Sorry mom

Before going out, I took off my school uniform and put on a t-shirt instead, then I added a sweater over the t-shirt, then I put the ball behind me, on the side of the sweater where you're supposed to put your head to keep from catching a cold. I also wore socks to hide the marks on my calves. Even though I don't particularly like wearing socks, I have no choice.

I'm not going to school today anymore, I have to stay to talk to my mother first, if she finds out on the fly, it wouldn't be glorious.

Without even taking my guitar, I headed to the living room.

When I got to the living room, my mother had already finished making breakfast.

"Sit down_", She didn't even finish her sentence, she must be really surprised by my outfit. I'm not surprised.

"But...but...what's wrong with you, my dear? You, with a ball? That's unheard of."

"I know, I'm surprising myself."

For someone like my mother who understands how much I can't stand being in contact with a ball, it's not surprising. Even when I was little, I didn't particularly like this sport.

"But what is the cause of this change?"

I couldn't answer his questions and I remained frozen in place, simulating in my head my mother's reaction if she learned what her darling son would have defended with all her might if someone accused me of having caught me destroying balls, and it wasn't great at all.

I feel guilty and bad in his place, it's as if it's now that I realize that what I was doing was not good. I didn't even consider my mother's feelings when I launched into my so-called revenge against football.

"Um...did I say something wrong?", Seeing me frozen and my head down, my mother couldn't help but ask me the question.

"I'm sorry mom.", I told her with tears that kept flowing from my eyes.

"Why are you apologizing? And why are you crying? Did something happen to you?"

I took off my clothes one after the other and I was left in my underwear with the ball in my hand, then I turned my back to my mother so she could see what was written on it.

"Oh my God! What...who...did this to you?", My mother, troubled by the fact of seeing her son whose back was as if charred by an iron bar, began to break down in tears.

I told her everything, I told her everything, whether it was about the burned shops in the city and even about the god of football, then about our contract and what I had to do, I don't want to hide anything from her anymore, I don't want to make my mother cry anymore.

That day, my mother and I cried all the tears in our bodies. I cried because I was sorry, she cried with several mixed feelings that clashed inside her, whether it was anger, helplessness, doubt and many other things that I don't know.

Even if she didn't believe me at first, she ended up trusting me, because I am her son, because she loves me, because she doesn't want me to disappear.

Why didn't I come and talk to her when I was at the end of the abyss?

Why didn't I trust her like she trusts me?

Was it fear?

Was it infatuation?

Was it guilt?

No. It's simply because I was selfish. I thought the world revolved around me. I'm simply pathetic. The god of football was right, instead of stupidly seeking revenge, I could have fought for Mia to wake up, Mia would simply be disappointed if she saw the man I've become.

I'm sorry mom!

Forgive me mom!

Take pity on your ungrateful, stupid and disgusting son.

From now on, I promise you to fight with my own strength to save those who are dear to me and to no longer hurt them.

Yes!

I'm going to show them what a difference comfort makes.

The next morning, I woke up at the same time as usual to get ready, with the same style of clothing as yesterday, but this time, it was with my school uniform rather than a t-shirt.

After I came out of my room, heading to the living room, my mother was sitting there, deep in thought. Since yesterday, I no longer have the courage to speak to her.

When I was about to go out…

"I understood what you said and I believe you. Even if I'm not very happy with you, I will support you as best I can."

After saying that, she stood up and came towards me, then put her right hand on my left shoulder and added: "Next time you have a problem, talk to me about it okay?"

She said it with a smile, I could see on her face that she felt guilty for not having noticed anything abnormal about me all this time even though she is my mother. "It's not your fault.", I told her this in my mind.

I nodded in agreement. She then accompanied me to high school in order to support me. I am very grateful to her, even if it is not easy for her at all.

Arriving at the school, the eyes of several students were fixed on me until we arrived in front of the school principal's office.

"I'll take care of talking to the principal, you can go do what you have to do.", said my mother.

I nodded once again and headed to the student council office.

"Oh, wouldn't it be my dear student council president, I thought you had banned balloons from the saint of this school. Then why is my dear president himself walking around with a balloon on his back?"

On the way to the student council office, a student from the school called out to me in a provocative voice. But I didn't answer and continued on my way, not paying him the slightest attention.

Because several students were looking at us, he must have felt irritated by my behavior towards him. With a quick run, he caught up with me, then with his hands, tried to take the ball that was behind me, when he wanted to remove it, my right fist tightly clenched, I pushed it under his jaw with force knocking him out in less than two and I continued on my way without paying attention to my surroundings.

After arriving at the student council office, I asked the vice-president to invite all the students of the school to the schoolyard and I revealed everything to them. Everyone was surprised, dark looks were thrown at me by the members of the football club that I myself dissolved. I apologized in front of the whole school on my knees.

Despite my mother's efforts, I could not avoid expulsion. But on the other hand, they promised not to tell the police. The school also urged students not to spread the rumor even though it was unlikely, it still limited the damage a little and the god of football said that I should win the tournament, but didn't specify the year so I guess whether it's this year or next year is up to me.

Back home, I immediately went up to my room.

The next day, I went to visit Mia in the hospital, as usual, I told her what happened to me, but I avoided mentioning my encounter with the god of football and what I had done to the many shops in the city. I don't want to give her more burden than she already has.

With a guitar in hand, I started singing the lyrics of the song "Amina" by Ariel Sheney that came to mind. The inspiration allowed me to change some of the lyrics of the song to make it more suitable for Mia and me.

'' Glume ''

"My Pretty Mia, eh my pretty Mia, my Pretty Mia, eh my pretty Mia, They say that because of you now I do too much damage, They say that because of you now I fight too much Yeh, I'm a little wesi it's not my fault Yeh, Eh go on baby, twerk, Eh go on baby, go, Eh go on baby, twerk, my Pretty Mia eh, my pretty Mia…"

"Give me some time, I promise to wake you up from your sleep."

Yes, I will save you from my hands. That's what I should have done a long time ago. In this sense, I can thank this god of football for opening my eyes.

Since I've been visiting her, this is the first time that I haven't shed a single tear seeing Mia in this state.

After leaving the hospital, as I was no longer going to school, I spent the rest of the year doing all the training I could find on the internet, watching football matches, then attending training centers and gyms, but I never managed to get in phase with the number 7, I did not get discouraged because with or without it, I will win, that is why I stopped running after this gift and dedicated myself to improving my own style of play and my techniques until I reached perfection.