Brian plays with the new radio-controlled model car he just got. It wasn’t a gift from his parents. It was a gift from a very unusual person. This Christmas, he had asked his mom if there were some jobs around the house to make money for gifts. She had thought for a minute and said yes there is. I need the brass collection in the office cleaned and shined.

om is a collector of odd pieces made with metals. He started cleaning by using rubbing alcohol and old rags. The third piece that looked like a cream dish. Brian cleaned the metal “cream” dish and was about to pick the next item.  A voice boomed at him asking, “Who are you and why did you summon me?” It was a guy who wore a turban and strange clothes. Brian looked up and was startled,

“Who are you?”

“I am the genie in the lamp. I will grant the summoner one wish.” Brian was skeptical but played along with the genie. He really wanted a radio-controlled model car. The genie agreed and poof, a brand-new model Dodge muscle car appeared inside a colorful box.  The genie warned he only grants one wish then vanished. Brian opened the box and setup the radio car. It worked beautifully. It was just like the one in the toy store.

He left the car in his room. He was trying to figure out how to tell his parents how and where he got it. He was sure the genie was not going to go over very well.  He came into the living room. His parents were there talking with really worried looks. They explain his twin sister has been diagnosed with something he didn’t understand what it was but understood it was serious. They explained that Judy would have to stay in a hospital to get treatments for a long time.

Brian retreated into his room and tried to understand what was going on. The radio car no longer interested him. Judy and he got along okay and didn’t fight that much. The news shocked him as to how much he would miss her if she were to die. He was trying find a way to help her.

He finally decided to see if he could ask the genie for a new wish. He took the lamp/”cream” dish out of the office. He used a rag to rub it again. He continued for a couple of minutes. It seemed like it wasn’t going to work again. He rubbed once more. The genie appeared and again asked who summoned him. Brian explained about his sister. The genie looked at him with a worried look. He explained there was only one way to do that. Brian had to exchange his first wish for a replacement wish. This would be a one-time only offer.

Brian packaged the car and handed it back to the genie. The car immediately disappeared. The genie asked what Brian wanted. He wished for Judy to be healed and healthy again. The genie nodded and then left.

His dad came in about an hour later. He told Brian that the doctors called, for some unknown reason, Judy’s symptoms stopped and the doctors were starting tests to see what was going on. His dad said we are praying that she will be okay.

Brian turned around and smiled.