CHAPTER 16: Pearls of Wisdom
2282 Words
ODESSA
“I heard you were leaving.” I find Kaizer and Kairo in the game room while looking for Saya.
We are having a sleepover for my last night.
“Yes, I am. My flight is in the morning” because lockdown is over!
“Good riddance.” Kaizer hits a red ball with his pool stick.
“Come on, just admit you are going to miss her.” Kairo jumps in before I can but Kaizer shakes his head. “Well, I am going to miss you Odessa. Your colors were exactly what we needed.”
“I am going to miss you too Kairo.” I smile at the only person that has been kind to me since day one.
Kairo is the least consumed with all the mafia games and despite having Lucifer as a twin, he still has a light hearted nature.
“Remember that when we are in combat and head to head in the future.” Kairo opens his arms for a hug and I walk into it.
Apart from Saya, he is the only other person that has ever hugged me here. It made me realize not to take my friends and family’s affection for granted because I actually like hugs, they are very calming.
“I will.” I look at Kaizer and smirk. “Don’t you have any words of wisdom for me? You know, for all times sake.”
Kaizer and I haven’t been alone since our fight. I am curious to hear his parting words because out of everyone, he was the least concerned about me. I doubt he will even notice I am gone.
“I let you win that fight,” Kaizer chalks the head of his pool stick.
“I know,” both twins look at me. “You were distracted by Kudo and I took advantage.”
I know exactly how and why I won that fight, that night.
“Okay smartass, here is some wisdom for you.” Kaizer drops the stick and walks to me. “Watch your back, you are back to being the enemy now.”
“Ah Kaizer.” I hold his shoulder as his jaw ticks. “Has someone ever told you how uptight you are?”
Kairo snorts while I smirk at the man that will never scare or intimidate me. I have Dominaka blood running through my veins, I have seen worse than him.
“Goodbye Odessa.” Kaizer clicks his tongue and pauses by the door to say. “Always have a knife, even if it is a gun and fist fight. It is better to have backup than to be unprepared.”
I smile because in away, that is wisdom.
“Creepy.” Kairo connects our hands. “My advice is sweet, just like you.” He moves hair off my face and smiles.
“Let us hear it then,” I return his smile.
“Remember that you are champagne in a room full of beer.” Kairo steps closer to add. “You are in your own league, which is why your glass is different.”
“Pop-pop baby!” I hype and we hug for what feels like the last time.
I am really going to miss Kairo Choi. His humour reminded me so much of Tommy’s which helped with being comfortable around here.
“Computer lab? I thought you were a library guy.” I lean against the doorway and watch Kade type and look at 3monitors at the same time.
He is working on a code, probably for the next mission.
“Nope, I crave the electromagnetic waves too much.” He pushes his spectacles up to look at me. “Congratulations on your leave, you must be thrilled.”
“I am,” and I can’t hide it. “Thanks for your help with Rosanna,” I found exactly what I was looking for.
“No problem.” Kade adjusts his spectacles again which is a sign he is feeling awkward.
“I was looking for Saya but since I will be leaving early tomorrow, I wanted to say goodbye to you.”
I walk in to explain.
“And maybe get some wisdom?” He muses, “you should know Kairo can’t keep a secret.”
“I suspected, so what do you got?” I am curious to know what advice the smartest Choi son has to offer.
“Sometimes letting go is better than holding on,” Kade’s face is serious. “Rosanna is a good example that it is better to know when to quit than to always keep going.”
“I thought it was important to never give up, you know fighting!” I try to lighten the mood but he shakes his head.
“Not when it comes at the cost of something bigger.” Kade stands and extends his hand for me to shake. “Good luck Odessa.”
I shake his hand.
“You too Kade.” I don’t look back once I leave him in the room to continue my pursuit for Saya.
I know she is probably hiding out and sucking Kiyoko’s tongue somewhere but I want to spend my last night here with her. She was truly the best thing about Kook Academy.
“Odessa, just who I was looking for.” Katana pulls me into the rec-room. “Kudo hid my stash, please help me look for it?”
“Stash?” I watch him turn the room upside down. “Don’t they usually flush it down the toilet?”
That is the only reason no one drinks the water here, it is full of Katana’s drugs.
“He didn’t get the chance and its pills, pain meds.” Katana runs his fingers through his long hair. “You are leaving right?” His bloodshot eyes turn to me, “I’ll spilt them with you. For your flight and stuff.”
“I am good.” I don’t need to be addicted to anything as I am neurotic enough. “But I’ll help,” this is the first time him and I are alone.
I am curious to see how he is like, semi-sober.
“I knew you were the right person to find, my brothers don’t bother with me anymore.” He throws down every book on the shelve and moves to the paintings.
“What about Kiyoko?” I thought he was the keeper but Katana scoffs.
“Saya finally smiled at him, he is not coming back.” He smashes a vase on the floor to reveal a bag of pot. “I forgot about this,” he shoves it in his pocket.
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” I find a bag of pills taped under Kudo’s chair by the board room table.
He really didn’t get a chance to toss them.
“Because he was borderline crazy.” Katana digs his hand inside the couch. “He burned an orphanage, granted it was a front for a trafficking ring but it was real orphanage. We had to build and fund a new one which nearly drained our monthly profits.”
That is intense.
“Still aren’t we all crazy in some way?” I lift the bag and Katana lights up like Christmas lights.
“No, my brothers and I were all tested.” Katana grabs the bag and sniffs, “they found an anomaly in him, nothing serious. He is okay as long as he is not in a stressful environment.”
“But we are in the mob.”
Their case is worse because they actually go on missions. Risk their lives and do all sort of things in a high risk, stressful environment.
No wonder neither Kiyoko or Kaizer can keep their cool.
“Exactly!” Katana dips his pinkie inside the bag to taste. “But Saya smiled at him for the first time in 3years and he is like a completely different person.”
That I can agree, it happened right in front of all our eyes.
“Well, since you found your stash I should probably leave you to it.” I have seen the phases of high Katana and the first stage is never pretty.
“What? You don’t want some wisdom from the drug addict?” He actually looks offended.
“Kairo really can’t keep his mouth shut,” I smile to myself. “I was actually saving you for last, you are not a very patient sober person so I was waiting for the 8 o’clock high to kick in.”
“Smart,” he takes 4pills and smirks. “But you should know I will never be coherent enough to say more than 3sentences.”
“You graduated c*m-laude.” I remind and Katana Oh’s like he actually forgot.
“My advice is simple, don’t ever be someone’s slogan because you are poetry.” He takes another pill and smiles.
I pause because I don’t think I have ever seen Katana truly smile. It is nice and a little broken but very honest and raw—like him.
“That’s sweet.”
“I thought so too when I heard it in a rehab movie,” Katana muses and I finally laugh. “But I mean it, Odessa.” His double lid eyes have sincerity. “Like true poetry, you don’t make sense at first but you are worth it. You deserve everything you want.”
With that, Katana and I end up rolling a joint and smoking it on the roof which is where Kudo finds us.
“Father is waiting for you,” he takes the joint from Katana and sends him away.
“Ah the leader.” I have never been this high before but I feel like a marshmallow inside. “Katana says you take one puff and then pass it on,” I watch the burning joint in his hand.
I have only had 3 joints in my life but Asian weed works fast since it’s all natural.
“I think you’ve had enough,” Kudo crushes the end and looks at me. “So who gave the best advice between my brothers?”
“Remind me to kiss Kairo,” I snicker. “Kick Kairo. I meant to say kick Kairo since he likes having a foot in his mouth.”
“I think he just wanted to give you some variety, we are an odd bunch.” Kudo pulls out a cigarette and lights that up instead.
“So what do you got, leader?” I watch the stars and listen to my resting heartbeat.
I feel so calm.
“Never take the power of choice for granted.” Kudo sounds too serious for my liking, “Your life is yours and yours to live alone, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise because you’ll always have a choice.”
“Is this for you or me?”
It is not official or anything but Kudo is currently the head of the Choi Dynasty. Has been for the past year which is why Miyo was so irritable since it’s not one of her bio-sons.
“It is for you,” he puffs. “Going back to your old life won’t be the same, it’s hard to adjust when you’ve been so vulnerable to this part of your life. So remember that you always have a choice, even when you are in a dead end.”
“Words to live by,” I give him a fist pump and he pounds it.
I don’t know how I end up in the dining hall but I am devouring my 2nd burger when Saya and Kiyoko sit across from me with their food..
“Hey, I have been looking for you.” I add fries to my mouth and only face Saya.
“Let me guess, this is your first time being high?” Kiyoko opens Saya’s drink and adds a straw. “I can’t believe you took a joint from Katana, who knows what it was laced with. Regular weed stopped working for him at 15, you know.”
“Nope, it was just weed.” I made sure to check. “And yes it may have been my first time smoking it but in college, edibles were more my speed.”
They were good for sleep after exam seasons.
“Well, I am glad you are letting lose before they release you from Choi jail.” Saya nods at me. “I also heard about the pearls of wisdom and guess who I convinced to drop some?”
No.
“Yoko?” I beam like Katana did when he saw his pills.
“Uh ha.” Saya grins the same time Kiyoko says, “don’t ever call me that.”
“Drop some pearls then Kiyoko,” I wash down my food with my Sprite.
“Don’t come back.” Kiyoko stands to walk away which makes Saya and I laugh.
That is so on character of him.
“What he means is, remember you are the love of your life.” Saya picks up her burger, “no one will love you like you. So love you Odessa, let the man catch up.”
“And that is 7.” I cheer with her.
Considering Kai is not even here and Saya is twice the man he is, I’d say she just put a beautiful bow on my last night here.
America and boring vanilla life, here I come!
- Writer
