Miller street on Christmas Eve. I remember it like it was yesterday, yet it was so many years ago, back in 2068. We had prepared for a party to remember. The sun was shining, the drugs were purchased, the boys were gathered, and the drinks were cold. There was, however, one problem. Where did the dead body in the pool come from?
Jacko, Robbo, and I was staring at the dead homeless person floating in the pool of our holiday rental. This was not how we intended to spend our Christmas vacation in the Central Coast.
"It was gone in a flash," Jacko mumbled.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I went inside and when I got out, there was a dead man in the pool," Jacko replied.
"That was 8 hours ago, you have been sleeping like a baby," Robbo added in.
I looked at Robbo. I found it creepy that he kept track of Jacko's sleep. It also implied that he had stayed up all night.
"Hey, Robbo. What were you doing up all night? Do you know anything about the dead hobo in the pool?" I asked.
"I was high on meth, and I was writing some phat hip hop jams and some deep poetry. Do you want to hear some?"
Did I? Listening to Robbo's meth-induced ramblings was difficult enough under normal circumstances, and now there was a dead man in the pool.
"Now is not the time, nor the place, for your ramblings, Jacko" I replied.
"Got it, Nicko Chao. I was going to save them for the party anyways." Robbo said in indignation.
Oh yes, the party! It was midday and I recalled the hundreds of people I had invited to our holiday rental. This would be a party to remember, courtesy of the government-backed credit card of my father, The Prime Minister of Australia, Xing Chao. It would be a shame to cancel the party because of the dead man in the pool, and besides, it was too late as the doorbell rang.
My heart skipped a beat as Jenny and her scantily-clad friends stood next to us by the pool. How would they react to seeing a dead homeless man?
"Hey bro. Why are you staring at Jenny's hologram? You are the man, Nicko. Come up with something." Jacko exclaimed.
I took a deep breath and sighed in relief. The girls didn't know about the dead man, and we could still save Christmas."
"Jacko and Robbo. Hide the body. I'll stall the girls." I commanded.
"Shouldn't we call the police?" Jacko objected.
"What? And miss out on Christmas Eve 2068? This night is going to be legendary." I exclaimed. "Okay, Nicko. You know what's best. Come Jacko. Let's hide this bum." Robbo urged.
As Jacko and Robbo tried to get the dead body out of the pool, I rushed to the door to answer Jenny's call. She smiled as I opened the door and spoke. "Nicholas Chao, you do like to keep a lady waiting, don't you?"
I looked at Jenny Lee and I felt mesmerised by her angelic beauty. Had I always felt this way about her, or was the drugs playing tricks on me? I did know one thing, I needed to make her mine.
I was about to let her and her friends in when I realised something. I hadn't given Jacko and Robbo enough time to hide the body.
"Hmm, not so fast, ladies," I said and blocked the door.
"What do you mean, Nicholas?" Jenny asked in confusion.
"Hmm. Jacko and Robbo are setting up a surprise for you inside." I said.
"Oh, how exciting," Jenny said and smiled.
"Uhm. Would you like some champagne? We got Veuve and uhm, Dom Perignon." I mumbled.
"Oh, look at you, Nicholas Chao the rich waiter." Jenny teased.
I stood silent and didn't know how to respond. Jenny smiled and spoke again. "I am teasing you, Nicholas. Of course we want champagne, right ladies?"
"Absolutely. We love champagne!" Jenny's friend Sara exclaimed, and the girls giggled.
I rushed off to fetch a bottle in the fridge and I saw how Jacko and Robbo were dragging the body upstairs. Bloody amateurs, I had assumed they would hide it in the pool shed and then lock the door. Yet, there was nothing I could do about that now. I grabbed the bottle with a few glasses, and I headed to the girls.
"Are you okay?" Jenny asked as I was shaking and spilled most of the champagne I tried to pour.
"Yes, I am just mesmerised by your beauty," I said and tried to figure out if I was shaking from drug withdrawal, or if I was nervous because of the dead hobo.
"Oh, you're so cute. I'll help you pour the champagne." Jenny said, smiled with teeth that were as white as clouds on a sunny day, and started pouring the champagne.
"Yo, bitches. DJ Robbo is in da house." Robbo exclaimed as he joined the group and blurted out some terrible hip-hop beats. The girls giggled. Somehow, Robbo was a lot better at charming girls than I was, despite my father's wealth and my favourable looks. This didn't bother me on this occasion, as Jenny was all that mattered to me.
We got inside and we started drinking at the pool. A lot of guests arrived, and nice beats were flowing from our speakers. Despite the great vibes, I felt nervous. The more people that arrived, the bigger the risk that someone would find the corpse.
There was nothing I could do about this though, and all I could think about was Jenny's heavenly smile. I was even closer to heaven when she suggested that we would go somewhere private. I took her to my room, but I didn't get far as she exclaimed: "Eeeek! There is a dead man in your bed, Nicholas!"
Jenny rushed off, and I collapsed to the floor from being awake on meth for two days. The floor was spinning and the only thing I could think about was how close I had been to seducing Jenny, but instead, I was likely heading off for prison. Another thing bothered me. Why had those dickheads Robbo and Jacko hidden the body in my bedroom? Was that because they anticipated that I wouldn't bring anyone there? I never got an answer to these questions as I passed out from exertion.
***
I woke up in a government building the next day. My father, Prime Minister Xing Chao yelled at me. "Why did you hide the body and throw a party? You should have called me straight away. This will look terrible in the polls."
"I am sorry, dad," I mumbled.
"Sorry? You would be sorry if your dad didn't protect you. I am cancelling your credit card. You are on your own." Xing shouted.
"And what about the dead man?" I asked.
"Who cares about a dead homeless man? However, the district attorney will charge your deadbeat friends with moving the body. There is a limit to my patience with your reckless behaviour." Xing stated and left the room.
I sighed. What a mess I was in. On the bright side, I was lucky that my father protected me.
***
I rekindled the flame with Jenny after the incident, but our entire relationship was based on a lie. She turned my life around, and I believe that she was an angel sent by God to steer me away from a life of drugs and corruption.
After my father removed my financial support, Jenny and I worked hard to build a life and support our children. We succeeded with this ambition, and I would have felt pride in my achievements if they weren't all based around that one lie.
God gives and God takes, and as he gave me Jenny to turn my life around, he also took her away too early. Against her form of leukemia, there was nothing we could do, and she passed away in her sleep last week, at the age of 52.
With this in mind, I have come to a realisation. I need to admit my crimes to the world. I have already lost Jenny and I no longer fear worldly punishment. I killed that man.
I wanted to create a viral video, so I challenged him to drink bleach to get some drugs off me. If I hadn't been the prime minister's son, I would have gone to jail, and my children would never have been born. I have now fulfilled my God-given purpose and I am ready to accept my sentence. Yes, I am a killer.
The end.