The Lesson of the Lamp

        Maria could not believe her eyes. There, underneath some rocks was a dull looking lamp. Maria had just seen Aladdin in the movie theater, and had laughed at how improbable the action all was. Should she rub the lamp? She shivered with delight. 

Maria had been visiting her aunt’s family a few hours away from home. Today had been beach day, and Maria was seemingly alone on the beach. Her aunt and cousins had begged her to join them at a nearby Italian restaurant, but Maria felt the urge to stay and soak in more rays. Maria wished she could just pause time right now.

She stretched out and sunk her feet more deeply in the warm sand. The air smelled like damp and her orange scented sunscreen. She shook the sand from her hands, and pulled her light brown shining hair behind her. She picked up the lamp, stared at it, and then rubbed the side of it. 

Her gray hazel eyes opened wide in astonishment as she saw some tiny purple smoke issuing out of the lamp. She gasped audibly, and the wind took her voice away further down the beach. A figure grew slowly out of the smoke, retaining a smoky aura around it. It resembled a man with purple skin, a filmy robe of purple, slanted eyes, small nose, long thin mustache, and a wide mouth. On his feet were shiny gold pointed shoes. The vision simply said,

“I will grant you three wishes. Choose carefully.”

Maria laughed nervously, and then hoped she did not offend the creature. She said placatingly,

“I am sorry for my behavior. Please have patience with me. I will try to think of my first wish, and then I will need some time.”

Maria thought, trying not to be distracted by the purple vision above her. What did she need? She had just silently wished to pause time, but was there something else? She needed money, she decided. Her parents had many children, and they could give nothing for her education. She had tried to find a well paying job, but had struck out time and again. Yes, it had to be money she would request. 

“Genie, please grant me lots of money.”

The genie looked slightly bored, and said, “Everyone asks for that. I hope your next wishes will be more creative. There are more ways of securing your financial needs than just asking for money.”

With a sigh, he snapped his fingers, and there at Maria’s sandy feet lay a large, brown leather handbag. Maria peered wonderingly inside and saw countless bundles of fifty dollar bills. There also seemed to be room in the bag to place the lamp. Maria shed a few tears of gratitude and surprise. Then she saw her aunt and cousins coming down the beach from a great distance, and quickly thanked the genie, tucking the lamp into the large purse. The genie smoothly dissolved back into the lamp, as her relatives came closer. They did not appear to notice.

Maria failed to spot a pair of binoculars on her from the other side of the beach. An old witch had seen all. She placed a tracking spell on Maria so she could find her wherever she went, because she coveted the lamp for herself.

Maria’s aunt was a plump, middle aged woman of cheerful disposition and generosity. She came forward and asked, “Where did you get that large bag, Maria?”

Maria deflected the question, by hurriedly asking, “How was dinner? Did you like what you ordered?” 

 “Maria, are you feeling hungry yet? We had a marvelous Italian dinner, and have brought you some excellent spaghetti bolognese.”

Maria said, “Thank you, I will enjoy that. Did you see anything odd on the beach?”

Her aunt and cousins replied no, and it seemed they were sincere. 

“Oh, I thought I saw something,” Maria hastily replied.

Maria tucked the bag behind her by pressing her arm with the handle tightly to her, and hoped they would forget about her new accessory. They did forget. She was back in their cozy home before more words were passed between them. Everyone seemed slightly drained by all the fresh air, and they soon separated for their different rooms. Maria entered her room and without bothering to open the leather purse, shoved it underneath many clothes in her suitcase. She was happy that she was not taking an airplane home, but instead, riding in a car, and would not have to explain the unusual contents of her bag to airport security.

A few days later, Maria was back home with her family, hugging them, and telling them about most of her vacation, leaving the part with the lamp out. A few hours after celebrating their reunion, Maria was anxious to be left with her own thoughts, and pondered the choice of her next wish. Maria had a crush on Stewart, a fellow college student who lived near her, but he was practically a stranger to her. She had seen him, heard many good things about him, but did not know how to introduce herself. She began to wonder if Stewart’s affection could be won by wishing for it.

 The next day, she went to the bank and opened an account with all the money. When the curious bank executive wanted to know how she came upon so much cash, Maria declared it was a gift, and left it at that. The bank executive saw the money was legitimate, and opened an account for Maria.

The money secured, Maria was left to contemplate her wish of attachment to Stewart. As she stared dreamily out her window, the lamp resting on her bed, Maria noticed a hideous face suddenly appearing in the frame of her window. The misshapen predatory eyes were riveted with greed upon the dull lamp beside her. She knew instinctively that this person wanted the lamp, and had evil intentions besides. Maria grabbed the lamp, and rubbed quickly. Out spiraled the purple smoke and the genie appeared. Maria nervously squeaked, “For my second wish, I wish that that person outside be kept always far away from me.”

The genie turned and saw the old hag, and smiled with interest. He snapped his fingers, and instantly, the old witch had disappeared from view. Maria could not resist asking the genie, “What did you do with her?”

The genie replied, “I placed a magic thorn hedge between her and you, so that she can never get near where you are.”

“What if she finds a way to rid herself of this hedge?”

“Well, I don’t know. I’ve never seen one of my magical acts reversed. You may want to reserve your third wish just in case.”

       Maria felt deflated after this. She stowed the lamp back in the bag, more sad than she ever imagined a possessor of a magic lamp could be. How would she live happily ever after with Stewart if she had to worry that some old witch would come and steal her lamp? After a few minutes of dejection, she began to see things in a new light. Maybe the witch would be kept away. Maybe she could just gather courage and meet Stewart the old fashioned way. Maybe she didn’t need another wish. After all, she had the money for her education. Didn’t she always tell herself that everything would be fine if she didn’t have that worry? 

Maria began to make a plan. She would have her mother invite Stewart’s family to dinner. Then she would make conversation with him. She would assure that Stewart sat across from her at the table. She went to ask her mother if she would invite the Maddens over for the next Saturday. Her mother agreed, having met Stewart’s mother once or twice before, and liking her.

Meanwhile, the wicked witch was trying her best to break the spell that divided her from the lamp. Oh the things she would do with three wishes! It would be such a source of power and pleasure. She tried a spell of removal, but the hedge remained. The hedge at least remained a marker to show where the lamp was at any given time. For the most part, it did not move, because Maria had left the lamp in her bedroom in a suitcase, and had all but forgotten about it in her anticipation of Saturday night. 

Friday evening came and the witch was determined to break the spell of the impediment hedge. She tried to convert the hedge into bubbles, but although a few bubbles flew out of her wand, that didn’t work. She tried to make the hedge edible, but that didn’t work at all, then finally she remembered a spell to make an object bouncy, and she tried that. It was very daring for her to see if she succeeded in making the thorny appearing hedge harmlessly bouncy, so she sacrificed a frog to jump onto it, and see how it fared. The frog bounced up onto the top of the hedge, and disappeared without a sound. So the witch did the same. 

With a brave bounce, the witch found herself in Maria’s room as she slept, and after searching for a minute, the witch quietly located the lamp.

What a triumph! The witch had not forgiven Maria for wishing her away, and causing her some sleepless nights, so she was determined to get her revenge. The witch decided to spy on Maria, and see how best to hurt her. She soon discovered that Maria was eagerly awaiting Stewart Madden in order to win his heart. She returned to her cottage to plan. 

Saturday dawned bright and beautiful, and Maria felt her spirits soar at the thought of dinner with the Madden family that evening. She put on a white sundress, and took special care with her hair and makeup. Stewart arrived, a tall, dark haired youth with large blue eyes, and with him, his mother, father, and cute little sister Theresa. Maria welcomed them along with her parents and many siblings. By Maria’s ingenuity, Stewart sat across from her, and Theresa sat across from Maria’s younger sister Sophia. Stewart was so charming, as she always imagined he would be. He had mentioned seeing her around the college, and Maria was delighted. Her only preoccupation was to not be overly eager with Stewart, and wear her heart on her sleeve. 

She thought she was managing the situation well, when the witch appeared behind a nearby column, and pointed her wand at Maria. Maria then croaked every time she opened her mouth!

Maria soon discovered this, and pretended she choked on some food, and left for the bathroom.

The witch was gleeful at her handiwork, and went home to be granted her first wish. 

Maria realized she had been cursed by the witch as she searched in vain for the missing lamp. She knew that the witch had bested the genie’s protective spell. Oh why didn’t she ask for the witch to be turned into a worm or something? That would have neutralized her!

       Maria dashed a note to her mother saying she didn’t feel well, and gave it to Sophia, who had come to see how she was. Well, now she knew how the little mermaid felt, unable to use her voice, or even more, like that prima donna from Phantom of the Opera. Maria decided she hated magic of any kind. Better to have never found the lamp, than to be under this curse. 

  The Madden family went home soon after that. They expressed concern for Maria, and hoped she would feel better. Stewart thought he liked Maria very well, and planned to have 

coffee with her soon. Mrs. Madden liked Maria’s mother equally well, and invited her to their house the next week. Maria’s mother accepted the invitation for all the family. 

The witch was so pleased with herself, and had no hesitation, back in her cottage, to ask the genie to make her beautiful, for her first wish. The genie snapped his fingers, and she turned into a beautiful brunette, with smooth peachy skin, and a perfect elegant figure. Her eyes were an emerald green, and her teeth straight and white. The witch spent the rest of the evening just staring at her beautified self in wonder. 

        Maria wondered how she was going to navigate her life without speaking. She found a dry erase board and markers, and told her family she had laryngitis. Her family showed great concern, offering her chicken soup, and telling her to get better because the Maddens had invited them over for the next Saturday. Maria didn’t know what to do. She did take to bringing the dry erase board with her wherever she went.                              

 One day, she was walking a block from her house, when who should she run into but Stewart! Stewart immediately started walking with her, and making small talk. 

“Hello Maria, how are you?”

Maria nodded in silence.

“Are you okay?’

Maria began to scribble on the dry erase board. The message said, “ I have laryngitis, but I feel okay.”

Stewart looked at Maria really hard, and said, “You look too healthy to me to have laryngitis. Let me hear you say something.”

Maria shook her head.

Stewart said, “Just one word.”

Maria then decided to tell Stewart the truth, as crazy as it would seem.

She motioned to a nearby bench, and for them to sit down.

Maria wrote as small as she could, and described how she found a magic lamp. It gave her money for college. Before she could ask for a second wish, a witch appeared and frightened her, so she asked the genie to make the witch go away. The genie caused a hedge to grow between her and the witch, but the witch managed to steal the lamp. "To revenge herself on me, she has changed my voice to a croak. I have one more wish if I can find the lamp," Maria finished writing.

Stewart stared and stared at the writing. Then he looked into Maria’s beautiful eyes.

“Say something, anything.” Maria croaked, and then let a tear fall. This impressed Stewart more than anything, and he believed her. 

“There’s only one thing to be done. We must hunt down this witch, and get the lamp back.”

Maria looked at him in wonder and gratitude. She pressed his hand firmly. He held on to the dry erase board, and they ventured out into a nearby forest. They searched for a few hours, and then found a cottage that looked sinister. Stewart cautiously peered into the window, and heard a woman singing and laughing. Her horrible voice didn’t match her lovely appearance. She sang, “I am the most beautiful thanks to the lamp you see. I cursed that girl who stole the lamp and now she sings like a frog hee hee. Now I will ask the lamp for a great castle and moat, and then I will turn Maria’s love into a goat!”

Stewart and Maria watched as the witch pulled out the lamp, and rubbed it. The genie appeared, and the witch quickly said, “Genie, convert this cottage into a grand castle.”

The genie snapped his fingers, and Stewart and Maria found themselves in the castle with the witch, because where they stood had become part of the imposing palace. Fortunately, they were hidden behind some marble columns.

The witch had not seen them. Maria wondered if Stewart knew he was in danger of becoming a goat. Did he know that she cared for him the most out of anyone she knew? 

Stewart put his finger to his lips, and quietly wrote “wait until the witch leaves the lamp” on the dry erase board. Maria nodded. She hoped their families wouldn’t worry too much about where they had gone.

The witch explored her new palace with ecstasy. She didn’t seem to mind about her horrible voice, and her hideous cackles rang through the gilded halls. The witch left the lamp where she had made her last command, and soon climbed a long carpeted staircase to explore the upper floors. Stewart crept over to the lamp, grabbed it, and quickly gave it to Maria. 

Maria fled the palace with Stewart behind her. They took several steps into the forest. Maria thought about how to proceed. She knew the genie could give her the power to pause time, or go back in time to before she even found the lamp, and attracted the notice of the witch. It was tempting to think of pausing time with Stewart. Then she thought of a different idea, that would solve her enemy problem. Maria hoped her plan would work.

She rubbed the lamp, then wrote on the dry erase board, “Genie, please erase the two of us from the witch’s mind.”

The genie looked at the board, nodded, and snapped his fingers.

“You chose very wisely," the genie proclaimed. Maria was able to say thank you, because the witch’s curse would only be upon someone the witch held in her mind.

Maria handed the lamp to Stewart, who could then have three wishes of his own. Stewart thought very hard, found some rocks in the forest, stepped over there, and buried the lamp. “That’s enough magic for the both of us. Let’s go live in peace.”

Maria realized Stewart had made an even better decision than any of hers. She and Stewart now had a secret that would form a bond between them. She knew things were going to work out. Maria and Stewart lived happily ever after, even though the witch did find that lamp again!

   THE END