I remember when I first left this place.  Seventeen, a hundred bucks in my pocket with only the clothes on my back, I bought a bus ticket to New York City and never looked back because that was the way I wanted my life to be.  I lived in that dingy motel for three years and waited tables before I was finally accepted into the NASDAQ office as a part time broker.  It was grueling.  Sometimes I would work twenty hours a day before I could go home and get some rest, but still, I held my head high and told himself it was all for the best.  That it would all work out, that my future would be secure.  So I put up with it for another year, sharing a tiny apartment with my best friend and business partner, until one day an opportunity came along for us to work at an investment firm in the heart of Wall Street.

It seemed like a whirlwind from then on.  First I was the top broker in the firm, then partner, and then...when the CEO retired I was voted in.  Voted in at twenty two years old as the CEO of Goldman Sachs, the most prominent investment firm in New York City, making me the youngest in the company’s history.  I made millions that first year, then the next year my salary tripled, and tripled again, and again.  They called me a genius, a “brilliant young mind”.  Who knew?

Now, I’m on the covers of fortune 500 magazines, being called ‘the richest bachelor in New York City.’  A billionaire at twenty-four, that’s what I am now.

I’ve come a hell of a long way since Tennessee.

I can’t really blame myelf for forgetting all about what I left behind.

“Sir.”

I nod as the chauffeur opens the door for me, and I slip inside the sleek black limousine, thankful to get out of the blazing heat.  It’s summer in Memphis, something that seemed to turn back the hands of time for me the moment I set foot off the leer jet that brought me back here.  As a kid, I used to run through sprinklers and swim in the neighbors pool with the rest of the kids on the block.  It was a carefree time.  I didn’t have to worry about phone calls, meetings, or agendas then.  It was a simpler time and place.  There was no hustle and bustle here.  But I left as soon as I could, because I knew there was nothing for me in a small town.  I forgot about my parents, didn’t bother calling anymore after that first year.  I was never especially close with them, and with a couple of kids still left to raise, I figured they’d be fine without me.

I just never counted on this.  

The phone call floored me.  It had come during a Monday morning board meeting and I can’t deny that I was angry at first for being interrupted by my secretary.  It’s a rule of mine that are to be no interruptions allowed during my Monday run through, and I probably would have fired her on the spot if it hadn’t been for her explanation.

“Sir...she says she’s family.  There’s been some kind of accident?”

She said it with so many questions in her voice, and I was sure until that moment my secretary probably didn’t have a clue that I even had a family.  It’s no secret that I’m a workaholic, and I’ve been much too focused on the welfare of the firm, and making a profit to remember my family back home.

“Thanks Cheryl.”  I took the phone from her gently, and she walked away to give me some privacy.

“Justin, it’s Grammy Ethel.” Came a soft voice, filled with sorrow.  “It took me forever to get a hold of you.  Did you know that your parents didn’t have your number?  I found that unbelievable since you’ve been on the cover of all those magazines.”

I rolled my eyes.  “Can you just tell me what the problem is?  There’s been an accident?”

“Well...” Her voice trailed off and I could have sworn I heard her sobbing.  “There was a car accident.  Your parents...they didn’t make it.”

I nearly dropped the phone. The numbness hit me in the chest and traveled right down to the tips of my toes, causing me to lean against the wall and slide down to the floor.  “W-what?”

“We need you to come home,” she continued after several moments of silence.  “Just for a few days to sort things out.”

I couldn’t comprehend it.  My parents were dead.  My parents who I hadn’t spoken to in over seven years.  I didn’t know whether I should be sad, or angry with myself.  For the first time since I became so successful, I never felt like more of an asshole.  “I’ll be on the first flight out.”  I said softly, and hadn’t given her a chance to say anything else to me before I hung up.

The reflection of the tall oak trees glints against the tinted windows.  I can feel it.  Home is close, closer than I want.  I nearly tell the driver to stop, to turn around, to take me back to the city and the things that make sense in my life.  Only one thing is stopping me. Well...two things.  Two little things that I know I have to take care of, or nobody else will.  It’s going to be awkward of course.  They hardly know me.  I left when they were just little kids, but I know they’ll take to me right away.  Who wouldn’t? I’m Justin Timberlake, and nobody ever turns their backs on me.

I have too much to offer.

“Is it this one sir?”  The driver’s voice pulls me from my thoughts again.

I sit up a little, and glance out the window.  I remember it.  All of it, because its never changed in all the years I’ve been away.  It’s my block.  I can envision myself as a small child running along the block with a drippy ice cream cone.  I nearly smile.

Nearly.

“Sir?”

“Yeah,” I finally say.  “Yeah this one here.  The brown one.”

The car halts on my command, and I sit here, just staring out the window.  There are a bunch of old folks seated on the rocking chairs that litter the wrap around porch.  Those are the same too.  I remember sitting there on my mother’s lap when I was five years old, singing some stupid song.  What had she ever done that was so wrong?  Why didn’t I call?  Why did I feel so above her...above dad?  How could I consider them hicks when they were the ones that had raised me?

I push the thoughts away and get out of the limousine.

The people on the porch are staring at me in my thousand dollar suit, and I know it.  It’s uncommon.  These people have about three good suits or dresses to themselves, and they only buy new ones probably every ten years.  I wave a little, and force a small smile as I slip my sunglasses over my eyes.  “How y’all doing?”

They just stare at me.  I know, I’m an imbecile in their eyes.  An outcast who had only come back because he was forced to.

But I’ll hold my head high because I’m a survivor.

With all the dignity I can muster, I walk up the old, cracked, cement steps, past the onlookers, and through the open screen door.  The interior of the old house is just as I remember it too.  Hell, it even smells the same, and I begin to feel queasy.  My mother’s scent...that’s what it is.  Flowers...lavender...that’s it.  She loved lavender flowers.  My father would pick them from the side of the road on his way home from the factory, since he had to walk home most of the time.  She loved them.  I remember picking the petals off some of the flowers with her and putting them in a special solution so they would be able to soak.  Then she would spritz some of the homemade perfume on herself days later, after it had sat in the sun.  

There was no money for store bought delicacies like that.  My mother had always been innovative.

That’s where I got it from, I’m sure.

“Oh, Justin, hello.”

I whirl around at the sound of the soft, feminine voice, and push my sunglasses onto the top of my head.  The woman who stands there could pass for my own mother, if she were a little skinnier. I know her right away, though.  It’s my Aunt Kimberly, my mother’s sister, and I force a polite, professional smile.  “Hello.” I go over and kiss her cheek.  “It’s been a long time.”

She just nods.  “I know.  Would you like something? Sweet tea? Lemonade?”

“Um, water is fine.”

She manages a tight smile and leads me into my parent’s kitchen, motioning for me to sit down at the table, as she withdraws a pitcher from the refrigerator.  I wring my hands together as I wait for her to join me.  It’s so awkward.  She’s not giving me details, and that’s all I want from her, so I can get the next flight back to New York.

“Here you go.”  She pours the water and slides the glass over to me before sitting down at the table as well.  “So, I’ve been hearing amazing things about you, Justin.  You certainly made a name for yourself out in that city.”

I nod as I drink my water.  “It’s just business,” I whisper.  

I don’t want to talk about my money right now.

“I know...I know this must have been a shock,” Kimberly says, finally getting to the point.  “We just...wanted to contact you as soon as possible.”

“I appreciate it,” I nod.  “Just tell me what I need to do.”

“Well there’s the matter of your parents house and assets.  They didn’t have much, but what they did have, they left to the boys.  I’m sure you have a good lawyer to sort out the will, right?”

I feel like laughing, but don’t.  “Yeah, of course.  I can call him today.  He might be able to fly out if you need him to.”

She nods and presses her lips together.  “Then there’s the funeral.  The family can barely afford anything proper...”

“I’ll take care of it,” I whisper, waving a hand in the air.  “Is there some kind of funeral coordinator?” I lower my sunglasses over my eyes again, because I can feel a slight twinge of emotion inside of me, threatening to expose itself, and I don’t want her to see.

“Well we have the local priest coming.  There’s a very nice funeral home in town as well.  We picked out two very reasonable caskets.  We’ve had the wake already, since you said you had that meeting and couldn’t come until today, but the gentleman at the home said he can take you anytime tomorrow for a...viewing, if you’d like to do that before the funeral...”

She trails off because my cell phone has started to ring.  I sigh.  “Sorry, I told them no calls...” I pull the thing out of my pocket and look at the ID to find that my business partner is on the line.  I quickly flash my aunt a charming smile.  “Hang on, I have to take this.”

She frowns.

“Hey man,” I say gently, as I make my way into the sitting room.  “I’m right in the middle here.”

“There’s a huge stock opportunity about to break with Energizer Batteries,” Trace Ayala, my best friend and business partner, tells me enthusiastically.  “I know you said no calls, but I figured you’d want to jump on this.”

“Yeah, whatever, just do it.  I know you’re not an idiot,” I huff.  “Seriously man, just handle shit for me until I get back.  It’ll only be three, four days, tops.”

“How’s hick town?” Trace snickers.  “See any tumbleweeds yet?”

I squeeze my eyes shut in an effort to keep my temper at bay.  The guy is my best friend, but right now, I’m not in the mood for Trace’s sarcasm.  “It’s Memphis, not the old West.”

I hear a loud bang behind me, and it causes me to whirl around. I’m able to catch a glimpse of a small boy disappearing behind the sofa, and I know I’ve been spied on since I walked in the house.

“Justin, you there?”

“Hmm...yeah, sorry.” I suck in a large breath.  “Did you have Cheryl send those flowers out here for me?”

“First thing this morning,” Trace reassures me.

“Thanks.  Hey, listen, I’ll call you later okay?”

“Cool.  Best of luck, man.  I know it’s shitty...your folks dying like this.”

“Yeah,” I say glumly.  “I’ll talk to you.”

I hang up, and immediately walk toward the sofa.  “Hey...you gonna come out of there?”

Silence.  

“I promise I won’t bite,” I laugh lightly.

“He doesn’t know who you are.”

I look up, and recognize the kid immediately.  He’s grown so much since I last saw him.  How old is Austin now? Twelve? Thirteen?  I’ve forgotten.  It’s been too long.  “Hey, Austin.”

“Davey!” Austin yells in annoyance, making sure to ignore my greeting.  “Come on, get out of there.”

“No.”

“It’s fine,” I reassure him, when Austin seems to grow even more annoyed.  “He’ll come out eventually.”

“How the hell would you know?”

Damn.  This kid is angry, and I know he’s taking it out on me. Not that I didn’t expect it. I took it upon myself to read a short book about child psychology on the flight, hoping it would help me understand my brothers’ anguish a little bit better.  One thing I hate is being unprepared for the major events in my life.  “Why don’t you sit down here, and we’ll have a talk?”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” He spits out.  “You haven’t even been around! Why’d they call you?  You could have stayed back in your precious city.”

There’s a time that I can remember, just before I moved away, that Austin and I shared a little bit of a bond.  I still remember going out in the backyard when he was about five years old, and kicking the soccer ball around with him.  What happened? Why didn’t I think of him when I left?  I don’t have an answer, but I know Austin has a right to be angry with me.  “Look, this isn’t easy for me,” I whisper.  “But I’m trying.”

“I just want you to leave!” He shouts.  “Aunt Kim says you’re gonna sell the house and we’re gonna have to move to New York City! I don’t want to go to New York City!” The tears spill out of his eyes and down his small face as he shouts the words, and then he’s sobbing right there in the middle of the room.

I’m literally paralyzed.  It’s the one thing I didn’t count on today...the first day.  During the funeral? Sure, I was prepared to see my brothers cry and I was prepared to comfort them then.  But not today.  Today was supposed to be about business.

So I do the only logical thing. I walk back into the kitchen.

“Is that Austin?” Kim says immediately, as I take my seat back at the table.  “Is he crying?”

“Yeah,” I say, with a frown.  “Let him cry.  He’s a kid, it’s what they do.”r32;

“Mr. Timberlake,” she says harshly.  “I don’t think you understand the effect this is having on the boys.”

It’s weird to hear her call me that because we’re family, but then again, I haven’t seen the woman in years and even when I lived in Memphis originally, we hardly saw each other.  My mother hadn’t been close with her sister.  “I get it.”  I try not to sound harsh, but it’s difficult.  “Business comes first.  There’ll be time to grieve later.”

She stares at me for a good long time, and I can feel the heavy resentment she’s holding against me, but I won’t retaliate.  That’s very immature, and I’m certainly not immature.  I have to be the leader here, the civilized one.  Otherwise my parents will be buried in a wooden box, on top of each other, with a little stick cross as the gravestone.  I won’t stand for that.  The name Timberlake is now an elite one.  I made sure of it, and nobody will ever make a fool out of it if I have anything to say about it. “How soon can we get the house on the market,” I ask next.  “I need to be back in New York as soon as possible, so I’ll need your help getting a realtor, and preparing the boys for the move.”

“Maybe I should ask somebody else in the family if they want to take the boys,” she says next.  “You don’t seem like you really need the responsibility.”

“They told me that I’m next of kin,” I tell her, bluntly.  “I’m capable.  I have the resources, and they’ll do better with me.  I can get them into the best schools, and show them the world.  They’ll have a future, and I know you understand that if they stay here, they won’t.”

“What about their happiness,” she croaks.  “You can’t raise a child in that city.”

I laugh this time.  “Kim, people do it all the time.  My decision is final.  They’re coming with me.”

“I’d take them,” she tells me, holding her head a little bit higher.  “Maybe you could consider it.”

“I can’t,” I sigh.  “I’m sorry.”

She scrunches her lips together.  “I have a lawyer friend...he said he might be able to help me get custody.”

“Do you really want to play around with that?” I smile at her pathetic attempt keep what’s rightfully mine from me.  “Kim, my lawyer makes eight hundred dollars an hour, and it’s certainly not in his nature to fail.”

Her bottom lip quivers, just slightly.  “I’ll...I’ll call the realtor.”

She gets up and rushes out of the room.  I could swear she was sobbing.

But still, I smile, drunk on the power I seem to hold over the entire world.