CHAPTER TWELVE
trying to be a family again, spoiler alert: it doesn't work
"To life, living and the pursuit of... treasure." Our dad toasts.
"That's a good one." JB agrees, before us three swallow our shots.
John wrapped my ankle with whatever rags he could find, tried to help me keep it immobilized so it doesn't hurt as much. We're sitting on the same bench, squeezed together, with our father in front of us.
JB grimaces, as the alcohol goes down his throat and it makes my dad laugh. "Yeah, see, that'll put hair on your chest there."
"That's disgusting." I scrunch up my nose and swallow my shot.
I leave the glass on the table and rest my head in my hand, glancing between my father and JB, waiting for an explanation of what went down this afternoon.
"So," John B finally speaks, catching my looks. "What's the deal with this whole kahuna thing?" He plays with the stone in his hands, looking up at our father.
"Yeah," I join, "How did you end up in Barbados?"
"Well, same way you did and for the same reason too." He looks between me and John. "The treasure."
"Obviously." I nod.
"And Carlos Singh."
We hear a story. Our fathers explains to us how he survived on a deserted island, and how he supposed Singh tracked his boat. They found him, and when he thought he was finally being rescued, it turns out they just wanted to keep him captive.
He hesitates when he speaks of fighting, and leaving one of the men behind. I guess he killed him. That makes me a little uncomfortable. But, who am I to judge? Since the last time I saw him I've committed so many felonies I've lost count of them.
He talks about being imprisoned in the same place Kiara was, Singh's fortress. The one we tried to break into. He had wanted to cut a deal with our dad. He wanted to know everything my dad knew about the Orinoco, El Dorado, the treasure. Luckily, he got away before saying too much. And not empty handed.
With a lit cigarette between his fingers, he admires the statue, looking at us above his glasses with a smile.
"And here I am," He smiles fondly, "back with my kids."
I can't help the smile that plasters in my face. John B does too, once I nudge him softly with my elbow. I'm not happy either about what he's put us through, but I'm not willing to spend a several hours trip on this boat in uncomfortable silence with them.
"But enough about me. I want to hear about you."
"Oh, no need, Dad. We're the same we were." I shrug.
"I don't believe that, Bee." Our dad laughs, taking a drag from his cigarette. "Come on, who are you sweet on these days, huh?"
I feel my cheeks start to burn as my mind wanders and brings back JJ's face to the front of my thoughts. My father points at my face and starts chuckling as I hide behind both of my hands.
"I knew there was someone."
"She's been macking JJ."
"John B!" I swat his arm harshly.
"Ah, so that finally happened?" Our dad laughs.
"What do you mean?" I ask, biting the inside of my cheek trying to hide my smile.
"That kid has been after you ever since your brother first brought him to our house." He laughs taking another drag, "I'm glad he grew the balls to finally ask you out."
"Oh, dad, please." I scrunch up my nose. "Don't say it like that."
"Yeah. Also, he's been hitting on her forever." John B rolls his eyes with a face of disgust.
"And it paid off." I say with a smug expression, elbowing my brother.
"I take he's nice to you, treats you right?" My father asks, looking at me above his glasses.
"He does." I nod with the biggest grin, "He's the best, Pops. He really is."
"Alright then, when it's right, it's right." Dad smiles, but still holds up a finger at me, "But be careful, don't want grandkids too soon."
"Okay!" I say clapping my hands together, stretching out the y, "Let's talk about literally anything else!"
"What? Why?" He points his finger at me, looking above his glasses again, "Are you pregnant?"
"God, no!" I writhe in my seat, while my brother laughs his ass off.
"Good! Don't get pregnant."
"I don't plan on it."
"Good!"
"Great!"
I swat my brother's arm, greatly annoyed by him laughing uncontrollably during the most part of this conversation. He stops, and wipes tears off his eyes, but still giggles to himself like a five year old kid.
"John B is married." I say, and my brother stops laughing abruptly.
"You're joking, right?" Our dad asks, looking between us both.
"Uh, no," My brother clears his throat. I cross my arms above my chest with a smug smirk. "I'm married, Dad."
"What, is she pregnant?" Our dad picks up the alcohol to pour more drinks.
"No, no. God, no." John shakes his head. It's now my turn to laugh. "No one's pregnant, Dad."
"Yeah, to be fair, we haven't even had much time." I think out loud, regretting those words as soon as I hear myself speaking.
"She's right. Not much time for the extracurricular activities."
"Not much privacy when you're in a stranded island together." I click my tongue, and then purse my lips nodding my head softly.
"You're both a little young, ain't ya?" Our dad pours the liquor in our glasses.
"We're almost eighteen." I say, squinting my eyes.
"Yeah, and, I mean, you said it best. If it's right, it's right." John B shrugs with a smile.
"It's not a legal marriage anyway, Dad." I try to explain, earning a smack on my arm from my brother, "Ouch! What? It's true! You just gave Blondie a dirty rag!"
"Blondie?" Our dad chuckles, "Do I know her? Who is she?"
We fall silent for a second. I almost forgot that Sarah is Ward's daughter. Ward, as in the man who almost killed our dad.
I bite down on my lower lip, eyes wide open, as I side eye my brother, impatient to see the outcome of this.
"Yeah," John clears his throat. "You know her." John B picks up his glass, and downs the shot of alcohol grimacing before saying, "It's Sarah. Cameron."
You can cut the tension with a knife. I should definitely not be enjoying this as much as I am. John B is in deep shit right now.
Our father takes off his glasses. He's damn serious now. He sniffles, and looks John dead in the eye, "Ward's daughter? The queen of Kildare."
"Hey," I frown, "I am the queen."
"You're a Pogue queen." My dad says, pointing at me with his glasses, "She's the enemy."
"That's fair." I say, sinking in my seat as the attention returns to John B.
"You can't do things the easy way, can you?"
"Are you mad?"
"Well, he's not spreading flowers and joy." I mutter under my breath. John B kicks my leg under the table and I curse under my breath.
"Brizo, he went for the big prize." Our father laughs, "Nah. How could I be mad about that?"
They clink their glasses, and down their shots as my father congratulates JB on his relationship. I laugh to myself, and then ask my brother to move so I can limp outside. I need some fresh air.
I sit alone outside, watching in awe as the moonlight reflects on the shimmering ocean water. I can't help but smile, and the smile grows wider when my Dad walks outside and joins me, bringing a small lamp with him. He places it on the small table, with a map underneath it.
"My sweet Bee," He smiles.
"Hey, Pops." I laugh.
John B joins soon after, and opts to crouch down next to me, directly between my legs, which leaves me so much room to smack him on the back of his head as much as I want to.
"See, kids," Dad speaks, signaling on the map calling for our attention. "Most people think the Golden City is here up above the Orinoco basin."
"It is not?" I knit my eyebrows, "Wasn't the signpost from Orinoco?"
"Yeah, but, that Spanish ship, the one with the cross and the gold..."
"San Jose." I nod.
Our father smiles proudly and nods his head, "They were rumored to have found El Dorado. That's where all the gold came from." He keeps explaining, "And this stone piece is supposedly what led them to El Dorado."
"All right." I nod my head, listening attentively.
"Now, the captain of the San Jose wanted to be the only one who knew how to get there, so he dug this up out of the jungle, kept it with him. At least that's the story."
"And how does it work, exactly?" I say, pointing at the stone.
"Apparently, if you can translate this stone piece, then boom, it tells you how to get there."
"Um," John B speaks, "that little stone piece is broken."
"Singh thinks that the diary holds a clue to the missing piece. I think he's probably right. Only one way to find out." Our father glances between us, his face lit up by the dim light, as a hopeful smile, "This is the big one, kids."
"You've already said that, Dad." I smile sadly.
"I've been obsessed with this since I was your age, going out into the blank spaces, hunting for treasure, and finding it."
"Been there, done that." I chuckle, stretching out my hand for JB to high-five me.
"But as I got older, I began to think that all those spaces had been filled in, that there was nothing left to discover. Till I got this."
"You've been dreaming about this your whole life, we know, Dad." I barely whisper, staring at his hopeful eyes, knowing he would give his life for this treasure, but not so sure he'd do the same for us.
"We find that diary, Bee, we decipher those scribblings... We're on our way to El Dorado."
As our father finishes speaking, we turn our heads to the sound of water splashing. My breath gets stuck on my throat, as my jaw touches the floor in awe.
A magnificent whale splashing water around us, singing and making its way, blowing air. It swims away into the reflection of the moonlight, easily the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life.
The smile plastered on my face seems permanent now, and I can't help but think that maybe this is a sign. A sign that we will find El Dorado. Just as we found the Merchant and the cross. We did it once, we can do it again.
I glance at my brother and my father, both of them smiling at me, and I'm overwhelmed by this feeling I can't quite describe... But it warms my chest and my whole body, and it makes me feel like I'm on top of the whole wide world.
"We're gonna find it... together." Our dad smiles sweetly.
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just one more chapter till we get rid of big john... how are you all holding up dear readers?
i'll see you in the next chapter! love you! <3 xx
-circe