The Power Of Wishes (Editing)

Chapter 15: Waking Up In Paris

The next thing I knew I was amid the bustling streets of a place that I guessed to be Paris. What had I done with my wishes this time? Sure, I had always wanted to visit Paris. The pictures made it seem so peaceful, picture perfect and romantic. But I was also looking forward to seeing how my previous wish would turn out.

I paused for a moment. I was standing by a lamp post that was next to a bus stop. In my hand, I held a tourist brochure. Was I visiting? Or was I living here? I guessed from the tourist brochure that I was visiting. In a way, I felt that things would be easier that way.

As a visitor, I would be able to ask questions without seeming strange or 'out of it'. What was even better was the fact that with the power I was given to be able to make all my wishes come true, I could stay as long as I wanted and not worry about running out of money. I could always wish for more.

I scolded myself for these thoughts. Did I not see how much I was taking my power for granted? I mean, it's not every day that a girl happens to go into a bookstore looking for a book and walk out with a power to have her greatest wishes come true!

I needed to be more thoughtful. Instead of just wishing on a whim, I should think about why I wanted each wish and what good it would do me. Perhaps I had taken my motto a little too far and spent a little too much time not worrying or thinking.

I looked up and discovered a bus pulling up at the bus stop. There were a few people standing at the bus stop with me, and I let them board the bus first. Then I waited for a few passengers to exit the bus. After all the back and forth had stopped, I stepped onto the bus and found the first open seat beside an elderly man.

The doors to the bus closed, and we were off to our first stop. I had no idea where this was going to be, so I decided to read through the brochure in my hand and decide what I wanted to do first in Paris.

I had just turned my eyes to the second page when I heard the old man beside me speak up.

"Bonjour mon cher" [Hello my dear] he said.

"Ahh....bonjour?" I said, hoping that the little I had picked up when I took French class in seventh grade had stayed with me. I at least remembered that 'bonjour' meant 'hello'. I could only hope my pronunciation was acceptable.

"You aren't from Paris are you?" asked the old man. He had a smile on his face and a bit of a French accent. 

I felt myself blush as I shook my head. Even though from his smile I could tell that he meant well, I still felt a bit embarrassed.

He chuckled. "That's okay. I'm not originally from here. I moved twenty years ago for my job. I used to be a security guard until about three years ago when I turned seventy. I couldn't stand around as long and my eyesight was beginning to fail me. I can still se though, thanks to these. He touched his glasses as he spoke.

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit myself.

"So, do you know where you are headed to?" he asked looking over my shoulder at the brochure.

"No." I said. "I'm just looking through here for some ideas."

"Ahh..." he said, nodding his head slowly in agreement. "Well let me tell you. You have not experienced Paris until you have visited 'The Louvre'. It's the greatest art museum you'll ever see, and I'm not just saying that because I used to work for security there, it's true. I stood in the same building, staring at the same pictures for twenty years, and never once did I get tired of seeing them. "

"Really? Is it far from here?" I asked. I had heard of The Louvre a few times before. You know, the famous building in which the Mona Lisa is kept. I had never quite felt the urge to visit the place, but now that I had the opportunity, I might as well go.