The Sportsman

Ci was a regular student in high school. He didn't have any brothers or sisters, he was an only child raised by his father. Ci's father had different ambitions for him. He did not like him into sports that much because he thought sports was a waste of time. He wanted Ci to become a doctor or a scientist but Ci's grades weren't up to par. He kept barely passing on his exams and his father thought that he spent too much time in sports. Ci's favorite sport was basketball, wrestling, and football. Ci's father was franked by the coaches of these sports, they begged his father to let him play. The high school coaches went behind the back of Ci's father and made Ci try out their sport in gym class. And when they saw that he was good at all of them, they made him play with the varsity team unofficially.

Other students begin to hear rumors of how good Ci was and they wanted to be his friends, geeks, and jocks. Ci became the most popular student in the school for almost all his time there. All the female cheerleaders knew his name and he never got that attention from his last school. The wrestling team did not have any cheerleaders only the basketball team and the football team. The cheerleaders of these different sports were after him because their team wanted him to choose them. Ci got invited to school parties and off-school parties but he had to keep his grades up and make time to study, so he spent time after school away from his sports to study with the geeks to make sure he finished his semester right. In his free time, he would practice sports.

Ci's father wondered about his grades after some time and he questioned Ci after seeing his report card. Son you can't keep playing the thin line. You can't keep playing with those folks. Those girls are playing you. You better keep your grades up. Your mother wanted a doctor or a scientist, not a sports star.

Ci replied, But dad I'm good at it. I have friends. I know what you told me about the ladies. I'm just trying to pass and do what you said to get into a good college. And I can't stop them from coming and neither can you. I hear you. Ci walked into his room and spent the rest of his time studying. All of sudden, calls were being made to his phone, and Ci was worried his father might hear. And he hung up and wondered who was sexting him. It was both curvy and pretty cheerleaders from both basketball and football. This happened for over a year and Ci was worn out by the constant calls. His father one day picked up the phone and found the sexting. However, he thought Ci was wild and out of control. When Ci came home from playing basketball and football with his friends. His father confronted him. Boy, you've been playing around with these girls. Don't you know about protection? Your future is in jeopardy. I am about ready to kick you out of the house. I am not playing with you Son. You better explain where all these texts came from and why haven't you told me about this. Ci thought out loud, Dad I told you. These hoes want me. I tried to find a way to hide because I wanted to play sports and I do like some of the attention. Don't you remember when you were young? Didn't you and Mom play games? At my old school, I was not liked and I did not have many friends. Can't you see some things are okay because I am becoming a man? I have dreams and I wanted them to come true.

His father replied, son you're playing with the wrong crowd and I think it's time you move away from the sports star dream and keep your head in the books. You heard what I said and you know why I said it. Do I make myself clear? And you better not be playing around those girls. You can befriend them but if you think I'm gonna let you make babies under my watch. Heck no, I would throw you out of my house. Do you understand?

Ci quietly nodded. And he told his friends that he must stop playing basketball, wrestling, and football so much. His friends objected, your dad is jealous and wrong. What does he know about stardom? He's just an old man with a dying dream. You were doing bad in the beginning until sports came. Can't he see that you are a natural? Ci replied I can't abandon my responsibilities. I can always be good at sports but pleasing my dad who put food on my table, who cared for me when Momma died. That is my responsibility and if you were my friends you would not be asking me to leave my father's law. He kept me, not you. He fought for me. And even if being a doctor or scientist may seem impossible. I know that my father would not turn from me because of his popularity.

And his friends walked away quietly. It happened after some time that Ci got into college but he had to play a sport. His father did not like it however Ci promised to be a doctor. He told his counselor and future football coach about this and they wanted him to play the best he can play if they were to give him a doctorate. Ci's father responded son you have passed all my tests. You have finished everything I said you could do. You finally are a man, really really the man I raised and the man I can be proud of. Your mother's looking down, do what you must but get that doctorate. Ci went for the doctorate in sports medicine, the counselor said it would be a perfect fit since he was skilled in sports and a jack of all trades in sportsmanship. Ci met a woman in college, Passion they called her with light brown skin, glowing brown eyes, and a nice dimple smile. Her mother named her after the Carribeans fruits that she loved so much. Ci thought she was out of this world as beautiful as any flower and as sweet as his dear mother was. Ci proposed to her on the semester of his thesis and his father approved of the wedding but he wanted him to fulfill his promise. As a graduation gift, his father paid for the wedding and Ci started his new life with Passion as his wife.