Volume 1: Mera
[JUSTIN]
Is luck on my side?
Oh, no. It is not that luck on my side, but that this tree on my side. Cuts of trees, or wood... Wood? No, it's a tree. A tree with only a stump, with big and strong roots. This tree stump has hundreds of year rings which look very pretty, and I think the age is hundreds of years old indeed. I call her "Mera," because meraviglia means miracle, in Italian.
Still vivid in my memory, seven years ago Mera gave me a small ship after I drew on its surface, when I actually thought I was drawing to explain my broken toy ship to my friends. It was my first time finding Mera. He was in a beautiful hidden place, a bit into the forest that was not too deep, right in front of a fairly wide lake. This place is only about half an hour from where I live. I often spend my time alone here, but the atmosphere is never scary. There is a magical but calming atmosphere, bright during the day, and the darkness at night never scares me.
I remember the first time I put the paper on the top of Mera's year circles, drew a boat with a hole upon it, then when I threw it into the lake, a ship with a hole appeared like the one I drew, with the same small size. My friends were amazed, and asked me to draw again with a new model and a bigger size, but I didn't have any more paper. Ramon asked me to try to draw a small size on a tissue, but with the name of the brand on the picture of the boat. After I threw the paper into the lake, the ship appeared, just as Ramon had intended. It was yacht with the Benetti brand, just as I wrote. Until now the yacht is still there, anchored in the corner of the lake, covered by shady trees. I painted the ship with big letters on the hull to form a name: Justin Seagull.
So is it because of the lake? No, it was Mera's doing. Because I've tried drawing other things without using Mera, throwing them in the lake, and nothing happened.
Me, Mera and the lake. Nothing will happen without these three elements. My friends have tried using Mera to draw, and throwing everything into the lake, but they got nothing. Ah, so I guess luck is on my side, huh?
I never knew where Mera came from, and I stopped looking. He's never done anything bad to me, so I guess it's better if I don't know if she actually contains evil powers or something. I've been using it for years, and the only bad thing I've got is that I grew up to be a rather spoiled young man.
"Yes, yes, yes.. What else is Prince Justin planning to summon from the lake?"
I know that voice so well. Ramon came alone.
"I've been here since morning. Where's Jack?"
"Ah, they're coming in five, four, three, two..."
"Heyyyy!"
Jack, Jared and Ken emerged from behind the trees with their trademark laughter. We often gather here every weekend, just to tell stories or ask Mera to summon certain objects from the lake.
"I found something new," I said seriously.
"You just drew a beautiful mermaid?" Jared teased.
"Then the mermaid that comes out will be as ugly as my drawing!" And their laughter exploded. I also laughed to myself at the thought of a strange mermaid with hair as straight as a palm fiber broom and chubby cheeks emerging from the lake. I will be luck if it's not Medusa.
My friends don't really tease me because I'm an anti-social 22 year old guy. I, Justin, is the only child of a wealthy businessman who has an international architectural and property business empire. My family often throws parties and I meet a lot of guests from the artist and model circles, and some of them are crazy about me. Getting a woman is a very easy thing, and I don't have to draw a woman or ask Mera to give me a beautiful mermaid.
"Hey, listen!" I exclaimed. "I can ask for an object, and hope it doesn't come out of the lake or appear around here. I mean... I can ask Mera to grant my wish to appear somewhere else!"
"But how?" Ken asked.
"I will still need to throw the paper into the lake, but I have to write the name of the place where I want the thing to appear."
"OK, Justin. I'd like a girlfriend I can walk to the city park with," Jack asked.
"Don't be mad if your girlfriend is ugly," I replied.
"Well, no need. I'd better take the Barbie doll for a walk."
They all laughed.
"Justin drew a girl like a granny, Jack.. You forgot?" Ramon mocked me.
"Guys, seriously.. I was thinking about drawing a new Bentley SUV. But where to put it?" I'd been thinking hard since before they came.
"There's an empty warehouse down this road, right? About 200 meters to the north," Jared said.
"How do I write the name of the place?" I asked.
"You can try write down the name of this street, Birkhead Street, and draw a picture of the north direction, 200 meters," said Ramon.
Jack suddenly stopped my hand that was about to draw. "Are you sure you can draw a Bentley?"
"If it's a car brand, I just need to draw as much as I can, then write the brand on the car. Remember Justin Seagull? I can't even draw a yacht properly."
It's like Mera knows what's in my heart, though not always. Once I got a burger that only contained vegetables because I drew the meat like lettuce.
I finished my drawing, wrote down the address and threw the paper into the lake. Then the five of us together ran about 200 meters to the empty warehouse.
I gasped. The car was already on the side of the road, right behind the empty warehouse. Luckily the location was really quiet and no one was there; No one saw how the car suddenly appeared. I wondered what if I asked Mera to drop off my car in New York Times Square.
"Wow, this is crazy. Mera gave you a Bentley!" Jack shrieked.
The Bentayga SUV, in black, was exactly what I had expected. We all touched the brand new car. I peeked in the window and saw that its car key was already inside. I opened the door and asked my friends to come inside.
"Oh my bugging Zeus," Jared shrieked. They all gawked at the beauty of the Bentley Bentayga, and I still can't believe it myself.
"I still can't believe this," I said. "Do you think this can last forever? Or we'll be yawning with this car in a week?"
"I'll try it myself for a week!" said Ramon. "If I do yawn with him, you can draw me and I'll appear again."
"Oh yeah, I'll draw you with a beard and a long tail!" I answered.
"No, no.. I think it's clear that nothing will yawn nor evaporate, guys.." said Ken. "Justin Seagull is still around, for seven years. All the things we've ever asked for are still there. No matter who wanted what, as long as Justin drew them, they would all appear and would never disappear."
"Whatever, guys.. Let's ride in!" I exclaimed as I started the car. The engine starts, and the sound is very smooth for the size of an SUV. I drove slowly while enjoying this type of Bentayga, which I know has a seat that fits seven people. The five of us felt very comfortable in it. Ramon sat next to me, and the other two were in the middle and one in the back. I couldn't imagine what my parents would think when they saw me coming home with this car.
"What do you think I should say to Mama Papa?" I asked my friends, even though I didn't really think much of it either. My dad owns a Porsche and two Mercedes, while my mom drives her MINI everywhere. And me? I have my own white Mercedes. So actually maybe they wouldn't be too surprised if I come home with a Bentley Bentayga.
"Hmm... lottery?"
"Lottery from Hong Kong?"
"Just say you were given a gift by a rich widow named Mera."
"Yes, then Papa will ask where her house is, and Mama will follow Papa for fear that Papa will find Mera," I complained.
"Try to be honest and say you got it from a magic tree?"
"They would burn the car, because they think it contains an evil spirit."
"Just leave the car at my house, so no one will know if it's yours," concluded Jack. Jack lives alone, and he has no one. Her parents are dead, and her relatives don't care about him.
We were friends since childhood, and we agreed to take care of each other; After her parents died, we jointly bought a house for him so he could live in it. Well, my share is 80%, because I am the richest, then the rest of the three friends are joint ventures. Jack was also able to study with us at a prestigious university because my father paid all the fees.
"Oh, that's a good idea!" I answered happily. Jack has an empty parking area in from of his house, and the house is a bit far from mine, so I'm sure people in my house won't be suspicious. Ah, but let's just let this Bentley be jointly owned, I'm not buying it either.
"You can use it, Jack. Anyone can use it. It's not mine, OK? We all got this from Mera."
"I think you need to name the lake too, Justin," Ken said.
After all these years, Ken is the only one who always reminds me to give the lake a name. He is the most caring person, always easy to play with feelings. Ken has always been the most mature of us, good at cooking, likes to buy snacks for us, and is often the wiser of all.
But I never thought of a name for that magical lake. I felt very close to Mera, but there was something about the lake that made me less interested in naming her, or feeling close to her. Is it because to me it's just like a throwing place?
"Bella! It's Meerabella.." joked Jack, the youngest in our gang who always thought that everything was a joke.
"Ouch.. Just use that for your turtle's name," I complained. "I'd better name this car. Do you have any idea?"
"It's easy.. It's Ben," said Ramon. "because it is Ben. Bentley Bentayga."
Ramon was indeed the smartest of us, maybe even on campus. He has an IQ of 148, is quite a genius, often gives bright ideas and appropriate solutions, although he is often forgetful too.
Ben. The five of us now have Ben.
I rode Ben along a huge cornfield with the windows open, but it was getting late and the wind was getting stronger. We closed the windows, turned on the air conditioner and the radio. After a few minutes, I turned around and directed Ben back toward the lake. My car and Ramon's car were still parked there.
"After this, shall we go home? I need to do some work later," I said. They all just mumbled. Ramon and Jared usually go home together because their house is just an alley apart. I was going home with Ken because we were neighbors, and Jack was going to take Ben to his house, which was the furthest from the four of us.
After getting Ben, I was afraid to guess what other things Mera could give us.