contagious.
âThis is a sign, Genuine. You and me, weâre gonna be unstoppable! I canât wait to see what weâll do next!â Jura took my hands and pulled me into a big hug.
Let me tell you, there is nothing like the feeling you get when youâve really helped somebody. Nothing could douse my smile!
Turned out I didnât have enough for that chicken breast, but I practically danced home anyway.
Â
Principles are all well and good, but when I got home and found Gram fretting over an overdue billâsecond noticeâI sank down to earth right quick.
There was no avoiding it. It was time for me to set up shop.
Â
I took three wish biscuits and headed to Miss Fayeâs Hair, Nails, Beauty Supply, and Leatherworks. Faye, a relative of my paâs, was a big woman, always smiling. I liked her very much.
âHey, cuz!â I called, swinging the door open wide.
It takes new customers a little time to get used to the mash of odors at Fayeâsânail-polish remover and hide-tanning formulaâbut I was long used to it. I quick-glanced around to get a feel for my audience. Three local ladies sat under those helmet-style hair dryers, cackling over a little he-said, she-said. Another soaked her nails.
Faye looked up from the leather she was stitching. âGenuine! What brings you to my fine establishment?â
She was busy, so I got right down to it. âIâm sort of starting a business, and I thought you might let me make an announcement to your customers.â
âShore! What sort of business?â
âWish fetching,â I replied.
âWhatâs that?â
âYou know, granting peopleâs wishes,â I explained.
Her smile fell a little as she tried to puzzle this out. âYou mean, like doing their chores when theyâs too busy?â
âNo. Like, âI wish I may, I wish I might.â Ping! Wish granted.â
Faye nodded slowly. âThatâs an interesting line of work youâve chosen.â
I would not be deterred. âSo, can I? Make my announcement?â
âBe my guest! They sure ainât goinâ nowhere!â she told me, smiling again. âYou sure you wouldnât rather sell hand-wove potholders, though?â
Figuring some things only suffer by explanation, I left to fetch a box from the supply room. Setting it in the center of the salon, I gave Faye a nod.
âYâall listen up!â Faye called from the nail station, where she was now trimming Missus Binsetâs cuticles. âGenuineâs got something to say!â
The ladiesâ jawing died down. Three pink-rollered heads turned my way.
I hopped up on my box. âThank you for your, uh, allowing me to interrupt your, uh, fancifying regimens.â
âProbably taking up a collection for her daddyâs bail,â I heard one of them whisper.
I felt my cheeks turn red.
âGo ahead, sugar.â Faye gave me an encouraging bob of the head.
âUm,â I began. âSoâIâm Genuine. Guess yâall know that. And, uh, Iâm here to ask yâall to think on something in your lives that isnât quite as fine as youâd like it to be. Maybe youâve got more chores than you can manage. Or your bunions might be troubling you, and nothing but nothing will give you relief. Every one of us has things we need, you see. And thatâs where I hope to be of, uh, service.â
I paused to give each lady some eye-to-eye contact.
âNot long ago, a woman needed work in Sass.
Sass!
you might say.
There ainât no work in Sass!
And, of course, youâd be right. But I was able to help her out, and in less than three daysâ time, she had her a job in town!
How?
you might ask.â
No one did ask, which deflated me some, but I went on. âBy sending her to the day labor office? No, maâam! I used my own special inheritance! Iâm a fourth-generation wish fetcher, you see. And