Billionaire Ruckus - July Monthly Contest

“What do we do?” Co-pilot Kazeem asked, clutching his locket to his chest.

“What do you mean, what do we do? We'll tell them of course.” Simon replied resignedly.

“Yeah, right. We go tell those snotty billionaires that this plane is barely a hundred and eighty minutes from exploding. They’d kill us before we even get three words in.”

“We can always call it quits and jump out of the window now.” Simon gave Kazeem a tight grin. Kazeem looked into the Chief Pilot’s eyes. Something told him that he was only half joking.

“How anyone would joke when they can literally see death on the way is beyond me.” Kazeem gritted his teeth.

Simon laughed, fighting to hold the pain he felt inside. Tapping his co-pilot quickly, he stood up. “Come on champ, let’s go tell our billionaires to make sure their wills are in place.”

“Wait!” Kazeem called back frantically. “Do you think they know?”

Simon was confused for a nanosecond before it dawned on him. A smile still plastered on his pale face, he responded. “Well, they’re about to find out.”

In the tastefully furnished interiors of Xaoleng 350, sat ten people. A normal civilian stepping into this place would suffocate. If not from the clash of expensive colognes that reeked out of the cabin, then it would be from the air of superiority, vanity and arrogance that reeked off these individuals in waves. Seven men and three women. They were the unofficial rulers of the world with their unlimited bank accounts and tight control of all the sectors of the economy. And oblivious to these billionaires with their fake show of civility towards one another, they were all about to die.

Simon knew as he stepped into the cabin with a cowering Kazeem behind him, that he was waltzing into the lion’s den. And between his imminent death and the wrath of these ruthless billionaires, he didn’t know which he feared more.

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please,” he boomed. He hid a smile when ten pairs of eyes snapped at him. He always had a commanding voice. And he was glad this was coming in handy in his dying moments.

“I have terrible news. I’m sorry to announce that this plane, by my estimates is barely two hours from exploding and we may need to say our final prayers.”

For a second, all was quiet. Then the room erupted into guffaws. One of the ladies spoke in between chortles. “Don’t be silly, Mister. This is the Xaoleng 350. It cannot explode.”

Simon smiled serenely. At least they hadn’t strangled him. Yet. “First, it’s Simon ma’am and I’m quite aware of what aircraft we’re boarding. I’m the one that was moments ago in the cockpit and I’m telling you that in less than two hours from now, this plane would explode into smithereens.”

“I paid a hundred thousand dollars to be on this plane,” the man on Forbes list started, fuming. “You cannot tell me that.”

“And that’s not all,” Simon continued, ignoring the billionaire’s outburst. “We have just one parachute.”

The room was silent again, Simon saw the tension in their faces and knew what was coming. Seconds later, the room burst into chaos with the ten billionaires scrambling and upturning their seats, searching for the parachute. Kazeem’s face was that of horror as he watched individuals that had the world on their fingertips, struggle and push each other like members of a deranged circus.

“But,” Simon called again, bringing the squabbling billionaires to a halt. “Moments before I stepped into this cabin, I threw it out the window.”

They turned on him then, fighting to get to him first and claw his eyes out but it was like a madhouse and before they got to him, they were stumbling on each other and landing gracelessly on the floor.

Five minutes later, with dignities lost, the ten billionaires, two pilots and two air hostesses who had been watching silently from the back all sat down over whiskey, defeated and crestfallen. With the pending doom hanging on their heads, they knew they had no more time to waste.

“You know,” one of the billionaire women began, “I’d just made arrangements to retire from Bancroft Corporation. My daughter gave birth you know, and I thought that it was time to finally be there for my family. Now, I’ll never get that chance.” She finished the last sentence with a sob. But no one could comfort her, each was buried in their own grief.

“I never prevented those funds from going to the charities. I was being manipulated by my secretary. I wanted to use this trip to make up for my wrongs and finally become the leader, my people need me to be.” His dark eyes were misty with guilt and his face was etched with the pain of lifelong regrets.

And so, one by one they said their stories and when the pilot announced they had twenty minutes more, their tears had dried and most of them had their heads bowed in prayer.

“Look what I found!” one of the air hostesses who had been gone for a while yelled. Before her was a cart. A cart containing parachutes. “I had gone to the store to put an end to my life and lodged in the corner was this.”

Simon and Kazeem exchanged glances. Had the agency lied to them? Was this all some sick plan so they would all die? Recovering their wits, they began to shuffle. Rousing the hopeless billionaires from their slumbers and strapping the parachutes on them. Ten minutes all of a sudden became too short.

“Wait!” Simon called for the last time as the plane doors were opened and the inhabitants of Xaoleng 350 were set to jump. “Remember all your regrets and all your promises.” His voice was laden with emotion. “Let’s not waste this second chance.”

Three minutes to go and the last person onboard jumped. Hoping to be safe before the plane exploded. And when the time was up, the plane remained in the sky. Intact and in one piece.

Jhymi🖤

This is my entry to The Inkwell July Monthly Contest.