Babel Novel
29
Chapter twenty-nineContent © NôvelDrama.Org 2024.
Mac’s pov
When I got home, a feeling of dread came over me and I pulled my bike to a stop parking just outside my home.
It was dark inside and lonely. A part of me wanted to run away and go back to some of my guy’s house, but I knew it would seem like I was a little bitch.
so I just had to go in, I took off my helmet and walked toward the porch.
I pulled open the door and I was met with darkness, the sweet scent of air freshener filled my nose and I knew the cleaning lady had arrived just this evening after I left.
I didn’t bother putting on the lights as I was used to coming home to the darkness so I just navigated through the stairs and into my room, slamming the door shut behind me.
Throwing my bag on the floor, I took off my jacket and fell on my bed, closing my eyes as I reimagined Elena’s face in my head.
I’ve never felt so alive and free with someone before and I closed my eyes in bliss before sleep took over me and I was plunged into a sea of nightmares about my past.
“Come on, hit the ball with this side of your foot,” Liam said, pointing to the left side of his foot and I picked myself from the floor dusting off the dirt off my shorts.
It’s been two weeks since I met Liam and While we met here every night, he had been teaching me how to play basketball. My father still hadn’t returned nor did my mother.
Every day, I managed to steal a few expired foods from the restaurant just on the street of my school and now my stomach grumbled in hunger as the store had been closed all day.
I was tired and with no food in my belly, Playing football was tiring today.
I sighed as my stomach growled and I sat back on the floor with a heavy sigh.
“What’s up?” Liam asked me.
looking over at me worriedly before picking up the ball and sitting beside me, balancing the ball on his left foot as he raised his leg in the air.
Liam was extremely skilled in playing basketball and football and for a second I wondered if I was going to be as skilled as he was.
He was patient with me too which was very annoying sometimes because I knew It was hard for him to repeat the same thing over and over again. But soon I started to look up to Liam.
He was smart too and most days, I brought my homework with me too and Liam was able to put me through the hard maths questions.
He was almost like an elder brother to me except we were both the same age.
“I’m hungry,” I responded, bowing my head in shame at telling Liam I hadn’t eaten all day.
“Is your mom not back yet? Or your dad?” He asked, turning to me with eyes filled with concern.
“No. I don’t think they’ll be coming back soon,” I answered sadly before picking on my fingers to avoid the sad stare Liam gave me.
“My dad just got back from Russia and He got some nice snacks. Wanna have some?” Liam asked and I nodded eagerly.
He chuckled before standing up and heading to his school bag he discarded on the floor when he had arrived before pulling out a snack from it. It was a huge chocolate and I grinned when Liam threw it at me.
“It would take me a week to finish this,” I chuckled, looking at the chocolate wrapper to find its name written in what I figured was Russian.
“Trust me when you take a bite of it you won’t know when you finish it,” Liam chuckled before snatching the chocolate from me and tearing off the wrapper then handing it back to me
“Eat quickly so we can continue playing,” Liam said before picking up his ball and practicing more of his moves, I watched in awe as I ate.
Liam was good at basketball and I found myself wanting to know why he was so invested in becoming perfect.
“Why do you play basketball anyway? I mean you’re obviously from a rich home, why would you dedicate so much time to it?” I asked and Liam bounced the ball with his palm before grabbing it
when it was half in the air and turning to me with a smile.
“That’s the only time my dad watches me. He’s always so busy with work and he barely has time for me and my mom. But I notice whenever I tell him about my games he’s always there. He loves basketball and he is proud to see me play too. Whenever I play, I always look up at him staring at me with wide eyes, his whole attention on me. It’s the best feeling in the world.” Liam said, his grey eyes filled with genuine happiness and I knew he loved his father to be so glad he was at his games.
Unlike me, my parents didn’t even realize my new passion for playing Basketball.
There would probably be no one to watch me play when I join the school basketball team next year.
But I still wanted to join it anyway. It made me forget about the loneliness and every time I saw the ball, it reminded me that I had a friend, someone who liked me and was genuinely interested in teaching me how to play.
Basketball reminded me that I had someone in my life, and I wasn’t lonely anymore. It reminded me that I have a friend.
I opened my eyes, staring at the dark room as I awoke from the dream of my past once more and a silent tear escaped my eyes.
Now Basketball doesn’t only remind me that I once had a friend. It reminded me that I was lonely once more.