Morning Rounds, 2006

Peacar, winter, 2006

"Ugh...where am I?" Rebecca asked as she looked around.



On every side she was surrounded by thousands and thousands of stars. It was almost as if she were floating in the middle of the universe...or in the middle of the twins' favorite sci-fi children's show.



"Great, all I need now is either a wizard or a genie to complete the picture."

"You rang, my lady."



"Give me a break," Rebecca moaned and rolled her eyes. "Where's the exit to this place, this is ridiculous."

"I am the all powerful shazam! I am here to-"



"Yea, yea, I know. I get three wishes, right?"



"Um, actually no. In this economy we've had to make a few cutbacks and wishes were first on the list. You only get one wish, so chose wisely."



"One wish?"



"Yes, one wish. What would you like."



"I don't know. I mean...I'm content with life right now. Well, yea it sucks a little bit every now and then. Money is tight and I'm still struggling with my treatment, not to mention Ana Rayne's future surgeries and the twins are growing up so fast, they'll be in university soon. How are we going to pay for that? I can barely make it into the toy shoppe these days and that's after I quit the council."



"Listen, I'm not a therapist. I'm a certified genie, graduated top of my class. I wish I could help you with those issues, but I can only grant wishes. Hey...maybe I could grant my own wish, wouldn't that be a hoot!"



"I know you're not a therapist, believe me you would suck at it. If my parents were still around, or even my Aunt Ayanna, then I could talk to them about the issues going on in my life."



"Why don't you?"



"Um...they're dead. Don't genies know it all?"



"Nope, that's wizards and some warlocks. I don't get constant news updates in my lamp. Do you know the last time I actually saw SimNation, it was-"



Rebecca gave him a look.



"Never mind. So they're dead, why don't you just wish for them to come back to life."



"You can do that? I thought you couldn't bring back the dead or make sims fall in love with each other."



"Oh, that's only the blue genies. They are an inferior species to us violet genies. We can grant wishes of wealth, beauty, and in some special circumstances...youth!"



"So...I could wish for my parents and aunt to come back to life?"



"You could in theory, but of course you'd have to wish for it to find out if it's a success."



"What do you mean if it's a success? You're a freaking genie, shouldn't everything be a success?"



"Hmmm, in theory, but as you know in practice theory doesn't always stand. I do believe that one of your own said that 'In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.'"



"Ugh...I could just choke you!"



"Hmm, never gotten that response before. Listen, lady, my soaps are about to come on and I can't miss Pahala Shore, so can you make a wish already."



"Fine! I wish that my parents and Aunt Ayanna were still alive!"



"As you wish," he said turning to enter his lamp.



"That's it? No hocus pocus?"

"That would be witches and yes that is it. Now if you'll excuse me, I hear the theme song for my soap. Goodbye!"



---

"What a strange dream," Rebecca groaned getting out of bed. She tiptoed downstairs quietly not to wake the children. Julio had already left to start his morning rounds as he was on call this simweek at the clinic.



"You're up early,"

"Dad! You scared me!" Rebecca hissed almost tripping over Ana Rayne's bunny. "What are you two doing up so early?"



"We went for a walk."

"At four in the morning?" Rebecca asked doubtfully.



"We wanted to revisit some of our favorite places," her mother explained.

"I hope you two didn't do anything that could get you arrested."



"It's only illegal if you get caught," Ajani teased his daughter.



"I don't think Aunt Ayanna would agree with you."

"I think she would, we have a little dirt on your cousins, so your aunt wouldn't dare chastise us." Rayne answered.

"You two are so silly," Rebecca grinned. "I love you."



"I love you, too."