𝐽𝑈𝑆𝑇 𝑁𝑂𝑇 𝑌𝐸𝑇 / JJ MAYBANK

𝟷𝟺

L I E S

"That bread had mold on it three days ago" says Pope to JJ who is buttering a loaf of bread with peanut butter.

"Then why didn't you throw it away?" I look up at Pope in confusion. Those boys are the worst.

"I'll just pull off the bad parts. Plus, mold is good for you. It's just a natural organism" explains the blond boy.

"JJ!" Shouts Kiara

"yup, yup, yup!" He runs to the table, with his bread and beer, where John b and I are sitting with the envelope.
"Hot damn! Let's do it" JJ takes a bite of his bread.

he gags "Mmm..." and spits the bread into his hand.

"Told you" I say to him. JJ comes back after throwing away the spit out bread and stands behind me, sitting on a chair. He puts his two hands on each of my shoulders.

"JJ throw that thing away!" I look at JJ's hands, in which he is still holding the bread and is pulling off the 'bad parts'.

"Holy shit" John b mumbles as he spreads out a card on the table.

"Oh. X marks the spot" Pope points to the X on the map that my dad has drawn.

"Longitude, latitude" John B points to different places on the map.
"Wait, there's something else in there" He pulls out a tape recorder from the envelope.

"What's that?" JJ asks.

"It's a tape recorder, dumbass" answers Kiara as John b pushes a button and we hear our father's voice.

"Dear Birds."

"Who's bird?" JJ asks.

"That's what our dad used to call us." I say to the boy.

"I hate to say, "I told you so," but I told you so. And you doubted your old man. I suspect, at this moment, you're filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight, but don't kill yourself just yet, kids. I didn't expect to find the Merchant either." Me and my brother look at each other for a moment.

"You two were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly Father of the Decade. What can I say, kids? I could smell the barn....And hopefully, we're listening to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa-Rica, living off passive investments and pulling on permits."

"If not, and you find this for less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is, the wreck of the Merchant" you hear a pen in the background.

"If something happens to me, finish what I started. And even if you don't want to, Emmi, help your brother. Go for the gold, kids. I love you, Birds, even if I didn't always act like it......I'll see you on the other side."

JJ noticed how I got tears in my eyes. And John B can't hold it back either, he stares at the tape recorder, stands up, and walks a few steps away. He holds onto a door frame and bursts into tears.

"Holy shit, he did it" JJ gets louder. "Big John- He found the Merchant-"

"Can you... can you please?" Says Kiara upset, glancing at me as she then goes to John b to comfort him.

"Sorry" mumbles JJ, looking down at me. I have a few tears running down my face.

That just brought it all up in me again now. I had somehow finished with it, wanted to believe that my father is dead to be able to live on. But all the shit that happens here in the last few days, brings all the emotions up again. Especially hearing his voice again. After 9 months. That is hard.