Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The Road- (4)
It was about a year ago that a kid named Ryan Keith made the team out of training camp, the only freshman since Dumont to do so. He was with dynamic talent, but seemed to lack what’s needed to push him to the top, according to Coach Duval. As the result, the very hotshot prospect was assigned to mentor Ryan to help with his development. Normally arrangements like this tended to produce varying degrees of success, with light chance of success. So the risk was there. Fortunately, Alexandre became good friends with him and helped him to have a decent rookie season mirroring that of Mikhail Komarov. Lately they have been enjoying some good chats on MyBook or hanging out when neither are that busy (which is quite rare, to be honest).
Today they were just by themselves, just hanging out at one Sunday evening. It was at the middle of the evening, with the watch indicting the time ’19:45’. Now done with some native-styled Norreish meal at Jurgen’s, they were at a park, sitting in a bench like good ol’ friends.
“Pass me the cigar.” Alexandre said, pointing at the very spot in his bag where he stored his cigarettes. Ryan quickly took out the pack of cigarettes from a pocket of his jeans to Alexandre, who then took out two and lit both before putting it in his mouth. Being up north, most athletes smoked regularly. Smoking was a key social custom, in particular. Before the game, have a smoke.
Right after practice, have a smoke! During intermission or team dinner, have a smoke as well! No wonder why Ferland, one of Multiverse’s largest cigarette companies, is based in the closest major city of Sudbury!
Our very main character of the story very well knew the dangers of smoking to a young athlete, but didn’t bother to quit. Someday, when he plays under big lights of Quebec City or Kenora he’ll have to, due to the totally different social norms in existence outside of this globe named Northern Ontario, but he’s not in yet so he just decided to make the best out of it while he’s still home.
Once done sucking all the negative dirt out of the cigars, Alexandre pulled it out of his mouth and placed them at the ashtray, right next to them in a desk. The smoke was lightly coating the very atmosphere around them, like fog on a misty lake. Then they started to talk like usual, with Alexandre just telling him a bit about how to improve Ryan’s skillset, which was followed by some conversation regarding hockey, like usual.
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“My son,” he jokefully said it, except that the tone was far too serious to meant it in that way, ”We need to talk.”
“Yes, Alex?” Ryan asked, wondering what his mentor wanted to say. He saw from the very corners of his eyes that this time, he was going to talk to him about something extremely seriously. Strange, He thought while looking at him. He’s never the one who’d be serious on this.
“What would you say if I do say that I’m in love with your sister?” The older one spoke, with his voice in a mix of anxiety and other emotions. This was the first time that he admitted this to someone aside from Semyon and Michael, and he knew the potential risks it carried.
Then out of surprise, Ryan just gave a light smile.
“I saw it coming, man.” The younger guy responded cheerfully, ”You always was the guy, especially out of grads, who cared about her out of all. After all, hockey players are not necessarily the type that would be interested in her.”
This was very much true, he realised. His fellow teammates (or at least the ones in seniors) generally had their own social lives mostly on their lightheaded, popular friends in their grade, with some of those in junior grade as well. While Marianne was certainly not the one at the opposite end of the spectrum, for she still had a large number of friends, but wasn’t that close to the jouers in his grade. After all, Ogoki Lakes had a fairly large student population (175 per grade), and there’s the diversity of social groups in its demographics as well.
“Hmm.” He responded, finding his mentee’s reaction surprising, before asking back, ”What triggered you to figure this out?”
“Well, I remember back when I came to visit you after the crash near Arlanda. The flight, which the Elder Brisebois paid the cost for, got delayed for several hours at Sudbury so I arrived at like 2 in the morning.”
“Then?”
“You were asleep in your hospital bed, calling ‘Marianne….Marianne’ while I was there with a doctor whose name I forgot. It was then that I realised that there’s something serious. Afterwards I checked the things between you guys and realised that something’s strange and unique about this one. That’s how I got to know.”
“I see.” He smiled at his mentee, knowing that he was not lying about it. Alex then gave him a pat in the back, “Thanks for being so co-operative by not letting this bean spill.” Alexandre then felt some sense of relief in his body, knowing that his love life won’t be on his or anyone’s way for the time being.
Then, to change the topic, he asked. “So at being said, are you looking forward to Wolves this season?”
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Saturday, 15 minutes before puckdrop
Locker room was packed with the players, all dressed up in their uniforms, when Alexandre entered it. Unlike most times, when he’s among the earliest ones to enter the locker room and get ready, he arrived late. Many wondered what brought Alexandre to such a late arrival, but decided to not ask unless someone else did. Eventually, someone had to break the silence and ask, and it was no less from a fellow veteran.
“You’re late, Alex.” Said Eric Downie, the senior defenseman who’s in the team since his sophomore year. He was one of those boys who were not necessary the smartest, but put all the effort out on the ice.
Alexandre turned at his teammate and gave him a slight nod, before saying, “I know, Eric.” The tone of his voice showed that he didn’t really care that much about what his friend thought of. He was already in game mode, getting his mind just ready to deal with the very opponents.
He then dropped his long, black bag with his hockey equipment and sat on his stall. It was right next to Ryan and Nikolai (Zadorov). Once at his stall, he zipped open the bag and picked his skates up. Then he followed it by tying his skates, the one last step he took before getting ready for the game. He had already taped his stick with a light black tape he used since the age of 9 all the way back home. He felt little bit of challenge tying his skates however, as many things distracted him from doing the action properly. His head, instead of what is expected to be filled with, was occupied by all sorts of questions and thoughts.
Am I ready? What do those Three Lakes people think of me and the team right now? Most importantly of all, will she be there?
Thoughts of all sorts flew inside his head, as he managed to get it done.
By the time when he was done, the only one remaining with him was Jonathan Gaunce, the Captain of the very squad. He was waiting for his teammate to tie the goddamn skates so that Alexandre can stand in front of him, for on-ice introduction part of the season opener. He stood, gave his captain a fist pump and walked out of the locker room.
On the alleyway to the ice a line was formed, based on the players’ numbers, with the Alternate Captains and Captain to be the last ones to enter the ice. Right now, the coach was giving each player individual comments and advices right before the game. Normally they were quite helpful and motivational, even though not all of them were that pleasant or worked.
The players, once done or while waiting for it, were now using their sticks to get themselves ready. Some were having some chats with each other, while others closed their eyes and got themselves ready ahead of the game.
“Alex. Do what you know the best.” Coach Duval looked at him in the eyes, as he said his last words before the game, “Intercept the movements on ice and take over accordingly. It’s up to you to execute that, but always remember the basics of the game.”
“What do you mean, sir?” Alexandre wondered, being confused over why he’s saying it.
“Those players we saw from Three Rivers are intimidating but slow. So you can certainly deal with their clogging of neutral zone once you find flaws in their way. Don’t let them dictate your game. Instead, let them outplay themselves by being outskated and outscored. Let’s show the World how we are here for good, and for the Championships.”
He nodded his head and walked into the tunnel. Neither the deafening cheer of the hometown crowd nor the flashing lights upon his entrance didn’t bother him. He just enjoyed it. He knew that he was going to write a new chapter in his own life, and that of the whole Ogoki High School Lakers.
