Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The Genie of the Lamp

I think my mother was about sixteen when she found the lamp. She was strolling down a street in London,which had been devastated by bombs. She was surrounded by the blackened shells of burned out buildings and piles of debris. She spotted a little shop, which had, somehow, remained intact, although the building was dusty and black with soot. It was a pawn/junk shop and the window was full of assorted items, from jewellery to boas, evening bags, medals, buttons and silver teapots.

She had only sixpence in her pocket, but she couldn't resist going inside to explore. There were some beautiful things inside, furniture and art work which seemed incongruous with the kind of shop it was. The proprieter may have scavenged some of the expensive, bombed out homes in the area, late at night, for his treasures, although looting was strictly forbidden.

Mother couldn't afford any of it and so she wandered down the aisle to a big table of junky looking objects. A lot of the things were blackened as though they had been in a fire, confirming her suspicions. She dug down through a heap of fire irons, bellows, copper kettles and cooking utensils and pulled out a very old fashioned looking lamp. It was completely black, with a thick layer of some resinous material all over the surface. This had definitely survived a bomb blast. She did not know what it was made of, but she liked the shape of it. It looked like the lamp Aladdin found in the thieves' cave. My mother loved that story. She wanted the lamp.

She called out to the owner of the shop and asked the price of the lamp. I believe he told her it was a shilling. She was disappointed, she really wanted the lamp.

"I only have sixpence,"she called back to him. "Sold," he said.

She was delighted. He wrapped it up and she took it home and put it in her room. It sat there for a week or two until she got around to cleaning it. Then, one day she decided to try and get the sticky tar-like substance off and took it to the kitchen sink. Her family thought she had wasted her money but she was happy with her lamp. She scraped at the bottom with her fingernail to try and read the inscription there. She was amazed when pure silver gleamed back at her.

She cleaned it very carefully, hoping the whole lamp was silver. It was, and it had the markings of a famous silver smith on the base. She also realized, as the decorative work was slowly revealed that it was very old. She had very little knowledge of the value of solid silver antiques at that time and yet instinctively, she knew she had something very valuable. She would not have parted with it at any price, she loved it so much. It became a talisman for her, a good luck charm that brought her through the war alive and, somehow, arranged for her to meet my father and fall in love at first sight.

When I was a toddler, one of the first things I remember is seeing that silver lamp, sparkling brightly and occupying pride of place on the sideboard in our dining room. I grew up rubbing the lamp and making wishes and trying to make the genie come out. It became a custom in the family and among friends to rub the lamp and make a wish. The lamp travelled to Jersey with us and then to Canada and I never failed to rub the lamp and ask the genie to come out and play with me, whenever I walked past. One day, as I rubbed the lamp with my grubby little hands, I said to my mother,"that genie will never come out."

She turned and looked at me and said,"the genie is out."

"Huh!"I brilliantly replied.

"You're the Jeannie from the lamp,"she said."I wished for you and here you are."

Post Script: We still have the lamp and two more generations have rubbed it and made wishes, many of which came true, so we respect the powers of the lamp.

My grandson gave an oral composition about the lamp at school and got the highest mark in the class. So, now he feels it's his lucky charm and he makes wishes all the time. I've told him to rely on himself, not upon a silver lamp,and he'll do just fine. Besides,you have to be very careful what you wish for. You might get it.


64 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:44:00 PM

    HA!!! I was right,I knew it ,you are magical,what a beautiful story.

    Jeannie you are a treasure,that a lot of us have found,I for one is the better for it.
    There was only three wishes in the lamp and it was only for Nana.What wise choices she made.
    1)Your "DAD" Nana's soul mate.
    2)"JEANNIE" Nana's very own "GENIE"
    3)To live her remaining years with her "Genie" whom you loves very much.
    Oh my girl,you have rub that "Lamp and your wishes have come true maybe not all but the ones that matter, I am proud to know you.Luv...PIC

    ReplyDelete
  2. Katherine4:21:00 PM

    What a lovely story that is Jeannie, thank you so much for sharing it...:)

    A lamp, what a special thing to have. I suspect that particular lamp has a whole lot of wishes left in it...:)

    Happy Wednesday Gals!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have always been curious as to where the lamp came from.It's been in our family for seventy years. Imagine how old it is now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thankyou for the nice comments. I really appreciate them.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8:10:00 PM

    Jeannie
    Your lamp should have a symbol or crest on the bottom. Maybe ckeck out some antique shops,someone there might be able to point you in the right direction: pure silver,you know it worth a lot of money. Try the Library.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It has symbols on it that I couldn't match.I'll ask someone about it someday.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That is the actual picture that Brian took for Jakey to show his class when he did his speech.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous9:40:00 PM

    sent you a e-mail about the weather.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous9:42:00 PM

    It is beautiful.I know you will never part with it,so much history and a beautiful story behind it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Tornados?? Are you safe in that house?? You might have a power outage.I wish to hell you guys would build basements.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous9:50:00 PM

    We are safe .

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous9:52:00 PM

    They mostly past by,our biggest problem is wind and trees falling on power lines.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Still it must be scary.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous9:54:00 PM

    This is the worst weather I have seen,and they say nothing is happening,there was tornadoes in Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Our weather has turned nice and mild now, just the way I like it.It's not hot though.We usually have a blistering June.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous9:56:00 PM

    Yes it can get scary at times,it is tornado season here,but we have not had them like this that I can remember.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yes we don't get many tornados ,but in the last couple of years we've had quite a few.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Katherine10:02:00 PM

    Thank goodness you are safe CC...tornadoes and really bad storms are scary things

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous10:04:00 PM

    How is everyone? katherine and I had a nice talk on the Tomi Rae post.
    Had my last check-up for my appendix surgery..the doctor was please ,he was kind of worried,because I was borderline diabetic.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Do you have trouble healing, NEE?

    That's a problem I have with my ailment.I had a mole removed from my tummy and it didn't heal for 6 months.It left a big ugly scar.

    I know diabetics can have that problem.

    I got your message.

    ReplyDelete
  21. It weird,when you have kids you worry about your health more because you picture them being left with someone else and crying for you if you die.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous10:15:00 PM

    I am safe K...just wanted everyone to know if I get knocked off ,not to worry,mu babies is in bed with my man.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anytime you want to go and be with them, just go honey I will understand.

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is just the beginning of nasty climate changes from what I've been reading.

    ReplyDelete
  25. People won't respond until we're on the brink of extinction.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous10:20:00 PM

    Yes ,I am a slow healer. ,that's why Gil got the fixed ,he was scared shitless(GIGGLES) he told them not to cut off his ball,he need both.haha

    ReplyDelete
  27. He could keep losing his balance with only one ball or lean to one side and only walk in circles.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous10:24:00 PM

    Oh they are fine..Nan's baby Sharon is in there on a pallet,Gilly holding his daddy down,Jill always sleep in Sharon's room, when the weather is bad she just wants her daddy.

    ReplyDelete
  29. There will be no difference in his performance although, when dad had to have prostate surgery,that affected his marital life.They don't ejaculate any more and he couldn't take that.So that was the end of their 'Fun Fridays'.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous10:30:00 PM

    The funny part the dangle was limp for a week or so,he asked me did it look different,I told him it was getting smaller and drying up.hahahahe got a mirror nand looked,hell I laugh my ass off.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous10:34:00 PM

    But the love was still there,I have such wonderful times to look forward to.I bet Nana think about him now and smile.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Katherine10:34:00 PM

    Oh how funny CC, poor man though...a mirror to check...you are bad! love it

    ReplyDelete
  33. Men are so sensitive about that thing.I don't get it.

    ReplyDelete
  34. But I have to say, if Brian told me my breasts were getting smaller and drying up, I would freak out and be looking in the yellow pages for a plastic surgeon.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I like the new editing feature from Blogger. It make editing so much easier.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous10:39:00 PM

    I think thats one of the reason's Susan don't like Gil,he do everything he can to make me happy, and he wouldn't let her lazy ass hubby have the money to go in business.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I think Nana sees him in her dreams.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I think Father's day is on the 21st so should I put the 'Daffodil' series up on the nineteenth or on the twentieth??

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous10:45:00 PM

    Do I have it or do I have to installed it,hell I just got brave enough to put some stuff in draft.I am getting a little braver.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous10:47:00 PM

    K... when I had my own place,shit when my man come home I would meet him at the door buck-ass- naked.

    ReplyDelete
  41. After you put a post on the blog,look at the bottom and you will see a pencil icon.Click it and you can edit the post right there.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous10:52:00 PM

    You can put it up on the 19th and let it run like Ian's story,I will delete all the comments,I think his story gave us a big boost.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Nee likes to be buck assed naked K.
    I only wish I was as free as her.I never had that kind of confidence.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous10:53:00 PM

    Are you going to put up more pictures of him and Nana.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Yes .I think folks like looking at old pictures.Then they can picture who they are reading about.

    ReplyDelete
  46. You would like Canada Nee. It's legal for a woman to go topless anywhere a man can go topless.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anonymous11:00:00 PM

    I can't do it much now ,little people have big eyes and ears.I did like you said I kept the tits in shape...remember what I got for Xmas?

    ReplyDelete
  48. Katherine11:00:00 PM

    Wow CC, good for you! Buck ass naked at the door for your man, how lovely to show him ya love him alot...:)

    That and men like that sort of thing...lol

    ReplyDelete
  49. In fact, except for the winters,I think you would like it up here.

    Once your blood thickened up a little, you would enjoy the winter too.Lots of winter sports up here.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Yes you got a wonderful and thoughtful present for Christmas.I would like to get one of those.
    Did you keep that red ribbon??

    ReplyDelete
  51. Anonymous11:04:00 PM

    Hell ,Gil would shit a goose if he thought someone would see me topless.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Anonymous11:10:00 PM

    Yes ,I have the ribbon,I haven't given up on Canada...This is my place and if I leave there is someone to take care of it.

    K...my man know I love,but that's not why I was naked,I wanted to be poked.hahaha

    ReplyDelete
  53. Yes I can see him running down the street after you with a coat.

    Or he might be too interested in the other topless babes.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Anonymous11:18:00 PM

    Canada have better schools and that's really what we both wants,I can find a lot of things to do when it's cold,someone would have to drive me when it snows,the people wouldn't know a damn thing I say.hahaha,most I have seen is dark like me.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Anonymous11:23:00 PM

    On yes he do like looking,that's o.k. I look to,but no touching for either of us,I told his long ass what will happen.

    ReplyDelete
  56. People may not understand you with your accent.Just a little east of here they speak only French.
    We all speak a little French. we have no choice.We have to learn it in school.It's a bilingual country.
    A lot of the younger kids now speak both fluently.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Poor Gil. He lives in fear of waking up without a pecker because he looked for too long.

    I have warned Brian in a similar way.He used to be a little too flirtatious with women.I didn't like it.I told him to be careful.He couldn't stay awake forever.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Anonymous11:37:00 PM

    I wouldn't care,we would learn from each other...I bet a smile and a laugh everyone understands.Hell they don't know what I am saying here,Gil would just laugh and say I had a way with words,I guess they were just glad I started to talk again.
    No worry the twins and Jill will teach me.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Anonymous11:43:00 PM

    I know exactly what you mean,they don't want anyone flirting with you,reminds me of the redhead man and the newspaper..hahaha

    ReplyDelete
  60. I'll never forget that red haired man.Brian always says his flirting is harmless.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Anonymous11:49:00 PM

    Sweetie I better say goodnite ,the lights are flicking ,tornado warming have expired,jsut storms now,So I will talk to you tomorrow,.Lot's of Luv...PIC...NEE

    ReplyDelete
  62. Anonymous11:51:00 PM

    You know it was,all the danhle was for you.LUV

    ReplyDelete
  63. Take care Nee, luv you NIGHT.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Anonymous11:58:00 PM

    Nite sweetie..hope you get this ,Love...NEE

    ReplyDelete

Through this ever open gate
None come too early
None too late
Thanks for dropping in ... the PICs