ZACK’S POV
“I know we had a terrible encounter. I am sorry for whatever I did to you. You did wrong but I had no right to beat you. Let’s forget everything and stay friends. At least, after what all happened, this is the mature decision we both can take it in a sense of sportsman spirit” Without any hesitation, I apologized and explained it to him.
Noah still was transfixed by my actions. A storm of mixed expressions flashed on his face as he tried to take in my words and still when he failed to believe me, he questioned my intentions.
“Why now after what all I did to you? He asked him.
“It’s just that someone had reminded me that everyone deserves a second chance. If you knew why I had come in between your dreams then maybe you wouldn’t have done those that you did” I justified both of us and it lit Noah’s guilt.
My reply did have some effect on Noah as he expressed how he was realizing his mistakes. In no time, his maturity had made him understand how immature his actions were. Though his ego hit him hard by hesitating to apologize to me, the sportsman spirit between us, connected us and made him have a change of heart. He sighed and took my hands for the shake, clearing off everything that existed between us to put start to a new ride.
With this, I had learned two lessons. One was something said by Zoe that hope is all it takes to take a step towards redemption and the second one was that simple acts of kindness can melt the darkest of hearts. Our mature union made us feel as if a war had ended. Felix and Sam also came forward to apologize to me and I forgive them too.
However, even though the tournament had come to an end and the misunderstandings were cleared, I was feeling lost. I had failed to win the individual championship trophy for Zoe. I had miserably failed my promise. The contentment and confidence I had gained from overcoming my trauma had already faded away. to be specific, I felt myself as a failure. I had failed my Zoe and this made me breakdown.
In a low level of confidence, I went back to take a seat and Dash and Will supported me. All I could think of now was my Zoe and so, I asked them to take me to her. They agreed to me and we were about to leave the arena when mom stopped us wanting to wait until the results were announced.
“There is no need to waste time here now. I have failed and we have to find some other way to help her” I had lost all my faith and was prepared to leave the venue.
Right then, out of nowhere, coach David rushed to us and stopped us from leaving the venue. We were confused seeing him hastily trying his best to stop us and so we decided to stop for a moment to know why.
“Something unbelievable has happened and you won’t believe it” he excitedly told us.
“What are you saying David. What happened?” Mom asked him blankly.
“Just wait and watch” coach appallingly forced them towards the stage saying this. He was hell bound on making us sit in the front row itself. Seriously we had no idea of what was going on with him!!!!
Mom and my buddies began to eagerly wait for the results even when I had no interest in staying there. But when the announcement was made, I was shell shocked. In a second, I was stupefied and became completely blank. Mom and my buddies looked at me with wide opened eyes of shock and coach was giggling his heart out. None of us could believe it!!!!!
Was I dreaming??? Was this some kind of a joke or even worse, was it any prank of Noah to humiliate me in front of the whole audience??? If it wasn’t for any of this reason, the results were not something I was ever going to believe in!!!
I froze and so did everything around me. But, the whole of the audience was cheering for me. I had no idea and nor could I understand what was going on. Having taken enough of the shock, mom, Dash and Will turned their gaze towards David expecting an explanation and he broke the news.
“He has broken the record set by the former record holder in the event of 400m and it was an achievement which was worth noting. And you can think of the rest right. With those points, Zack has topped the championship points and so he became the GYT champion of this year” coach David told us in an exhilarated tone.
What more honorable than what David told me could have given me my old life back??? I had just broken the ages old record which was created by my father once, when he had gone against and defied his fate by chasing his dreams. And today, his son had done the same by doing it for his love. Yes, I had finally done it and had lived up to the name that my father had created in the town!!!!
Tears of joy ran down my eyes and my people threw themselves on me to give me the tightest hug of euphoria. They too were really proud of my achievement and it was evident from their eyes. In no time, the jury made the announcement of the reason for my victory and that broke the cheers of all of the audience. In the state of shock, I was in, it made me unable to move. So, Will and Dash gave me a little push towards the stage from behind me. With the widest and truest smile, I had ever got after such a long time amidst all the shits of my life, I walked to the stage to take his trophy.
The jury handed over the giant trophy to me and as it was impossible for me to weight it alone, I instantly called over my best buddies to share the biggest joy with me. They were the best ones deserving all the credits of my victory ad so this was the best way I could thank them!!!
We raised the trophy high up in the air and the tears of happiness rolled down my eyes. This was the very moment when I realized that I had finally made lemonade out of the lemons my shitty life had gifted me after my dad’s death.
Along with the trophy, the cheque award was also handed over to me and I looked up in the sky to reminisce how my dad was blessing me from above the sky. Once we got down the stage, mom signed me to hurried to the hospital accompanied by Dash,Will. Now that we had gotten what my Zoe wanted, there was no point in wasting any time so we rushed to the hospital. Zoe’s family was still in front of the ICCU and looked as if they were waiting for me desperately. Seeing them, I hastily went up to Zoe’s dad and hugged him.
“Please start the formalities needed for her surgery. We have enough to save her life and her dreams” I shared the good news to them.
Saying this, I handed over the cheque to Zoe’s dad and they broke into a pool of cries. I had never seen them so hopeful during the past hours and this one sight gave me the strength I wanted. Our Zoe was now going to get fine soon and it was all a matter of time now.
Mike also came upstairs with a bag of medicines from the pharmacy and seeing his parents cry their heart out, he rushed to them. They showed him the check and he was instantly filled with joy. he pounced onto me for a hug as if I had given his family something that could save their Zoe. Yes... it was beyond something for all of us. It was my love for Zoe.
Zoe’s father hurriedly contacted the bank and arranged the money needed for the surgery. It did take some hours to get the cheque cashed. However, when we had informed the doctor about the funding, she happily began the process of the surgery without wasting any time and that was what we wanted to happen. All of us got a ray of hope for our Zoe but was the surgery going to successful or was there anything left for me to achieve for saving my Zoe’s life????