

“I have a pile of work to do. Can I take a pass?”

“You certainly cannot not. Your alternate self is doing the taxes. Your serious self. Your responsible self. Your self that forgot how to have fun.”

“Let’s get this over with. I’m ready.” I rolled my eyes. Wish to be a cat … hmmmpff. Fuck my life.

***

Lying in the cool grass, I looked up at the sky. Nothing rained down on me during my assignments, so that was a plus. I rolled onto my back, feeling the sun beating down on my belly. Yeah, baby. This was the good life.

Just as I was getting into cat mode, I was startled by an angry hiss. Feeling my tail fluff up, I jumped to my feet … ummm …. my paws and looked around. 

A kitten peeked out from the patch of pachysandra and looked at me hesitantly. Must be my assignment. I meowed at her the best that I could, having no experience in either mothering or catting.

She meandered over to me doing a little skip on her tiny legs. I tried to look inviting, meowed softly putting my heart into it. “It’s okay, little one.” I channeled the cat lady from behind my old apartment complex, someone I hadn’t thought of in years. 

I held my breath as she continued her little tippy toe walk over to me and settled into the grass just inches away. I sat back to watch, still wondering how the hell this was my life.

A worm popped its head out of the ground surprising the two of us. Little Tippy Toe, as I named her without thinking about it, looked at me with questions in her yellow eyes. Yes, it’s okay, I answered through my eyes, squinting a bit for reassurance. She poked her paw at the worm then in an all out surprise attack put her face right into the ground chasing the worm back into the earth. Not what she had hoped for.

Looking at me again, but this time with a dirty face, dry earth and bits of disintegrating leaves stuck to her fur and on her whiskers. Aren’t cats supposed to be clean? What’s the deal here? I reached my paw out to wipe her face only for her to jump away looking betrayed. 

Licking my own paw, I wiped my face round and round. Feeling my sandpaper tongue as I went about my business of cleaning and grooming, I kept one eye on Tippy Toe, who in turn began the same process on herself. Ah, the art of imitation, teach by example. The point wasn’t lost on me.

Frolicking about for an undetermined length of time, for what is time in cat world, made me feel sleepy. I stretched out on my side and placed my face on the cool dry ground. Tippy Toe approached me, found the little space near my belly, and fit herself in, purring contently. Much to my chagrin, I heard some purring coming out of my own throat as well. How embarrassing but no one needed to know this. I wasn’t telling and certainly neither was Tippy Toe.

***

Waking up at the bluff, I was surprised but not surprised as I always woke up there after my assignments. I waited.

There she was. That little waif coming out of the rugged landscape with those gigantic blue eyes. She approached me.

“Meow?” I joked.

“You did well. Our little one was pleased with her wish. Congratulations on the positive feedback.”

“Oh.” I softened a bit, thinking of a little girl who had her wish granted today. I wondered where she was, what she looked like in human form. Feeling surprisingly emotional, I choked out, “I’m glad.”

We stood in silence looking at each other. Did I dare? The last few times I was shot down. How many times did I want to hear “no” before giving up? Does one ever actually give up on their dreams? Maybe. I was getting close.

“Something on your mind, my dear?” The waif-like creature questioned me, staring into my eyes. The question was rhetorical, for she knew my innermost wishes, but yet denied them repeatedly.

“Have I participated every time you rained the wishes down upon me?” I asked, desperation creeping into my voice.

“Yes.”

“Have I received only positive feedback on my wish granting score card?” I continued with actual frantic energy bubbling up.

“Yes.”

“Well then why do you continue to deny me my wish?” I wiped my face angrily as tears came sliding down my cheeks.

“Your wish for three more wishes? I told you. That was a greedy wish.” Those unblinking eyes stared at me, daring me to argue.

“You know that’s not what I meant. I was startled when I met you that day. It wasn’t thought out.” I defended myself for the umpteenth time. This was a waste, I thought with a knot in my stomach, remembering the pile of tax returns on my desk.

“Oh, your other wish?” Teasing, taunting, how I despised being played with.

“Yes. The other wish.”

“Were you serious about that? I mean really?” 

Self-doubt mixed with hatred swirled around like a witch’s brew. Black smoke on the beach billowed up the edge of the bluff. Once again I thought, do I dare?

“Yes.” My voice was strong. “Yes! I am serious.”

“You wish to be an author. You, Ms. Accountant sitting behind your desk clicking your calculator all day, moving numbers from box to box, column to column. You think you have what it takes? Who is going to read your books?”

I was angry. Seriously pissed off. Who did she think she was, insulting me like that? With clenched fists, I waved my arms around the air. “You know I have a freaking mortgage to pay. You think I have a money tree in the yard? Maybe I should wish for that. But noooo, you would deny me that as well, just like you have denied me every wish I have come to you for. I am just a wish granter, nothing more. Well, your days of raining wishes upon me have come to an end. I am done.” 

I was shaking. I was furious.

“Ok.” 

“Ok?” I was shocked by her lack of response to my rant.

“Ok.” 

“What the hell do you mean? Ok? Ok what? Are you granting me my one and only wish? Allow my one true dream to come true?”

“Nope.”

“What the actual …” My voice trailed off. I turned around, began to walk away.

“See you soon. I predict rain in the forecast. Best bring your umbrella.” Her taunting voice followed me.

I turned. “I was a cat today. A cat. I freaking meowed and licked my face. I was a dinosaur last week with a sticky child on my back digging his heels into my side until I cried in pain. I crawled on the ocean’s floor. For crying out loud I was a pumpkin in the Halloween party at the nursery school. How many absurd wishes do I have to grant for you?”

Her blue eye softened. She was silent.

I was silent. Something inside of myself began to stir, to click. I exhaled, falling onto the beach.

“Understand?” She whispered to me.

“I do. I understand. I get it. I finally get it.” I was overjoyed. It all came together. It made sense. These endless assignments were not random, were not a waste of time. They were my stories. I just had to put them on paper. My wish, my one true wish, had been granted.