SEASON 1
EPISODE 3
"Dear Bird..."
»»----- -----««
JJ SCRAPED the last remnants of jam from the glass jar, spreading it over a slice of bread that looked far from fresh. Pope leaned in, raising an eyebrow. "That bread had mold on it three days ago," he muttered.
JJ shrugged, unbothered. "I'll just pull off the bad parts." He tore away the moldy spots, spreading the jam carefully. "Besides, mold's just a natural organism. Probably builds character or something." He took a bite, making a face as the taste hit him.
Before Pope could argue, Kiara's voice called from across the room. "JJ, get over here!"
The four of them gathered around John B, who sat at his desk, holding an old envelope, with 'to bird' written on it. His hands trembled slightly, anticipation and dread in his eyes. JJ leaned against the desk, still chewing. "God damn! Let's do it."
John B took a deep breath, carefully tearing open the envelope as everyone watched, the room falling silent. Inside was a folded piece of paper—a worn, faded map, marked with coordinates and notations. John B unfolded it and laid it out on the desk, staring at it. "Holy shit."
"X marks the spot," Victoria whispered, pointing to a faint "X" near the top of the map.
John B nodded, tracing his finger over the coordinates. "Longitude, latitude..." he murmured. Then he noticed something else inside the envelope. Reaching in, his hand touched a small, cold device—a black tape recorder.
"What is that?" JJ asked, leaning closer.
Kiara rolled her eyes. "It's a tape recorder, dumbass."
John B held it carefully, as though it were something fragile. His heart raced as he pressed the play button. The tape crackled, and then his father's familiar voice broke through, warm and haunting. "Dear Bird..." The words hung in the air, and John B felt a pang of emotion.
"Who's Bird?" JJ asked, brows raised.
John B's voice was barely a whisper. "That's what my dad called me."
The recording continued, his father's tone mixing humor with regret. "I hate to say 'I told you so,' but I told you so. And you doubted your old man." John B's face softened, memories surfacing. His father's words felt like they were reaching through time, speaking to him as if he were right there.
"You're probably 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..." Big John let out a faint chuckle. "What can I say, kid? I could smell the barn."
John B's eyes brimmed with tears, his fingers clutching the tape recorder. His father's words echoed through him, both comforting and heartbreaking.
The voice continued, laced with longing. "Hopefully, we're listening to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, livin' off passive investments and pulling on permits. If not, and you find this for less 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..."
The recording ended with his father's final words, quiet but powerful. "I love you, Bird, even if I didn't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side." The tape clicked off, leaving the room heavy with silence.
John B stared at the recorder, his eyes wet, and then, unable to hold it back, he broke down. Turning away, he stumbled toward a wooden beam, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed, finally letting the emotion pour out.
YOU ARE READING
𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄 ¹- jj maybank
Fanfiction: ̗̀➛ 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 Victoria Miller's world is upended when she learns her life as the Pogue Princess is over. No longer surrounded by her group of friends, she's forced to adjust to a new, unfamiliar reality as a Kook. After a year of her not so...
