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Book 2 Chapter 28: Proud of You

  The champions—Mark, Justin, Cesar, and Kevin— along with Samantha leave the church premises and proceed to the feast in Mark’s home.

  Justin looks at the sky saying, “Oh, what a joy it is to eat a champion’s meal. This is gonna be delicioso.”

  “Me too, man,” says Kevin. “I’m gonna make the table dry haha.”

  Cesar laughs, “You better be so that you won’t be a stickman haha.”

  The champions laugh.

  Cesar leans closer to Samantha saying, “Is Ruth coming to our feast?”

  “She said she’s gonna be arriving at about one-thirty. Her Messianic church has just dismissed the congregation.”

  “Wonderful, at least she’s coming.”

  “Hey, what do you call it when David Yitchak Ben-Yosef Abrahamovic Cohen is sick?” Justin utters.

  “What?” Kevin blurts out.

  “AJEWW.”

  Kevin then laughs while others don’t.

  Mark elbows Justin and says, “That ain’t nice, Justin.”

  “Oww,” says Justin when Mark’s elbow connects. “Oh, come on. It isn’t anti-semitic or something. Is it?”

  “Kind of anti-semitic,” says Cesar. “Somewhat kind of discriminatory. But I don’t know how someone like Ruth will react.”

  “Well, I better try it with the likes of her,” Justin says.

  “Oh, don’t you dare,” says Mark with the look of death in his eyes.

  Justin raises his hands up saying, “Ok, ok. Sheesh.”

  The champions arrive at Mark’s house and all their Warriors teammates including their coach are already there. They dap the four star-players and hug them.

  “Thank you for inviting us here, Splash,” says Coach Perez.

  “You’re welcome, coach,” says Mark. “We’ve done it at last, coach. All the sweat and tears paid off, we reaped the fruits of our labors.”

  “You’re goshdarn right, Splash. Now we’re having our stomachs full by the end of this day. HAHAHA.”

  George then comes into the picture and he gives Mark a hug. Mark is caught by surprise by this.

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  “Thank you, dad. Hehe.”

  George pulls back and says, “Congrats, kiddo. You deserve it.” He then messes up his son’s hair.

  George diverts his attention to Coach Perez and says to him, “Thank you for giving my son a chance to play in your team. It means a lot to me.”

  “You’re welcome, Mr. Mercado,” replies Coach Perez. “But I was just stoking the fire. It was the Master who started the spark.”

  Coach Perez turns in the direction of Cesar. Cesar flushes and massages the back of his neck.

  “Nah, it was nothing,” Cesar says.

  George goes over to Cesar and before Cesar can say anything else, George hugs him.

  “Thank you, kid,” says George. “You don’t know how much this matters to my boy. I owe you more than you can imagine.”

  George pulls back when Cesar sees the tears streaming down his face.

  “You are a great person, you know that?” George grabs hold of his shoulder and gently jolts him.

  Cesar just nods with a gentle smile.

  George continues, “Thank you for teaching my son the game of basketball, Cesar. You made his dream come true. And that means a lot to me. Thank you.”

  With a gentle smile, Cesar replies, “You’re welcome, uncle. I was just returning the favor.”

  “Of what?”

  “Well, let’s just say that Mark helped me with something,” Cesar turns to Mark then to George. “He’d done me a great deed defending me, uncle.”

  “Oh, back when you two got into a fight with Junrey and his minions?”

  Cesar chuckles, “Yes, uncle.”

  “Oh, how fast time flies. It was last year, wasn’t it?”

  “Yep. Last year, uncle.”

  “When my boy landed a straight into that thug’s skull. Good thing he did it.” George turns to Mark and says, “Proud of you, kiddo.”

  George sees Mark with a trail of tears on his face.

  George smiles and solemnly says, “I’m proud of you.”

  Mark bawls his eyes out, “Thank you, dad. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  George goes over to his son and hugs him, “You’re welcome, kiddo.”

  As they are hugging each other, a surprise arrives.

  “Lechon for George Mercado,” says a man just outside the threshold.

  They let each other go and George goes over to the man.

  “Thank you, we’ll take it from here,” says George.

  Cesar swoops in saying, “I’ll carry it for you, uncle.”

  Cesar carries the Lechon to the large table with all the dishes on it.

  “Pleasure doing business with you,” says the man to George.

  “The pleasure was mine,” replies George.

  Watching all this Justin just receives a revelation.

  “Guys! Mark’s dream came true!

  “Oh, yeah,” says Kevin. “Didn’t you dream about us winning the championship?”

  Their teammates look at Mark and the latter at them.

  “Uhm,” says Mark. “I think… it did?”

  His teammates are amazed, lauding him in the process.

  “Woah, you are a prophet, Mark.”

  “You’re not only the Splash, you’re also a prophet like Joseph.”

  “You’re like Joseph the dreamer. What other dreams do you have? I’m sure they will come true.”

  That last part gets stuck in Mark’s heart, he can’t shake at the thought of it.

  ‘I’m sure they will come true. Does that mean the dream about me and Sam will come true?’

  After thinking this, he sees Sam enter through the threshold and Mark is smitten.

  The commotion stops and everyone gathers 'round the large table, taking their seats— except Coach Perez.

  “Gentlemen and lady Sam,” says Coach Perez. “We’re here to celebrate our championship victory.”

  “Yaaayyy!”

  “Yahoo!”

  “Ayayayayayayyy!”

  Coach Perez gestures for them to settle down.

  “It seems that Mark’s prophecy came true.” Coach Perez turns to Mark and says, “Might as well be a prophet, lad, since your prophecy came true.”

  Mark smiles saying, “It was not my prophecy but God’s, coach. He fulfilled it in the perfectest timing. I did nothing to help it, it’s just the will of God.”

  Sam is amazed at this.

  ‘Perfectest timing? The will of God?’ Sam thinks. ‘Could this mean the dream I just had is connected to this?’

  Sam composes herself and lets out a sigh.

  ‘I need to tell Mark about my dream. I want answers.’

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