Mandinella - Part 2

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST...

Revived with energy, we ran to him.

"Look!" he said as he pointed under the only chair left standing.

"Is it food?" Bubba begged leaning his head over my shoulder.

"No, it isn't food, Bubba," I said as I touched the found treasure delicately and placed it in my lap.

It was the most beautiful suitcase I'd ever seen in my whole life.  Diamonds, sapphires, rubies and every other precious gem decorated its entire area.  Gold rope chains embroidered the sides and every edge was marked with a precision cut of black onyx.  Its radiance was so breathtaking and mysterious that it would fit well in an Egyptian tomb.  The latch on it was made of pure gold, and it had a tiny engraving of a flower on it.

"What is this flower, Billabong?" I inquired.

B-Bong studied it briefly and answered, "It's a princess Willow - a flower symbolizing good fortune and prosperity."  He cocked his head, "Hmmm. That's odd."

"What's odd?" Mr. T asked.

Billabong explained, "That particular flower has been extinct for over 2,000 years."

"Well, what are you waiting for?  Open it!" Fabioli insisted.

I pulled lightly on the latch, lifted the case slowly, and found only one occupant inside.  A single lamp of the same caliber of beauty appeared and as the sunlight hit it, rainbows and prisms shined everywhere around our gang.

"Ooooh, I want to see it!" Bubba whined as he snatched the lamp from its priceless home.  Seconds later, the lamp gained life and hummed in the air. It began spinning and a purplish smoke rose from its long, narrow spout.

We all stood motionless and watched the miracle unfold before our eyes.  The lamp lowered to the ground and the most awesome womanly being levitated above it.

Noticing the four lower jaws of the men surrounding me nearly touching the ground, I greeted our new guest, "Wh-wh-wh-what's your name?" I finally spit it out after a few moments of actually realizing that the spectacle was, in fact, real and not a desert mirage.

"Hello there, my name is Mandinella, and my soul purpose here is to grant my master three wishes.  Thou shalt not exceed this maximum and shalt make the wishes respectfully, " she said.

A moment later she added, "and what is your name might I ask?"

"My name is Amanda, and my friends here are Bubba, Billabong, Trykelor and Fabioli," I told her.

Bubba chimed in, "So we get wishes?"

"Yes," she answered him humbly.

"Well then, I wish for..." and before anyone could stop him, he finished, "every kind of food in the whole wide world!"

And so it was done.  For the next few hours, we stuffed our faces with every delicacy known to man.  As we ate we discussed our next wish.

"I think we should wish for a big jumbo jet with five Tempurpedic beds inside, so we can sleep on the way home," Bubba offered his two cents.

"No, I think I am pretty much done with airplanes.  Why don't we ask Mandinella for her help?" I said.

She agreed to help and we simply wished for a way home, leaving the mode of transportation completely in her hands.

Out of nowhere, a magic carpet flew down and swooped us right off the ground into the air!

The trip over the Atlantic Ocean brought us close to all different species of sea life, from whales to sharks and she even dropped us off at a secret secluded island for a mid-flight swim.  We flew swiftly home, with the wind in our hair and smiles spread wide across our content faces.

We arrived back in our city, safe and sound, and thanked Mandinella numerous times for taking such amazing care of us and honoring our trust in her.  But, before we said our final goodbyes, we needed to make our final wish.

Our group huddled together a few moments like a football team, arms laced over each other's shoulders and after a quick gathering we emerged with smiling faces.

Simultaneously, we said, "Mandinella, we wish for you to become human!"

And in that very instant, a huge purple cloud covered us all and the winds blew and the earth rumbled. Once the smoke and dust cleared, we found ourselves at the steps of a huge mansion, built with the same ornate beauty as the jeweled case and the genie lamp. Mandinella stood in the doorway and invited us all inside to stay forever - happily ever after - each with our own room and Tempurpedic beds.

THE END