The early midday sun startled me as I left my building. Like every day. I should have gotten used to it. But still every day I winced at the bright sun and needed a moment for my eyes to adjust. I definitely wasn’t a morning person. And yes I was aware of the irony. After I could see again without tears coming to my eyes I started walking to my ‘work’. Not that I had to walk anywhere to do my work. I just preferred to be found in one spot.

As I walked on the sidewalk I heard the sound of my high heels. Another thing I still wasn’t used to. Even after ten months, it sounded foreign. You see I didn’t use to wear heels. It had always been sneakers at home and dress shoes for work. Of course, that was the past. The one where I had my old body.

I came by a shop window and took a moment to watch the display. Of course with the bright sun, the window turned half into a mirror and I saw myself. Still another thing I wasn’t used to. I always think for a moment: "Who is that hot girl in the pantsuit and high heels? She could be a supermodel." Of course, that had been my wish. “Give me the body of a supermodel.” In hindsight, a stupid wish to tell a genie. Of course, now I know that if I didn’t specify a gender it was up to the genie to decide what gender one gets.

Like every day I sigh at the display. There were just the cutest 5-inch heels. Right there and yet out of reach. To expensive. Especially for someone who lives on tips alone. Yes, I know. I bitch about how I am not used to being a woman and then rave about a pair of heels I can’t afford. Well, the truth is that my feet are that of a supermodel too. That means the muscles of my calves are shortened in a way that made wearing anything below four inches painful. So I was stuck with wearing high heels. And if I carried one trait over from my previous life then it was the one where I always had to dress my best. Though I admit when I had been a guy it had been a lot easier. And cheaper.

But enough self-pity. My usual hangout would open soon and I still had a few blocks to go. I arrived shortly after 11 AM and arrived at my goal: a cafe and bar in downtown. Like always I took a moment to watch the rainbow flag, over the entrance, to wave in the wind. It always made me a bit ashamed. I had never given a second thought about gays or transgenders until I was both. Until it got personal. Don’t get me wrong. Before my change, I hadn’t been against these groups of people. I just hadn’t cared either way.

I walked through the door and heard the faint ringing of a bell. Here I was. The place that has gotten to be my second home. I walked by the bar and greeted Milo the bartender. Then I looked around and took the atmosphere in. The bar and cafe were in an older building. It was spread over a ground floor and the first floor. Used to be a clothing store. At least that is what they told me. Like every day I walked up the stairs. Past another counter and greeted there Antoinette. The bartender and server for the first floor. As usual, I took a seat at a small table by the windows. I loved to watch the pedestrians walk by. I wasn’t even sure why.

A moment later Antoinette came by and placed down my ‘morning’ coffee. I thanked her and in my mind, I thanked the owners. I eat and drink for free around here. A moment later she came back to place my tip jar on my table. The jar itself looked a bit out of place. The bar and cafe were decorated with polished wood and had a slight rustic feeling to it. Yet the jar looked crude in comparison. Not that I minded. The jar was handcrafted by a grateful young lady of twelve years. And every time I saw it I was reminded why I was here and not stuck in some meaningless office job.

My first client arrived when I was halfway through my first coffee. She wore a nurse uniform of the nearby hospital. Not that unusual. I had a few clients from there before. Once she had entered the floor she had looked around as if she wasn’t sure why she was here and what to do. She approached Antoinette and she, in turn, pointed to me. Hesitantly she made her way over to me. “Excuse me miss. Are you the fic- Uhm. The genie?”

I gave her a small smile. I knew of my nickname:”the fickle genie”. I didn’t mind it. In fact, it was rather fitting if you go by observation alone.

"It’s okay. The fickle genie thing. Though to be honest, I am not a genie. My power just works along similar lines.”

The nurse looked a bit relieved and sat down opposite of me. “So how does this work?” she asked me. Then she held up a few dollar bills. “I have money,” she added.

The offer of money wasn’t unusual. If I wanted I could live quite comfortable if I offered my services for money. Instead, I told her:”No need. I work for free. Though I accept tips.” I pointed to the tip jar. Before she could say anything I continued:”Here is the deal. I have a power. It’s not as strong as a real genie. So I might not be able to grant every wish. Speaking of- I only fulfill one wish told to me at a time. I also have a cooldown. Well sort of. It’s tied to a person. If you come back in a few months I might be able to grant another wish. So … what’s your wish?”

She swallowed and then told me. “A month back we got a new patient. A young girl. She is in pain and the doctors say her system will soon collapse. She will die soon. The problem is that the doctors aren’t even sure what she has. They are at a loss…” She looked at me expectantly.

I gently placed my hand on hers and gently admonished her:”You need to state a wish.”

"Oh. Oh yeah. Uhm. I wish the girl I told you about will be healed and it, whatever it was, won’t be coming back.”

I nodded and told her:”A good wish. Give me a moment to see if it is within my power to grant it.” I leaned back and closed my eyes. My power flowed through me and it didn’t take me long to find the child. I nearly grinned as I found out I could heal her. But I maintained my poker face and didn't let it show. I could have healed the girl right then, but I was a stickler for my routine. And the very one dictated that I took a peek at my client. Not through my own eyes but with my power.

As I probed her I could read her biggest wish. The one usually left unspoken. But in her case, the one that is hidden and the one spoken were the same. That delighted me. Such a selfless wish deserved a reward. I probed deeper into her mind if I could find another wish. It took me a while. Buried deep within she wished that her legs wouldn’t hurt as much. Her demanding job had done a number on them and now she often came home with cramps and pain. With my probing done I let my power flow. First I healed the girl. Then I healed the nurse's legs. I opened my eyes and gave her a smile. “I granted your wish.”

Overjoyed she thanked me profoundly. She even gave me a tip. A fifty dollar bill if I saw right. After she left I once again was free to enjoy the quiet atmosphere and the pedestrians outside walking by.

Sometime later, I had finished my coffee and was reading a book, when another person came up to me. Male. In his early thirties. Good looking. And the whole wardrobe screamed he was some well done up and comer. As soon as he was here he rambled about his job and coworkers and whatnot. They always talked. Told me stuff that was so unnecessary. It was annoying. I interrupted him and told him:”State your wish. And keep it short.”

"I wish I had a boat.”

Of course, it was a material wish. Should have known. I took a moment and probed his mind for his inner wish. Ahh yes. He fancied a secretary. One that liked the ocean. He really wished to get into her panties. I made my nickname proud and told him:”Your wish is denied.”

Sure enough, he started to argue. Not that it helped him. It only got me more annoyed. In the end, he walked away. No tip from this one. Though I wasn’t sure I wanted money from such a slimy bastard. I sighed and leaned back. I could have granted his wish. Quite easily. Put a small boat on his keychain: wish fulfilled. Put a ship in a bottle on his chimney: wish fulfilled. Drop a whole frickin' yacht on his house: oh hell yeah wish fulfilled. But then again why entertain him. He was one of many with their selfish wishes. He wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last. And denying him would keep my reputation intact. After all, they called me the fickle genie for a reason.

It was early afternoon and I had made good progress in my book when a woman approached me. I guess she was in her early thirties. Though she looked a bit older. After introductions, she sat down and told me why she was here:”You see I am a single parent raising a son. It hasn’t always been easy you know. I thought I had a good relationship with my son but the past few years it’s gotten harder. He used to help out so much at home but nowadays he is just lazy. I tell him time and time again that he should help but all I hear are excuses.”

I nodded at that and felt a little ashamed too. I hadn’t been a very good son too. Back when I had been a son and not a daughter. Still a weird thought that is. “I need to hear a wish, "I reminded her.

“I wish that my son would do more in the household and would value our roles in it more.” A solid wish and a cut and dry case. Yet two things prevented me from fulfilling the wish on the spot. For one I hated changing someone's mind. Call it a personal quirk. For the other part, I looked always into both parties and did my research.

I closed my eyes and let my powers flow through me. After a moment I saw mother and son. Not just in the present but also from the past. Quickly I found out I had judged too soon. The son was doing a lot. When he came home from school and his mother was still at work he did various things in the household. On the weekends he even worked part-time as a clerk in a movie theater. Combined with school and homework I was surprised that he had even time for friends. So the son wasn’t the problem.

I directed my powers to focus on the mother. She had him when she was still in school. Then had dropped out of school and took whatever job she could get her hands on. For the last few years, she had worked as a filing clerk in a big law firm. And there I found the real problem. She was frustrated with her boring work and her lack of advancement. She wouldn’t admit it to herself but she was jealous of her own son. That made her see everything through tinted glasses. Now it was for me to decide what to do. I was limited by the wish. Not as strong as a real genie was but just enough that I couldn’t go willy-nilly and get for example the mother a better job. Repeating the wish in my mind I found a satisfying solution.

I opened my eyes and looked at the mother:”I grant your wish. Starting tomorrow you will be able to directly influence what chores your ‘son’ does and does not. But there is one important thing you have to remember. This wish will stop once you and your son both recognize what each of you does in the household and should do. Understood?”

Of course, she told me yes and was quite happy. But she won’t really understand until tomorrow when she will be waking up in her son’s body and he in hers. Nothing fosters understanding of each other than stepping into the shoes of another. At least that is my experience so far. There was a fifty-fifty chance she would be back and demand I undo the swap. Not that I care.

A few hours later I was talking to Antoinette. She just had ended her shift and now Leo manned the upper bar. It was usually the time the locale got more patrons and with it more clientele for me. So it wasn't surprising that I had soon a visitor.

He was male. Maybe in his late thirties. His clothes weren't the best. Like someone who had fallen on hard times. Those were the hardest to deny material wishes. More often than not I granted them. However, this fella surprised me with his request.

"It is about my niece," he told me. "She had been in an accident a year ago. Now she is laying in a coma. The doctors say her chance to wake up is slim. Now my brother and his wife thinking about disconnecting her."

I bit back a curse. In my profession, you are a magnet for sob stories. Then again I had the chance to better the world, so I didn't mind that much. "I need to hear a wish," I reminded him gently.

"I wish that my niece wakes up from her coma."

As wishes go this one was cut and dry. At once I followed the strings of the wish and found his niece. What I found filled me with dismay.

"I am sorry, but your niece's soul has moved on." Even my power had its limits.

"So she will never wake up again," the man muttered to himself. The shock was evident on his face.

I cringed. Poor sap. I wished that I could do something for him. Since I hadn't denied the wish yet I used the strings of the wish to explore the man. What I found didn't make me feel better. The man thought he was a failure. While his brother builds his dream family, he bumped from one low paying job to the next. But there was more. The brother and his wife both worked in jobs with long hours. So the man often babysits the niece. They had been quite close. Up until the accident happened. Now the parents recognized how much time they wasted they could have spent with their daughter.

The biggest wish of the man was indeed for his niece to wake up. Something I couldn't grant since her soul was gone. Underneath there was a selfish wish, but one I could understand. The man would give nearly anything to start his life over. To slip out of the mantle of failure he endured right now.

"I have found a uniquely suitable soul," I said aloud. "Though, your niece wouldn't be exactly as she was."

The man looked up at me with hopeful eyes. Then they turn inward in contemplation. Eventually, he looked up. "My brother won't know, right?"

"No, unless you tell him," I said truthfully.

"Then please, do it," he begged with sincere eyes.

"Wish granted."

The man thanked me profoundly. Left a generous tip. With new hope he left. I wonder if he would have agreed if I had told him the whole truth. About two blocks down the road he would suffer a heart attack. One he wouldn't survive. Then, a few days later, his niece would wake up with his soul in it. I am not one for erasing a souls personality, so the niece will have his and her memories. Then it will be up to the new 'her' to make her new parents happy. And herself of course.

For a moment I rub my eyes. The further I bend a wish the more fatigued I get. At least by now, it is late enough that cafe menu ends and the real bar opens. Hollering at Leo gets me a nice cold beer. Just what I needed. For a moment I close my eyes. As I open them I need a moment to make sure I am not seeing things. Two minors are just stepping up the stairs. Maybe fourteen or fifteen. How they got past the bouncer downstairs was beyond me. At least at first. When they beelined to me I knew my next client arrived.

"Sorry kids. If you wish for a beer then I am not the one you are looking for."

Their nervous glances at each other told me that my joke flew right over their head.

"So. What can I do for you?" I already braced myself for another long story of background information. Clients were always the same.

"I wish my best friend here is changed into a one hundred percent biological girl," the one boy said who looked a little more confident and taller than the other one.

I nearly whistled out loud in appreciation. Straight to the point with a solid wish. Why can't all clients be like that? I glanced at the boy who is the would-be transformed girl. Didn't even flinch. That means he knew his best friend would wish for his gender to be bent. Curious.

For once I needed more background information and didn't get it from my client. The irony wasn't lost on me. So I used the means of the wish to look into the boy that is to be transformed. And immediately I stand corrected. Girl trapped in a boys body. The girl was very much aware of it. She tried to speak to her parents, who dismissed the notion that their "boy" might be a girl. Quoting "he" might be too young to come to this realization.

Her best friend helped where he could. Even got her an appointment with a psychologist who specializes in gender issues. One who agreed with the girl's assessment. But as soon as the parents found out they shut it down. It was no wonder that those two stood now before me.

Of course, I would grant the wish. It was against the wishes of the parents but then again those hardly acted like adults. And they weren't here. Before I fulfilled the wish I peeked at the boy. The one who made the wish. To be so young yet being so mature about his best friends plight deserved a reward. As I peeked inside I got the next surprise. It nearly made me sigh. He was also a she but hid it well. Fearing that her parents would react the same way as her friend's parents did. Oh boy! Or girl. Whatever. So I had two girls trapped boys bodies. The one open about it and the other one was too shy to do so but hid it behind a mask of bravery. What to do? I smirked as the answer came to me.

"You know what they call me, right?"

After a moment of hesitation the one who made the wish answered. "The fickle genie."

"I earned that nickname because I sometimes grant a wish and sometimes I deny them. However, other times I expect a little extra before granting a wish. Let's make a deal. I'll grant the wish if it counts for you both."

There was a moment of silence as the boys, correction - girls, got my meaning. "You can't make this deal," the younger one begged the older one. "I know how awful it is to be stuck in the wrong gender. I don't want you to feel the same."

"It'll be alright," the older one said to play it cool. "I never was much invested in being a boy anyways." He turned to me and I had a hard time not to grin at the theatrics. "Please grant my wish."

"Done," I told them. "Tomorrow you wake up as girls. Enjoy your last day as boys."

I shook my head as the two headed away. They had thanked me profoundly, but the younger one was still trying to make the older one understand what a bad idea this had been. The older one played it cool. Well, whatever floats their boat. My work was done.

But not for long. An older man pushed himself through the crowd and stopped before my table.

"Are you the fickle genie?"

"People call me that," I replied.

"I wish there was a woman in my companies building who could finally cook some decent coffee. The stuff my secretaries brew is abysmal."

I sighed. Heavily. This is the stuff I have to deal with day after day. Can a wish be any more mundane and stupid? Maybe it was the last two clients and their sob stories, but I actually gave the man a moment of my time.

Through the wish I unrevealed the mystery behind the man. He was a CEO of some architect company. His secretaries coffee was actually decent. It was just that this guy was really into coffee. As in he was a maniac. A coffee aficionado. No one, but a complete professional would meet his lofty expectations. Certainly no secretary who had better stuff to do. If only there was a dedicated coffee shop in the building. There was space available on the first floor.

I looked up to the man and gave him a dirty grin. "You know what. Wish granted. Tomorrow the people in your companies building will have access to top-notch coffee."

"Really?" he asked me.

"Of course. As good as the coffee you brew yourself at home."

Smiling that man walked away. If he only knew. Tomorrow he would wake up in a new apartment and inside a new body. Finding the signed lease to the former empty shop on the first floor. Now equipped with the finest stuff money could buy to make coffee. I even stocked it with the best coffee beans available.

I wonder if he will regret that he wished that it would be a woman who supplied the coffee in said building. Else he might have kept his gender.

Looking at the clock I decided that this was my last client. I was about to pick up my tip jar when a woman sat down in front of me.

"I wish you'd stop doing this," she said without so much as a hello.

"Kathrine," I sighed. "Wish denied. I wish you and your kind would stop pestering me."

"You can't continue doing this," she urged me. "You are upsetting the balance."

"What balance?" I ask her. "The one you think has to be there. The golden duty you put on yourself? Listen. I bend genders as much as I want. If a soul leans to one gender after ten lives being said gender than who am I to deny their wish? At least with me, they can choose. You and your kind never ask."

"We can't ask," she reminded me. "And it would be beside the point."

"Right. Because your powers are so weak you can only gender bend the unborn. Let's face it, Kathrine. Your kind is a sham. Some stupid occult order that tries to keep souls in the balance between male and female. Without you, transgender people wouldn't exist. I say let nature run its cause. If you disrupt it then I see it as my duty to fix it."

"Like you fixed your last visitor?" she poked at me. "He wasn't transgender or affected by my order."

"What can I say?" I ask her with a shrug of my shoulders. "I am fickle in my whims."

Before she can reply I stand up and walk away. Stupid righteous fanatics. One day she and her kind will slip up. State an unwise wish in my presence. And that day I will be ready. But not today.

I hand Leo my tip jar after I emptied it. Overall it was a good day for tips. A few more days an maybe I could afford those cute 5-inch heels. What? A girl can dream, right? If only I could fulfill my own wishes...