The Arduous Ascent

With the necessary equipment and a competent trainer along with my resilience, I was bound to succeed without a doubt. Our first training session then began, my body, despite being bulky at such a young age, does not even compare to the athletes who attended that environment. We started with basic training for the first day and a training fight at the end of the afternoon.

After my departure from the gym, the night was hanging over my head and now I needed to go back to the orphanage but I was afraid of what they would say after seeing my bruises and training equipment. I was determined to confront them if necessary, the caregiver Luiz who had been missing for a while had taught me several things and among them was not to easily give up on my dreams just for receiving a simple "No".

Arriving at the entrance to the orphanage, the caregivers were already coming to greet me when at the same moment they already saw my bruises and their faces that were of joy now were of concern. I tried to explain everything to everyone but it wasn't necessary. I was taken to the dean's office at the orphanage where I explained the whole situation and there I heard the news about the caregiver Luiz.

The dean didn't even bring up the subject of my beginnings in boxing, she just let it go to give me some very tragic news. She explained to me that Mr. Luiz had been in an accident and is in a coma and has not yet been discharged. Hearing these words my legs became weak and my knees gave way and buckled making me stay on the ground. I didn't cry, I wasn't sad or happy. I just kept the same static face as I looked at the wall. The caretakers came to lift me up and offer me their condolences because I was the young man from the orphanage closest to the caretaker Luiz.

I got up and managed a very shaky smile and said it was all right. I left the rectory room and went to the accommodation where I stayed for a few hours in tears and tears where I cried for a few hours. The day dawned and I had remembered a question I forgot to ask the dean. "Can I go visit him?" after listening to me again, the dean explained to me that it would be impossible.

Mr. Luiz was in a coma on a closed stretcher where I couldn't get close. So I tried to compose myself and I didn't even bring up the subject of boxing with the caregivers who did the same and put the sport in perspective. I spent the day in tears but without missing training. I did my morning exercises and in the afternoon I went to the gym still disoriented by the news. Just one day after turning fourteen, I received the news that most impacted my life until then, it was very much me at that moment.

Arriving at the gym in the afternoon, I told the coach what happened and he thought he knew. He just hid it from me so as not to spoil my first debut in training. Even in tears I still trained the whole day with a well below standard performance even for the second day.

At the end of the afternoon, on my way back to the orphanage, I stopped in a nearby square and sat on one of the benches and lamented about the situation of the caregiver Luiz. A man with a face I couldn't quite see sat down next to me and started talking to me in a calm and familiar way.

- Young man, what ails you so much that you cry and regret so much? Said the young man in a serene and calm tone as if he already knew even my answers.

- A great friend of mine is hospitalized and I don't even know if I can thank him for everything he has done for me. He was the closest I had to a blood father inside the orphanage. I said while I had my head down, arms stretched out over my knees and the hood of my coat over my head.

The mysterious man, after listening to me, smiled beside me and didn't say another word. Suddenly he stopped laughing and said words that would mark me.

- Young man, was this friend of yours while he was healthy and at your side treated with respect? Was he treated with love and did you do everything possible to make him happy? The mystery man said that I still couldn't see his face even though it wasn't covered by anything.

After hearing these words I leaned back in the seat raising my head and now keeping my arms crossed as I sighed for air.

- Of course, I always treated him like a father. Respect was what didn't even need to be mentioned. He was a very wise person and taught me a lot of things to this day. I hope he can teach me more without leaving us. I said in a happy tone.

The lord then stood up smiling and looked up as he taught me again.

- Young man, so there's no reason to be complaining. There is no tree that lives forever nor river that never runs dry. From dust we came and to dust we shall return so we must live as if the present were always a gift given by heaven. Don't forget young man, become the greatest champion this world has ever seen! And make Miller's academy the greatest in the world... Said the mysterious man.

After hearing these last words there was no doubt who the mysterious man was, but when I looked towards him there was no one else in front of me. I was alone in the square. Still sitting, I started laughing out loud with tears streaming from my eyes. After a few minutes of happiness I got up and went back to the orphanage.

Arriving at the orphanage, I received the news that the caregiver Luiz had died a few hours ago. Everyone expects my tears but instead I just smile, and let a small tear run from one of my eyes.

Time passed, and I attended the gym assiduously, not missing a single day when it was open. I wanted to make caretaker Luiz's words come true... Even if I couldn't hide it...