Walking Dollar Bills

Chapter 46 (1/2): The Last Pill (2/3)

Memories are as important as DNA. Without the experiences and encounters that encapsulate a person's full life, then what is living? Therefore, the worst thieves don't steal property, but precious moments.

Amara wishes she owned something that could serve as a life raft. Her friend is alone on an island. He needs friends to awaken the dormant memories inside of him. Those memories would form a land bridge guiding him back to where he belongs. With her, Zala, Earl, and Yoko.

The name of her best-friend, Zala's big sister, and Gumbo's fiancé causes her heart to skip a beat. An item inside of her bag is crying for her attention. Thinking fast, she pulls the straps away from her shoulders and swings the bag in front of her.

Staring into the dark mouth of her bag, she catches the brief glimmer of a diamond bracelet. The diamond bracelet that Gumbo handed to her in case he didn't make it out of the northern base. It was his emblem of love that would comfort the woman he loved long after his departure.

Amara sticks her hand into the bag. The cold diamonds kiss the tips of her fingers. Delicately, she pulls out the symbol of her friend's affinity for Yoko.

A second item glimmers in the dark crevices of the bag with a purple light. The capsule containing the last pill. It too calls out to Amara.

She grips the bracelet with her pinky and ring finger, then fishes for the capsule with her remaining three fingers. It slides comfortably between them. The bag plops to the ground in front of her feet.

"I have to trigger your memories," says Amara burying the capsule into her small pants pocket, "Yoko didn't come with us on this journey, but the bracelet you bought for her is the next best thing!"

Within seconds, the bracelet leaves her hand and soars through the sky.

"Gumbo! Catch!" shouts Amara with her right shoulder pointing at him.

The projectile presses against the inside of Gumbo's palm. His hand closes over the item. Peeling back one nervous finger at a time, he unveils the diamond bracelet.

His eyes scan the item for significance.

"You bought that for Yoko!" shouts Amara, "You're going to marry her after all of this is over! Remember! You wanted to marry Yoko! She's the love of your life! Yoko!"

Those words turn Gumbo's mind into Picasso. The image of a woman with a heart-shaped face, curly silver hair, and a sweet smile is vividly etched into the space behind his eyes. Soon, sounds, smells, textures, and other details of the woman deposit into his memory bank.

Finally, memories arrive. The first time he noticed her, the first time he spoke to her, the first time they kissed, and the second, third, and fourth times that followed. His heart pounds and a wave of euphoria spreads over him.

So many beautiful forgotten memories replay themselves in his mind. He experiences each memory like it's the first time. More ecstasy flows into his veins. He is reliving the best moments of his life all at once. An enormous smile stretches across his face.

Then, the other memories return. Memories of their debt, memories of their expedition to Mao country, and memories of their fate at the northern base. He remembers Earl saving his life, and he remembers Amara throwing the diamond bracelet at him.

A single tear streams out of Gumbo's left eye, "I remember."

The prototype staggers as it lifts its gun barrel at Gumbo. Its crushed legs throw off its balance leading the android to favor its right side. A long minute seems to pass before it accurately lines its shot.

Gumbo does not remove his eyes from the diamond bracelet. Each twinkle is reminiscent of Yoko's smile. He feels no sense of urgency.

A flash of bullets speed at Gumbo, who evades them by merely flapping his wings and rising higher into the sky. The prototype continues to fire as Gumbo continues to ascend out of its range. His eyes remain fixed on the diamond bracelet.