The Stolen Wish

The Stolen Wish  is a compelling narrative that blends real life challenges with elements of magical realism, centering on the idea that a stolen wish, represented by a wishing coin taken from a fountain, triggered a series of events that affected the lives of Robin and John. Were their successes and setbacks mere coincidence or were magical forces at play. Or maybe it is the simple reality that their evolving relationship demonstrates the power of companionship and mutual support in overcoming life’s difficulties, that ultimately, their success is due to leveraging their unique talents and networks. 

The motif of the wishing coin and its theft raises questions about coincidence versus magical intervention in life’s outcomes.  The story explores their personal resilience in overcoming adversities, falling in love, career struggles, and the interplay of fate as it intertwined their lives.  

Have you ever tossed a coin into a fountain and made a wish?  Did you really believe your wish would come true? Robin Baker believes in wishes coming true and hers did.  Well, it did until her wish was stolen.  The outcome of the theft became a life changing adventure for the both of them.   

Robin Baker is a freelance writer living near Santa Barbara.  While walking in a park, the glint of sunlight on a coin catches hear attention.  She tosses it into a fountain pool and makes a wish.  Soon afterwards her wish comes true.  She is offered the great career changing opportunity  for which she wished.   But when her wish is stolen her life falls apart in that instant. She is at the airport headed for her new job when she learns the job is cancelled.  She has sold her car, vacated her apartment and used what money she had to pay her mom’s assisted living rent.  She is broke and homeless. 

That same afternoon John Christian happened to go to the airport to pick up his boss.  His boss’ flight happened to be delayed and John has to wait for him.  He could have sat anyplace in the terminal, but he happened to sit across the aisle from Robin.   He notices she is crying.  After overcoming his apprehension to approach the beautiful woman he learns about her dilemma. 

John describes himself as a starving photography student at the local collage, but he lives in a nice house and offers her the vacant second bedroom.  Though risky, Robin accepts his offer, not having any alternatives.  John describes his home as the caretaker’s cottage on an estate in Santa Barbara, California, but it is far beyond anything Robin could have expected.  She describes his residence as an enchanted cottage set in a mystical garden.  

Life is pretty nice in the enchanted cottage until Robin learns her job cancellation was due to John having stolen her wish.  John feels it is ridiculous to think wishes can be stolen. He tells her, “Wishing coins are something six year old's believe in, Robin.  There are no wishes. There is no Peter Pan, no Tinkerbell.  We live in a real world”.  However, he is at a loss to explain Robin’s job cancellation when her wish was stolen.  Admittedly, the events seem to go beyond mere coincidence. Did Robin’s wish grant her the job?  Was their chance meeting more than coincidental?  There are times when a series of events occur which are so extraordinary, they go beyond accepting them as being merely coincidence or luck.  When this happens, we are not always content to accept the adage, “Life Just Happens.”  Instead, we insist on trying to find any reason to explain the situation.  At a loss for any real-world explanation, we may even default to accepting maybe magic was involved.