Eugenie

“I want you to kill my wife!” The young genie looked around nervously. He was not used to killing yet, but Mr. Brooks was not having anything of that. “Come on, any old genie could do it!”

“But I am not an old genie,” he quavered.

Mr. Brooks was exasperated. “You know what I mean. You do owe me a favour, you know?”

Eugenie had been imprisoned in a glass bottle hundreds of years ago, and after many futile efforts to extricate himself, he had almost given up hope, when Mr. Brooks came along. He had moodily kicked the bottle that lay in his path. Eugenie had rolled around within, and suddenly, Mr. Brooks' beady eyes had caught sight of him. Hearing his desperate pleas, he let him out, which was why Eugenie was now bound to him. He had to pay his debt.

Mr. Brooks had been in no mood to do anyone any favours. He was a mild man by nature, who just liked to walk in peace and smell the roses. Yesterday, he had walked out after a one sided fight with his shrewish wife, Virginia, who was beautiful, but imperious. Having been brought up like a boy by her father, who had longed for sons, though unsuccessfully, she had grown up as free as the wind, and as headstrong.

She had been the most attractive debutant, and there were many suitors who sighed into their collars when she waltzed by. She looked through them all with glacial eyes, because she knew exactly what she wanted in a husband – she wanted a man who could be pummeled into a corner, and made to sit there whenever she wanted him to.

Her beauty had ensnared him, and he had married her in great pomp. Two days into the marriage, he had realized that he had bitten off more than he could chew. Virginia, who was the most charming woman in public, was a nag at home. She put out her thumb and placed him firmly under it. She wanted to make a slave out of him, and expected him to change into a devoted husband overnight, who would pluck the moon and the stars from the sky for her, a picture that did not appeal to him in the least.

Over the years, he had become more and more henpecked. His temper remained as even, but his wife would fly off the handle without any provocation.  He wondered if she was a witch even, at times when she screamed at him, her eyes spitting sparks. People around mocked at him, and he fell into a state of despondency until he found himself a genie who would do his bidding and kill his wife.

Eugenie pondered over the proposal as he drew circles with his foot, his lower lip stuck out in thought. “What are you thinking about? You have to do this for me!” Mr. Brooks insisted.

“I have lost most of my powers, you know. It isn’t easy to retain them when you are rolling about inside a bottle. You would know if you tried it!”

“Well, I don’t intend to do anything of the sort!” came the abrupt reply.

“Are you hungry?” the sudden change of subject unnerved him, but genies do have a healthy appetite. He nodded eagerly.

“Then come home with me!” Mr. Brooks offered. He felt that Eugenie would be persuaded more easily if he saw Virginia at her howling best. “Get back into your bottle. That way she will not see you till I want her to!”

“Where have you been?” Virginia oozed charm, when her husband walked in. “Deborah and her husband are here. They have been waiting to see you!” Deborah was Virginia’s cousin, and very close to her. Virginia had prepared a special meal for them, and she could be a charming hostess, when she set herself out to be.

The food was delicious, and the evening balmy. The sparkling wine put them in a mellow mood. Mr. Brooks put his hand in his pocket and slipped a few morsels into the bottle, where the genie was fast asleep. The strain of putting up with Mr. Brooks had obviously been too much for him.

The moment their guests left, Virginia flew at her husband, her eyes spitting fire. “Where were you, you worthless man? After all the trouble I went to cook…!” her words petered off as her husband held out the bottle. Her lustrous eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of the tiny figure clinging on to the glass. Eugenie had just woken up and was rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them.

“What a sweet little creature!” the change in her voice was unbelievable. The dulcet tones washed over Eugenie, who could not take his eyes off that beautiful face.

“A gift for you, Virginia!” said her husband, who was delighted that he had shut her down for the moment, as she stared in delight at the little figure.

The next two days sped by. Eugenie basked in the limelight as Virginia cosseted him like a baby. She gave him delicacies to eat and spent hours just looking at him. She even forgot her regular war of words with her husband, who sat back on his easy chair, and let the hours wash over him in blissful content. How he wished life could go on like this! But Eugenie, who looked tiny, still had a prodigious appetite and would soon impoverish them. And Virginia would soon get tired of her new plaything and revert to her shrewish self. Eugenie had to kill her before that happened.

It was early evening. Virginia had gone to visit Deborah, who was pregnant with her first child. Virginia herself had given up hopes of ever being a mother. She had bought little gifts for the mother-to-be. “I’ll soon be back!” she cooed to Eugenie, blowing a kiss at him as she moved out.

It was now or never. Mr. Brooks sat in his easy chair as Eugenie watched him closely, his head tilted in enquiry. “Tonight’s the night when I will be a free man! Maybe you could make it look like an accident, push her into the pool. The steps are slippery in this weather.” He thought again. “Or make it appear to be suicide?”

Eugenie nodded as his head swarmed with ideas. How could he free Mr. Brooks from his wife’s clutches, and free himself as well from his debt?

Suddenly an idea of such brilliance struck him that he was overwhelmed by his own genius. Of course there was a solution! Why had he not thought of it earlier?

“I’ve got it! I know what to do!” he said excitedly. “Your life will be your own again, and you’ll have no wife to contend with!” Mr. Brooks was elated. Finally the blockheaded genie had come up with a solution. “Good! I do not want to hear anything. You just do the task, and I will let you go wherever you want.”

When Virginia got home that evening, happy with her visit, she found her husband on his easy chair reading a newspaper. She had wanted to mention her little genie so badly to Deborah, but she had retrained herself. That would be a surprise for all her friends later. “Where is my little sweet creature?” she trilled as she sank into a chair. “I have found a little piece of silk so that I can make him a robe.”

Her husband gazed at her as she sat before him, her face looking lovelier than ever. When she got up to lay the table for dinner, he continued to look at her, as she bustled around, embellishing the food with her customary grace. He was not the only one watching her. Eugenie had a sparkle in his eye as he set his plan in action. Dinner over, as their ancient servant came in to clear the dishes, Virginia yawned decorously, her glinting charm bracelet tinkling as she placed a delicate hand over her mouth. “I think I will go to sleep now! I have had a long day!” She sashayed out of the room.

Mr. Brooks glanced meaningfully at the genie. “Now’s your chance! Do whatever you have to day, but keep the noise down. I don’t want the servants to suspect anything. All they need is a tiny hint of excitement and their ears become as large as those of elephants!” He opened the bottle to let him out.

“Rest assured! They will hear nothing!” Eugenie seemed very cheerful suddenly. Hie eyes danced in glee.It was as though he had a master plan up his sleeve!

Mr. Brooks leaned back on his easy chair, and closed his eyes. He would soon be a free man. He must have dozed off for a few hours. When he awoke there was an eerie silence in the room. He looked around, but could not see anyone. He heard the door open and Virginia walked in, her eyes heavy lidded with sleep. She took a glass of water from the mud pot, and placed it to her shapely lips. Just then another figure came into the room and stood behind her. Mr. Brooks could not retrain a gasp. His eyes widened. The figure looked just like him, and when he walked into the light, he gasped again. The man was the spitting image of him.

“What are you doing up at this hour of the night?” Virginia asked petulantly, and he had never seen her look so beautiful. The man who had taken his place walked to him and put his arms masterfully around her.

“Hey, what do you think you are doing, genie?” he screamed in a blind rage. His voice came out weakly as he struggled to make himself heard. The tableau before him incensed him as he saw Virginia look a trifle surprised, and then she languidly put her arms around the man’s neck.

“Virginia, look at me! That is not me! Will you both stop that?” he shouted again, but they did not hear him. He tried to run forward, flailing his arms about, his blood pounding as he vowed to tear the genie to pieces. It was then that he felt the glass about him.