Marshall whispered: “I’ve been thinking about kissing you like this for so long. Ever since that night at the Meyers twins’ party, that moment that was over too soon, I’ve wanted more. The quick kiss on the roof of the Academy wasn’t enough.”
Kyle smiled mischievously. “I’ve definitely been thinking about it too.” He winked at Marshall and leaned in for another kiss.
Just as things became very heated between the two of them, Marshall’s phone started ringing in his pocket, shaking the two of them out of their intimate moment. Marshall smiled and sighed playfully. “Let me just turn that on silent and we can get back to more important things, okay?”
Kyle returned Marshall’s mock sigh and melodically said, “Okay…”
Marshall took out his phone and saw an unknown number. His caller ID app flashed the name of the caller: Emergency services.
Marshall jumped up from the bench, leaving Kyle with a look of shock. “I need to get this. Sorry,” he said as he swiped to answer the call and put the phone to his ear. “Hello,” he said as he walked a few steps away from Kyle.
The response came, and Marshall’s eyes went wide as all of the blood drained from his face. He turned to look at Kyle, whose face was frozen in a concerned frown. As the man on the other end of the line finished speaking, Marshall said: “I’ll be right there.”
Marshall was already running back towards JJ’s bistro where his car was parked before he shouted back at Kyle. “I need to go. It’s my dad. Something’s wrong with my dad. I’ll call you. I need to go.”
Marshall hardly heard the response from Kyle. His mind was racing as he pushed through the hot night towards his car. He had to get to the hospital as soon as he could.
Chapter 20
Marshall sat outside of the hospital room with his head in his hands. The doctors were still attending to his father and asked Marshall to wait before they let him in to see Lionel. Marshall’s leg was shaking frantically with anxiety, and he tried to make sense of the situation and to prepare himself to see his father. Lionel had suffered a ‘mild cardiac episode’, the doctor had said. He was luckily able to call for help in time, or else it could have been much more serious. Even though Marshall knew that it was irrational, that there was no way to predict something like this, he felt guilty for leaving his father alone and doing his performance at JJ’s that night. He should have been there to help his father. He couldn’t imagine the fear that Lionel was feeling in that moment, with no one to help him nearby, waiting for the ambulance to arrive. It was heart wrenching.
Marshall heard another message come through on his phone, and decided to turn it off. He knew that Kyle would be worried about him with the way Marshall had just rushed off, but he couldn’t talk to him in that moment. Marshall first had to make sure that his father was okay, that there was no lasting damage to his heart, before he could talk to anyone, even Kyle. Marshall couldn’t allow any thoughts to creep into his mind except for thoughts of his father. He had to be there for the man who had raised him, who had sacrificed everything to give Marshall the best life possible. Marshall put the phone back into his pocket and tried to steady his breathing.
Finally, the door to his father’s room opened and the doctors stepped out. The attending doctor turned to Marshall and said: “He’s stable now, awake. He just needs to regain his strength, so I’m going to ask you to only stay briefly. It’s in your father’s best interest to rest right now after what he’s gone through tonight.”
Marshall nodded in agreement. “Will he be okay? Is there any danger that something like this could happen again?”
The doctor scrunched his eyes and said: “We’re still running tests, but right now it doesn’t seem like any lasting damage was done. Your father was very lucky. We’ll know more in the morning, but we just need to make sure that your father avoids any stress and rests as much as possible, okay?”
Marshall nodded again, trying to reassure himself that his father was okay. “Thank you, doctor,” Marshall said as he turned to walk into the room.
Marshall was shocked when he saw his father. Lionel looked much smaller than the rugged, muscular man Marshall had always known him to be. His eyes were half-open as he lay on the hospital bed. There were machines beeping peacefully next to Lionel, and the look of him in his gown with an armband was almost overwhelming. Marshall made his way to his father’s side, touching his arm gently.
“Dad? Are you awake?”
Without opening his eyes any wider, Lionel responded: “My boy… I’m glad you’re here. I’m so sorry for all of this.”
“What are you talking about?” Marshall whispered, scared to even speak at full volume. He felt like his father was more fragile than glass, and that any sudden movements would be dangerous. “You have nothing to apologize for. I should be the one apologizing. The shouting match we had earlier must’ve been what caused all of this. I can’t tell you how terrible I feel right now, dad. I can’t tell you how much it hurts to see you in pain.” Marshall felt tears well in his eyes, utterly ashamed of himself for how he had treated his father, the man Marshall had looked up to for his entire life, the man who had never missed one of Marshall’s matches if he could help it. Even though he knew that he wasn’t thinking clearly, Marshall felt like he had betrayed his father. He felt like even the thought of not being a rugby player was like ripping away the dream his father had built for him ever since Marshall was a child.
“My boy, you have absolutely no blame to take here. Don’t even let the thought cross your mind. I’ve been on medication for a while for my sports injuries. The doctors told me that the medication might cause heart problems, and I knew the risks. They’re treating me now and adjusting the medication, so I should be much better from now on. I don’t want you ever to feel like any of this is your fault.”
Marshall felt tears falling over his cheeks. “I just feel like such a disappointment to you. You’ve always been there for me, and now, when you needed me most, I was out doing something that you didn’t approve of. I was out throwing the years of sacrifice you’ve made for me, back in your face. I’m sorry, dad. I’m so, so sorry.” The tears were now flowing freely across Marshall’s face. He felt self-conscious for breaking down like that, knowing that he needed to be strong for his father. The look in his father’s eyes, the love that Marshall saw reflected in them, was too much for him to take, and tears were his only option.
Lionel spoke again, his voice cracking and low: “I never want you to think that way, Marshall. What I do for you, every day, is only because I love you. You owe me nothing. I should have listened to you from the start. I should have heard you. And for that, I’m sorry. I just want to see you happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I just want to see you find everything you want in life. It was a shock to me to hear that you might not want to play rugby anymore. But don’t ever think that I won’t support you fully, no matter what.”
Marshall leaned down to hug his father, wiping his tears on his father’s hospital gown, feeling years of love and admiration for his father captured in that single moment. Even as Marshall was embracing him, Lionel felt smaller, more vulnerable, than Marshall had ever known him. Marshall knew how much rugby meant to Lionel, and hearing Lionel say that he would support Marshall no matter what just made Marshall want to honor him more. He wanted to see his father proud of him, the same way that Marshall was always proud of Lionel.
Marshall sobbed into his father’s shoulder, and through his heaving he said, “Dad, I know how much you love me and how much you do for me. I know it came as a shock when I told you about my singing. I know it’s not what you expected from me at all. We both spent my whole life sharing the love of rugby, sharing our passion for being the best. And that’s why I’ll be playing in the finals. I’ll be doing it to honor you and to make you proud. I want you to get healthy and get out of this hospital so that you can come and see me play. I want to be the best son to you, just like you’re the best father to me.”
&nbs
p; Just as Lionel was about to respond, the doctor re-entered the room and said to Marshall: “I need to ask you to leave for the night. Your father really needs to get some rest so that he can heal. You can come back first thing in the morning for a visit.” The doctor turned to Lionel and added, “Mr. De Villiers, I just need to check a few more things as well.”
Marshall stood up, smiling down through tears at his father. “I’ll be back in the morning, dad. Just rest a bit.” Lionel’s expression showed that he still had a lot to say, but the doctor was already showing Marshall to the door as he looked through the charts next to Lionel’s bed. Marshall wished that he could stay by his father’s side, but he knew that one way he could truly help his father heal would be to win the championship finals at the weekend, and show Lionel that he was still committed to rugby. Marshall owed him that much, even if Lionel said that he didn’t expect anything from him. Marshall knew how important rugby was to his father, and he wanted to train extra hard over the following few days to make his father proud.
As he left the hospital and found his car in the parking lot, Marshall remembered what he had said to Kyle, about how he would listen to the reasons why he shouldn’t take part in the finals. Even though he wanted to keep that promise, Kyle had said to him that he would respect any decision that Marshall made, that it was his life to live. Kyle simply had to understand that Marshall’s father came first. Marshall would play in the finals, he would lead his team to victory. There was simply no other option.
Chapter 21
Kyle had been tossing and turning all night thinking about Marshall. He remembered the passionate kiss they shared on the bench in Donovan Square, the closeness he felt with Marshall. It was like a weight had been lifted between them, like the distance between them had finally been crossed and they could admit how they felt for each other. But then Marshall had rushed off so suddenly after the mysterious phone call, not saying anything except that his father was in trouble, and leaving Kyle completely at a loss. Kyle had tried to call him and sent him messages, but Marshall had not responded. The look on Marshall’s face as he ran off made Kyle’s blood run cold. After everything they had been through, after Marshall saying that he would finally let Kyle explain Paul’s predictions about the rugby finals, it was a terrible way to end the night. Kyle just hoped that he was okay, but Marshall was still not answering his phone the next morning.
Kyle sat in the common room of the Academy for Experimental Science and Technology, realizing that the way that Marshall was acting was only the beginning of his problems. He was on the computer in the common room, having been completely locked out of his lab by Prof. Greer. Kyle knew that Prof. Greer wouldn’t be giving Kyle a good progress report for that semester, and if Kyle couldn’t find another project and a new supervisor soon, he would risk his spot at the Academy. With the amount of funding each student was given at the Academy, there was no room for a bad report at the end of the semester, or a professor refusing to include a student on their project. If Kyle find a new supervisor and a new project soon, all of his dreams would disappear in a cloud of smoke.
Kyle heard Riana’s voice calling out from the doorway: “Hey there, stranger! Haven’t seen you around here much lately. What’s been happening? I thought we were going to work on implementing my compression tech on Paul. Don’t you need me anymore?”
Kyle turned to face Riana, realizing that the tired expression on his face would be alarming to her. Her raised eyebrows behind her thick-rimmed glasses proved him right. He spoke in a quiet voice: “Afraid I’ve got some bad news there. Prof. Greer has kicked me off working on Paul. It’s a really long story, but if I don’t find something else soon, it looks like I won’t be at the Academy beyond this semester. I’ve already emailed most of our professors and half of them have gotten back to me saying they can’t supervise another student. I don’t really know what I’m going to do.”
“What are you talking about? And why do you look so terrible? You look like you haven’t slept in days. Prof. Greer can’t just kick you off of working on Paul! You’ve been doing all of the heavy lifting for the past few months, made some breakthroughs… Paul would still just be mostly theoretical if it weren’t for you! I saw the predictions it was able to make already. Why is he doing this to you?”
Riana walked over and sat next to Kyle at the desk. She wore a bright floral blouse and a black skirt. Kyle had never seen her looking so professional in the lab before. She could hardly dress up for the parties Kyle dragged her to.
Kyle shrugged as he responded: “I guess I was making too much progress on Paul. You know how territorial these stuffy old professors can get. Prof. Greer has very different ideas for the future of Paul than I was willing to go along with. He just didn’t want me around anymore.”
“That sucks, Kyle! I’m really sorry. I know how much working on Paul meant to you, and I know the progress you were making was really revolutionary. Hopefully Prof. Greer will write you a good reference letter. I’m sure there are lots of other supervisors who are dying to have you work on their projects. Or you could just start something new and get the dean to sign off. If anyone can make it work, it’s you.”
Kyle gave a weak smile and felt the weight of the past few days on his shoulders. “Thanks, Riana. It’s just been a weird couple of days. I think I need a bit of a break before I tell the dean about any of this.” Kyle looked at Riana’s outfit again, and asked: “Why are you so dressed up today? Finally making your move on your supervisor?”
Riana laughed her dry, self-conscious laugh, and said, “No, silly! I just have an interview. For that doctoral scholarship at MIT in the US. I probably don’t stand a chance, but I somehow made it through to the final interviews. I’m just preparing myself to not be too disappointed when they see that all I have to offer so far is failed data compression software. If you had applied, I’m sure you wouldn’t even need to interview.”
The words stung Kyle, but he tried to act happy for Riana. “Don’t be ridiculous! They’ll love you! And your software is great so far. It just needs some ironing out. You’re going to knock their socks off!” Kyle regretted not applying for the scholarship, thinking that working on Paul would be the best move for him career-wise. Even though studying at MIT would have been incredible, Prof. Greer was world-renowned for his work and Kyle thought that he didn’t need to leave Ridgemont to get the best start to his career. Now, looking at Riana about to interview for one of the most prestigious schools in the world, all Kyle could feel was jealousy. Prof. Greer had stolen all of Kyle’s work over the past months, and was about to profit from it. And Kyle would be left with nothing, maybe not even getting readmittance to the Academy. It was still too much to process.
“Thanks, Kyle,” Riana smiled, winking at him. “And don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll figure things out soon. You’re the brightest guy in our program. Everyone knows that. You’ll land on your feet.”
Kyle tried to wave off the encouragement, but at the same time there was a sense of dread that Riana’s words unearthed in him. All his life, he had been working towards being the best and getting all of the recognition that came along with it. Now, he was at a dead end. He had no idea what he would do next. But he felt compelled to go to one place, and he picked up his keys from the desk as Riana left. Kyle walked out of the Academy, through the display in the main hall showing all of the great works of South African scientists he admired. He could only think of going to a place he felt completely safe. He reached his car and drove off, away from Ridgemont.
***
As Kyle pulled up into the driveway of the small house with its neat garden, he felt memories flooding back to him. He walked along the pathway that led to the front entrance, knocking on the door and exhaling deeply, confusion clogging his mind. How long had it been? He looked around at the busy streets, the broken-down park in the distance. As the door opened in front of him, he was greeted by the familiar smell of chicken curry. “Kyle! I had no idea you would be here today
!” the voice greeted him.
“Hi mom,” Kyle said, and collapsed into his mother’s arms. She hugged him tightly, and he instantly felt like he was ten-years-old again, when he used to feel so out of place in school, and his mother used to reassure him that he was special and that he was loved. Whenever he was confused as a child, his mother was always the one to remind him that he could push through anything, all he had to do was trust himself.
“If I knew you were coming home I would have made something special for dinner! Now you’ll just have to settle for my chicken curry.” Kyle’s mother pulled him through the doorway, holding both his hands. Her smile radiated warmth and affection. Kyle knew that it had been months since he had visited home, and even when his mother called him, he was always too busy to speak for more than a few minutes. She wore a turban on her head and the red earrings that Kyle had bought her for her birthday the year before. Her dark brown skin was lined with age and her eyes carried the wearied look of someone who had worked hard to provide for her family. After Kyle’s father had left them, his mother had started her own catering business and even saved up to pay for Kyle’s private schooling, but he was able to get enough money through scholarships to lighten her load.
“You know that your chicken curry is my favorite anyway, mom. Nothing is more special than that to me.” Kyle smiled as his mother sat down on the couch across from him. He collapsed into his favorite reclining chair and called over the ancient cat who was watching him from a corner, petting her as she jumped onto his lap. “It’s been so long, but everything’s still the same. Even Augusta looks like she hasn’t aged a day.” Kyle petted the cat as she purred with her eyes closed. Augusta was almost as old as Kyle was.
Rewriting Destiny Page 12
