Page 41 of A Wish For Wilma
The pair fell about laughing and the cogs in Jinnie’s brain whirled and clicked, finally engaging. She joined in, a tad fearful that pre-birth brain fog would be eclipsed by new-mum amnesia.
‘Tell your friend I’ll give her a ten per cent discount,’ said Alison. ‘Oh, and I’m expecting a new consignment of simply divine Christmas party dresses next week. Make sure to drop in, Jinnie.’
‘Do we have a plan for Christmas?’ asked Sam, as they meandered home.
‘Mum and Dad have invited us and Wilma, of course.’ Jinnie kicked up a dry clump of leaves, bringing memories of childhood pleasure at the simplest things flooding back.
‘I’m sensing a “but” here.’ Sam halted, turning Jinnie to face him. ‘I’d be very happy to spend Christmas with your family, you know.’
‘So would I. But with Wilma possibly still lumbered with DJ, Aaliyah mooching around and Dhassim missing in action, who knows what the day might bring?’
They arrived home to find Aaliyah fast asleep on the sofa, her WIFI’s little beeps and pings harmonising with her in-and-out breaths.
‘Is it too much to ask to have our home to ourselves for a while?’ grumbled Jinnie, picking up the discarded Wotsits packet and a can of Diet Coke dribbling its dregs on the carpet. ‘Get a damp cloth, Sam, before the stain sets.’
Leaving Sam to clean up the mess, Jinnie huffed her way upstairs. She fancied chilling out with a Netflix show on the flat-screen TV in the bedroom. Something light and funny, to shake off the pessimism weighing her down.
As she switched on the TV, Jinnie realised that another feeling was battling for supremacy. Boredom. She hadn’t worked in ages, barring the odd stint at the neglected antiques shop. She’d enjoyed her time behind the bar at The Jekyll and Hyde, but they hadn’t needed her there for a long while. And she couldn’t imagine working at an estate agent’s again, not since the days of ex-fiancé Mark who had dumped her like a sack of hot potatoes.
Seven months pregnant is the perfect time to think about gainful employment.Jinnie stared at the blank screen, its nothingness echoing her darkening mood.
‘All right, sweetheart?’ Sam stuck his head round the door, proffering a mug of tea. ‘I need to crack on with a couple of chapters, if that’s OK with you.’
‘At least you’ve got something to keep you busy,’ sniffed Jinnie. ‘I’m just waddling around like an overstuffed mushroom with all the brain power of a goldfish. I feel so — so useless!’
Sam hurried over, placing the tea next to Jinnie’s side of the bed. ‘Jinnie, what’s brought this on? OK, things aren’t ideal, with Princess Prissy Pants in residence and all the other genie stuff, but you are the very opposite of useless. What would I do without you? What would Wilma do without you?’
Jinnie scrunched up her mouth, determined not to cry. Her emotions had other ideas, and hot tears scalded her cheeks. ‘That’s lovely of you to say, but I don’t know what to do with myself.’
‘Excuse me for eavesdropping, but I have just the thing to cheer you up.’
Aaliyah was standing in the doorway with a smug look on her face. A look Jinnie wanted to wipe off, preferably with a Diet Coke-stained and Wotsits-crumbed cloth. ‘Does privacy mean nothing to you?’ she cried. ‘Boundaries? The fact a door’s closed and I’m… OK, the door wasn’t closed, but—’
Aaliyah swaggered over, holding her WIFI aloft like a referee giving out a red card. ‘This baby has just given me news.Greatnews,because it points us in the right direction. The final countdown, so to speak. Ooh, isn’t that another cool song from the eighties?’
Fearful of another headbanging session, Jinnie sat up and glared at Aaliyah.
Sam took over. ‘Aaliyah, I’m hoping — probably in vain — that this means you’ve patched things up with Dhassim, Wilma’s about to be granted her one and only wish, and all three of you will then skip off into the sunset and be a harmonious genie family for all eternity.’
Aaliyah rolled her eyes at him, then let out a honk of laughter. ‘Dhassim can rot in his lamp for all eternity as far as I’m concerned. No, silly people, my WIFI’s synched with DJ’s WIFI and granted Wilma a bonus wish. I’ve relayed the message to DJ. Your lucky gran is in wish heaven!’
‘Aaliyah.’ Jinnie tried and failed to stand up. Sam gave her an encouraging push and she swayed for a moment.Is this the epitome of true love: being shoved into an upright position? Is it all downhill from here?’
Aaliyah, in a unfamiliar show of solidarity, helped Jinnie find solid ground. ‘There, pet, take your time. We’re in no rush. Well, apart from Wilma having a wedding to go to.’
Jinnie found herself looking upwards.Dear person above who might have control over our ridiculous lives, please send a sign that help is on the way. This is beyond the realms of bonkers.
‘What wedding?’ Sam asked. ‘Is Wilma marrying Gus?’
‘Of course she bloody isn’t,’ grumbled Jinnie. ‘He’s off talking to his ex. And Archie’s too busy being up his own arse to consider wedlock.’
Jinnie sought help from her diminishing grey matter. Perhaps Angela and Ed were getting married. But they barely knew Wilma, so that didn’t make sense. Jo and Harvey? Ditto.
‘Whose wedding are you talking about, Aaliyah?’
Silence filled the room. Jinnie fought the urge to pee.
‘Drum roll, please.’ Aaliyah drummed on her thighs. Jinnie and Sam waited.
