"Mike, where are you? Mike, come here! Enough playing, son, come inside, it's cold outside. Come here."
"Mom, please, I'll come in soon, just let me play a little longer."
"Oh! I told you! Look, you broke the mailbox with the ball. Your father will punish you, but come on, let's fix it before he comes home from work."
"Mike: Okay, I'm coming."
He grabbed his ball and said, "Mom, I'm going to become a famous football player, and I'll buy you a very big new house. We'll have a pool and a large hall where we can gather with the family."
Mom: "Hahaha, okay, okay, you're very talented, but don't break anything until your father allows you to play. You know how much he hates the ball, especially when he comes home tired from work at night."
Mike: "Mom, when I become famous, I won't let him work at all. He works too hard."
Mom: "Ha! You see everything? You've grown now."
Mike: "Yes, I've grown. Look, I'm getting close to your height."
Mom: "Alright, alright, you'll soon reach my height and surpass me quickly. You're growing excellently to become a great football player. But tell me, what was the math lesson you studied yesterday?"
Mike: "It was… I think it was about something."
He didn't answer the question and ran away.
"Come here, you lazy one! Didn't I tell you to focus on your studies first? Come here."
She grabbed him and started tickling his stomach while saying, "Focus on your studies. Come on, speak! How many times have I told you to leave the ball for free time only? Speak quickly, you naughty boy!"
Mike: "Okay, okay, Mom, I promise I will study well. Just stop, please, stop!"
Mom: "Alright, come on, get up. Your clothes are dirty. Go take a shower now; I'll bring you clean clothes from the wardrobe."
Mike: "Okay, Mom."
The little boy went to the bathroom to shower. The mother sat alone, thinking about the problems that weighed heavily on her. While fixing the mailbox, she found a notice from the bank that the house they had worked hard for would be auctioned next week. This was a final decision, and they had to leave in a few days. It was a huge shock but expected—they hadn't been able to pay the bank installments for a very long time, and this day was inevitable.
She grabbed the notice and went inside the house, tears in her eyes, watching everything she owned collapse and slip through her hands easily. She couldn't hold herself; she started crying while sitting in the middle of the house until Mike called out:
"Mom, I'm done. Where are the clothes?"
Mom: "I'm coming."
She wiped her tears quickly and took the clothes to her son, brushing his hair.
But he said, "Mom, you were crying, weren't you?"
Mom: "No, no. What made you say that?"
Mike: "I don't know, but you seem sad. Is something wrong?"
Mom: "No, nothing. Something fell into my eye, maybe. Don't worry, I'm fine. Listen, you'll go to your room and won't leave it until you finish reviewing your lessons, understood?"
Mike: "Okay, I'll do that. Come on, son, go now."
The boy went to his room, and the mother sat thinking. She tried to call her husband, but his phone was off.
She said to herself: What to do? Will we really leave the house? All the beautiful memories we spent in this house will be gone forever. She put her head between her legs and cried silently in a sad moment.
Suddenly, her husband entered, looking happy, and said:
"It seems you've read the notices."
Wife: "Yes, I did. Where were you? Your phone was off. They're going to evict us from the house, John." She added, crying: "We'll be forced to leave."
John hugged her and said: "Wait a moment, I have good news. The bank manager called me in the morning and told me to visit him. He went there and told me personally about the decision in the notice, but he said he spoke with his superiors in the central bank, and they decided to give us another chance to repay the overdue debts."
Wife: "Are you serious?"
John: "Yes, not only that. I got a new job. I left the company I used to work at. Now I'll work in a new company that just opened in the industrial district. They pay decent amounts that will help us maintain our status."
The wife, with tears in her eyes, hugged her husband and said: "I don't know what I would do without you. You are my support in this life. Thank you."
John: "You silly, you're my wife. I'll do the impossible for you and for Mike. By the way, where is he?"
Wife: "He's in his room studying."
John: "Listen to me. We'll overcome these problems together. We won't let issues like this ruin our life. We are together, that's what matters, my dear."
Wife: "Alright, come in and rest. You must be tired from all the running around today. I'll prepare the bath for you now."
John: "Okay, tell me, what did you prepare for lunch today? Something I like, of course."
Wife: "John, you are lucky to have a wife like me. I am really lucky."
"Come on, take off your shoes and rest. When the bath is ready, I'll call you."
John: "Okay."
He sat in his favorite chair, turned on the TV, and watched a football match. He loved it very much. He wanted to become a professional player, but luck was not on his side. He relaxed and drifted into memories of his youth. When he was in university, he was very handsome and athletic. All his professors predicted him a bright future in football, but unfortunately, in one match he suffered a severe injury that put him in a long coma. He survived, but the shock was when the doctors told him that playing football was impossible. He wasn't prepared to accept this; it was a huge psychological shock. After treatment and returning home, he secretly played again, which once almost cost him his life in a match—he fell and was hospitalized again. This time he fully realized that the world of football had closed its doors to him. He had to accept it.
"John! John!"
"Huh? Maria, did you call me?"
"Yes, did you sleep?"
"I dozed off a little."
"Come on, the bath is ready, and I'll put lunch on the table. Don't be late so it doesn't get cold."
"Okay."
Mike: "Mom, Mom."
"Yes, son?"
"Come on, lunch is ready."
"I'm coming."
John went to the bathroom.
Mike came down from his room and found the table with his favorite meal. He said: "Mom, you are the best person in the world, I love you."
Maria: "If you really love me, you will succeed this year. Remember, you're entering high school next year. You must study well to excel."
Mike: "Okay, Mom, I'll do anything to see you happy."
John came down and sat at the table: "What a delicious table! Thank you, Maria, for your effort. Come on, eat before it gets cold."
The family ate in a happy and joyful atmosphere, but John never felt truly happy. In reality, he felt bad because he hadn't found a new job, and the bank manager hadn't called him. He had lied to Maria, his wife, just to ease her burden a little. The house would indeed be sold next week, and there was no solution. He ate, but didn't taste the food at all. How could he solve this problem? Where would he get the money? He knew they couldn't lose the house under any circumstances, but what was the solution? He thought a lot, but only one person could help. He wasn't thinking of going to that person yet until all doors were closed. He finished his lunch quickly, and Maria said: "Thank you, it was really delicious." He left the house and went to the bus station to visit an old friend.