Aladdin- Far From Agrabah

by Aisha Saeed

  The carpet descended onto the small island. It was a lush parcel of land with palm trees and bushes that bloomed with pink, red, and orange flowers. Touching down now, he saw the water glowed a blend of yellow and sparkling green.

  The magic carpet hovered just close enough to the ground to allow them to step off easily onto the sandy shore.

  “I resent that, you know.” Aladdin wagged a finger at the carpet. “The landings are always bumpy when it’s just me, and now you’re so careful. I think I know why.”

  The carpet raised a tassel and shrugged.

  Aladdin laughed, but he agreed; Jasmine was worth taking extra care for.

  “Thanks.” Jasmine petted the carpet. As much as the magic carpet had taken to Jasmine, it was undeniable that Jasmine had grown equally fond of it as well.

  “The color is much deeper now that we’re at eye level,” Jasmine said as they walked to the edge of the shore. They bent down to examine the ocean. The water glowed as though sparkling jewels lay buried below. But they weren’t jewels. They were the fish Jasmine had suspected. “They are bioluminescent,” she said.

  “So many of them,” Aladdin said. He watched them flit back and forth. Their rapid movement seemed to be what lent the fuzzy glow of light to the water. Their colors looked all the more incredible juxtaposed as they were against the dark ocean stretching into the horizon. Jasmine and Aladdin watched for a while in silence before trailing the island’s edge, taking in the tropical scenery around them. Palm trees flanked the perimeter of the island’s beach. Their trunks were copper colored, and their bright green leaves swayed in the gentle ocean breeze. The sand was white as pearls and so soft their feet sank right in.

  Just then, Aladdin heard a dull thud in the distance. He tensed. “Did you hear that?”

  “I did,” Jasmine whispered. “It came from behind us.”

  The carpet followed closely as the pair tentatively edged toward the source of the noise. Aladdin was grateful for his magical friend by their side, ready to sweep them away in an instant if needed. The wind rustled as they slipped between the palm trees. A small pond shimmered steps away. Just then, a strong gust whipped through the leaves and three brown coconuts knocked loudly against a tree trunk before tumbling to the ground and rolling next to Aladdin’s feet.

  “Coconuts.” Aladdin kneeled down and picked one up. “Glad I was at the ready to protect you from these dangerous beasts.”

  “They’re louder than you’d think with this place being so quiet.” Jasmine smiled. She walked over to the pond, kicked off her shoes, and dipped a toe in. “It’s warm! There may be a volcano nearby—funny, I didn’t see any sign of one when we were flying. You’d at least see some lava sparks or smoke on the horizon…at least I thought so. Wouldn’t have even known one could be close to us were it not for this little patch of water.”

  “How do you know so many things?” Aladdin rolled his pants up and sat next to her. The water lapped against his ankles. “Everywhere we’ve traveled, you knew something about it. Even here, on this quiet little island.”

  “Books,” she answered.

  “Got to get me one of those.” He grinned.

  They sat together in companionable silence for a moment, their feet dipped in the warm salt water, the palm trees swaying and rustling around them.

  After a moment, Jasmine spoke. “I’ve loved everything we’ve seen tonight, but I have to admit that this is the best part of the trip so far.”

  “Mine too. Good call to take a detour to this island.”

  “I’ve been known to make some good calls now and then.”

  “I agree. Your decision to take that carpet ride with me was a fine example of your excellent judgment.”

  “Yes.” She met his gaze. “It most certainly was.”

  Strands of stray hair swept across Jasmine’s forehead. With the moonlight shining down upon her, she looked so lovely and—there it was again. Aladdin felt that familiar pang of guilt as he saw that her eyes were filled with trust. In him. And he couldn’t tell her who he was. Not yet, anyway.

  Suddenly, Jasmine’s eyes brightened.

  “I just realized something!” she said. “I’m a little turned around on my geography right now, but I think we shouldn’t be too far away from Ababwa based on its coordinates on the maps I looked at.”

  “Oh…” Aladdin’s eyes widened. “No, I think we’re pretty far away.”

  “But even then, with the carpet it won’t take any time at all to get there, right?”

  “Well…”

  “I mean, if it could take us past a tropical waterfall and then over to a snowy mountain peak in a matter of seconds, it should be able to take us to Ababwa for a quick little visit.”

  The carpet perked up its tassel at this and followed the conversation earnestly. In this moment Aladdin was grateful the magic rug didn’t have a face. He was pretty sure its amused expression would have given everything away.

  “I didn’t mean to be pushy,” Jasmine said apologetically. “I guess I thought it would be nice. You’ve seen where I’m from. It might be great to see where you came from. What makes you tick.”

  “Yeah, that makes sense,” Aladdin said slowly. If there had been a kingdom to take her to, he’d have done so in an instant. But where could he take her? And how could he say no to her without ending their time together on a note of disappointment? He knew she would find him out eventually; he just hadn’t realized it would be on this very trip.

  A low-throated moan rendered them both still.

  “Now that wasn’t a coconut,” Jasmine whispered.

  Aladdin grabbed Jasmine’s hand, and in an instant, they leapt atop the carpet, leaving their shoes behind. Flying above the tree line, they searched for the source of the noise.

  “A whale!” Jasmine gasped and pointed toward the ocean.

  There it was, plain as the moonlight above. An enormous gray whale floated in the dark waters ahead, not far from the shore—and beside it, a family of dolphins splashed and somersaulted in the water.

  “I’d read about them, but I had no idea they sounded like that. And look! Next to them! Pink dolphins.” She pointed. “There are only a handful of them left in the world.”

  The carpet lowered Jasmine and Aladdin to the island’s sandy shore, where they all stared at the beautiful creatures. Then the carpet dusted sand off its tassels and darted toward the water.

  “Careful! Not so fast,” Jasmine called out. “We don’t want to scare them away!”

  “Oh, the carpet is a favorite with animals. All sorts,” Aladdin reassured her.

  “Want to walk over and maybe wade into the water a bit to get a closer look?” she asked him.

  “Sure. Um, let me just get our shoes from the pond so we have them.”

  “Well, hurry before they head off,” Jasmine said. “I’ll go keep an eye on the carpet.”

  Aladdin watched her walk toward the shoreline before he slipped through the palm trees. Once the dolphins went on their way and Jasmine returned, so too would her question. There was no denying that if the magic carpet could zip through jungles and take them atop snowy Alps in a matter of moments, it could certainly have taken them for a visit to Ababwa. He tried out different excuses—the kingdom was closed for renovations? Fumigation? There was an important confidential meeting underway they couldn’t interrupt? He raced to think of something—anything—he could say that would sound believable, but nothing worked.

  “Would be great if you were here, Genie.” He sighed. “I could really use your help.”

  The tap on his shoulder just then nearly made him jump out of his skin.

  “Genie!” Aladdin exclaimed. He glanced back at Jasmine, but she had waded up to her knees to pet a dolphin that had swum close to the shore. “What are you doing here?”

  “You called me. I came. That’s how it works, you know. Genie at your service.” The blue genie curtsied and grinned. “Been wondering where you were.” He looked around. “This is q
uite the romantic spot. Nicely done, my friend. Color me impressed!”

  “Uh, thanks.”

  “So, what can I do you for?” Genie asked. “Mind you, I can’t be gone too long. Got a serious job with distracting the people who would pick up on the fact that you two are missing. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.” He winked.

  “Get over here.” Aladdin hurried toward a thick patch of palm trees and ducked behind them. He glanced back at the shoreline, but neither Jasmine nor the carpet had noticed a thing.

  For now.

  “So, tell me everything,” Genie said. “Things going well? Has she warmed up to you? Need some romantic tips? Can’t make someone fall in love with you, but can definitely give you advice. I got a drawer full of tips. The biggest thing is not to appear too pathetic. It’s an adorable look on a puppy, not so much if you’re trying to win the heart of a princess. Trust me on that, kid.”

  “No, it’s not that. Jasmine and I have been getting along well. Great, actually. But then she started talking about how we’d seen so many fantastic sights but hadn’t seen the one place she really wanted to see, and if we could just…”

  “She asked to visit Ababwa, didn’t she?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “I could’ve seen that coming from a mile away, kid.” Genie shook his head. “It’s a fair question on her part, though, isn’t it?”

  “I know, but how do I take her somewhere that doesn’t exist?”

  “Poor Al.” Genie shook his head. “You’ve gotten yourself into quite the pickle, haven’t you?”

  Aladdin looked down at the sand. He felt embarrassed. Genie was right. It should have been obvious from the beginning of their adventure that Jasmine would ask to visit his imaginary kingdom. How could he not have planned for that?

  But then—Aladdin’s eyes widened as he realized something else. He turned to Genie.

  “Actually, it’s not a pickle at all.” A slow smile spread across Aladdin’s face. “Because Ababwa can be real. You can make Ababwa happen. I mean, you were able to make that parade with all the elephants and guards and dancers and drums and camels. You whipped all that up out of nothing! You could make a kingdom for me, couldn’t you?”

  “Of course I can.” Genie nodded. “Heck, I could make you ten kingdoms. Architecture is a pet hobby of mine, actually. It would be my absolute pleasure to design you the kingdom of your dreams.”

  “Okay, great,” Aladdin said. “Let’s do it!”

  “Sure thing.” Genie cracked his knuckles and magically produced the lamp.

  They both looked at each other with eyebrows raised expectantly.

  “Well, go on, then,” Genie finally said. “I haven’t got all day.”

  “What do you mean?” Aladdin smiled.

  “Seriously, kid, I don’t have time for this,” huffed Genie. “I have to get back to the handmaiden. She needs, um, distracting, as you know, and she’s really good company, I must admit. So go on and make your wish and I’ll make you the nicest and grandest kingdom you’ve ever dreamed of. Just say the magic words.”

  “But that’s the thing, Genie. I don’t have to use a wish for this.”

  “Oh yeah?” Genie cocked his head. “How do you figure?”

  “Because this isn’t a new wish. It’s part of the first one. When you made me a prince, you made me prince of a place called Ababwa. So you have to make the place I’m the prince of, don’t you? That’s pretty much implied in the whole shebang of making me royalty, isn’t it?”

  Genie’s smile froze. Then his jaw dropped.

  “No. That can’t be right.” He frowned. “I mean, when I said I’d make you a prince, I…” Genie sighed and massaged his temples. “Or I guess it is right,” he said reluctantly. “You’re good, kid. I’ll give you that much. Annoying at times, but definitely good. So, let me see.” He rested his back against a palm tree. The tree trembled and a coconut rustled and tumbled to the ground next to his feet. Genie picked it up, popped in a straw, and took a sip.

  “Making a kingdom isn’t going to be hard. Placing it exactly where it showed up on the map, though, that’s tricky. We can probably work around that since the magic carpet flies too fast to keep track of location. But we can’t have people already living there since they’ll wonder why a new nation popped up out of nowhere. Folks tend to notice and ask questions about that kind of thing. But then it has to be big enough to actually look realistic.” Genie took another sip of the coconut juice, and then his eyes brightened.

  “That’s it!” He snapped his fingers. “Moribania!” Why didn’t I think about that first?”

  “Moribania?”

  “Well, it was the kingdom of Moribania,” said Genie. “They relocated not too long ago after an earthquake turned it into rubble. It’s abandoned, virtually deserted now.” Genie frowned and concentrated. “It’s far from here, but with the carpet, distance doesn’t matter anyway. Yep, I think that could work.”

  “I don’t mean to disparage your skills or anything,” Aladdin said. “I mean, the dancers and the whole entourage in Agrabah were really impressive. But this is a whole kingdom we’re talking about. A palace and a village square, boats for a dock and all that. The land won’t be too much work for you, will it?”

  Genie puffed up at this. “Honestly, Al. If I were a lesser genie, my ego would be royally hurt at you questioning my expertise.” He snapped his fingers and a pencil appeared behind his ear. He whipped out a scroll of blueprints from thin air and opened them wide. They floated before him, and with a ruler and pencil, Genie began to draw and jot down notes.

  “So, tell me, kid,” he said. His pencil balanced in his teeth. “If you could have the perfect kingdom—which you will, when I’m done with it—what would it look like?”

  “The perfect kingdom?” Aladdin asked.

  “Yep.” Genie nodded. “I mean, keep in mind she’s going to have to buy that it’s real, so stay a little grounded with your choices. But otherwise, yes, dream big, kid.”

  “Well, it would have to be magnificent,” Aladdin said. “Bustling and busy with lots of people, but not so busy that it’s overcrowded and overwhelming like it can get in Agrabah.” Genie kept his eyes on the paper and took notes, nodding along as Aladdin spoke. “And the palace should be really nice. I’m talking minarets that graze the clouds. Lots of grand staircases. A huge foyer! Fifty bedrooms, give or take a few. Jasmine is used to royal setups, so this one has to stand out and be fancy enough for her to really pause and take notice.”

  “Super fancy.” Genie nodded. “Got it.”

  “A courtyard would be good, too.” Aladdin paused. “My mother loved the courtyards of Agrabah. She’d tell me stories about the house we’d have someday with a courtyard of pastel pots and the plants we’d grow in them. It was our favorite thing to daydream about together. That part doesn’t need to be fancy. Just nice and tasteful. Oh!” Aladdin raised his eyebrows. “It should also have a pretty fantastic menagerie. It might be nice for her to see animals and birds she’s never seen before. Some uniquely sculpted gardens on the palace grounds would also be great. The town itself should be charming with cobblestone walkways and a quaint little square. Maybe a lagoon that looks like this one tucked away somewhere? Meadows and cliffs. And interesting shops.”

  “What sort of shops?”

  “A café, for starters. Like the one back home—you know, Bilal’s Teas and Sweets?”

  “That old hole in the wall?” Genie wrinkled his nose.

  “Yeah, it’s not much to look at, but his desserts are better than anything in the world,” Aladdin said. “Of course, in Ababwa, the shop would have a fresh coat of paint and chairs that didn’t wobble. Oh, and a map store! Jasmine would love that!”

  “Got it. Anything else?”

  “I guess I just want Ababwa to be the kind of place where people get along. It should be safe and clean and perfect.”

  Genie cleared his throat and looked up from his blueprints.

/>   “I’m not sure it can be absolutely perfect,” he reminded Aladdin. “I mean, it would make her suspicious if it looked like a land out of a fairy tale, wouldn’t it? No matter where you go, there are always issues.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Aladdin conceded. “I want it to be as good as it can be, then. And if there have to be problems in my kingdom, I want to be the kind of royal who will try to help fix those problems.” He shook his head, realizing he’d gotten caught up in the fantasy of it all. “What do you think?” he asked a little self-consciously.

  “That sounds nice, kid.” Genie smiled. “Sure, Al, I can do all that. And for what it’s worth, I think you’d make a fine prince.” Genie jotted down some more notes before he closed his eyes and rested a hand atop Aladdin’s head.

  “What are you doing?” Aladdin asked.

  “Checking out your memories for a little inspiration.” He rested his hand for a few more moments and mumbled some words under his breath, and then—“Voilà!” He lifted his hand from Aladdin’s head and opened his eyes. “There it is!” He snapped his finger and then folded his arms.

  “There’s what?”

  “Well, not here.” Genie rolled his eyes. “You’re very literal, you know that? The kingdom. Your kingdom of Ababwa. It’s done. A whole brand-spanking-new kingdom for you to rule. I’ve got to say, I’ve really outdone myself this time. You’ll love it. Just fly over the country up ahead, take a left at the string of islands and atolls, and bam! You won’t miss it, what with the towering minarets you asked for.”