Birthday Wish

Cindy stepped out of her room and sighed.  The house was quiet.  Too quiet.

In the kitchen sat a birthday cake.  It was a round marble cake with five candles.  Her mom made it before she left.

Both of her parents were not there.  Cindy sighed.  I won’t be able to have this cake until they come home tonight….

Cindy stared at the cake.  She couldn’t wait any longer.  Getting out the matches, she lit the five candles all by herself.  She felt proud doing this, considering this was her first time.

Very quietly, she sang “Happy Birthday to You” to herself..

After that, Cindy closed her eyes and wished with all her might.  A tear rolled down her cheek.  “I wish I had a friend….” she sniffed.

Right after she blew out the candles, there was a flash in the room.  A great big genie appeared.

The genie smiled, and looked at Cindy.  “Happy birthday, Cindy!”

Cindy smiled.  “Who are you?”

“I am a genie!”  The genie told her.  “You wished for a friend, right?  I will be your friend today, and will grant you any wish that you want.   And unlike my friends, I will give you unlimited wishes, but for today only!”

Cindy giggled with excitement.  She looked at herself and frowned.  “I wish I was older….”

The genie frowned.  “How old?  I can’t grant the wish unless you tell me.”

Cindy looked at a toy car that she used for one of her Barbie dolls.  “I wish I was old enough to drive, like mommy and daddy!”

The genie waved his hands.  “Your wish is my command!”

Cindy suddenly flashed and she grew taller.  She was now 16 years old.

Cindy giggled again.  “I can now drive like mommy and daddy!  I wish that mommy and daddy was home early from work.”

The genie waved his hands again.  “Your wish is my command!”

Seconds later, both cars entered the driveway.  Her parents entered the house and noticed Cindy, who was now 16.

Cindy beamed with excitement.  “Mommy!”

Cindy’s mother stared at her in shock.  “Cindy?  Is that you?  No!  It can’t be!  Miss.  I don’t know what you’re doing in our house, but have you seen our daughter?  We came home early to celebrate her birthday.  She just turned 5 today….”

Cindy hugged her mother.  “It’s me, mommy.  I lit the candles and made a wish and this genie appeared!  He’s going to give me unlimited wishes because it’s my birthday.  I wished that I was old enough to drive and for you and daddy to be home early from work.  Both wishes came true!  Isn’t this great, mommy?”

The mother stared at her daughter in disbelief.  “You’ve grown so much, honey.  I don’t know why this is happening.  You may be old enough to drive, but you’re still five years old on the inside.  You don’t act anything like a teenager…..”

Cindy pouted.  “You’re wrong, mommy.  I’ll show you I can drive.  I wish that I knew how to drive!”

The genie, now hidden from view waved his hands at Cindy.  “Your wish is my command!”

Cindy flashed.  This made her smile.  “Did you see him, mommy?”

The mother frowned.  “See who?  I don’t see anyone, honey.”

Cindy quietly sighed.  Maybe only I can see him….

Cindy walked out to the red minivan and got inside it.  “Let’s go for a ride, mommy and daddy!”

The father entered the car and shook his head.  “You are not driving.  You are only five-years old.”

“It’s my birthday, daddy.  I want you and mommy to ride with me.”

The father shrugged his shoulders.  “Okay….Let’s go.”

The mother got in and sat in the passenger seat.  The father sat in the seat behind her.

Cindy started up the car and pulled out of the driveway.  Surprisingly, she ended up driving really well.  She drove around the city and down the highway.  Cindy then stopped at one intersection.  “See? I know how to drive!”

The mother shook her head and stared at the father.  “Don’t you think that it’s strange that our little girl can drive?”

The father sighed and shrugged his shoulders.  “None of this is real.  It’s a dream and pretty soon I’ll wake up.”

“We must be having the same dream then.  I hope you’re right.”

Cindy continued driving and entered downtown.  “This city is boring….” she sighed.  “I wish that this city was a giant amusement park, with ponies, and ribbons and beautiful colors….”

The genie waved her hands at Cindy and granted her wish.  The skyscrapers became rides of every kind.

Cindy’s wishing continued.  She wished for an enormous castle for her to live in the center of the amusement park.  She also wished for giant stuffed animals and trees that grew candy.  She wished for talking bears, rabbits, cats and stuffed animals.  She made numerous other wishes that a five-year old would wish for.  The list is so long that I will spare listing everything.

The mother managed an artificial smile.  “I am glad that you are enjoying your birthday, honey.  Why don’t you wish your self back to your own sweet self….”

Cindy shook her head.  “Don’t be silly, mommy.  If I did that, I wouldn’t be old enough to drive.”

The mother sighed.  When is this dream going to end?

Cindy continued wishing.  The father and mother could no longer see the world that they lived in.  It was no longer the world that they knew.  It was now a five-year old’s paradise.  Everything that Cindy loved was there, and everything was full of color.

Cindy then opened up her presents.  All the gifts were pretty much everything that she wished for, of course.

After the presents, Cindy moved on to the birthday cake.  It was an enormous cake that she wished for, with five candles on it.  It was much bigger than the cake that her mother made.

The mother shot a double take.  “It should be 16 candles, honey.”

Cindy shook her hand.  “But I’m five, mommy!”

“You don’t look five to me.”

“I know what you’re trying to do mommy, and it’s not gonna work!  I’m five, and I’m staying old enough to drive!”

Cindy wished for the candles to be lit.  They then sang “Happy Birthday to You”.  After that, she wished that the candles were all blown out.

The cake was then cut.  Cindy and her parents ate part of the cake.  It was a marble cake, like the one her mother made.  This was eaten with vanilla ice cream.

After that, it was time for bed.  Cindy, still having the appearance of a teenager, put her pajamas on.  She then brushed her teeth.

Cindy looked at the mirror and sighed.  “Why are these bulges on me?”

Cindy shrugged her shoulders.  She kissed her mother and father good night and went to bed in her elegantly decorated chamber of the castle.

The genie hovered over Cindy and smiled.  “You sure gave me a work out today.  But I needed it.  You still have three more hours to make wishes.  If you need anything, just let me know.”

Cindy thought for a while and then smiled.  “I wish that everyday was my birthday!”

The genie waved his hands at Cindy.  “Your wish is my command!”

The next day came.  Everything was back to normal.  Cindy was five-years old again.

Cindy stepped out of her room.  The house was quiet, once again.

In the kitchen sat the same birthday cake.  It was a round marble cake with five candles.  Her mom made it before she left.

Upon seeing that cake, Cindy smiled.  Grinning from ear to ear, Cindy knew that this day was going to be a whole lot of fun….

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©2012  K. L. Walker