Falling Again

4.

“Jax-son! Jax-son! Jax-son!”

The entire crowd chanted his name as he got up after the deadly punch from his opponent. The crowd didn’t lose hope because they know he’s going to win anyway, it’s his way of keeping the game interesting.

He never allowed anyone to hit him hard like this, this is the first-ever time he was badly hurt. He wanted to experience the height of pain and then wanted to come back to finish the game. His cheeks, eyes and all his face is bruised. Blood oozing out from his mouth but he carried a smirk looking at the opponent, Serbio. In fact, he is his favorite among all other players. His punch will have a strength compared to others.

Serbio again kicked his stomach and Jaxson spat the bloody saliva on the floor. Jaxson breathed rapidly, his vision blurred, and his entire body is burning in the pain. He understood that this is the pain he wanted to experience. Before Serbio could take another move. Jaxson clenched his fist and raised his arms up in the air. Holding all the pain in his fist he gave a strong knock on Serbio’s jaw.

That’s it, his eyes rolled back and fell on the floor. It’s a perfect knock out from Jaxson that anyone has ever seen from him in the past matches. The crowd roared his name, the referee raised his hand to announce he’s the winner. This is the fifth time he’s wining the world championship league. He looked around the crowd and wiped his running blood. The roars and cheers don’t excite him anymore. He hears it from the moment he won his first match, now it’s just a sound that tells him that he’s winning.

He wiggled his hand and turned to find Serbio who’s struggling to get up. He gave his hand for him to help and Serbio accepted it gladly.

“You played well, Serbio,” he told while giving a friendly hug.

“Not great like you,” Serbio wobbled. He accepted his defeat. It’s his third consecutive defeat. Though every time he comes into the ring with the confidence that he will defeat Jaxson only to get defeated. It’s easy to defeat a human but he’s a beast, a powerful beast when it comes in Boxing.

The high profile sponsors came to the stage to give his trophy and Jaxson bought it. He raised and showed it to the vast crowd. “You again did it,” Jaxson’s sponsor Mr. Black proudly patted his back. He’s a billionaire and an addict for Boxing and Jaxson’s game.

Jaxson nodded and got down from the ring and made his way towards his resting room. His assistants and doctor rushed with him inside.

“You have dragged the match little bit,” his other sponsor told hesitantly.

“So what! I f*****g won after all. I am so bored of fighting the same way,” Jaxson sneered and that’s enough to silence that man. He plays for money but he decides how his match has to be. He never allows anyone to decide what he has to do when he fights. He fights for his inner fire and he can never let it die or ignite by anyone else other than him.

“You won, that’s what important,” Black calmed him.

“Yeah, the last moment fight. You were a beast,” Antonio who’s sitting on the couch, complimented him. He’s a mafia lord and an ardent follower of Jaxson.

Jaxson has numerous fans from politicians to criminals. Rich to poor. He accepts only a few of their offers and never mingles too much with these people. He has his friend, who’s his manager, Emmanuel. Except his boxing, he’s truly a mystery to the world. 

“I want my money by tomorrow,” Jaxson told.

“Yes sure,” Black nodded. It’s 100 million dollars but it’s one-fourth of the profit earned in the entire match. After taking some painkillers, Jaxson headed to the shower and stood under the warm water which stings his swellings. But that’s too comforting after all. He looked at his hand, the ring which is given to him by a girl. Though he tried to throw it away a lot of times he couldn’t. It’s not just lying there in his fingers; it has a deep connection with him. It holds the memories he never wants to forget, it holds his estranged love and hurt that he got from the woman he once loved. He closed his eyes and once again he glared at himself for reminding about that person who has left him without a word.

He changed in his crisp white shirt and black trousers. Reporters were waiting for him to know how he feels about his victory. Jaxson leisurely band-aided his scars and looked at his face which is surely not the best thing to see. His right eye and cheeks are entirely swollen.

Camera flashes at him as he stepped out of the stadium, his fans were waiting to see him and Jaxson maintains that calm stern face in front of the camera. Normally he won’t smile at anyone easily.

“Hey Jaxson, how do you feel about this Victory,” one of the reporters asked.

“I don’t feel anything,” he replied shrugging his shoulder.

“Anything?”

“Yeah, this is not the first time I am winning.”

“How was your experience?”

“Quite the same, but Serbio is tough this time,” he answered in his casual way.

“How you’re going to celebrate this Victory?” someone asked.

“I am going to sleep, that’s it,” he smiled lightly and walked to his car.

“Take me home,” he told to the driver.

“You’re not going for the celebration party?” his friend Emmanuel who’s sitting inside along with him asked.

“Yeah,” Jaxson nodded.

“But you have to be there, Jaxson,”

“I am tired; all I want is sleep. Don’t talk anything other than that,” Jaxson stated and fell back on the seat. Understanding what he wants Emmanuel didn’t speak anything. He’s his coach, manager and a good friend. But still, Jaxson preferred no one to around him when he gets home.

The car entered the highland street and Jaxson bought this new house eight-month back. He really liked the calm place and sophisticated neighborhood. Coming home is always his favorite thing though there’s no one to welcome him and he will do nothing but sleep. He wants to be in silence, sleep in tranquility and do what he wants without no one disturbance. He made sure that no one knows this place so that he can get all those things.

As soon as he entered home, Emmanuel placed his trophy among the other in his living room.

“What are our plans tomorrow?” Jaxson questioned removing shoes and wore his slippers.

“We need to meet Wilson and there’s television interview,”

“Why did you agree for television, you know I hate that s**t,” Jaxson rolled his eyes.

“They kept asking me and I thought you should attend it.”

“Whatever, make sure he won’t ask me any question that will push me to punch him,” Jaxson warned.

“He won’t. It will be simple,”

“Okay, you worked hard today. Go home,” he told to his friend and headed upstairs carrying his whiskey. He removed his shirt and dropped it on the bed. He took a sip of that drowsing liquid and moved close to the glass wall. He knotted his eyebrows to see that the opposite house is lighted. It was abandon since the moment he came here and he’s kind of curious about who came in front of him. His pain is a bit hard to endure so he stumbled on the couch and looked at the night sky. That time, he saw a small boy coming out of that bedroom. He must be five or six years.

Jaxson doesn’t know why but he stood and looked at the boy intently and he looked back too. There’s something strange happening to him right now. Before he could wave at the boy, he went inside after called by someone, maybe his mom. He brushes it off and went to his bed to sleep.

The next morning when he woke his pain is somewhat better but it’s not enough to say that he’s okay, the first thing that he always used to see in the morning is the sun, nothing else and he never miss that. He looked at the bright sun and unintentionally his eyes stumbled before him. Though there’s a few yard distance between the house he could clearly see that house and the bedroom if the balcony door is open.

And the little boy he saw last night is standing there and watching the morning sky as well. Without his control, the tough Jaxson had a smile on his face. He decided to interact with the boy at least this time and came out of his room to his balcony.

There Jaxson heard this voice which is so familiar to hear as he knows it very well yet he can’t able to find it. “Baby, come inside,” his mom called him and the boy went inside.

Thinking that he will meet him soon, Jaxson went back to his bedroom. He got ready for his business and Emmanuel came at the right time. While having breakfast, Jaxson told, “I think someone has moved in the opposite house.”

“Yeah, I saw a woman and little boy yesterday while leaving the house.

“Oh,” Jaxson nodded. “I got a call from Marshall about the hotel. Let’s buy it,” he added.

“Okay, I will ask him to meet us,” “And Black has transferred the money,” Emmanuel informed.

“Yeah, I saw it,”

“I am confused about whether to continue this business with him. He seemed to be a good guy but I know he’s not.” Jaxson leaned back on the chair and looked at his maid Mrs. Catherine who came to give him a glass of water.

“Have you taken your medicines,” she questioned.

“Yeah, I did. I will come home for dinner please make me something good to eat,” he told and she nodded.

After finishing off his interview in the studio, Jaxson came out to see the dark sky. While driving home he reminded the question that the interviewer asked.

“Are you married?” “Because you wear a ring but you never admitted that you’re dating anyone.”

“What do you think?” Jaxson retorted.

“I don’t know, you have to tell,”

“If you think I am married then I am. If you don’t think that I am not married, then I am not. Simple,” Jaxson smiled and escaped from the question. But that has hit him hard.

Marriage? Will I ever marry someone in the future? He asked himself. The answer is nowhere; he doesn’t think he will again fall in love or marry someone in the future. That’s really unthinkable; he could never imagine himself in that. He had two relations after his first love but that didn’t work out because he didn’t feel the same way he did for Charlotte.