Page 71 of A Wish For Wilma
DJ returned to his room and Wilma and Jinnie sat in quiet contemplation. Finally, Jinnie spoke. ‘What if it all goes horribly wrong, Gran?’
Wilma shrugged. ‘I pray it doesn’t, pet, but in the words of the late great Doris Day, Que Sera, Sera…’
CHAPTER41
‘We are gathered herein the presence of demi-Djinn Sam and Wilma, whose combined powers will send us back to our lamps,’ intoned Dhassim.
‘Or to hell in a handbasket,’ added Aaliyah.
‘Dhassim, please stop sounding like a Church of Scotland minister conducting a wedding.’ Jinnie rolled her eyes at Sam. He fidgeted, his right hand constantly delving into his trouser pocket.
They’d assembled at Wilma’s as instructed. It was the middle of the afternoon, although the rain-sodden sky made it feel like night.
Following DJ’s lead, they formed a circle in the lounge, kitchen chairs dragged through to accommodate them all. Wilma sat next to Sam and Dhassim beside Aaliyah, with Jinnie and DJ crouched on a couple of ancient beanbags.
‘Is it safe for Dahlia to be here?’ Jinnie asked. The baby lay on a play mat, opening and closing her tiny hands.
‘We would never do anything to endanger our Dahlia,’ said Dhassim, his voice that of a doting uncle.
‘If it all goes horribly wrong, it’s we genies who’ll pay the ultimate price,’ added Aaliyah ominously.
‘Isn’t there another way?’ Sam spoke for the first time since arriving at Wilma’s bungalow. ‘I didn’t feel like an almighty Djinn last time, and now I know that I’m a sub-par one…’
‘I am ninety per cent sure that this will work,’ said DJ, placing his WIFI in front of him.
‘Which gives us a ten per cent chance of not making it.’ Aaliyah glared at Dhassim. ‘You’re his father. Say fatherly things.’
‘Erm, perhaps we should give this more thought, my son,’ said Dhassim. ‘Sleep on it. Stay another week or two. Maybe until Dahlia takes her first steps.’
Four sets of human eyes stared at Dhassim.
‘You do realise it can take a year or more for that to happen.’ Wilma guffawed. ‘DJ holds the honour of the biggest growth spurt we’ve ever witnessed.’
‘And much as we’ve loved having you around’ — Sam looked at the others, who nodded with forced enthusiasm — ‘we need to get back to normal. Wilma’s got Gus now, and I’ve got Jinnie and our beautiful daughter. And you three have each other: the perfect genie family.’
‘Not sure about perfect,’ grumbled Aaliyah.
‘OK, no family is perfect, but a life well-lived is a life well-loved and there’s an abundance of love in this room. In fact, there’s something I want to do before this — whatever it is — happens.’
Sam plunged his hand into his pocket, and removed something. He kept his fist tightly closed. ‘Sorry for the interruption, but it's never seemed the right time to do this, until I realised that now isexactlythe right time. At least, I hope it is.’
Sam walked over to Jinnie and got down on one knee. He opened his hand and Jinnie gasped. ‘I know I asked you to marry me before and you said yes, then we didn’t do it and I thought you’d changed your mind, then you got pregnant and these three came along, and—’
‘Draw a breath, Sam. You’re turning purple!’ said Wilma, a broad smile on her face.
‘Right. OK. Well, a friend in the antiques trade tipped me off about a jewellery auction so I went along and saw this and something just clicked.’
Tentatively, Jinnie took the ring from Sam’s palm and held it up to the light. A pear-shaped stone set in white gold. ‘It’s … it’s stunning,’ she stammered.
All thoughts of potentially earth-shattering genie rituals temporarily forgotten, everyone crowded around Jinnie and Sam.
‘It’s an aquamarine,’ said Sam, ‘and probably from Brazil.’
‘I don’t know what to… I mean, this isnotwhat I expected today.’ Jinnie placed the ring in Sam’s hand and his face crumpled.
‘Looks like it’s not just the stone that’s pear-shaped,’ said Aaliyah. ‘Ah well, nice try, Sam. If Jinnie doesn’t want it…’ She waggled her ring-free left hand at him.
‘No!’ Jinnie cried. ‘I mean yes! Of course I want it and of course I want to marry you. As soon as possible. Because being your wife is the next best thing to being a mum. Oops, that didn’t quite come out right.’
