After the Fight

MARCELO

The return home was completely silent. My mates decided to go home too. This was not a good time for them to be around me. Not even Charly and Juan accompanied us.

In the car, it was only Mandy, Richard, and me. I spent the twenty-minute drive looking out the window. Once at home, Richard parked the car, and we all got out. Mandy opened the door and we entered.

I stood in the doorway, staring at what was in front of me. Banners for the fifth-time champion in a row adorned the entire room. My own shirt said the same thing. I felt repulsion toward myself.

How was it possible that I failed? The things that I had in front of me generated an indescribable fury.

I walked with long steps toward the hall. Then, I ripped off the banners one by one, destroying and breaking them with my hands. When I finished, I was panting and my eyes were disturbed.

I turned around and headed for my room. Upon entering, I slammed the door shut, locking it. I didn’t want anyone near me. I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror.

Looking down at my shirt, I read in the reflection “five-time world champion.”

Seeing my face through the mirror, I grabbed the shirt and ripped it off my body. Then I discarded the clothes and went to have a shower. The hot stream of water hit my aching body.

The adrenaline that was pumping through my body was gone. Now there was only the pain of the blows I received. Ronald didn’t hurt me that much physically.

But it was enough for him to be proclaimed the new champion. I stayed in the shower for hours. I didn’t want to face the world. Finally, I decided to get out.

I dried myself with the towel, and naked I walked toward my wardrobe. I put on a black T-shirt and sweatpants. That was it. I sat on the bed and looked out the window.

I saw across my front yard that the media had begun to congregate outside my gate. Furthermore, I watched them walk back and forth, all of them trying to take photos, hoping to catch a shot of the former champion.

As time went on, not only were the press outside my house but fans and admirers. I couldn’t think of anything else, other than how I had disappointed them. I failed everyone. Now I was nothing.

My successes and everything I’d achieved in my life were gone. In less than two hours, I’d lost my life. Marcelo Walker was no longer the champion. Chills ran through my entire body.

I touched a scar that crossed the length of my right eyebrow. And with that, my mind went back to a time I would never want to remember.

~I covered my head with my arms. Kicks rained everywhere. My body was awful. I was bleeding everywhere. I was losing what strength I had left rapidly. ~

~“Fucking Walker, that’s what you get for messing with us. This will teach you to respect us.” ~

~Two, three, four more kicks, and finally the beating stopped. My ears were ringing, and in the distance, I heard how they continued to laugh at me. Then silence. ~

~I was left lying in the middle of the street, unable to move. This neighborhood has always been dangerous. Prostitution and crime were the only things we saw every day. ~

~If someone saw me lying on the street all bloody, no one would bother to help. Not even calling an ambulance. ~

~After several hours, I finally got some strength to sit up. I managed to rest my back against a wall. In that position, I remained for a long time. My body ached everywhere. ~

~Finally, as it began to get dark, I decided it was time to get up and go home.~

~I walked with difficulty the few blocks I had to go to get to my house. Finally, there, I opened the door and entered. The house was empty, as usual. ~

~My mother was never around enough to notice her. Always on dates and parties. I walked over to my bed and lay down on it. ~

~I closed my eyes, thinking how insignificant I was in this world. No one, absolutely no one would give a fucking penny for me.~

The soft knock on the door brought me back to reality. I was in no condition to face anyone. But I knew it was Mandy.

I was so embarrassed because I had let her down. I was scared. She and Richard were the ones who had worked the hardest to keep me on top. And I wasn’t up to the task.

The knocking continued for a few more moments, but I didn’t answer. “Marce, are you okay? Love opens the door. I need to be with you.”

~No, she doesn’t need to be with me, a good-for-nothing loser. No, not at the moment. I need to clear my head and think~.

But more than anything, I wanted to be alone. I wanted to block the world out of my life. So that’s what I did. I stayed locked in my room.

Mandy and Richard tried to persuade me to get out of there. But my mind was drifting every minute into a worse place.

Three days passed, and I was still locked up without seeing anyone. Here I had everything I needed for the moment. My mates also came to see me. They tried to convince me to open the door, but I refused.

The world was no longer for me. My heart began to harden just like it had before I met Richard. I convinced myself that I was alone and that no one really cared about me. It was all a farce to get what they could out of me.

Mandy stopped being my priority. Richard stopped being my mentor and teacher. My mates for years stopped being my mates in my eyes. Now I was alone against the world again.

But I was no longer a teenage wimp. Now I was powerful and had money to throw out the window. No one would make fun of me again or take advantage of me.