P4L, carpe diem (JJ Maybank)

012

I looked at the package, widening my eyes. It read on the side: to: Bird and Zazu. My Dad's nicknames for both me and John B.

My mouth opened as loud as I can, as I grabbed the package. "Holy shit!" I mumbled. I turned and showed it to my brother. "That's not gold," Pope exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes. "JJ, help me out of here, please," I said, holding my hand out to him.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, grabbing both of my hands and helping me out of the crevice. He tugged me a little too hard, and I ran into him. Our bodies were about 3 inches apart from each other, and we were so close I could feel his breathe on my face and neck.

I chuckled, rubbing all the dirt off myself. We turned from one another. "Holy shit," my brother said, looking at it. "This is from my dad."

I turned around, hearing a vehicle. "Code red! Code red! Square groupers! Square groupers!" JJ exclaimed. "It's the guys who robbed your house."

"Go, go, go, go, go, go," I said, hurdling everyone to the corner.

"Lights!" I whispered, turning my own off, and turning JJ's off since he wasn't paying attention.

"Do you think it's them?" Kie asked, and I turned, looking in front of me instead of behind.

"Screw this!" Kie said, turning and running. We all began running towards the gates, laughing as we did. "Track, bitches!" I whispered, taking the lead, going into a full sprint.

I jumped onto the gate then over the gate, falling onto JJ. "Shit!" I laughed.

I began running to the van, then realized Pope was stuck on the top of the 9 foot gate. "Guys, I'm stuck!" He told us. I couldn't help but laugh.

I pulled him back, and he complained. "Dyl, you're gonna rip me!"

I pulled him back again and laughed even more. His pants tore off his legs, leaving them bare except for his underwear.

"Nice. C'mon, dude," JJ said, laughing.

"It's a little tootsie roll," John B said. "Come on!" I yelled to Pope, as he waddled to the van. I got into the passengers seat in the front, but still couldn't help but laugh. "Holy shit!"

John B drove us away and we all irrupt it with laughter. Well, except for Pope.

-|-

We went back home to the Chateau.

"That bread had mold on it three days ago," I told JJ, who was making himself a peanut butter sandwich. I could see the mold from there, and I gagged. "I'll just pull off the bad part," a JJ said, making up an excuse. "Plus, mold is good for you. It's just a natural organism."

"JJ! Dylan!" Kie yelled and I ran back to the table. "Yep! Yep! Yep! Hot damn," JJ shouted. My brother peeled off the paper, and JJ gagged the bad bread out of his mouth.

"Ha-ha," I mumbled. My brother pulled out the map, which had the rest of North Carolina, a hurricane, the whole shabuddle. "X marks the spot," Pope pointed.

"Longitude, latitude," I said, pointing to the lines. "There's something else in there," John B said, pulling it out. "What's that,'' JJ asked. "A tape recorder, dumbass," Kie said. I press the play button on the tape recorder and set it down for everyone to hear.

"Dear Bird and Zazu," the tape began, and I immediately knew whose voice it is. "Zazu? As in the bird from the Lion King? And who's Bird?"

"It was my Dad's nicknames for me and my brother. I was Zazu, he was Bird. And yes, as in Zazu from the Lion King," I explained, pausing the tape recorder then pressing play.

"I hate to say, I told you so, but I told you so. And you both 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," Dad said.

I gave a look to JJ, who was a bit confused. "You are probably right call me out. Both of you. Wasn't exactly Father of the Decade." Our dad sighed.

"What can I say? I could smell the barn. And hopefully, you're listenin' to this in a new brown sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, livin' off of passive investments, and pulling on permits." I could hear him loading something, as if it was a gun. "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. If something happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, my twins. I love you both, my kids, even though I didn't always act like it. Bird, take care of your sister. And Zazu, please take care of your brother, take care of each other for me," he lastly said, turning it off. My brothers hand was shivering, so I grabbed it, hoping that maybe it'll possibly calm him down.

Besides that it didn't work, and he stood up and lay it against the door frame. He began sobbing and I joined him. "Holy shit, he did it!" JJ exclaimed. "Big John— he found the Merchant!"

"Can you... can you please?" Kie asked, wanting him to shut up. Me and my brother sobs became more noticeable to the group. I held my brother knowing that he was the only real family I had right now by blood. JJ walked up to me and put me in his grasp, while Kie took over for me. I wrapped in my arms around his neck while he help me on my waist.

-|-

After that, all of us are outside on the deck. I played my guitar will Kie played her ukulele and everyone set around in silence for some reason I didn't know. "How much was it again?" JJ asked.

"400 million," I answered, playing the chords on my guitar. "All right, let's talk the split," he announced, turn himself back over to the group.

"Now, before we say, evenly, may I remind you that I am the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us," JJ announced, making me laugh, as always. "Protection? Not cheap, OK?"

"You haven't been trained. You've done zero training!" Pope announced. "YouTube, bro!" JJ answered.

"What're you gonna do with your 80 mil, Pope?" Kie asked. "Pay for college in advance," Pope answered, with a small pause. "And also, textbooks. Those are expensive."

"What about you, Kie?" I asked her. "Yeah, what does a socialist do when she's already rich?" Pope asked. Kiara chuckled. " I just want to make a double album. About OBX, the Pogues. You know, the way Catch A Fire is about Kingston. Recorded at Marley studio, Peter Tosh producing-"

"Peter Tosh is dead," Pope said. "Peter Tosh is dead. I know. Spirit of Peter Tosh will never die," Kie answered, raising her drink.

"I know what I'll do. I'm going to get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go full Kook," JJ said, making me laugh. "You're gonna go full Kook?"

"Yup."

"Gonna get a marble statue of myself, and then I'm gonna get a Koi pond. Put a bunch of those fish—"

"I'm never gonna visit," I said, smiling and thinking about what I was gonna do with my money. "What are you gonna do, Dylan?"

"I think..." I said, still thinking about what I was gonna do. "Well, I think, first, I'm gonna get a bigger house and then when I am of age, travel the world...I'll see Rome, France, Bahamas.. who knows maybe I'll even go on a surfing trip. Play my music, go on tour. Go on a surfing tour," I answered, I said, thinking deep into the surfing part. "Maybe I could surf with dolphins...I don't know. I sound like a child thinking about that. But, that's what I'm gonna do," I explained.

"What about you, JB?" I asked my brother who's just sitting on the fence. After a little silence, he answered.

"To going full Kook," he said, looking at JJ. "To going full Kook!"