LITMIR.BIZ

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verbal assault on Ariel.

      “Coach! He is nothing. Our team is being trashed because of him!”

      Coach interrupted before Joel could continue. “This is not the way you treat your teammate. You all owe him for bringing the team to the semifinals. It wasn’t before Ariel that the team could think of reaching the semis until the last season.” He didn’t let anyone speak, but he continued, “He scored more baskets than all of you. Just because he lost a basket doesn’t mean you all may say whatever you like. Do you have anything else to say?”

      Joel’s mouth opened, but then nothing came out.

      “Off you go!” the coach said.

      He turned to Ariel once again. He had half dried tears in his eyes, but this time, they told a different story.

      He felt empowered, and he was happy someone took a stand for him.

      The coach patted him on his back and said, “You will have more opportunities in the next season to show the best of yourself! It’s only a bad day and not a bad life. This will only strengthen you and bring the best out of you. This is what every good player goes through, and the ones who do not give up turn out to be the best!”

      While the coach talked to Ariel and comforted him, his parents saw how he was broken and that he needed support.

      Peter, his father, who was a public accountant, greeted the coach and put his hand on Ariel’s back. He said, “Ariel, my son, the game isn’t always about winning. What you learn from it is what matters the most. You and your team did a remarkable job. Reaching the semis wasn’t an easy job, but you all pulled through.”

      Ariel nodded but didn’t say a word.

      “Not that you are a bad player; no one can take the blame. The opponents were remarkable too, and we all must acknowledge that. Everything will work out fine for you next time, my superhero.” With this, Peter hugged Ariel, and so did his mother.

      Ariel wiped his tears and said, “I will never play basketball again! I just can’t.”

      On this, his mother began to shake her head while Peter replied, “We will talk about this further, but for now, let’s move on.”

      Ariel said goodbye to the coach and went to his parents’ car.

      He sat in the backseat and put his seatbelt on. While his parents said goodbye to the coach, some teammates who were leaving began to mock him.

      “It’s because of Ariel that we didn’t advance to the finals,” said Vincent, another teammate who practiced with Ariel in his free time.

      “We could have won this game, but I just realized we have a loser on our team,” added Luke, another player.

      Their laughter and words were like daggers to Ariel. When they saw his parents approaching, they fled.

      Peter and Jessica tried to comfort him, but it was all in vain. He didn’t utter a word. On their way home, they passed by Williams High School, where a board read:

      Next Friday

      The Story of Uncle P–Challenging the Unknown

      Do not miss! You can invite your whole family.

      Ariel’s father slowed down the car and asked one student, an ambassador for the event, about the flyers in his hands.

      “Hello, young man! How’re you doing?” asked Peter, trying to start a conversation with the student.

      “Hello sir, I’m doing well. Thank you for asking. We are representing Williams High School. Our school will host an event called ‘The Story of Uncle P: Challenging the Unknown.’ The stories are not only for the youth or for the elderly. Neither are they only for men or for women. They are for everyone, the entire family. Would you like to attend?” He was eager to secure more audience for the event.

      “Who is Uncle P, and what kind of story will he be reading? Is this a real-life story? Something related to Uncle P himself?” asked Peter, intrigued by the young boy.

      “Uncle P is the new Spanish teacher in our school. He likes to tell fables and make people of wisdom understand the purpose behind adversities and the notion of life. He will be our chief guest for the night. If you bring your family along, none of you will regret it. You have my word.”

      The student wanted to be as persuasive as possible, so he added, “Also, it is free!”

      Peter gave a faint smile for his effort and asked for three tickets.

      The student rejoiced, and handing over the tickets said, “Do not stop attending. You all will have a great time. I assure you!”

      “Yes, we will attend the event. I would love to listen to what Uncle P has for us,” said Jessica.

      “Thank you for your kindness!” said the student while waving a goodbye as Peter began to turn the steering wheel.

      Before stepping backward, another student handed Peter more tickets for other people who might want to attend.

      “Cheer up, Ariel. This story will interest!” said Peter.

      “We will have a good family time, my son,” added Jessica.

      “I am not interested!” said Ariel.

      The color in Jessica’s face drained. She knew her son was devastated, and the fact that she couldn’t help him made her feel terrible. Ariel’s mind hadn’t left the basketball court, and Jessica had to do something about it. She said, “My son! I am worried about seeing you so heavy-hearted. You have always been a good player, and you were a good player today. It is only a bad day. Even if someone or no one applauds you, it wouldn’t make you less of a player. You will have your share of stardom and your popularity because of your talent. I know that will happen soon.”

      Ariel didn’t reply. Seeing this, Jessica lost the courage to say anything else. None of it was working.

      She zipped her lips until they reached home. Upon arrival, Ariel shut himself in his room. He began to leaf through his training photos, taking him back to when he was training for basketball. The album also had some pictures of Ariel with famous basketball players. Tears ran down his face; he looked at the pictures again and again until he fell asleep.

      Chapter 2: In the Parallel World

      Sofia fastened Anthony and Leslie’s seatbelts and headed to the park. Sofia left the Hamilton Street to ditch the traffic, but the street was closed by the police owing to the safety of the people attending a basketball match being held at the Jefferson High School basketball court. The people filled the court with the noise of a huge crowd watched the match between Jefferson Jaguars and Roosevelt Rockets.

      “My babies, we will have to turn around. The street is closed,” said Sofia.

      “But why? Why are the streets closed?” asked Leslie.

      “Wow! That parking lot is full of cars. There must be something exciting going on!” added Anthony.

      While the cars excited Anthony, the closing of the streets disappointed Leslie. She couldn’t reach the park sooner.

      “Can we stay for a while? Can we? Can we?” Anthony was excited.

      “No dear, we cannot. There is no parking in these blocks, and we would have to walk. With this swarm of human beings, I don’t see it fitting. Also, do not take off your seatbelts while I am driving. Understood?”

      “Aye, Captain. Let’s go!” both the kids said in unison, and all three of them laughed while Sofia turned the car around.

      After turning around, she got away from the traffic and the bustle of the Jefferson basketball court. She turned to another street with less traffic, and it took her back to Hamilton Street.

      She saw a poster in front of Williams High School that read:

      Next Friday

      The

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