Ahmed's Task

The small aquamarine bottle was half buried in the sand. Ahmed, cooped up inside, could hear the sound of the waves as they crashed on the shore. The worst of the storm was over, but now and then there were a few lightning strikes and rolls of thunder. Ahmed felt a trickle of water and peering upward, he noticed that the stopper was loose. He blew as hard as he could and the stopper popped out. With a long swish he exited the bottle, stood up and surveyed the surroundings. It felt odd to be walking on the sand, after floating in the sea for he did not know how many centuries. He breathed in the damp summer air and stretched his hairy arms and legs. Dressed in baggy pants, a white poncho and thin sandals, he felt out of place on the beach. He rolled up his pants and brushed the sand from his feet.

   The beach was deserted. On the horizon he could see curious boats with sails billowing in the wind, and walking along he came to a small gravel path from where he caught a glimpse of enormous buildings and could hear cars rumbling along on the road. He held the bottle and after surveying it for a moment, put it in his pocket. As he did so, the bottle changed into a heavy chain that hung from his waist. As hard as he tried, Ahmed could not remove the chain, which was bound to a metal padlock. Letting out a groan he continued to walk, and came to a flattened rock where he sat down to think. He closed his eyes and then in his mind’s eye he could see Nabil, the sultan that he knew long ago, standing before him and speaking.

    “Well, Ahmed you have been fortunate. Do you know where you are now?”

    “Oh great one, tell me where I am; I have not seen such a place before,” replied Ahmed.   

“The great ocean which has been my home for so long has now brought me to this place.”

    “Indeed, you are far from home,” said Nabih. “And now you are in an age where things are not as they were.”

    “Tell me how I can go to my home, for this place is so foreign and desolate.” He shook the chain that hung from his waist and sighed.

     “Ah, your memory is short, Ahmed. Do you not remember the rules of the land where you are from, or what happened in the past? How you were confined to that miserable bottle for centuries, with little hope of escape?” The sultan towered over him and his eyes burned with rage.

    Ahmed remembered how he attempted to deceive the sultan with false promises of great wealth and fortune, but a wise servant warned the sultan and though Ahmed tried to escape, he was caught, confined to the accursed bottle and tossed into the sea!

    Now after being in the storm, he was finally free of the bottle, except for the heavy chain around his waist.

    “Great sultan, tell me how I can redeem myself; I wish to be your servant,” Ahmed murmured, secretly hoping that this would appease him.

    “I will take pity on you, Ahmed,” said the sultan, glaring at him “but your path will not be easy.” With a wicked grin he continued. “You must find three people and grant them wishes, but you must not let them know that you are genie or where you came from. You will not have any magic powers.”

    “But how am I to do this?” protested Ahmed.

    “That is for you to figure out,” laughed Nabih. “You will have one earthly year. If you can do that you will be free of the heavy chain, otherwise, you can drag it around forever!” And with a puff of smoke, Nabih disappeared.

    After a pause, Ahmed rose and continued to walk up the path. How was he to fulfill three wishes in this strange place, with no help at all?

    In the distance he could see some people walking along the road; a young man and woman. They were holding hands and laughing together. Ahmed observed how they were dressed and decided that he would need some new clothes to begin his task. He stroked his dark beard, and continued to walk. As he approached the young people, they stared at him curiously. He gave them a small greeting and walked on. Presently he came to a stand where an old man was selling hot food. Feeling famished he paused by the cart and glanced longingly at the rows of buns.

    “What delicious looking food,” said Ahmed. “Could you spare an old beggar a bite? I have no money, but I can help you in your work.” Surprised by Ahmed's strange offer, the old man invited him to sit down on the nearby bench and gave him one of the buns.

    “You from these parts?” asked the old man kindly.

    “Oh, no,” said Ahmed. “I come from very far away.”

    “Well, I suppose you are just visiting someone. I hope you enjoy your stay. It is nice to be by the beach. I live in a small cottage across the road. Been there for years. My name is Henry Watson.”

    “Ah, you must be a happy man,” said Ahmed. “But truthfully, I have only just arrived and do not have a place to go to.”

   Drawn by Ahmed’s kind eyes and humble words, the man said, “Well, stay with me then. I live alone and sometimes I miss having company.”

    “That is kind of you,” replied Ahmed. “And yes, I would like that very much.” As the sun was beginning to set, he helped Henry pack up the cart and then they headed to the cottage on Ocean Avenue. It was sparsely furnished but comfortable. Henry made some coffee. They sat opposite each other and talked for a long time. Henry told him about his life as a fisherman and of the many adventures he had while he was at sea.

    “I’m just an old man, now; can’t see so well, so now my life is very simple,” said Henry.

    “Well, I am sure that you will always have good fortune,” said Ahmed. “If you would be so kind as to let me stay here for some time, I will do my best to help you. I only need some simple clothes and time to complete a special task while I am here.”

    “That is no problem,” replied Henry. “You are welcome to stay as long as you like and I do believe I can find some clothes for you,” he added with a smile.

   As it neared midnight, Henry put some blankets on the couch and Ahmed settled down and immediately fell asleep. In his dream, Aminah, the sultan’s daughter, came to speak with him.

    “Dear Ahmed,” she whispered, “do not be discouraged. I will help all I can, and one day we are sure to be together again.”

    “If only I could fulfill the wishes as soon as possible, I would be so happy,” mumbled Ahmed.

    “Yes,” said Aminah. “Rest well, now.”

    The next morning, Henry and Ahmed went off to set up the food cart by the beach. Then Ahmed decided to walk to the village and have a look around. He came to a park and sat on a bench opposite a young man who was about to eat lunch.

    “Nice day today, isn’t it, after all that rain yesterday,” said Ahmed in greeting.

    “A day is nice only if people don’t take advantage of you,” replied the man coldly.

    “Ah, you seem to have some difficulty today,” observed Ahmed. “Is there some problem I could perhaps help you with?”

    “Yes” returned the young man with a tinge of sarcasm. “Tell people that they should appreciate the things I do for them, working day and night for little pay, but not being appreciated. I…” The man continued to speak but Ahmed suddenly noticed in the distance an elderly woman who had stumbled and fallen on the path. He dashed to help her up, as the young man followed him. Ahmed asked if he could be so kind as to help. After Ahmed’s persuasion, the man offered to take the woman to the hospital. The next day, there was a small article in the newspaper. Ahmed read with surprise about the young man who had helped a well-respected and loved woman in the community. The woman had praised his thoughtfulness and offered him a high position in her company. That night, Aminah appeared in Ahmed’s dream and said with a smile, “well done, Ahmed; a wish fulfilled!” Encouraged by her words, he slept peacefully.

    Weeks passed and Ahmed settled into his life in the village. By now people had come to notice the large man with the scruffy beard that wore a strange chain around his waist, with a padlock. No one ever questioned him though, but sometimes the school children would giggle and joke about it. Ahmed knew that time was passing, and he could not forget his task. He longed to be at home once again.

    Ahmed enjoyed preparing the food that was to be sold near the beach each day. On the warm summer days people would come to buy lemonade and ice cream. One young woman would come by often and Ahmed had conversations with her. She was not a beauty, but had such a sweet heart and a wonderful smile. Ahmed could tell that she was lonely though and sensed that more than anything she wanted to have a family. As she looked after some children from the neighbourhood, Ahmed saw how tenderly she spoke to them. His heart went out to her and he thought about how he could help her. Then in his dream Aminah told him of a young man who lived alone and walked each day to his job at the library.

The next day Ahmed saw the woman walking on the beach.

    “Annabelle,” he called. “How are you today?

    “I am fine; just enjoying the view of the beach,” she called back. “I only have a short time; I am planning to do some volunteer work in the village this afternoon.”

    “That is nice,” replied Ahmed. “And where is this work to be?”

   “Well, I have a choice, either at the library, or the old folk’s home. I have not decided where to go yet.” Ahmed immediately thought of the young man and said,

    “I think you would enjoy the library very much. Why don’t you go there? I know that they serve good Turkish coffee, too. You would like that.”

    “Yes,” said Annabelle. “You may be right. Also, I do love to read.”

    “Well, have a good day, I will see you soon,” replied Ahmed with a broad smile.

    It was near the end of summer and Ahmed did not see Annabelle for some time after that. During the fall and winter it was too cold to set up the food stand so Henry did odd jobs in town with Ahmed helping him. Henry was a surprisingly good carpenter and he taught Ahmed some skills. Ahmed himself had a good eye for design, so the two of them made a good pair.

    In mid-June the cart was set up again. One day, Ahmed saw a young couple walking on the beach. As they came closer Ahmed saw that it was Annabelle, and Amery, the man who worked at the library. They were holding hands and a diamond sparkled on Annabelle’s hand. Her eyes were as bright as the diamond.

    “Ahmed, I don’t know if you have met Amery,” she said softly. “We are to be married next month.”

    “Well, what wonderful news,” exclaimed Ahmed. “And may your days be filled with joy and love!” They walked on, so engrossed in each other as lovers tend to be.

    That night Aminah visited Ahmed in his dream. She was wearing a beautiful white dress, as if to say that soon they too could be married.

   “I hope that soon you can fulfill your final wish, Ahmed,” she said longingly.

    Ahmed looked at the calendar that he kept by his bed. Just a few more weeks remained until a year would pass. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The next day he rose very early and prepared things for the day. He made coffee for Henry and cooked him a good breakfast, then they set off for the beach.

    In the afternoon a young mother came by with her son. They bought some hot dogs and sat down on the bench nearby. Ahmed heard them speaking together.

   “Mommy, do you think we will ever find Scruffy again?”

   “I don’t know, dear,” his mom replied. “I am so sorry he was lost. It has been such a long time now.”

     “Mommy, I miss him so much. I wish we still had a dog.”

    “Well, maybe we will get one soon. I have to think about it. We should go home now, so you can get ready for Andy’s party.”

   “Oh, why do I have to go? Last time he would not let me ride his bike. I want to stay home and watch TV.”

    “Now, Tommy, don’t be like that. I am sure you will have a great time once you go there,” his mom replied.

    Ahmed could not help overhearing their conversation, and he could hear Aminah in his mind, telling him to urge the boy to go to the party.

    Ahmed walked over the where they were sitting and handed the boy a small ice cream cone.

    “I hope you will do as your mom suggests,” he said with a smile. Surprised, Tommy accepted the cone at once and said, “Wow, my favorite!” Tommy’s mother thanked him and they left to go home.

    A few days later, Ahmed happened to see Tommy walking in the park. He skipped along happily, as he had a small puppy on the end of a leash.

    “Hey, Mr Ahmed look at my new dog! My friend Andy gave me one of his dog’s puppies. I am so happy. His name is Scooter.”

    “Why that is wonderful,” laughed Ahmed. “Take good care of him, now.”

    That evening Ahmed decided to go for a walk on the beach. The sun was just beginning to set and suddenly he felt something beneath his foot. Peering down he saw a strange key in the sand. It was several inches long and had a blue gem in the top. Ahmed picked it up and with a swift motion inserted into the padlock, which opened. As he removed the chain from his waist, it changed into a gold cord and the padlock became a beautiful watch. Ahmed smiled to himself and turned to leave. The next day he said to Henry that it was time for him to go, and presented him with the gold watch and chain for all his trouble.

   “You will be in my thoughts always,” said Ahmed and he promised to bequeath good fortune to Henry. As Ahmed walked toward the beach again he could see some people sitting together. To his surprise there was the sultan, sitting in the middle of the group and telling exciting stories to everyone. The elderly lady was there, with the young man who had helped her. Annabelle and Amery were sitting nearby and Tommy was playing with his dog. They gave him a hearty greeting and invited him to sit down, but Ahmed waved to them and continued on. Aminah was waiting to meet him. They held hands and disappeared in the mist.