The Wish Parlor

Her name was Sally. She was fifty-five years old, and she had to admit – she was a little bit lonely. Sally had a good job, a nice house, and a beautiful cat named Walter. But, even though she had all of these things, she didn’t have what she wanted most: a good friend.

Sally loved sweets. Chocolates, gummy bears (always in moderation!), and even hard candies. But her favorite was ice cream.

One day, Sally was on one of her long walks through town when she found herself in an unfamiliar neighborhood. She started to look around for anything that might give her a clue as to where she was, and then she saw it: a beautiful, tidy store with green shutters and flowers underneath the window. Above the door hung a sign that read “The Wish Parlor.”

Intrigued, Sally crossed the street and went into the store. Inside was a long marble counter with swiveling chairs, a table, and a back area with magazines on display. The whole place was sparkling clean and very cozy.

There was a man behind the counter with black hair and a bushy mustache. And, above him, was a board of what looked like flavors.

Ice cream! Sally thought. She wondered if they had her favorite – strawberry.

But hold on, she thought. Instead of names of ice cream flavors, there were strange things written on the board. Here was “Truth” and there was “Luck.” Sally even noticed “Height.”

“What is this place?” Sally asked the man behind the counter.

“This is a wish parlor,” the man said. “We sell wishes – in a cup or in a cone. And whatever you order, you get!”

Sally was amazed. “Are they expensive?” she asked.

“No more than most people can afford. I’m Marco, by the way.”

“Sally,” Sally replied.

There was a silence. Then, Marco asked, “Well, what can I get for you? If it’s not on the board, I can check in the back to see if we have it in stock.”

Sally thought for a moment. She knew what she wanted to wish for. Every day, she hoped to make a friend, but none seemed to come into her life. Could she ask for friendship?

“I’ll take a cone with…” but the words didn’t seem to come out. It was too embarrassing. How could a woman of her age, with a good job and a nice house, not have friends?

Marco smiled. “Don’t be shy,” he said. “But, of course, be careful what you wish for.”

Sally thought for a moment. Was there a way she could ask for friendship without Marco knowing what she meant?

“I’ll have love,” she said. “And fun.” She smiled. Those two probably added up to friendship, didn’t they?

“Right away,” said Marco. He scooped two brightly colored desserts into a cone and handed them to Sally. “By the way, I like your coat!”

Outside, Sally ate her wishes slowly. They were really delicious. She started with one taste of each, at first, carefully trying to keep a balance. But, eventually, she gave in, and ate freely, enjoying every lick.

She found a familiar street and started her walk home. With every person that passed, Sally felt her heart skip. What if this stranger could be her new friend? But no one spoke to her, and Sally found herself opening her front gate just as alone as before. When she went into her house, she sighed and sat down.

“Miao!” Sally heard her cat walking towards her. She smiled. “Hey, Walter,” she said.

Walter had a strange look in his eye. His tail was pointed straight towards the sky, and he almost looked as though he was smiling. “Miao!” he said again.

“Are you OK, Walter?” Sally asked.

Suddenly, Walter leapt up onto Sally’s lap and began pawing at her. It was sort of nice, thought Sally. But Walter didn’t want to stop. He climbed up onto Sally’s shoulder and began licking her face furiously. Her nose, her eyebrows, even her ears!

“Down, Walter!” said Sally. What was going on?

Two hours later, Sally had finally managed to lock Walter in the bathroom. Walter was in love with her! Could it be because of the wishes?

The next day, Sally went back to the Wish Parlor. Marco was still there, and she asked him, “How long do these wishes take to wear off?”

Marco smiled. “Didn’t quite go as you expected, eh? That happens sometimes. The wishes are permanent, unfortunately. But you can always choose a new one to undo the old one.”

Sally nodded. She looked up at the board and saw “Stability” written in curvy letters. She was about to ask for a big scoop of it when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw “Friendship.”

Sally was suddenly very nervous. Finally, here was a chance to make her dreams come true. But what about Walter?

Marco was busy behind the counter, cleaning spoons and dishes. With a heavy heart, Sally asked for a cup of “Stability.” She had to do what was right.

The wish worked like a charm, and Walter was soon back to his normal self. But Sally felt sad. It seemed like things just wouldn’t go her way. She waited by the phone all day, hoping for an acquaintance to call. But it didn’t ring, and, that night while getting ready to sleep, Sally made a decision. Tomorrow, she would go back to the Wish Parlor and ask for a scoop of “Friendship,” no matter how embarrassing it was. She turned out the light and smiled to herself.

The next day, after feeding Walter and doing her laundry, Sally headed back to the parlor. She had waited until the afternoon to go – she knew from experience that it wasn’t good to eat sweets in the morning. When she arrived, she went straight up to the counter, feeling nervous.

“Hi, Sally,” said Marco. Sally nodded impatiently. She had no time for chit-chat! She scanned the board, but to her horror, “Friendship” was nowhere to be found! She was upset.

“Marco….” She began. She was nervous – she was still sure that Marco would judge her for wanting to make new friends.

He smiled. “Wearing that great coat again, I see. My aunt used to have one just like it… I think you’re really cool, Sally.”

“Yes, that’s fine, Marco, but…” Sally said impatiently.

“We’ve got some new wishes in,” Marco said.

Sally took a deep breath. “Do you have friendship?” she asked.

Marco shook his head. “Ran out this morning!” He paused. “Were you hoping especially for that one?”

Sally felt sad. She thought of trying to pretend she didn’t care, but it was no use. “I really was, Marco.”

“Well, Sally,” said Marco. “The thing about these wishes is that they are very useful when you need them. But they’re no substitute for the real thing. I gather that you’re looking for a friend?”

Sally nodded and smiled.

“Me too, as it happens,” said Marco. “I’m in the parlor all day – don’t get a chance to get out much and meet people… I’ll be your friend, if you like!”

Sally felt overjoyed. “I’d like that! Maybe we can go for a walk together… And I hope you don’t mind if we stick to regular ice cream!”