Ain't Shady Baby, I'm Hot

16

"Wait!" I shouted as I ran into the house from the porch, everyone around John B and candles.

"Okay, let's do it." I added, John B nodded as he ripped open the envelope.

I looked at JJ as his face scrunched, a gag escaping him as he spat out whatever he had in his mouth.

We ignored him as John B pulled out a map, his hands unfolding the paper.

"Shit." He whispered, Pope moving to get a closer look.

"Well, X, marks the spot."

"I didn't do anything." I joked receiving eye rolls from everyone.

"Longitude, latitude. Wait there's something else in there." It was like unwrapping a gift with more things at the bottom.

John B pulled free a tape recorder, his head titled looking at it curiously.

"What's that?"

"It's a tape recorder, Hun." I said from beside Kie at the same time she piped up.

"It's a tape recorder, dumbass." John B pushed a button and feedback came through.

Dear Bird,

"Whose Bird?"

"That's what my dad called me." John B answered as Big John kept talking.

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, Kid.

I didn't expect to find the Merchant either. You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly Father of the Decade. What can I say, Kid? I could smell the barn. And hopefully, we're listenin' to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, living off passive investment 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. If something happens to me, finish what I started.

Go for the gold, Kid.

I love you, Bird, even if I didn't always act like it.

I'll see you on the other side.

Then there was silence.

John B, stood from the table and moved quick, my feet already catching up to him before I heard his first sob.

I didn't say a word as I put my arm around his waist, his body leaning into me as he let me drape his arm across my shoulders.

"Holy shit, he did it!" JJ shouted from in the kitchen. "Big John- he found the Merchant-" he trailed off as Kie mumbled something to him.

I wrapped John B in a full hug, his arms quick to reciprocate as he tucked his head into my shoulder. His full weight sagging on me as I let him cry. I didn't look up at the group as I curled around him. My hand made soft strokes on his back as I kept my breathing even.

This wasn't about anyone other than John B right now. All my job was making sure he knew he had the support I was talking about earlier in the day.

This went on for a few more minutes, Kie eventually joining as she leaned onto him. I held them both up. My eyes still closed as I focused on John B's breathing.

Only when I felt him settle down and his breathing begin to go back to normal did I slowly loosen my hold.

"Thank you." He whispered as he sniffled. Kie pulled away, walking into one of the bedrooms.

"I love you, B." He gave me a hard squeeze before he pulled away. "B," he looked at me his head cocked and his eyes rimmed with red, "we're here for you, always." He nodded his head, his feet dragging as he moved towards the guys who gave him a quick hug.

"You think you're up to play the ukulele?" I asked Kie once she came back into the hallway, but she was already a step ahead of me. Her hands lifting the instrument from behind her back.

We all went out to the dock and Kie started to play gently. The nightlife critters filling the silence.

"How much did you say it was again?" JJ finally piped up throwing a pebble into the water.

"Four hundred mil." Pope answers as I leaned against Kie.

"All right, let's talk the split." I stared at the blond completely dumbfounded yet then again, I wasn't surprised. "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." He waved his hand around with the pistol.

"You dumbass, I literally saved your asses this morning. It doesn't matter if these won't kill them. If you want to test it out I'll shoot you and see how long you're down for."

"Nope. That won't be necessary." JJ was quick to correct himself.

"What are you gonna do with your 100 mil Pope?"

"100 mil? That's not the breakdown?" Pope looked so confused.

"Kie and I are gonna divvy-up the fourth 100 mil between the two of us." I answered his question. A loud awe coming from JJ as he wrapped his hands around me.

"So sweet, wifey." I scoffed shaking my head as Pope answered Kie's question.

"Pay for college in advance. And also, textbooks. Those are expensive."

"Hell yeah they are. Even the online versions." I grumbled as JJ finally let go of me.

"What about you, Kie? What are you gonna do with your split?"

"Yeah, what does a socialist do when she's rich?" Pope added taunting the female.

"I wanna make a double album. About OBX, the Pogues. You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston." She seemed so shy about it, but it was so sweet. "Record at Marley Studio, Peter Tosh producing-"

"Uh..." I trailed off as Pope cut in.

"Peter Tosh is dead."

"I know," she laughed, "spirit of Peter Tosh will never die." She grew deadly serious making me choke on a laugh.

"I know what I'm gonna do." JJ poked in, all eyes on him now. "I'm gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go full Kook." I scrunched my nose up at the thought. I was more for the simple life, sure luxury but not 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 visiting." Pope laughed at Kie's comment.

"I'm gonna invest my share. Make some more money through work. Pay for college, live a long and happy life. Then it will go to next of kin."

"That's extremely generous." Kie commented bumping me with her elbow.

"I'm a generous person. I spend all my free time with y'all don't I."

"Hey, woah!" We laughed before settling down, my eyes on John B.

"What about you, B? What do you want to do?" I smiled at him, his eyes meeting mine. They looked so dull but held a small glimmer in them.

"To going full Kook." I grinned, raising my bottle of water, the others joining me.

"To going full Kook."