5. THE NEWS

ZACK’S POV

“Tears... Wait why am I not crying? Why are tears not coming? What Is happening to me?” Well, I was devastated, broken and shattered to hell more than mom. 

My dad, my coach, my greatest gift, losing such a precious being would just end up my life, our life. my happiness, mom’s happiness, everything was on dad and him leaving us like this...no this can’t happen....

the thoughts that filled my mind made me numb...I couldn't react to anything. The truth was that I couldn’t feel anything anymore. No tears or sadness. A strange numbness triggered my body. I stood up and crawled to a corner of my room and sat there quietly. this was what I always did from childhood when I was grieve stricken on any matter. I wanted to be left alone in the room and there I could hear Lee still whining ....

"Take your own time son" Mr Thomas left me alone in the room with the door open. 

I didn’t respond to him and sat there just like a numb looking outside my window for some time. It was like I was in oblivion the whole lone time. at the moment I felt hands on my back. It was them, my buddies. They heard the news and rushed to me, to hold me, to stay by me at this juncture of my life. I knew that they would arrive anytime when they get to know about It., we didn’t talk nor make any noise. Both of them simply held me and joined me in my silence until Caroline also came to me sobbing her heart out seeing my condition.

Then the funeral took place. mom was still shattered. People were talking about me, on how I was not reacting to my dad’s death. I didn’t care for a single word they were murmuring about me. because only my buddies and Caroline knew that I was dead Inside and this was the Impact of such a dreadful event in my life. my family was broken in a snap of time... 

2 months passed by... 

It was a day as usual. It had been months since I went to school.  I was still in my old state. I had not stepped my feet on the tracks since that day and had stopped going for training. The thought of stepping on tracks without my dad made me shiver more. It was both mine and dad’s dreams to win the zonal championship but then it was left unachieved. mom was still trying hard to find a job to hold the family. Moreover, things were not going good between me and Caroline as she was not able to handle my present attitude. For the time being, it was just us; me and mom. still, we had to find a new way of living. The savings that we had was not a huge amount still we managed our days and adjusted In It, but as the funds declined, we had to find some other way to survive. Money was never an Issue for us when we 3 were together but now It was a huge problem. All the expenses were not affordable by mom. When dad was there, he always had well-made financial plans that we followed and we really enjoyed life with what all we had. He had never let know any kinds of struggles. those days were far gone. For mom, she had and wanted to take care of me in the best way possible by her. everything was going normal without much crisis when that day arrived. I got to sense a kind of tension in the air of our home. mom was planning on something huge. Aunt Jess, mom’s sister had visited us after so long and I understood that this visit was the tension I sensed in the house. It was after years that aunt visited her sister in the city. even though I had not much Information or connection with any of my parent's families, I was quite extremely satisfied about one thing that they came up to help us in such a time even when I had no hope that such a thing would never happen. 

After a long time of discussing over something in which I was not welcomed, mom called me downstairs and made me sit next to her. Aunt Jess and her husband were also with us. I had not been In a good relationship with them as mom had told me that she and dad had shifted to the city long before I was born leaving their families and also, they too really didn’t have a good family relationships. me and mom hadn’t talked so much during last few days. She used to spend most of her time thinking about our future while I had completely locked myself in my room all day long. Dash and Will used to visit us every day after school and it was the only time when someone talked and made noise in the house.

I made eye contact with mom and she was looking dull before. her face had completely changed. It seemed as If someone had drained her of her soul and happiness. she looked at aunt jess and aunt sighed to her. finally, she opened her mouth to talk.

“I am planning to shift back to the house in our hometown” she spat out in a single breath and serious tone. What the heck!!

I was wonderstruck at the Idea. Why would she want to shift? why on the earth would she take such a decision? how could she even think about moving out of the house that had all our memories In It? was the crisis we were facing so minute that she had to add some more and fire up the grill? my blood boiled with anger which was ready to be spouted out any second when she noticed my tear-filled eyes and red coloured face.

"Zack, It Is becoming very difficult for me to afford the expenses of the city alone and I couldn’t find a job till now. It had been days that we have talked to each other and It Is very... very difficult for me to continue like this" she talked out her emotions even when her voice was blurred with her sorrow.

everyone Including me was well aware of mother’s condition after the Incident. I knew that she loved dad very much so it was just an Imaginable situation on how her days were just like mine. we were living dead ever since then. my mind and heart had stopped working from that day because not only I lost my dad that day but our peace and heart was taken with him. I was left with no option other than stay or at least act strong for mom. I didn’t want to make her suffer more hence I stood by her decision. supporting her at this stage would help me to give her strength to move on. we didn’t have anything left back home. All I had was Dash, Will and Caroline but this strange and indescribable numbness in me had started to worry them too.  When they both tried hard to cheer me up, I couldn't feel anything other than that Immense pain of loss. I didn’t and never had the courage to share such news with them because I knew they would never let me go and would even go to any extent to make me stay, which I never wanted them to do. But it was my fate and I had to and I choose to sort things out with Caroline before telling the boys.

“No, I you can’t do this with me" Caroline held me by collars and tears ran down her eyes.

“Maybe we can figure out a long-distance relation” I freed my jacket from her arms and held her close.

“No...no, it won’t work out that way" she protested my suggestion and I tried my best to convince her.

“Caroline, I love you and do you think this distance can affect our love" She tried to stay back from me but I hugged her tightly as she cried her eyes red.

“I can’t I. You’ll focus more on your mom and yourself once you leave and the way you are, you’ll slowly start avoiding me and I won’t be able to handle that" though she wanted to hug ne more, she pushed me back and turned away from my face. 

“I just need some time, Caroline. That’s it" I had my own reasons and yes, I did expect my girl to understand that.

“What about your dreams then?? It’s been months you came to school and the girls keep mocking me saying you will not come back” she yelled at me and I was stunned by what she said. Seriously, she cared more about those envious plastics than her love???

“Don’t tell me that you care about those girls than me” I coldly asked her unable to bear her immaturity anymore.

“Yes, I do. I have to live here in this city for a long time and you won’t be there for me. So, I do have to care about their words" shockingly, the pure hearted cute Caroline who was once my girlfriend, turned into a practical girl like the others of the high school. No way!!

“I can’t believe you just said that Caroline" I blasted at her not ready to take anymore girly shit of her.

“Think practically I. You can’t come back to tracks in this near future if you go like this and forget about the zonal championships. With yourself, you’ll destroy me too and I would never let that happen with both of us" and cane the final verdict of the so-called love story of the great I and his lovely girlfriend Caroline.

“Fine then” I slammed at her and happened our official breakup and I didn’t even feel bad that it happened. 

Then only thing I felt bad was about how Caroline could suddenly think practically give such lame reasons for breaking our relation apart. Till the meeting, I had a hope that she would never leave my side and I was feeling lucky for that. But now, everything just changed in a snap. What a life!!

This incident gave me a good reason to agree to Mom and I really did need a change of atmosphere. This home and town always reminded me of my dad the accident had totally changed our world. So, I, without showing any more reluctance, agreed to her thoughts of shifting back to the hometown to start a new beginning....