Wish Me Free

Chapter 1: GENESIS

I've lived long enough to witness how this world and its people have changed.

It wasn't just with how cities are being built, one after another. Nor was it the changes in fashion over the years.

It was also how different the people were.

Gone were the days when life was much simple, when people knew what it was like to be fulfilled with the little things.. when they knew what it was like to be contented, to be satisfied with what they have.

A hundred years since the last time I get to see what the world was like. To actually feel the breeze of the wind and to see how bright the sun is. Nakaka putang*na nga lang tong tadhana ko.

I'm Genesis, the last remaining genie. 

To be honest, I don't know how long I've been one. All I remember is being one. To be a slave to different masters, granting them 3 wishes. Making sure they get what their heart desires meant having to deal with their greed. 

I've met different people, serving and granting them. Yet, their greed still seems to keep surprising me. One of the few things that remained constant in this world, I guess. But you know what they say about greed, it makes anyone blind and foolish... An easy prey for death. 

Humans were a slave to their own greedy desires. But who was I to call anyone a slave?

When I was a slave of my own destiny.

My entire life revolved around different masters and granting them 3 wishes, serving whoever holds my cursed lamp.

It's been a hundred years since I served my last master. Accurately 105 years and 5 months that I've been stuck in my lamp.

It was lonely and it made me crave for my freedom even more. But with this extreme guilt heavy in my heart, I'm honestly quite not sure what I wanted more. Freedom? Or to go back in time?

If anyone had asked me what I wanted to have the most, I'd choose my freedom. But after what happened and what I did to my fellow genies, I'd choose to bring back time and do things differently.

I was the last remaining genie in this world.

Was it lonely? Yes.

And would I rather choose to have a lonely heart in exchange for my freedom? Yes.

Would I give up my desire to be free just to bring back the lives of other genies? Most probably.

They too might've been prisoners to their own lamps, to their own fates. But that didn't mean some of them didn't love being a genie. And for me to strip that away from them.. I was no different than the one who placed me in that damn lamp.

I'm Genesis, the last remaining genie.
The genie with a lonely guilty heart who continues to long for a taste of freedom. A genie whose cries and pleas have been unheard for a century.

Gusto kong maniwalang may pagkakataon akong maging malaya, gustong gusto kong maniwala na balang araw... Gagaan din tong puso ko.

I said to no one, "Someday."

An echo of laughs take me out of my thoughts. "It really is adorable of you to keep hoping for your freedom, Genesis."

"Why can't you just accept it, my sweet Genesis? That you are fated to be my prisoner?"  The voice of my lamp says.

"You really think there will be anyone who will be willing to help you? The genie who made everyone suffer, a hundred years ago?"

I wanted to shout back and tell him that he was wrong, that all I did was grant the wishes of a tyrant.

But I couldn't.

Cause I knew, I was still to blame for the pain and suffering of the innocent. I was to blame for the loss of my genie brothers and sisters.

All I could do is hope there would be someone to wish me free, from this lamp and from this guilt.

*************
Chapter 2 will be posted next Sunday.
Hope you enjoy reading!

- thal