By Rae Graham
The sun blazed with the intensity only a summer drought can muster, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn’t melt Jasper’s ice. The beautiful aqua strands wove out from his palm in a glittering dance—one that drew delighted squeals from the children on the other side of the window. Jasper’s visits made the highlight of their day in this record heat, and he was determined to make standing in the sun worth their while.
Handing the ocean-monster cone to a very excited young boy, Jasper noticed a fight brewing halfway down the line. “Don’t shove now, Timmy. You know you have to wait your turn.” Jasper gave him a look so stern it put the “mom glare” to shame. Timmy sulked but moved back, and Jasper looked down to see his favorite customer at the window. “Hello there, Lacey. The usual again?”
“I want the raspberry swirl, please, mister.” She spoke with such a thick four-year-old lisp that it came out more like “wasbewwy swiwl,” but he understood. After all, “wasbewwy swiwl” was her usual.
“Sure thing, Lacey Lou.”
Her giggle brought a smile to his lips, and her entranced gaze spurred his deft fingers on. He could produce the most amazing sculptures with no more than a thought and the flick of a wrist. A feat not many were privileged enough to witness. He performed only to delight the children. He would practice late into the night just to see the wonder on their innocent faces in the morning. “Ice Magician” they called him—a code name only they were important enough to know.
In no time, Jasper perfected a glittering pink lollipop. “There you are. A lol for my Lou.”
She squealed with glee and scampered off.
“Two banana splits, a strawberry stick, and a chocolate cone.” Timmy had finally made it to the counter.
Jasper suppressed a groan. They had been over this at least once a week for a month. “You know the rules. One each.”
“But I have extra money today,” he whined. “You have to give it to me because then you have more money. That’s good economical.” At nearly ten years old, Timmy thought himself quite the savvy businessman.
“Good economics. Good business. And be that as it may, the rules don’t change. If I make you four, I won’t have enough magic left for the other kids. That’s bad business. More importantly, your mother would be upset and not let you come tomorrow—also bad business.”
Grumbling, Timmy picked the chocolate cone, but he cheered up when he saw Jasper shaping it into a monkey, his favorite animal.
That evening, Jasper staggered down the back alley from the storage shed where he kept his truck. He hadn’t used his magic for such an extended period in a very long time and had been forced to take twice the number of breaks anticipated, despite all his practice. But the children’s smiles made his exhaustion worth it. All he wanted now was to catch several solid hours of sleep.
He was just turning onto his street when he heard sirens. Nothing unusual in this neighborhood, but they were a bit too close for comfort. Closer still were the angry shouts.
“I thought I told you to check the alarm system,” one man hollered.
“I did. I swear! Your inside man set us up,” another wheezed.
They ignored Jasper as they barreled around the corner and shoved past him. Jasper fell hard against the concrete, face first. The thieves were well on their way to giving the cops the slip. They’d targeted the fire escape of a nearby warehouse, and once on the rooftops, they weren’t likely to be found. Jasper had strict rules on how he used his ice, but he’d never been the only one who could stop a crime. Just this once? What could it hurt?
Jasper knelt down and slapped his hands on the cracked pavement, a trick he hadn’t used since his childhood games of tag, before he was wise enough to know the trouble icing people’s legs together can bring you. Gritting his teeth against the pain of ice exhaustion, Jasper sent a stream of searing blue across the road. The wheezing thief had just grabbed the ladder when Jasper’s ice latched onto his ankles and continued upwards. Within seconds, both criminals froze solid, as much from shock as the ice. Though neither circumstance sealed their mouths.
“What the heck is this?”
“Get it off! Help! Somebody, help!”
“Shut up, you moron! You’ll get us caught.”
“You know how sensitive I am to the cold. Do you want me to die?”
“I wouldn’t be opposed to it. And if you get me caught, dead is exactly what you will be. Now keep quiet!”
But Wheezy didn’t keep quiet, and the sweet sound of his cries followed Jasper around the corner. He climbed the five flights of stairs to his apartment with wobbling legs but a satisfied grin—the cops would have no trouble finding them now—though he did feel a little bad for the poor schmuck who had to break them out of the ice.
He shrugged. I’m sure they’ll manage… Now, what might Lacey Lou like tomorrow?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I love it!
A refreshing take on uses for magic with some stakes and some “wasbewwy swiwl” flavored fun.
Well done Rae!
Aww, thank you! I loved playing with the idea that not every powered person wants to be a superhero. Some just want to make kids laugh.
This is so fun! I would love to use magic powers to bring a smile to kids’ faces, and this story brought a smile to mine. Well done.
Thank you! I’m so pleased I can give people a laugh during the covid crazy.
What a sweet story, with a neat twist at the end.
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
That was a great story!
Thank you!
Loved this!!
Aww, thank you!
Oh, this is a fun concept! I’ve heard of ‘heroes’, ‘superheroes’, ‘anti-heroes’, but not “everyman” heroes. You’re on to something, R.G.; not every powered person wants to be a superhero. This fantastic exploration was a success.
Your narrative voice really sells this story. The first paragraph feels like something out a children’s bedtime story book. All it needs are the words “Once upon a time”! And then there’s the way you speak of Jasper’s chief motivation: “He performed only to delight the children.“ Why? Before this line is an honest enough answer in Lacey Lou’s smile. And after it, after the reveal of his code name, the humble, yet dignified, disclosure that only children are “important enough” to know it. Exquisite characterization.
Wonderful job!
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!