Dreams of Glory - Chapter One

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Dreams, I sometimes wondered, what they are and what they mean.

Dreams, are what every boy has growing up, a dream to play in the National Hockey League. If you owned a pair of skates, and went skating till who knows when. These were probably your dreams, your future. If you listen closely enough, our hearts speak to our dreams. If its what you desire, and if you had skated in the frigid weather, through supper and till your mom had to come and get you. Then maybe this is what your dreams were probably telling you.

Sometimes when we dream, we may not understand them. Or what they are telling us. What they really are, what I believe, a glimpse into our future, they are a peek to what we are supposed to do. We sometimes face obstacles, and we sometimes let them defeat us. Sometimes we watch as our dreams drift away. This is a story of my dream, to play in the National Hockey League.

This story takes place in Cranberry Portage, a small community in Northern Manitoba. Frontier Collegiate Institute. I played for the Mohawks hockey club in the Saskatchewan High School League. It is mid season and I am about to head back to school, after spending Christmas holidays with my mother. Listen closely, as you are about to embark on a journey. Through my eyes I would like to share, what it is like to be a player with that dream.

            As I sat and waited for the driver to load the bus, I waved at the guy’s who brought me to the depot. They waved at me and saluted, with a smile now on my face I couldn’t wait for spring break to come; I was already lonesome. Soon the bus was departing Winnipeg, I was watching for Bill and the guy’s if they were to wave once more but they were gone. Once we’ve reached the city limits, I heard a honk from a passing vehicle. To my surprise looking out the window, it was Billy and the gang holding a sign. This had read “Go get em’, Rob.” Honking as they passed by, that sure picked my spirits up. Once again they waved at me; I waved back with a tear now in my eye, watching as they turned off the next turn. The next few hours were long.

            It was early that morning, while the bus stopped in Neepawa for a few moments. I began to think about Candice Peterson. The girl I had a crush on for quite sometime. During my visit home for the holidays, we hung around together. I saw her more often than my own mother. I would often cancel out on the guy's, who would go out of their way to hang out with me. Billy one of my friends, came over one night and asked me why I wouldn't spend sometime with them. After all they were my cheering squad, at all my games in the city before I joined the Mohawks in Cranberry Portage. I told Bill that I would meet up with the guy's the next day at the drop in centre. That night I went to visit Candice; we shared a special moment together for it was the last time I had seen her.

      The bus's destination was Flin Flon; it was seven AM when it arrived in Cranberry Portage. The driver's voice had awakened me, announcing that he was stopping for twenty-minutes. Tired as I was from the twelve-hour bus ride, I slowly got my bags together. I don’t know why I waited till the last minute to go back; I knew school started the day I arrived back in town. I stood outside the depot on Main Street and stretched out for a moment.

“How was your break?” Someone had said behind me.

 I turned around startled.

“Oh it’s just you. What are you doing here?” I asked with a smile.

“Came to get you.” Waylon my fellow teammate had said.

“You didn't have to come and meet me you know. And how in the world did you know I would be here?”

“The wind told me, the great spirit of the Earth.” He babbled.

“What!” I looked at him with a wry smile.

He laughs and shrugs his shoulders.

“Your mother told me, when I had called for you last night.”

            That made me laugh and I was glad to see him there, he grabbed a bag and we talked on the way back to the Collegiate. When we got to my dorm room, I threw my bags on the bed. Waylon asked if I wanted breakfast, so we headed to the cafeteria. We sat by the window along the stairway, which led to the study hall. We chatted about what we did over the holidays. I also told him about Candice, he sat quiet staring at me.

“So you had sex with this chick?” he asked.

“What? Had sex! Now what kind of question is that? Let’s just say, umm it sure was the best gift I gotten this year.”

“Are you stupid or something?” Waylon said smiling nodding his head.

“What?” I said to him. “Maybe she was in the spirit of giving.”

“Man, you really are something aren't you?” He chuckled. “What about Lisa?”

            I was speechless, I had totally forgotten about her. I didn't know what to think I tried to gather some thought.

 “What she doesn't know wouldn't hurt her.”

Just then Darryl walked into the cafeteria.

“Hey ladies! What’s up?”

“Not much, Robert was just telling me what he got for Christmas.” Waylon looked at me with a smile.

“So did Santa give you what you wanted?” Darryl asked.

“Humph, yah! You could say that.” I smiled.

“Oh s**t! Look at the time. We better get going, or we'll be late for class. Are you coming Rob?” Waylon asked.

“Nah, I think I'll just go back to my room and catch up on some shut eye. Besides I can always copy from you.”

“We'll see you at break then.” Waylon said to me, as they both walked off into the direction of the school.

      When I entered the dorm, the morning buzzer sounded to start the first class. I sat on my bed thinking of Candice and Lisa. How in the world am I going to explain it to Lisa if she ever found out? To my surprise, Lisa knocked at my window. I opened the window for her.

“What are doing here? Don’t you have a class?”

“Yes, I just wanted to see you. Waylon told me you were back and so...here I am.” She said.

“Waylon…” I said under my breath.

 I snuck her in through the side door, since girls were not allowed in the boy's dormitory. I looked outside to see if anyone spotted her sneaking in. She gave me a big hug and kiss.

“I missed you.” She said.

I smiled and gave her a little hug; she then pushed back and looked at me.

“Is something wrong?” She asked.

“What do you mean?”

 “You don't seem glad to see me!”

“Of course I'm glad to see you; I'm a bit tired from the bus ride. That's all.” I said to her.

      I held her hand and sat down on the bed. She stood in front of me. I gazed into her eyes. She wore a red-buttoned top. Feeling guilty I tried to hide it, but as I talked a little. My voiced sounded funny, but I quickly cleared my throat. Trying to think of something fast; then I asked if she thought maybe it was time for us to get serious, since we were only together for 4 months. But I was a hockey player, the one who gets what he wants and desires. So I thought it would be quick and easy, I mean to get rid of the guilt. She thought about it for a while but I urged her. Then she gave in, but told me she hasn’t done this before.

            I began to unbutton her top so far and kiss her neck softly. She pulled my top off and then pants; I sat there with only my boxers on. She then backed away, slowly undressing herself. First taking her top off, showing me her bra. Then she took her jeans off, showing her lace panties. “My God” I thought. She aroused me when she took off her bra. I then rolled her onto the bed, kissing her and caressing her breast gently. I slowly moved down her body, feeling her quiver made me more excited.  I removed her panties and I took my boxers off as well. She moaned for me to put a condom on, when I did she laid me on my back. Slowly getting on top of me riding me. Making out, she took control of the moment. With all the excitement, I didn't realize I moaned Candice’s name. Lisa stopped and looked at me; she got off and began to put her clothes on.

“What's wrong?” I asked her, not knowing what I said.

“You moan some other b***h’s name and you have the f*****g nerve to ask me what's wrong,” She stood there waiting for an explanation, but when I didn't answer.

“You f****r… How could you?” She began to cry; I didn't know what to say. I just sat there with my head down. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. “Why?” She sobbed and walked out the door.

“Lisa wait.” I tried to grab her.

“Don't touch me. Leave me alone.” She ran out the dormitory.

            I quickly dressed and chased after her. I finally caught up to her by the cafeteria, when I grabbed her she screamed for me to leave her alone. Causing a commotion I tried to reason with her to quiet down. Some students gathered to watch. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I reached for Lisa to explain. Then she kneed me in the groin. As I lay there in pain, I could hear some snickers and a few awes. Moaning and groaning I tried to get myself up. I slowly made my way back to my room, when I got there I lay on the bed trying to recover. I thought about what had happened, what an idiot I was. I didn't mean for this to happen, Candice was...well it just happened. It wasn't supposed to but it did.

“I hope she doesn't get pregnant,” I thought. I didn't use a condom that night, everything happened so fast. The time passed, with the first break,  Waylon popped by to see me. He sat on my desk wondering what to say.

“You're not going to believe what happened to me,” I said to him.

“I heard.” He looked at me, trying to hold back his smile.

“So I see. It hurt like hell.”

“Oh man, are you okay?” He asked while he laughed at me.

“Yah sure, thanks for laughing you jerk off.” I laughed with him.

“Here, Lisa wanted me to give this to you.” He said handing me a letter.

 I opened it and began to read it.

Dear Robert,

There's so much I could say right now, but I won't. If this other girl didn't mean anything, then why did you sleep with her? But since you're such a complete a*****e, I hate your guts. I thought we had a thing going I guess I was wrong. You hurt me, I don't know, I guess this is it between us. If you cared at all which you don't. You should've thought about us before screwing this Candice chick.

I gotta go, see you around I guess,

Lisa

The buzzer sounded to end the break.

“Is there anything you want me to tell her?” Waylon asked before leaving.

“Tell her that I would like to talk to her so I can explain.”

      After he left, I sat at my desk hoping she would speak to me. As it would turn out, the day seemed to drag. I spent most of the time in my room, thinking of everything. Then I thought of calling my uncle Terry, who lived in Scanturbury, Manitoba. It’s a small reservation, north of Winnipeg on highway 59. He was part of the reason I came up here to the Mohawks hockey club. He inspired me, he always told me, “Never give up, follow your dreams” He would push me to higher limits, just to see if I could achieve them. I looked up to him. I'd play every game for him. I phoned him after every game, he would be glad to here about it. Even though I was pointless in a few games. He'd just give me a little pep talk, to encourage me for next game. I was leading scorer for our hockey club. I had thirty-two goals and thirty-eight assists, a total of seventy points.

      Being a father of two children, he always had time for me. My father died of Tuberculosis when I was six years old. I guess he felt he should fill the gap or something, but he was always my uncle. I headed towards the link way to use the payphone; I bought a soda from the drink machine along the way. I was dialing his number, when someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned to see who it was, with the receiver still in my hand.

“You wanted to talk to me, A*****e!”

“Lisa, would you just hear me out, could we go some where and talk.” I asked as I hung-up the phone.

We went to the hanger, where the hockey club stores our equipment. Also it’s where most of the boy's hang out, to play table tennis or pool. I knew no one would be there; we went inside and sat on the couch next to the drink dispenser. I tried to think of something sensible to say.

“So, this is what it looks like in here.” She said looking around the place.

“Lisa, I know…” I pondered on what to say. “What I did was wrong, I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen.”

“Oh yah, now tell me how you managed to get in her pants huh? Or did you lay some sad story, like you're telling me right now?”

“I don't understand why you are so upset.”

“You're a f*****g two timing a*****e, did you understand that?” She pointed her finger at me.

“Look, I said I was sorry. Do you not hear I’m sor--ry,” Pretending to sign language.

“If you want to act like a b***h, then go ahead. But you know what else, I'm only young once. There's plenty fish in the sea. You go your way and I'll go mine.” I said, before leaving her there.

      How she felt, I don't know. She believed I was in love with Candice. I thought for moment, maybe I was. Anger and confusion came over me. I didn't know what to think. I sat in the link way for a while, and then I went back to my room. A week had passed by and I still haven't spoken to Lisa. It was in my room, I began to think about her. I noticed she wasn't at our two home games at the barn. That’s what we called our arena across the highway, from the Collegiate. Passing by it, you would think it was a barn. Its shape and that tin covering it with half of it brown; it’s just ugly.

            Those two games, I didn't play too good scoring only one goal. The coach was upset with me. He told me to shape up and get my head in the game, or he'll bench me to let someone else play in my spot. I wanted to tell him what I was going through, but I certainly did not want to sit. I took his words seriously. Although he was a bit hard on us at times, other than that he was a cool guy.                      

 

Reviews

[The Water Queen]

This is an amazing chapter. Great job.

[AuthorEddie]

This is too good.
Dude, you've convinced me to get a damn' copy!

[Cassandra Del Toro]

Wow.
This is a cool chapter.
I really have to read this book, you actually convinced me!

[deeps]

Wow! and I say Whoa! This is so Wonderful and amazing Lawrence!
I like it I really do, full of action and I even laughed in a few spots.
I liked this alot.