Richard J. Ronayne

Novella

Phenix Publishing Ltd

Nation-X Project

Dozens of my stories are currently being illustrated for release by Phenix Publishing Ltd for their Nation-X project, a multi-year project for 4-8000 word educational novellas.

This series was designed for young adults and high schoolers across Chinese and American schools, harnessing anthropomorphism to help digest mature, dark or joyful topics, whilst reflecting life, and exploring real social issues in an exciting and educational way.

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Stoic Soccer
By Richard Joseph Ronayne

CHAPTER 1: Time to Shine
Barbary ‘Zeno’ Felinae stood in the locker room, staring down his large lion form in the mirror. “You’re outta time, Zeno. Everyone is depending on you. You can’t think about who you’re supposed to be any more. It’s time to be that person. Your time is now! Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one!” he shouted at his mirror self to pump himself up.
He nodded resolutely to himself, saying goodbye to his past and focusing singularly on his present for the next ninety minutes as he walked out of the locker room to join his fellow teammates who were lined up in the tunnel already, waiting to enter onto the soccer stadium’s pitch.
He could hear the roar of the sell-out crowd as they started moving out, one hundred thousand fans all screaming for their team’s success euphorically. This was Zeno’s first professional game, as well as his first for Sand Hill Soccer Club, the underdogs going up against the league title defenders Midland United.
His teammates, including the seasoned veterans, were nervous to play in front of so many, but Zeno stood stoically focused as they lined up for the pre-match ceremony. 
“Welcome to today’s premier game of the reigning champions Midland United playing the certain underdogs today, Sand Hill SC. I’m Alan Black, and I’m commentating today, as always, with the poignant ex-player, Scotty Hog,” the monkey’s voice came through the televisions of almost the whole nation.
“Thanks Alan. I wouldn’t be so sure about that though. I think Sand Hill have the ability to cause a huge upset here today with the likes of Zeno Felinae playing upfront on the wings,” the fox replied.
“That’s right, Scotty. This exciting new talent has been whipped straight from the academy by Sand Hill’s clever manager Dom Gallus, and I agree that the world’s eyes will certainly be upon what this youngster has to offer against such overwhelmingly strong opposition here.”
“He smashed all the records in the academy, proving that he has the potential to be one of the greatest athletes of his generation with his consistency, but we will see if he can bring that mindset to the big league,” Scotty pointed.
“And the referee has flipped the coin, with Sand Hill winning the kick-off at the sold-out Peace City Arena,” Alan announced.
“Come on, son,” Panthera Felinae proudly said, surrounded by all the family watching her son play on her television at their home in Sand Hill.
Zeno knew the game plan, he knew how strong the opposition was, but he didn’t let it dissuade him of his talent. His mindset overcame the intimidation that seemed to have overcome his teammates as they struggled to play against this untouchable team.
They were on the back foot, giving away possession too quickly under fierce aggression, as Midland United dominated, whilst Sand Hill fell deep into their own half pushed to defend desperately.
Zeno knew that his moment would come, he just had to remain focused, until finally, the ball was cleared from the Sand Hill defense.
“Another shot blocked! And it’s cleared out of the area towards the halfway line as Zeno races out to chase it down,” Alan commentated.
“What incredible speed! He’s going to beat Midland to the ball!” Scotty excitedly predicted.
“He’s got there first! A deft toe poke pushes it past one, as he races forward still, with three to beat,” Alan chimed.
“He’s got to go it alone here, there’s not one other Sand Hill player in sight.”
“The Midland defenders don’t know how to stop him, what incredible footwork! He’s gone through the legs of one, oh, he pirouettes past the second and jumps the third’s failed sliding tackle!”
“The keeper comes rushing out, oh, he sees it and goes for the chipped shot!” Scotty shouted losing his composure, as the world stood up and watched the ball spin through the air, in seeming slow motion.
Panthera and her family held their breath as the ball slowly went up and over the goalkeeper, somehow curving beautifully into the far top corner of the goal.
“Goal! Barbary ‘Zeno’ Felinae scores a beauty! Remember that name people, have no doubt, you are watching the making of a legend! Sand Hill are in front!” Alan screamed, completely losing his composure as well.
Panthera leapt up into the air, knocking over her drink, as her family erupted into cheers that rivalled that of the stadium itself.
“Oh no, wait a minute, viewers, Zeno is down on the pitch after colliding late with the goalkeeper,” Alan suddenly cut through the excitement, as Panthera was the first to stop cheering, as she watched her son’s still body lay on the ground.
Zeno had felt every breath in his body leave, as the goalkeeper’s full weight went through him, his body went limp as he fell to the ground and passed out.
He opened his eyes a minute later; his teammates had run over. “Come on, Zeno, let’s go!”
“I can’t,” Zeno whispered. “I can’t move.”
“What do you mean that you can’t move? We gotta lock down the game man, we need you, let’s go?”
“I know, man, but this time I can’t move,” Zeno admitted, as fear rose inside him. He looked up to the sky and thought, surely, nothing is happening in this moment that could alter my life.

 
CHAPTER 2: Inner Child
Panthera watched in horror, as her unconscious son was surrounded by all the players on the pitch. The goalkeeper was so distraught with accidentally crashing into Zeno that he didn’t even notice the referee give him a red card.
The Sand Hill players divided, half waving the medical team onto the pitch urgently, the other half shouting at the goalkeeper as the Midland United players stood in the way to defend him. In the chaos, Panthera’s eyes didn’t leave her son as the cameras showed the obviously alarmed medics rush Zeno onto a gurney and take him off the pitch and back down the tunnel.
“You hate to see this, Scotty. We’re being told that they’re rushing him straight to Midland Hospital, it must be as bad as it looked,” Alan said solemnly.
“We’re seeing the replay now, and I’ve gotta say that looks like a career ending collision. What a tragedy. Our love and support go out to Zeno and his family. I sincerely hope that I’m wrong,” Scotty replied.
Panthera did not see the replay, as she was already rushing to her car to drive to the hospital.
Zeno was unconsciously dreaming. He heard his seven-year-old self say The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own…
He stood, fully aware of his dreaming, on the porch of his family house with his seven-year-old self, watching a memory. His mother gave birth to him when she was only fifteen years old, and remained living with her mother, his grandmother. The problem was that so did his eight uncles, and his three cousins. Two bedrooms, fourteen people.
He watched through the window as his younger self went inside to sleep on the floor as he chose to, so his elders could use the two beds. He looked up and down the street, remembering bitterly the horrible neighborhood he grew up in.
Drug dealers on every corner, gang members everywhere. His eight uncles were constantly in and out of prison as they were both gang members and drug dealers, the only reasonable professions to follow for those stuck in the Devil’s Horn ghetto of Sand Hill City.
The police were always raiding the house, he remembered how terrifying it always was. But even at the age of seven, he refused to follow the easy path that lay in front of him. He walked inside and sat with his child-self, who looked up to him. “I won’t let my life turn out like theirs. I swear to myself, that I will succeed and save my family from the circumstances they are trapped in.”
Zeno smiled and nodded to the determined child, who got up and woke his cousins. “Hey, I’m going to be a professional athlete one day. I have a plan to escape all of this and save us all, you want in?” he announced stoically.
The cousins all nodded and got up with him. “Listen, this is what we’re gonna do. Starting tonight, every night, we’re going to engage in consistent action. Every night, we’re going to race lamppost to lamppost. Let’s go!”
Zeno watched proudly, as his child-self ran up and down the street. He did it every night, for the rest of his life, until one day a football coach happened upon them and signed them to a youth team.
“Zeno, can you hear me?” he heard, waking up to see his mother standing over him, as he lay in a hospital bed. “Oh Zeno!” she cried, hugging him.
“Where am I? What’s going on, Ma?” he asked.
“You’re in hospital, they rushed you here about an hour,” she said, failing to hide her worry.
“I remember now. That goalkeeper hit me hard. Did I score though?”
“Yeah, you set the stadium alight, just as you always said you would,” her voice cracked, as a tear ran down her cheek. Zeno weakly reached out to wipe it away.
“It’s ok, Ma. There’s no point worrying, we can’t do anything but wait for the results. If they’re bad, then I’ll cry with you, deal?” he said, smiling.
“You’re awake, that’s good to see. I’m your doctor, my name is Dock Prime. It is an unfortunate pleasure to meet you like this, but let’s get some tests done so I can answer some questions for you,” Dock greeted.
“Sure thing, Dock. I feel fine now, just weak,” Zeno admitted.
“It was quite a knock you took. I’m a Sand Hill supporter, so I was watching the game on my break,” Dock winked. “Now let’s see what’s going on here.”
Dock poked and prodded, testing Zeno meticulously. The tests seemed to take forever. “So, who won, Dock?” he called out in boredom.
“I would recommend you don’t risk stressing yourself unnecessarily thinking about the incident of your injury, Zeno,” Dock replied, pausing for a minute, seemingly believing that Zeno could handle it. “But the keeper got sent off. He was extremely remorseful for what it’s worth to you. A substitute came on for you, as Sand Hill went in with the lead, your beautiful goal, at half time. Unfortunately though, even with ten men, Midland managed to get a goal back immediately from kick off, and then they scored again in injury time, winning the game two to one,” Dock shook his head disappointedly.
“Well, I can’t do anything about that, but we’ll get them next time,” Zeno promised.
“That’s the spirit,” Dock replied with a chuckle, completing his physical.
“We’ll have some answers for you both soon. Ms. Felinae, I’ll leave you now and go order some more tests,” Dock said passing Sand Hill’s manager Dom Gallus on the way out.
“Coach!” Zebo cheered, happy to see him. “It amuses me that they won the game in injury time, considering I got injured.”
“Ha, don’t worry about it. You played brilliantly, just as I knew you would. I promise I’ll put you on the pitch next time; you’re available to play against them. Let you have your revenge,” Coach jested.


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