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The next day, Martha visited her brother Luca and his family. Luca was 7 years older than Martha and unlike Martha, he had a good-paying job as an executive at a Brazilian motor company and he already had a family. He opened the door to his elegant house to greet his sister. With Luca were his wife Beatriz and his children Gustavo and Frida. Although Frida and Gustavo were both 7 years old now, they were not twin. Frida was adopted and Martha had her hand in that. Luca stepped forward to greet his sister, but before he could reach her, Frida rushed past him and embraced Martha, squealing a happy: "Aunt Martha!"

"Frida!" Beatriz and Luca scolded their daughter. "That's not the way to behave!"

"I'm sorry, mama." Frida looked to the ground.

"Don't worry, Beatriz." Martha wrapped her arms around Frida. "I always like to see my favourite niece."

"I hope you won't prefer Frida, when you will have a second niece." Beatriz caressed her pregnant belly.

Martha smiled. "You had an ultrasonic testing?" Martha asked. Her sister-in-law nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll looking forward to spoil your new child too." Martha replied. She and Beatriz laughed out loud.

"Shall we go inside?" Luca asked. Both women and the children followed him inside.

After a delightful diner, the family and Martha sat down in the living room. Beatriz and Luca asked Martha to tell about her life in Switzerland, a request, Martha was happy to fulfill. Gustavo on the other hand was more interested to know if Martha was really a genie. Martha smiled. She raised her arm and cast a spell, which turned the family's black tomcat into a panther. "Martha, what are you doing?" Beatriz was shocked.

"Don't worry, Beatriz. He's still the old one inside." Martha said, while the panther was suggling with Gustavo, as if he was still a cute kitty.

"See, I told you she is a genie." Frida told her brother.

"That's so cool!" Gustavo gleamed. "Can we keep him that way?"

"Certainly not!" Beatriz was furious. "Martha, turn him back immediately! I don't feel safe with such a big cat in the house."

"Your wish is granted!" Martha blinked and the panther reverted into a little kitty.

"That was so cool, aunt Martha. Can you grant me a wish too?" Gustavo asked.

"Enough wishes for one day!" Beatriz intervened. "I'm sure your father wants to talk to his sister in private. Who wants some ice cream?"

First, Frida and Gustavo where disappointed about leaving Martha, but the prospect of ice cream cheered them up. They followed Beatriz to the kitchen.

When Martha and Luca were alone, Luca turned to her sister. "Martha, there's something I want to tell you: I'm a bit worried about Frida. Most of the time, she's kindest little girl. But sometimes, she acts so mature and can be sarcastic like a grown up person. Didn't that other genie, Babette, tell me Frida's mind will adapt over time?"

Martha looked to the ground. "Luca, there's something you should know. I learned about this months after you left Switzerland. But Babette added a mind protection, when she rejuvenated Frida. I guess Frida has kept her adult mind."

"What? I let this evil, scheming woman into my family?" Luca nearly panicked. "Why didn't you tell me when you found out?"

"Luca..." Martha hesitated to answer. "What good would have done it if I told you? Most of the time, she spends in Switzerland. Whenever we talked, you praised what a well-behaved child Frida was whenever she visited you. To me, it appeared that you've grown to love her as your new daughter."

Luca squinted. "I would love to raise that little girl as my daughter. But not if she is really the same woman inside, who tried to steal my life." He thought for a moment. "Say, Martha, can't you change Frida's mind magically, so she will think she has always been a little girl?"

Martha gave her brother an angry stare. "No, Luca! That would count as messing with Frida's mind. I'm not allowed to grant such a wish."

"Calm down!" Luca tried to ease his sister. He knew how easily Martha could get angry. "And if I wish that you would change history in such a way, that she really is my daughter? Wouldn't you have to grant that wish?"

Again, Martha shook her head. "I could do it, but I don't want to. I'm no longer a bound genie, so I'm not forced to grant any wishes. And it wouldn't be fair to Frida."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Luca was perplexed.

"We decided to turn Frida into a little girl so she can change her ways." Martha explained. "And I got the feeling that she already has changed." She thought for a moment. "Luca, before I grant any wish like that, let me talk to Frida. I think it's time she knows about your suspicion."

Luca took a deep breath. "I guess you are right. If she freaks out, you can still use your magic to fix the situation, right?"

"We will see!" Martha stood up and headed towards her niece's room.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Part 1: Family matters - Part 1
Part 2: Family matters - Part 2

Part 4: Family matters - Part 4

Description

The next day, Martha visited her brother Luca and his family. Luca was 7 years older than Martha and unlike Martha, he had a good-paying job as an executive at a Brazilian motor company and he already had a family. He opened the door to his elegant house to greet his sister. With Luca were his wife Beatriz and his children Gustavo and Frida. Although Frida and Gustavo were both 7 years old now, they were not twin. Frida was adopted and Martha had her hand in that. Luca stepped forward to greet his sister, but before he could reach her, Frida rushed past him and embraced Martha, squealing a happy: "Aunt Martha!"

"Frida!" Beatriz and Luca scolded their daughter. "That's not the way to behave!"

"I'm sorry, mama." Frida looked to the ground.

"Don't worry, Beatriz." Martha wrapped her arms around Frida. "I always like to see my favourite niece."

"I hope you won't prefer Frida, when you will have a second niece." Beatriz caressed her pregnant belly.

Martha smiled. "You had an ultrasonic testing?" Martha asked. Her sister-in-law nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll looking forward to spoil your new child too." Martha replied. She and Beatriz laughed out loud.

"Shall we go inside?" Luca asked. Both women and the children followed him inside.

After a delightful diner, the family and Martha sat down in the living room. Beatriz and Luca asked Martha to tell about her life in Switzerland, a request, Martha was happy to fulfill. Gustavo on the other hand was more interested to know if Martha was really a genie. Martha smiled. She raised her arm and cast a spell, which turned the family's black tomcat into a panther. "Martha, what are you doing?" Beatriz was shocked.

"Don't worry, Beatriz. He's still the old one inside." Martha said, while the panther was suggling with Gustavo, as if he was still a cute kitty.

"See, I told you she is a genie." Frida told her brother.

"That's so cool!" Gustavo gleamed. "Can we keep him that way?"

"Certainly not!" Beatriz was furious. "Martha, turn him back immediately! I don't feel safe with such a big cat in the house."

"Your wish is granted!" Martha blinked and the panther reverted into a little kitty.

"That was so cool, aunt Martha. Can you grant me a wish too?" Gustavo asked.

"Enough wishes for one day!" Beatriz intervened. "I'm sure your father wants to talk to his sister in private. Who wants some ice cream?"

First, Frida and Gustavo where disappointed about leaving Martha, but the prospect of ice cream cheered them up. They followed Beatriz to the kitchen.

When Martha and Luca were alone, Luca turned to her sister. "Martha, there's something I want to tell you: I'm a bit worried about Frida. Most of the time, she's kindest little girl. But sometimes, she acts so mature and can be sarcastic like a grown up person. Didn't that other genie, Babette, tell me Frida's mind will adapt over time?"

Martha looked to the ground. "Luca, there's something you should know. I learned about this months after you left Switzerland. But Babette added a mind protection, when she rejuvenated Frida. I guess Frida has kept her adult mind."

"What? I let this evil, scheming woman into my family?" Luca nearly panicked. "Why didn't you tell me when you found out?"

"Luca..." Martha hesitated to answer. "What good would have done it if I told you? Most of the time, she spends in Switzerland. Whenever we talked, you praised what a well-behaved child Frida was whenever she visited you. To me, it appeared that you've grown to love her as your new daughter."

Luca squinted. "I would love to raise that little girl as my daughter. But not if she is really the same woman inside, who tried to steal my life." He thought for a moment. "Say, Martha, can't you change Frida's mind magically, so she will think she has always been a little girl?"

Martha gave her brother an angry stare. "No, Luca! That would count as messing with Frida's mind. I'm not allowed to grant such a wish."

"Calm down!" Luca tried to ease his sister. He knew how easily Martha could get angry. "And if I wish that you would change history in such a way, that she really is my daughter? Wouldn't you have to grant that wish?"

Again, Martha shook her head. "I could do it, but I don't want to. I'm no longer a bound genie, so I'm not forced to grant any wishes. And it wouldn't be fair to Frida."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Luca was perplexed.

"We decided to turn Frida into a little girl so she can change her ways." Martha explained. "And I got the feeling that she already has changed." She thought for a moment. "Luca, before I grant any wish like that, let me talk to Frida. I think it's time she knows about your suspicion."

Luca took a deep breath. "I guess you are right. If she freaks out, you can still use your magic to fix the situation, right?"

"We will see!" Martha stood up and headed towards her niece's room.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Part 1: Family matters - Part 1
Part 2: Family matters - Part 2

Part 4: Family matters - Part 4