Lost

seventeen | Bird and Buddy

"did you find something?" JJ asked. "Is it gold?"
"oh my god..." Kie mumbled.

I walked past JJ who was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of expired jelly and moldy bread.
"That bread had mold on it three days ago." Pope told JJ as he walked behind me.
"Well, i'll just pull off the bad parts. Plus-mold is good for you it's just a...natural..organism." JJ shrugged.
"JJ." I stated.
"Yup, yup, yup-hot damn, let's do it."

"Thats not gold..." Pope huffed as Kiara slid a package through the hole she slid in.
"Holy shit." John B said as he held the package in his hands. "This is from my dad."

John B sat down at the dining table with the package in his hand. A candle was lit in front of him because we still didn't have our power back yet. I was sat next to him. Pope and Kiara were both standing next to John B. JJ added on to that.

John B ripped the top of the package opened and pulled out a folded paper. When he unfolded it-it revealed a map.
"Holy shit..." I mumbled.
"Oh," Pope murmured as he pointed to a big X on the map, "X marks the spot."

John B moved his finger around the map, pointing out what he saw. "Longitude, latitude."
"Wait, there's something else in there." I spoke as I saw a lump in the package.
John B looked at me then at the package. He then pulled out a tape recorder.

"What's that?" JJ asked.
"It's a tape recorder." I replied.
Kiara shook her head. "Dumbass..."
John B hit play and my father's voice immediately started playing. "Dear, Bird and Buddy."
"Who's that?" JJ asked.
"That's what our dad called us. Bird," I pointed to John B. Then at myself, "Buddy."

"I hate to say, "I told you so," but I told you so. And you guys doubted your old man." It was silence for a few seconds before there was shuffling heard over the tape recorder. "Listen, Bird. 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."
John B looked up at Pope and JJ and I looked up at Kie. My eyes were wide.
We all took a moment to look around at each other before my father started speaking again.

"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." My dad sighed as he did something on the other end of the tape recorder. "And hopefully, the three of us are listening to this in our Brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, living off passive investments and pulling permits. If not, and you guys find this for less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for."

"There she is, the wreck of the Merchant." My father continued. "If something happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, kids. I love you, Bird....I love you, Buddy. Even if I didn't always act like it." It was silence for a few moments. "I'll see you on the other side." Then it shut off.

Tears prickled into my eyes as I leaned back in my chair. I took in a deep breath and let it out.
John B stood up, sighing, and walked away from us all-over to the other side of the room.
"Holy shit, he did it!" JJ exclaimed. "Big John-He found the Merchant-"
"Can you..." Kie interrupted. I could feel her look over at me, then she looked over at J.B. "Can you please?"
"Sorry..." JJ nodded.

John B was sobbing. Over in the corner he was crying.
I tried blinking back the many tears that fought their way through. A few dropped. I wiped them away.
The rest of the night went by slowly. John b stopped crying after a little while but he still wouldn't speak. I felt sick. I didn't want to speak out of fear of throwing up.
We eventually migrated outside and everybody just talked about random stuff for a while. Then JJ brought up the gold again. I kinda just zoned him and the rest of them out.