Wish Granted

 

Jason and Isabelle were sitting on their balcony fanning themsleves with envelopes while they opened Christmas cards.

Finally Jason flung down his envelope in frustration. “It’s a week before Christmas and it’s 78 degrees outside. Something is seriously wrong with this.”

“This is Mobile, Alabama, mi hermano. You know it never gets cold here. Trees barely even change from verde to rojo.”

Jason held up a card depicting a nighttime scene of a cabin at the top of a snow-covered mountain. “Look at this! This is what they program us to expect. In all the pictures and all the movies this is what winter looks like; they even taught us that in elementary school.” He flung his hand toward the balcony. “And look out there. It’s all a pack of lies! Would one little flurry be that much to ask?”

Almost as he stopped speaking, something small and white floated onto his wrist.

Isabelle grabbed his shoulder. “Jason, mira!”

Jason looked up and saw white flakes falling like feathers out of a torn pillow. He and Isabelle stood and almost jumped over the balcony railing.

Behind them, Nesrin was poking her head out of the door. “It’s Christmas; your wish is my command.” A second later she appeared on the ground beneath them. “Race you downstairs!”

Jason and Isabelle dashed past the cards and through the apartment to the stairs outside, too excited to even put on jackets against the newly delivered cold.