To Be The Best Once Again

”And there you have it folks! Your new WBC middleweight champion of the world. Michael ‘Lightning Iron’ Reyes!

I drop to my knees as I throw my hands up in the air, screaming my lungs out at winning that hard fought battle with the ex-world champ. My body ached from the fight, but that didn’t stop me from getting up and running up to the ropes of the ring and hopping onto them. I throw my hands up in the air screaming out to the crowd in joy. The crowd responded back with their own shouts of excitement and relief that I won.

I look up to the ceiling of and point my hand up to it, tears streaming down my face as a wide smile spread across my face. This is for you, mom and dad.

Every where I looked there was flashes of cameras, taking photos of me for achieving this hard fought battle. But then, things quickly changed as my whole world darkened and two bright blinding lights of a car beamed my way. A loud horn of a car seemed distant, but it seconds it was getting louder. Even the lights seemed have to gotten more brighter. I was telling myself to move, but I couldn’t. My body wouldn’t respond to my brain. In matter of seconds it hit me.

I groan out tiredly and push off the bed. I throw the covers off and grab my legs and throw them over the side of the bed, letting them dangle lifelessly over the edge. I prop my elbows on my legs and rub my hands over my face. I let out a tired sigh, dreading to begin this new day.

Who knew that memory would come back to haunt me once again.

I look down at my legs and try to move them, but they wouldn’t respond. Over and over, time to time, I would tell myself to move my legs, to maybe even twitch, but nothing would ever happen. I hated when I did this. Always, in the morning when I would wake up I’d do this. I don’t know why, not like it ever helped. I always held a little hope that it work some day, but that hope every morning seemed to dwindle.

I grab my wheelchair and pull it towards the side of the bed. I slowly drag myself off the bed and plop myself onto the seat. I grab my legs and put them on the pedals of the wheelchair. I let out another tired sigh and continue on to another day of being home.

I pull up towards the kitchen table and set down my bowl of cereal. I grab the remote to the television, press a button, and on goes the T.V.
I grab my spoon and take big mouth full cereal into my mouth. Once finishing that mouth full of cereal, I get a call of my phone. I reach into my pjs and pull out my phone. I look at the screen of my iPhone and see that my sister is calling me.

I quickly tab the green button to answer. “Hey kiddo, it’s been awhile since you called.” At moment I was very happy to have her calling me. It really brightens my mood when she calls.

“Hey, you think you’ll be coming over this weekend?”

“No...?”

“Oh... I see. Ok then. Tell Uncle Alberto and Aunt Marisa hi for me. Alright then kiddo, bye.”

I drop my phone onto the table and cover my face with my hands. My day was already going shitty and now it got even worse. This is the third time they have cancelled on bringing my little sister. I get it’s a long drive over here, but I just wanted to see my sister. She’s the only thing that’s keeping me from feeling the way I am. I can’t take custody of her, because I’m only eighteen.

An eighteen year old with enough money to support himself and his sister for years to come.

I let my head slam onto the kitchen table and let out my third sigh of the day. I just didn’t know what to do. Ever since my career was ended prematurely I had people leave me. My corner team who I thought were my family left me after they found out I couldn’t box anymore. The people I thought who were my close friends left after finding out that I won’t be making much money any more. All these people who I thought were family up and left me. This emotionally effected me. I was pissed that they all used me and leeched off me. It also sent me into a state of depression, which lead me to not eating properly. I was like this for awhile, though not for long after my baby sister started to come around and see me.

She really brightened my mood when she’s around. I don’t see her a lot anymore due to her living so far away. From where she lives, to my place, it’s about a four hour drive. My uncle and aunt are old folk, so I understand why they don’t want to drive all this way, but it isn’t fair. I can’t drive!

I ball up my hands into fist as I clench my eyes shut to resist the tears swelling up. I slam my hand fist into the wooden table and loud crack is heard around the kitchen.

“It isn’t fair,” I silently loath to myself. “Why are these things happening to me?” I throw my head back and look up to the ceiling, tears now flowing freely down my face. “What have I done to deserve this? I first lose my parents, then my career, and I can’t even see my sister,” I slam right fist down on the table again and fail to hear the sound of another loud crack.

I lay my head down onto the table and put my hands behind my head. “I just... wish my life when back to normal. I just want my parents and sister and I to be back as one family,” I silently cry onto the table pathetically, not caring in the slightest at how pathetic I looked.

“Is that what you really wish for, Michael?” I slowly look up and look around the kitchen with caution and bewilderment on my face.

“W-Who said that?” I shakily said.

“Look straight ahead.”

I do as the voice said and find myself look at my T.V. What I find looking back at me is a woman in my television staring back at me with a oddly warming smile. I roll away from my table and slowly roll myself towards my T.V. I stop a few feet away from it and stare at the woman.

“Either I’m losing mind, or you just spoke to me.”

“I can assure you that you are not losing your mind, and I did indeed speak to you just like am I now.”

I cautiously look around my house and then around my television to see if there is any cameras around that I didn’t notice that were installed on my T.V or house. I failed to find any and the woman in the screen looks at me with a bemused look. I stare back the woman, wondering what in the hell in going on.

“You must be wondering what’s going on, am I right?”

I slowly nod my head.

“Then I’ll get straight to the point and not beat around the bush. I’m here to grant your wish.”

My eyes narrow in on her and my heart seems to have skipped a beat. “I-I’m sorry.... what?”

“You heard exactly what I said, Michael. But I will repeat it again to reassure you,” she locks her light red eyes onto mine and smiles. “I’m here to grant you your wish,” she then raises her hand up and before I can even say anything else, my vision turns white at the snap of her fingers.