Jazzy watches him stomp over to the vehicle then turns to look at me with nothing but regret. Her gaze holds my own for a split second, the color dull and lonely in comparison to only a few minutes ago when I promised a night of normalcy.
“I have to go,” she whispers quietly.
I glance over her head to the asshole behind the steering wheel. “Who is that?”
She follows my gaze before dropping her head back in defeat. “Jay. My father’s right-hand man.”
I huff out my disgust.
“I need to go,” Jazzy repeats, her tone urgent.
“No, you don’t,” I argue. “Don’t go with him.” My voice is steely. Determined. Yet, I know she won’t listen. I can see it in her eyes.
“We can’t change who we are, Aladdin. I’m nothing but a pawn. A stepping stone to gain greater power under the disguise of an oil princess. No one can change that. Not even you.” Jasmine licks her lips, trying to contain a tear from slipping down her cheek and I watch as it travels the distance from her glistening eyes down to her jaw. The sight is enough to bring me to my knees. Hastily, she wipes it away then turns to the car without a backward glance. My heart breaks at the sight.
I take a step forward to stop her but stop myself at the last second. She might be an oil princess in shackles, but all I am is a nobody. Who am I to save her when I can’t save myself?
The tires squeal against the pavement as soon as Jazzy closes the passenger door and I watch the expensive vehicle disappear down the road.
And I hate to admit that the sight leaves me hollow.
I don’t own a watch, or a phone for that matter, but the sun set a few hours ago, blanketing the sky in darkness.
I’m not proud of the things I’ve done in order to go to bed without a growling stomach.
But when you’re on the brink of starvation, there’s very little you won’t do for a scrap of food.
I know what you’re thinking, and I’ve tried to get a job. But when you’ve been living on the streets and stealing food since you were six, you start to get a reputation.
And it isn’t a good one.
People won’t hire me because they don’t trust me. And I can’t earn their trust if I’m stealing an apple here and a loaf of bread there, in order to survive.
It’s a vicious cycle of thievery that I don’t know how to stop.
I head to the dumpster hidden in a nearby alley when I hear the sound of fists pounding against flesh. It’s a very unique combination and is easy to pick out when you’ve heard it as much as I have. My fight or flight instinct hits me square in the chest as I race to the offending noise.
Two thugs are beating the shit out of a skinny guy with long stringy hair cowering in the corner.
“Get your ass in the car!” one of them yells at the victim. “It wasn’t a suggestion!”
I don’t wait to hear anything else.
Clenching my bruised jaw, I attack the larger of the two assholes from behind. My arm wraps around his thick neck before squeezing with all my might. He struggles, fighting for oxygen when his friend attacks my exposed back. Using what little momentum I have, I slam the back of my head against his face and his nose crunches on impact, spewing blood like Niagara Falls down my neck. He groans in pain before his footsteps retreat down the alley and away from us. Seconds later, Thug #1 goes limp in my arms and I release my hold. His body crumbles to the ground in a giant heap of muscle.
I’m panting from exertion as I study the victim still huddled in a ball. His face is busted up and he appears to be unconscious, but he looks like he’s going to be okay.
Carefully, I lift him up before taking him back to my safe haven.
My home.
Looks like I’m bringing home another house guest.
Sorry, Abu.
3
My stomach grumbles from the corner of the room as I watch the skinny stranger rouse from sleep on my dingy mattress.
Abu chatters in the corner, angry that I brought home a hundred fifty pounds of deadweight instead of supper.
“Quiet, Abu,” I admonish.
Warily, I watch the guy gingerly touch his swollen face before opening his less puffy eye and scanning his surroundings.
As soon as he sees me, he scrambles up the bed until his back presses against the wall.
“Shit! Don’t hurt me!” he screeches with pure terror.
“I’m not gonna hurt you.” My voice is gruff as I try to placate him.
His split lip trembles as he absorbs my words.
“You saved me?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?” he asks with a combination of confusion, accusation, and awe all mixed together.
Rubbing my fingers through my thick black hair, I search for the right words. “Because everyone needs saving once in a while.”
He nods his head slowly, his gaze glued to me as he accepts my answer. “I’m Ronny.”
“Aladdin.”
Ronny continues to stare at me while silently debating with himself. I can see it in his eyes as he goes back and forth, trying to come to a conclusion about something.
Patiently, I wait as the heavy silence hangs in the air.
After a minute or so, Ronny continues, “I have another name, you know.”
My brows raise at his cryptic comment before crossing my arms over my chest. “And what’s that?”
“Genie.”
I laugh at his juvenile nickname. “That’s nice.”
He rolls his eyes. “Look, I’m trying to help you out here. Care to take a guess why my name on the darkweb is Genie?”
“‘Cause you’re a crossdresser?” I joke.
His frustration is palpable. “Noooo.” He drags out the word. “Because I can get shit done. You wish it, I make it come true. I’m a hacker, Al. And you just saved my life from two very pissed off individuals who were looking to use my specific set of skills for their own personal gain.”
My laughter dies in my throat as I watch Ronny from across the room. His posture is rigid. His tone is absolute.
“You’re serious,” I state.
It’s not a question. I can see it in his eyes. Whatever I just stepped into is a big fucking deal.
He holds my stare from his seated position, then murmurs, “Yeah. I’m serious.”
“So, what’s your point?” I don’t have time for this shit.
My stomach grumbles in agreement.
With a groan, he rubs his hands through his long stringy hair. “Do I need to spell it out for you? You saved my life and you seem like a relatively decent guy, so I’m going to live up to my name.”
My eyes narrow. “And how exactly are you going to do that?”
“I’m going to grant you three wishes. Anything you want. Anything your heart desires. It’s yours.” He looks around my tiny living space with disgust shining in his eyes. “And if I were you, I’d start with some cold. Hard. Cash.”
I press my back against the cement wall, mimicking his position from across the room as I consider his offer.
Is this for real?
A genie?
Licking my chapped lips, I go through my options. “How do I know you’re being serious? That you’re the real deal? I bet you couldn’t even get the footage from the alleyway to disappear.”
He accepts my challenge in the blink of an eye. “Do you have my backpack?”
My head tilts to the bag by the mattress, hidden beneath my threadbare blanket.
Ronny lifts the scrap of cloth then grabs his pack. He slips out a sleek looking laptop and taps against the keyboard furiously. Within minutes, he closes the screen and turns to me with a look of pure triumph. “Done.”
My brows reach for my hairline. “Seriously?”
He sends me an arrogant smirk. “Yeah. You’re already one wish down. I’d put a little more thought into your next one.”
Now it’s my turn to smirk as Abu barrels toward me and sits on my shoulder while chattering away at Ronny and shaking h
is tiny fist in indignation. “I didn’t say I wanted you to delete the footage, I said that you couldn’t.”
Ronny pauses, considering my statement, his eyes glazing over slightly.
He bursts out laughing in amusement and I’m taken back by his jovial behavior. If anything, he looks pleased that I fooled him.
“I like you, Al. I think you and I could’ve been good friends in another life. But I need to get home. Which means I need to grant your wishes.”
“And what’s stopping you from leaving now?”
With narrowed eyes and an ominous tone, he says, “I always repay my debts, Al. And I owe you my life. You don’t know what you saved me from. I’ll take this watch, why don’t you try to catch some shut-eye and we’ll discuss your wishes in the morning.”
Grudgingly, I agree to his terms. I’m exhausted, my jaw is killing me, my skull is throbbing from the headbutt I delivered today, and I’m hoping that sleep will soothe my aching stomach.
“Fine. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
4
The next morning, I’m greeted with a set of big brown eyes an inch from my face after being poked in the ear.
“Abu.” I groan before rolling onto my back and staring up at the cracked plaster on my ceiling. “Dude, you gotta figure out a better way of waking me up.”
After he blabbers his response, he jumps onto my chest and starts to pound his tiny fists against my pecs.
“What is it, Abu?” I ask before evaluating the bare room around me. And that’s when I remember a certain genie that’s missing from the premises. I scoff as the word genie filters through my mind.
“It’s all good that he’s not here, buddy. Thanks for waking me though. At least we were able to help him last night. I didn’t really expect those wishes anyway.”
Abu mutters his annoyance before moseying over to the corner and picking through yesterday’s garbage in hopes of finding some food.
I’m about to suggest we go dumpster diving when my door swings open, revealing the same grimy hacker from the night before.
“Yo,” Ronny says through a mouthful of food. He’s carrying a grocery bag over his shoulder filled with cheap takeout food that smells fan-freaking-tastic.
My mouth waters as the scent hits me like a semi-truck.
Greedily, Abu bounds over, grabbing the bag from Ronny’s fingers before he can offer us any food, then scurrying over to me with the goods.
“Abu. It’s not polite to take things that aren’t ours,” I admonish him. The little monkey looks up at me like I’m an insane person. In a way, I am. Hell, I’m a thief. Who am I to judge the little guy?
“Good point,” I mutter under my breath before offering the unopened bag back to Ronny and ignoring Abu’s glare at my actions.
“Nah, man. I got that for all of us. Eat up.”
I raise my brows at him and he nods his consent. Abu and I look at each other before his little shoulders shrug like he doesn’t know why Ronny’s being so nice, but he’s not about to question it.
Opening the brown sack, I pull out the contents and shove a breakfast sandwich into my mouth. Holy shit. This is delicious. The salty flavor explodes over my tongue and I have to hold back the moan that threatens to escape.
I’ve had these once or twice. But never warm. And always half eaten. Even when I do come upon a buck or two, I always hand it off to the single mom down the street who has three other mouths to feed. It’s the least I can do.
“So is this one of my wishes?” I say sarcastically after I’ve devoured my tiny meal in three bites.
Ronny folds his skinny arms over his chest and assesses me. He’s sitting with his legs crossed a few feet in front of me with his precious backpack by his side. “You don’t trust me. It’s understandable. But in order for this to work, you need to have a little more faith in my abilities and our relationship. What do you want, Al? Above all else?”
Jazzy’s face flashes through my mind and I shake my head in hopes of being more realistic. It’s not that I’m in love with her or anything. Hell, I barely know her. But I guess I felt like she was a kindred spirit or something. We’re both trapped in our own prisons, and I’d give anything to save her from her’s. Or maybe it was her sadness that ruined me. If I could find a way to alter her future to make her smile, I would.
With a shrug, I reply, “I dunno, man. Wanting something is pretty dangerous for a guy like me.”
He shakes his head in response. “I saw your eyes flash. You want something.” He smirks knowingly. “Tell me. I’ll make it happen.”
My lip tilts up to one side, intrigued by his challenge. “Really? Well, I met this girl—”
“Except that,” Ronny interrupts. “I can’t make a girl fall in love with you. Let’s be realistic. I’m a hacker, not a God.”
I laugh at his dry sense of humor, even though he wasn’t completely off target with his assumption. “Well, then I think you just proved my point. I’m about to tell you what I want, and you tell me it isn’t possible. What, exactly, can I ask for?”
“Who’s the girl?” he asks bluntly, ignoring my sarcasm.
“Jasmine Abadi.” Her name feels foreign on my tongue.
As he registers the name, his jaw hits the floor in utter shock. “No shit?”
“No shit,” I confirm.
“Dammit, Al. It can’t be done. I can’t deliver a freaking miracle!”
I roll my sore shoulders before standing and stretching my lower back. “That’s what I thought.” I’m discouraged, yet I don’t know why. It’s not like I’m surprised. Did I honestly hope Ronny aka The Genie on the darkweb could really give me what I want?
All he’s good for are a few sandwiches, and even that was a miracle.
Ronny narrows his eyes before pulling out his laptop in a rush. The wheels are turning in his greasy little head as his fingers fly across the keyboard.
A magic lamp sticker pasted to the front catches my eye. It’s an antique gold with grayish purple smoke swirling out the spout. I find myself mesmerized by it when Ronny states, “Give me a couple of hours. I have an idea.”
My eyes pop at the potential in his voice before coming back to reality.
There’s no way.
Sighing, I grab Abu and head out the door with absolutely zero hope of Ronny pulling through. Doesn’t matter, anyway. I have a handful of rugrats wanting to play football, and I won’t let them down.
A few hours later, I go back to my makeshift home with Abu trailing behind me. I’m sweaty as hell from being in the hot sun and am needing to stop by the homeless shelter for a quick shower. I’ll take care of it in a few.
I hate to admit it, but I’m curious if Ronny was able to come up with something on his magical computer. I’ve never even touched one of those things so I’m clueless about what Ronny might be able to pull out of his ass.
Opening the creaky door, I’m surprised to see a fuming Ronny sitting cross-legged on my floor with his laptop resting on his thighs.
“Where the hell have you been? I said a couple of hours, not most of the day!”
I chuckle. “Sorry, Mom. Didn’t know you’d be waiting up.”
He takes in my dirty appearance and his nose wrinkles at the smell. “Dude, you need to shower. No one’s going to believe you’re the long-lost nephew of Alvah Ababwa looking like that.”
I glance down at my shirtless torso with little beads of sweat still clinging to my six-pack.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” I think he just mentioned Alvah Ababwa. The founder of one of the largest oil companies in the world.
Actually, if Jasmine was correct, I’d assume it is the largest oil company in the world.
He died a few months ago and left his will to his estranged nephew who has been missing for a decade or so.
Everyone knows he’s dead, but there isn’t enough proof to close the case and let the board swarm the leftover shares.
“Wait. Do you mean…?” My voice trails off while I try to
grasp what Ronny’s saying to me.
“Why yes, Ali. I believe I’m saying that you have a fortune to claim.” His mischievous grin is accompanied by arrogance as it oozes from his greasy pores.
“How?” I ask as utter disbelief drips from my voice.
“Because I’m a freaking genie, that’s why. Don’t question my greatness, Al. I told you I could perform miracles, I think it’s time you start believing me.”
With a whoop of excitement, I start bouncing on the balls of my feet as adrenaline hits me square in the chest.
“Holy shit!”
An amused Ronny laughs, munching on a bag of Cheetos by his feet. I’d kill for a few Cheetos right now, but I’m a bit distracted by the wish my genie just granted.
If this works, I’m about to become one of the richest men in the world.
But that’s a big fat if.
“So does this mean we’re friends now?” I ask while eyeing my own personal genie.
“Meh.” He shrugs before popping another cheese puff into his mouth. “I’d consider you more of an acquaintance.”
I laugh at his sarcasm while dreams I never dared to imagine filter through my brain.
Acquaintances, it is.
5
The next month is a whirlwind of paperwork, fancy cars, flashy suits, board meetings, and photoshoots with prestigious magazines I’ve never even heard of.
I don’t know how he pulled it off. But somehow, he was able to forge various documents, doctor a few family photos, and create a solid alibi as to where I’ve been for the past decade.
The man is a freaking mastermind.
I was swept away to a mansion on a hill and treated like royalty. Servants at my beck and call. A personal chef creating exquisite cuisine at the drop of a hat. And a patient Ronny, waiting for me to call in my next favor. He disappeared into thin air after handing me a pre-programmed phone with his cell number and a generic email address where he guarantees I can reach him at any time.
Dawn to Dark Page 8
