The Fated Match

I was early this morning.

Memories of my grandfather were stuck in my mind all night and I woke up at 5am needing a swim.

My grandfather was royalty. He had been a serving guard at one of japans richest families. He was with them for over 40 years bringing up children, taking care of the families that grew up in that house.

He even protected the woman in that house from the bad men that ruled the house. he was highly respected by many till the day he died.

He was the one that gave me my tattoo. One weekend I flew out to Japan to see him, I had just witnessed my dad beat my own mother to the point she fell asleep on the kitchen floor suffering from the pain.

Dad left the day after and never came back. Believe me I’m relieved that I can call Jai my dad because my real father was an excuse of a man.

My mother on the other hand she went to Australia to live with her brother as I finished university.

My grandfather taught me everything I needed to know to survive in this life and I respected him and his words to the day he breathed his last final breath surrounded by his children. Not by blood but rather the children he helped bring up into this hard life.

He was royalty for them and for me. He had always taught us all to have strength and I decided to let him tattoo me. The symbol for strength was placed on the back of my neck when I was only 16 years old.

I never thought of having a tattoo, but I wanted to have something that kept him with me for life. My grandfather was covered in tattoos and he would often give tattoos out. That was his side hustle.

As I swam lengths this morning all I could think about was the same tattoo that was on Theo’s back. It was just too good to be true.

I dried myself off after showering and walked around, I had no idea where I was going but I needed time to think. Through many hard times in my life, this tattoo just reminds me of him. His love, strength, sacrifice he was my guardian.

I had made it to the football pitch and saw one person shouting across the field as a little child kicked around a football.

I smiled as the little kid slipped and fell on his bum.

I decided to walk and get a closer look, but I immediately regretted it because I realised that the man shouting was Theo. He had his crutches sitting next to him as he watched the boy play. Could that be his own child?

The little boy spotted me instantly, he clapped his hands wildly as he locked eyes with me.

“Dillan watch it,” Theo said when the guy turned to sprint over to me.

I met him in the middle and bent down. Dillan stumbled and fell over. Theo shook his head, but I just watched the boy as he started to cry.

“Don’t cry buddy, c’mon everyone falls just get back up,” I said calmly to the boy who was staring over at me with interest.

I watched his legs shake before he slowly stood up.

“now keep going,” I said reaching out to him. I felt a sudden pride for him as he jogged the rest of the way until he was face to face with me.

A few seconds passed before he clapped his hands together, he was proud of himself.

This is the shit I live for, this is why I coach.

“alright little guy time to go home,” Theo said coming over and taking his little hand in his big one.

I stood up from my crouched position. “is he yours?” I asked him to hope he would give me a straight answer.

He glanced at Dillan “he is, 8 months this Sunday” he said as Dillan stomped his feet drying to get mud of his tiny vans. Kids got style at an early age.

“walk with me,” he said grabbing his crutches. It seems as though he is improving, e seems stronger now and doesn’t need the crutches that much.

I followed after them both. “when Dillan stays with me, he loves to play outside, I think he’s going to like the sport as much as me” he laughs. I enjoyed watching Theo speak about Dillan this way.

He wasn’t cocky, he was normal.

“which team did you play for?” I asked going back to what the others have told me that he was a good footballer.

“I played for Westham. I stopped when this guy was born, I needed to be there for him and personally I wasn’t enjoying the game like I used to” he explained to me.

It was nice to hear about him. I honestly thought he had stopped for maybe a u=injury because that’s what happens most of the time for athletes.

“and her mother, where is she these days” I hope I wasn’t pushing the boundaries.

He sighed. “she’s around, she lives in Ireland we have joint custody of her” he explained. We both smiled when Dillan fell down again, he had tripped over a small branch.

He looked back at us. With determination he stood up again and walked forwards it seemed that he was proud of himself.

“thanks for that back there, I feel like he learned a lesson” I sudden warmth radiated in my chest, my grandfather would have done the same.

We reached the reception. Dillan immediately ran forward and reached his hands up to Ryan who stood there talking to Jenny.

I smiled at how Ryan picked him up setting him on his hip and ticked Dillan.

“you guys were together” jenny questioned me and Theo who stood next to each other. She was joined by Jacob. “and didn’t kill each other” he questioned.

I glared at them both, maybe not the time to make those jokes.

“he’s not as bad as I thought,” I said, getting over mu initial hatred for the guy and replacing t with something else.

I’m sure we could be civil for a while.

I walked over to jenny taking the team iPad from her hands, I looked to see how many came to train this morning. I heard that bryony through a party last night. Didn’t think half of them would show.

Most of them barely recovered form heavy drinking most probably.

“they’re here, but barely,” jenny told me as well walked over to the pool.

Clearly, I was the only one who was being serious about their future. If they wanted to have fun getting drunk and do god knows what they need to go to the community college of or something.

They were all in the changing room.

I went straight to Scott. “have fun last night” I said acting like I was even remotely interested in their activities.

“you know it coach, bry knows how to throw a party,” he said going to high five bryony who basically scowled at Scott.

She glanced at me warily. Yeah, I wouldn’t make eye contact either.

“what man, oh shit she’s joking” he finally caught on seeing my not so pleased face.

“dick” bryony said slamming her locker shut after grabbing her swimming cap. I had hoped that she would understand this more than anyone.

She won’t get to the Olympics pissing about and drinking.

“when I said get to know each other I had hoped you would have been able to do it without alcohol or drugs” Scott stepped up to probably object to the drugs statement.

I shut him up quickly.

“you’re here for a reason, your parents are paying for you to reach your goals. Don’t abuse it by wasting all your training on a few silly drinks because everyone else is. You will only regret it later on when yo don’t qualify or you’re not picked for the team. Am I making myself clear” I turned to them, I deliberately glared at bryony?

The guilt was written all over her face.

“am I clear,” I said louder slamming my hand against the locker. This was not how I wanted to start the day.

“yes,” bryony said, followed by the rest of them.

I left them in there with jenny, she was the only clever one to not do anything stupid last night.

I walked into the staff room, thank god it was empty I needed to gather myself up. I wouldn’t talk about it anymore, unless they give me a reason to.

I removed my hoodie and started to make myself a coffee.

I watched them in training in silence, making sure that they were working hard. I had hoped that the silence would make them know I wasn’t messing about.

They needed to learn that if they want to be good. They needed to make sacrifices.

Lord knows everyone in sport has.