1970's

She stood in the bleachers of a huge football ground. This is her 8^th wish. Soon enough, she will complete her 10^th and will know what it truly means to be a full pledged Jinni.

“Why are we here?” she asks shaking her head. She’s never been a fan of football. She thinks it’s gruesome and dangerous. But people seem to have an enormous fondness for the game. Some would even go to the extent of fighting against friends just to prove how supportive they are with their friends.

Perhaps it happens in every kind of sports.

Alvah opens her red umbrella and sat right into an empty section of the bleachers.

Below them is a group of uniformed players looking a lot like soldiers, readying themselves for the next battle.

They were in the year 1977. One of the most memorable years of the football history.

“Is this where I’ll find my next wish?”

“Possibly.”

“Love the color of that umbrella. You seem to really like red, don’t you? It seems to fill most of your wardrobe.”

“I love it. It’s the color of blood. And things in life are often bloody.”

“Ravishing.”

She looked out to the open field and sees three people whispering against each other.

They were staring at one of the players with color who remains on a corner of the arena.

This was the year when racism was at its ultimate.

Some people still do not recognize people of color to be eligible for anything not even playing football.

Charlie observes and takes note of his number.

“You seem to be getting better and better at this.” Alvah commented.

“I am? Well, after about 7 wishes, I think I already have a good idea of who are the lonely souls.”

“What makes you think they are the one’s you’re looking for?”

“It has something to do with the way they look. Or how their eyes look so empty.”

“And you can see that from here?”

“Well, yes and I can hear it.”

“What do you mean?” whether she was curious or shocked, it wasn’t showing. But Alvah’s tone definitely changed.

“I’ve started hearing heartbeats when from Adam and Sky. I sort of suddenly had this intuition to close my eyes and just listen.”

“Intuition huh? And you failed to mention this?”

“I just thought it’s a normal thing. I was wondering but I guess I was so happy to tell you about it.”

“Well, good to know you seem to be getting the hang of it.”

“Alvah... what does being a full-pledged Jinni entails?”

A quick silence filled both of them. Alvah sighed before giving her answer.

“An immense energy that would bring you so much power. Being a Jinni, consuming people’s memory will also give you a very good idea of how the world changes. How colorful and intriguing the world really is. And once you get to fulfill all those ten wishes, it will unlock you to more unexpected powers. Powers that you would soon recognize as your greatest treasures. Your greatest asset.”

She thought of the powers she has recently unlocked. She wanted to ask Alvah about it so much and yet a nagging feeling inside her is telling her not to.

“Well, I am excited.”

She steps down the bleachers as the players have separated ways. Their practice game has just finished. She draped in a 1970’s clothing as she approaches the player she saw not too long ago. She was ready with a pen and a paper handy.

“Hi.” She greeted with such cheer.

“Hi?” the players brows arched in wonder.

“I was hoping you could sign your name for me. I saw your game. You were amazing.”

His sweat traveled from his chocolate forehead to his cheeks. Proof of the intense game he had just been into.

“You must be mistaken ma’am. I am not that good of a player.”

“Of course, you are. You just have to see it for yourself.”

“I’m...”

“Please?”

She begged dearly. Something inside her felt overwhelmed with his stare. He had such dark grey eyes that she seemed lost in it.

He hesitantly reached for her pen and notebook and signed.

She smiled with glee, excited about his autograph.

“Thank you!” she says as he hands her the notebook back.

“It’s quite alright.” He turned her back on him and was ready to follow his teammates.

“Ahmm, I’m Charlie by the way.”

He stopped still, wanting to turn around.

“Would you like to have coffee sometime?” she asks.

She notices a smirk in his lips as he turns back to her and smile boyishly.

“I don’t know what your deal is. But I don’t really drink coffee. So, I guess No.” then he walks away, leaving her alone and confused as to why she also asked him that.

“Smooth talk.” Alvah was leaning against the wall of the gym’s entrance. “Was that part of your plan?”

“Ahmm… No, I have no idea why I just said that.”

“You like him, don’t you?”

“Like him? I’m… of course not. That’s way too unprofessional.”

“Admit it. You like him.” She walks ahead of Charlie still bringing her wide umbrella.

“I don’t think that I am. I just wanted to be nice.”

“Okay. If that’s what you’d want to me to think then I guess I should just accept it.”

“You are seeking scandal and controversy, aren’t you?”

“It’s always a good way to start a wonderful day. Isn’t this year very interesting?”

They got out into a quiet town and walked towards a street that looked way more alive than the corner where the football court was.

Stores that were decorated 1970’s style filled her eyes.

She’d read that this was the year where fashion choices were very interesting. A year filled with disco, music and of course football.

Alvah turns into a huge door that looked like an apartment with names of the residents plastered at the side of the wall.

She gathered a key and instantly opened the door.

Soon a flight of stairs welcomed them, about three floors, and they climbed till the very last floor, leaving Charlie almost breathless the moment they reached the top floor.

There was only one room that filled the entire floor. A huge room sitting at a corner of the space while a small garden was placed across it.

There were pigeons sitting on the edges of the floor and a few other birds she wasn’t familiar with.

Alvah turned to the room and opened it. Charlie follows her as she too walks inside the room where she assumes they will be staying for the meantime.

The room looked surprisingly spacious. Way more spacious than she thought of.

“There are three bedrooms inside with a bath for each room, a kitchen, a dining room and a study hall with a mini library.”

“Wow, that sounds interesting.”

“I have a feeling that we’d take a few days here.”

“Really? Why is that?”

“I just have an inkling that this would be a challenging wish. So better settle down, we’re watching football tonight.”

She got excited. She was never a fan of contact sports. But the year seemed to have brought her new interests. Or perhaps the person she needed to work with has something to do with that feeling.

She chose the bedroom that was nearest to the library.

Despite her previous mental blocks, she’s learned to read something everyday to keep her mind going.

She still has work to finish, and she can’t have all this wishing job stop her from thinking of ideas to fill her entire story.

She took a quick shower as her mind was filled with the sight of him. She should have asked his name. She wondered if those eyes have always looked lonely.

Or was it just lonely now. These thoughts filled her mind as the lukewarm water from the shower started rushing all over her body.

Thoughts that she didn’t really have ever since but were all now suddenly overwhelming her mind.

As she tied her hair with her towel, she walked out of the bath and opened the room’s closet. She knows it is already filled with clothes that fit this same year.

But the ones she saw inside the closet surprised her.

They looked cute and were mostly bell-bottom pants, frayed jeans, midi skirts, maxi dresses, tie-dye, and peasant blouses. She chose plain bell-bottom jeans and paired them with a tie dye.

In a corner was a vanity mirror and a few accessories displayed ready for her choosing. She chose a red bonnet cap and placed it in her head sideways just to give it a little bit of angle.

She put on a small amount of lipstick and powder and went for red earrings as her final touch. Once done, she took a final look at herself in the mirror and smiled as she ended her ritual with the cutest pair of boots she found.

The look was complete and all she could do was smile at how interesting this year’s fashion seemed.

She quickly grabbed her bag and got out of the room.

Before heading to the stadium, they grabbed dinner and a drink she thought was milkshake.

“Isn’t this a milkshake?”

“Well, in the next couple of years, yes it will be called a milkshake. But this year, they call it a frappe. Milkshake is not yet a thing in this year.” Alvah explained.

“Oh... so I’d have the first taste of milkshake this year. Interesting.”

That made her dinner way more interesting than the usual dinner she shares with Alvah in her previous wishes. In her mind, she thinks she’s loving this year way too much.