It's Magic, You Know

August 2008. Las Vegas, Nevada

"Did everyone have a fun?" he asked with a big smile.

Without exception, every child hollered, "Yes!"

He bowed, thanked them for being such a good audience, then walked away.

The woman who'd hired him took him aside as he was leaving and said, "I was hoping the kids would enjoy the show, but I had no idea you were so good!"

"That's very kind," he said modestly.

"No. I'm serious. That was...amazing! I've always loved magic but never really seen a show up close. Even the basic stuff you did was great, but a couple of those tricks just blew me away."

"Again, I appreciate the kind words," he told her.

"Listen. I have a good friend who's daughter is very ill. I know you make money doing this, and it's worth every penny, by the way, but if you would even consider doing something to cheer her up, I'm sure..."

"I'll do it," he said before she could even finish her thought. "Just give me her mom's phone number, and I'll contact her. If she's interested I'll do it free of charge."

"You are so wonderful!" the older woman said as she grabbed him and hugged him.

The hug lasted far too long making him very uncomfortable, but she'd just tipped him fifty dollars which was the amount he charged for a one-hour show, so he wasn't about to complain.

Jakob Bennett was just 18 but had been doing magic since he was ten. He was also a very good looking kid, and this very plain, somewhat overweight, single mom was very much enjoying any excuse to hug—if only briefly—such a handsome young man.

In terms of looks, it was unusual to see anyone who was as blond as he was, but Jakob was as blond as blond could be almost to the point of his hair looking white. Together his unbelievably blue eyes, he looked almost...pretty. That was due to his having what women often called 'girly eyes' that would have been strikingly beautiful on a female but which made a man like him 'mysteriously sexy'.

That, coupled with a great smile, a very symmetrical face, and a pleasant disposition, and already being an even six feet tall, made Jakob Bennett a highly sought after commodity. It had been that way for as long as he could remember, and he no longer gave any thought to the looks he'd been blessed with and done nothing to earn. It was just one more fact of life for him, so whether or not this suburban housewife who'd just smothered him for nearly ten seconds of his life hugged him solely based on his external appearance, it wasn't at all surprising.

Because of those 'hard-won' looks, he regularly spent a lot of time with girls. But no matter how hard they pursued him, magic was his passion and first love.

Jakob spent many hours each week perfecting the basics while continuing to add new tricks to his repertoire. Unfortunately, getting access to almost anything beyond the basics cost money, so he'd worked part time and saved what he earned to allow him to continue to expand his craft while perfecting the parts of it he already knew.

His father was a huge Bob Dylan fan, and had named his son Jakob, with a 'k', after Dylan's son. That Jakob was the lead singer for a once-popular group called The Wallflowers, and in his younger years, Jakob Dylan had those same kind of amazing eyes only with very dark hair rather the striking blond color with which the younger Jakob had been blessed.

Jakob Bennett had also received another gift from his mother and father—the gift of giving.

His parents both worked making them a solidly middle-class family. They weren't rolling in money, but one of the things they had always done was give of their time, money, and other resources to those in need. So from a very early age, that quality had been inculcated in their only child for whom giving and giving back was now second nature.

On his way home, he called the number this matronly-looking woman had given him and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" he heard.

"Yes, hello. My name is Jakob Bennett."

"The magician," the female voice said cheerfully.

Jakob smiled and told her that was him by saying, "Yes, this is he," which sounded bookish but was grammatically correct.

"I just got a call from my friend where you performed for her son's birthday party. I literally just hung up with her. She said you were fabulous."

"Oh, no. I'm hardly anything close to fabulous, but I did have a lot of fun doing the show. The children were all very well behaved, and that always helps," he told her.

"I know my friend asked you do a show for my daughter, Jenni, and she said you wouldn't charge me, but I couldn't let you do it for nothing. I hope you understand."

"I wouldn't be doing it for nothing," he told her.

"Oh. Um, well, the thing is, I'm not really in a position to pay you right now."

"That's okay. I wouldn't take money anyway."

"Then I'm confused," she told him.

Jakob smiled but didn't laugh before he explained.

"I get tremendous satisfaction in just making someone smile. So while I wouldn't be getting any money, I would definitely be getting something; something a lot more valuable, I might add."

"That's unbelievably kind of you, but...Jakob? My daughter is very ill. I know it would make her feel better, but please understand. If you haven't seen a child suffering from the worst aspects of leukemia and how they look, it may be a bit...unsettling."

"May I ask how old she is?"

"Jenni's four," the woman said quietly.

"Just tell me when and I'll be there," he replied without hesitation. He didn't tell her mother, but his first thought was that if this little girl could live with cancer and its side effects, he could stand to see them.

It was the summer after his senior year so other than a handful of previously-booked events, Jakob's schedule was free and clear. He was starting a full-time job in a week, but for now, time was something he had plenty of, and he was more than happy to try and bring some much-needed cheer to this little girl's life.

"Mornings are best. That's when she's the strongest," the girl's mother told him.

"Is tomorrow morning okay then?" he asked.

"Yes. That...that would be perfect," she told him, her voice soft and quiet.

"Great. Just tell me the exact time—and your address, of course—and I'll be there."

She didn't want him to know she was trying not to cry so she took a long, slow breath then, as she slowly exhaled, and as pleasantly as she could, said, "Thank you. Very much."

She then suggested 8am before taking another deep breath then said she'd text him her address.

"My pleasure," he told her. "I'll see you both at eight."

The woman hung up then started to cry. Again. There'd been precious good news in her life lately, and even something as simple as this touched her deeply.

Hollie Corbett had just turned 30, and had recently found herself single again after her husband walked away four months ago. He'd always been self-centered, but when Jenni was diagnosed and he realized how much the medical bills would be, and that he'd be unable to do anything he enjoyed that cost money, that was the proverbial straw that had broken the camel's back. Or perhaps in has case, the ass's back.

Too stunned and too hurt to try and convince him to stay, she already realized that letting him go had been the best thing she could have done. She'd tried updating him on his daughter's condition once, and he made it clear he had no interest in what he called his past life. His reply confirmed what she thought, and now she was wishing she'd asked him to leave two years ago. In fact, were it not for Jenni, she found herself wishing she'd never even met him let alone agreed to marry him.

So now she was on her own trying to cope with this vicious childhood illness her daughter was suffering with as well as the aftermath of a failed marriage, and medical bills so deep she couldn't see beyond the moment.

In a way, his leaving was the only positive thing that had come out of this as Hollie had always been a kind of pollyannish, pie-in-the sky sort of person where everything was always bright and sunny and adorned with candy canes. Now she understood the harsh reality of life where bad things, sometimes very bad things, happened to good people for no apparent reason. Even innocent little children like Jenni.

Actually, there was one other positive thing. Her soon-to-be ex-husband made very good money, and a judge had ordered him to pay not only child support but alimony, as well, with half of the medical bills considered as their joint responsibilities. That allowed Hollie to stay at home with her daughter for now, but just her half of those bills would almost certainly force her into bankruptcy at some point.

So after yet one more bout in what seemed like an endless series of crying episodes, she got up, washed her face, dried her eyes then went back to trying to carry on with her life one day at a time.

Early the next morning, Hollie went to check on her precious little girl. The sweet, very bald little girl who had no idea why this was happening to her barely looked when he mother walked in.

"Hey, honey! How are you feeling?" she asked.

"The same," her daughter told her, her voice hollow and her eyes sad and listless.

"Do you think you can maybe eat something yet?" her mom asked.

Jenni shook her head side to side just the slightest amount.

"Okay. Maybe something to drink?"

"Orange juice?" she asked very quietly.

Even that was a luxury item, but it was something Jenni could keep down, so Hollie tried to make sure to have some on hand at all times.

"Sure. I'll be right back, okay?"

The sick little girl didn't even nod. She just clung to her favorite stuffed animal and...endured...as a Disney movie she wasn't watching droned on in the background.

Unless she was taking Jenni to the doctor, Hollie rarely wore makeup or anything nice. But since she had a visitor coming, she took the time to do both after showering and blow drying her hair.

Because of these new realities in her life, she gave no thought to her own good looks, something she'd always been very aware of and in which she'd taken an immense amount of pride. Hollie had never gone anywhere without makeup, and she always wore the nicest things she had. Now, nothing mattered but her daughter and getting her well.

She knew the odds were on Jenni's side, but she was also very aware that a certain percentage of children with this form of leukemia never recovered. She did her best to push that thought to the back of her mind, but in her weaker moments, it was always there scaring her to the point of feeling physically ill. In her better moments, Hollie kept those fears in check and stayed busy every free moment to keep her from having to think about it.

For now she had company coming so she did her best to look presentable which meant she looked far beyond just presentable. Hollie was a very attractive woman with thick, shiny, dark hair that fell to the middle of her back. She was 5'7" and a perfect size 4 with very nice, full-B boobs and a tight, round butt and long, slender legs. She had an equally beautiful smile and gorgeous blue eyes to boot.

That meant that she always looked nice even in a tee shirt with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked beautiful even then, but this morning she looked amazing. Sadly, looking her best no longer gave her any real pleasure, and she was only making the effort out of habit, and didn't bother even taking a final look in the mirror when she finished getting ready.

Jakob sent her a text at 7:45 confirming he was on the way and would be there right on time. Once she new he was coming, she went into her daughter's room to let her know they had a visitor coming.

"Who is it?" her daughter asked, the slightest change in her voice cheering her mother up.

Before she could answer, Jenni said, "Mommy? You look very pretty."

She sat down next to her, smiled, then thanked her before explaining who this guest was.

"A mujishun?" her daughter asked in a voice she hadn't heard in quite some time.

She managed not to laugh at Jenni's attempt to pronounce the word then said, "Yes. He's coming here especially for you."

"He is?" she asked as she struggled to sit up in bed.

"Yes, he is. And he's going to be here very soon."

"Can I go sit on the couch?" she asked, surprising her mother.

"Um, sure. Let me help you, okay?"

Hollie picked her up while Jenni clung to Garfield, her current favorite 'pet' and carried her to the living room and propped her up with pillows on both sides as she sat in the middle of the sofa.

"Are you cold?" her mom asked sweetly.

"No. I'm okay," she said. "Will the mujishun be here soon?"

"Yes, he will," she said. "Do you know what magicians do?"

"Yes. They do magic tricks," Jenni told her.

"Well, yes they do," her mom said not sure what else to ask or even say after that.

She was saved by the bell a couple of minutes later and sprang off the couch so fast it startled Jenni.

"Sorry, honey. Mommy's a little nervous for some reason."

"Maybe the mujishun can make it go away," her daughter suggested quietly.

She smiled as she walked to the door and said, "Yes. Maybe so."

Her friend had let her know Jakob was a 'cutie pie' but she was more than surprised when she opened the door and saw him. Her first thought was that he reminded her of a very handsome extra on a surfing movie from a Frankie Avalon film. He was a slightly thinner version of the 'hunky guy' standing by a surfboard who never said a word. His purpose was to smile and look good, and this young 'mujishun' looked very good.

"Hi. You must be Jakob. I'm Hollie," she said with a smile as she stepped aside.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said with a smile of his own.

As she was closing the door she saw him reaching for her face and was surprised when she didn't pull away.

"Hold still, okay?" he said very seriously.

His hand stopped somewhere around her ear then reappeared in front of her holding a gold coin.

"I thought I saw this back there," he told her.

For the first time in quite a while, Hollie laughed.

"It's cheesy, but it usually gets a laugh," he told her before pocketing the coin.

"My daughter will love it," she said, now very glad she'd agreed to let him come. "Let me introduce you, okay?"

He followed her into the living room and did his best not to stare at this young mother was the antithesis of the one who'd hugged him much too long.

The moment he saw the sick little girl, he smiled though it was breaking his heart knowing she was so ill. But he was immediately rewarded with a smile when she saw him, and that perked him right back up.

"Honey? This is the magician. His name is Jakob. Can you say 'hello'?"

"Hello," she said very quietly.

"Well, hello," Jakob said. "Hey. I think something's in your ear!"

"It is?" Jenni said as he reached for it just as he had moments ago.

When he pulled out the same gold coin, Jenni smiled which made her mother smile.

"Is this yours?" he asked her.

"No. Where was it?"

"Right there. In your ear," he told her as he reached for it again.

This time he began pulling silk handkerchiefs out of it for a full five seconds causing the little girl to laugh.

"It's no wonder you don't feel good. You had all that stuff stuck in your head!" he said very seriously.

"You're funny!" Jenni told him.

"Well, I am going to make you laugh a whole lot, okay?" he told her. "I just need to go get a few things from my car. Can you sit right there until I get back?"

Jenni nodded and was still smiling, and her mom was on the verge of crying again. But this time, she managed to hold it in as Jakob ran out to get the props he needed.

For the next forty-five minutes or so, he dazzled and amazed them both. Because Jenni was so young he made sure to do simple things that would make her laugh, but he did throw in a couple of more advanced tricks for the benefit of her mom who said each time, "Okay. How did you do that?"

Once, Jenni told her very authoritatively, "Because he's a mujishun!"

After his final trick, Hollie applauded and Jenni joined in.

"Do some more!" she said.

"That's all I can do today," he told her.

"Can you do more tomorrow?" she asked.

Her mother knew that was coming, and now she had to tell her he couldn't come back again when Jakob said, "That depends on what your mom says."

Hollie gave him a puzzled look, and Jakob quietly said, "How about you and I talk privately?"

She followed him into the kitchen where he said, "I'm no expert, but I've heard that laughter can be very beneficial. I can't spend this much time here every day, but I can swing by for five or ten minutes to give her something to look forward to. If you think it would help."

Hollie was fighting another round of tears as she listened to this young man she'd barely just met make such an incredible offer.

"You...you would be willing to do that?"

"Yes. Absolutely. I do start working full-time next week, but I'm sure we can work something out."

Hollie knew she was losing the battle and turned away.

Jakob knew why and didn't say anything at first. When he saw her body shake he quietly said, "I'll text you and we can discuss the time, okay?"

He saw her nod and with that he went back to the living room where he did one more trick for Jenni before packing up. He came back in to say goodbye and he got his 'thanks' when the little girl held out her arms to hug him.

"I love hugs!" he told her as he not only hugged her but picked her up and held her.

"So did you have fun?" he asked.

"Uh-huh. I wanna be a mujishun when I grow up," she told him.

Normally, Hollie would have had to look away at any mention of her daughter growing up, but this time she was smiling and felt unbelievably grateful.

"Well, I hope to be a famous magician myself one day. And famous magicians need beautiful assistants. So maybe you could start out by being my big helper."

"Okay!" she said before putting her little arms around his neck again.

"All right. I'll be back tomorrow but I can't stay as long. Will that be okay?" he asked her after pulling away far enough to see her face.

Jenni nodded then Jakob set her back down on the couch.

"Can Mommy walk Jakob outside, honey?" Hollie asked.

"Yes. I'll stay right here," her daughter said as though she might actually have the strength to get up and walk away.

"Okay, and I'll be right back," her mother promised.

Hollie stopped on the front porch and looked at Jakob then said, "I can't possibly thank you enough for today."

He smiled then said, "I got more than enough thanks from her smiles and those hugs."

"Okay, I'm gonna cry again if you don't leave," she told him, a real smile on her face.

"She's such a sweet girl," Jakob told her hoping it wouldn't make her cry.

"Yes. Yes, she is. And she's too young to really know what's going on with her. It's just so...sad."

"I won't pretend to understand what she...or you...might be going through. But I can try and make her smile, and if what they say about that strengthening the immune system is true, then..."

"Thank you," Hollie told him as she blinked back tears.

She held out her arms to hug him, and this time, Jakob was happy to hug her back. The fact that Hollie was very attractive was nice, but he'd have hugged her no matter what she looked like because she was such a kind, caring person struggling with something no parent should ever have to deal with.

"I can't believe you're just out of high school," Hollie told him once she let him go.

He assumed her friend had told her that, too, and assured her it was true.

"So are you really planning on making magic your...career?" she asked hoping she'd chosen the correct word.

"I am," he told her. "I know it's a very tough row to hoe, and there are thousands of wannabe magicians out there—especially here in Las Vegas, but yes, that's my dream."