18/11/2023
FROM RAGS TO NAKEDNESS
CHAPTER ONE
Broken dreams
You probably know my name but I would like to call myself Carrot. As you shall know I was in the habit of dangling my beauty and many a man were caught line hook and sinker. That is not where I derive my name though. Allow me to lie also about where exactly I come from but you can take my word for it, I hail from Brazil in a slum located next to hell.
I will take you back to when I was barely 12. My parents worked odd jobs and could barely make ends meet. We pinned our hopes on my brother who answers to the name of Pablo, the b is silent. In Brazil, especially in the slums I hail from the only way out of poverty is through football. Pablo was a star in the making. At 14 he caught the attention of Santos FC. A representative from Santos FC met my father and spoke about how Pablo would effortlessly fit into the Santos FC system. I hadn’t watched Pablo play but those who did said he was a lot like Neymar Junior, or Robinho, or the younger version of Ronaldo.
“Which Ronaldo?” I asked.
“Who else? CR7,” my sister who had watched Pablo in action told me.
If Brazilians were patriotic we would hate the Portuguese Ronaldo with a passion. That man destroyed our Ronaldo’s internation statistics and records. He went on to join Real Madrid and destroyed our Brazilian's achievements with the Blancos. From there he went to Serie A and became the better Ronaldo to play in Italy. As if that was not enough he went on to claim the name as his exclusively. Now, if you to mention our Ronaldo you have to say the Brazilian Ronaldo, or the Phenomenon, or the Original Ronaldo although everyone knows that the second Ronaldo is the original Ronaldo. We are not patriotic, we love CR7 to bits in Brazil because he is at par with our nemesis Messi if not better.
So, Pablo was almost like Ronaldo. That meant that in a few years’ time we would swim in money. Santos FC called to say they couldn’t wait any longer, the following day they would come with Pablo’s contract.
Pablo was ecstatic. He was saying Santos FC was merely a stepping stone. In a few years' time he would ply his trade in Europe and he would take me with.
"Promise," I said.
"I promise Cary," Pablo kissed me on my forehead saying that.
Pablo told his amateur team and the coach organized a farewell match for my brother. I was in attendance, so was my father, my mother and my sister. Pablo was mesmerizing. He wiped the floor with his opponents. He toyed with them. No sooner had halftime arrived than he scored a hatrick. After the third goal we shouted suuuuiii as he sprung up in celebration.
Second half he took off from where he had left. Defenders were following down like dominos. The goalkeeper was in tears. The opposition coach introduced a new player, a Hulk of a boy who was actually a man. The man’s name was Ricardo.
Pablo received the ball on the left flank. He left two players for dead and cut to the right with the intention of hitting a scorcher with his right leg. He was about to let go of a bullet when instead he feigned taking a shot. A defender, who had planned to block the shot fell down. My brother winked at the fallen soldier.
Pablo galloped forward. Three quick step overs sent a defender tumbling down. Pablo held the ball with his ankles Blanco style and flicked the ball over his head. The two defenders in front of Pablo separated paving the way for Pablo. Pablo was bearing down the goal now.
The goalkeeper left his goal posts and charged towards Pablo. Pablo danced liked the Brazilian Ronaldo fooling the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper went to the left and Pablo went to the left.
The goal was yawning in front of Pablo. My brother was about to pass the ball into the empty net when Ricardo hacked him down from behind. Everyone heard the sound of Pablo’s right leg breaking. I rushed onto the pitch screaming. Pablo lay of his back eyes closed. His leg had broken into three. He was taken to the local hospital where his leg was promptly amputated.
Broken dream, broken promises, broken leg.
Now, we were back to hopelessness. If you think that was bad enough wait until you hear about my encounter with Maria.
BASED ON A TRUE STORY
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Love you all.