<h4>Chapter 323 A call up</h4>


    "Where were you all?!"


    Opening the door while making an irritated face, he was ready tosh out at his parents. But the next instant as he opened the door, his pupils constricted as he became tongue-tied upon seeing the gloomy look on the face of his mother.


    Listless eyes that seemed rather puffy and bloodshot, pale looking face and shoulders that were slumped forward, it was as if a dark shadow was looming over her face.


    Seeing her distressful state, Mateo couldn''t help but be frantic, "What happened to you mom?"


    Frowning his brows with a face that was filled with extreme concern, he asked in a rather loud voice. Just by looking at her miserable state, he could tell that something terrible had happened to her. And also right now, she was all alone.


    His mother however didn''t answer. Instead she copsed on her knees as she threw herself in the arms of young Mateo. Those puffy eyes which were struggling to restrain the emotions contained within it burst as she wept like an infant while hugging Mateo tightly.


    Mateo''s mind went nk in that moment upon encountering his mother''s sudden outburst.


    Tears continuously streamed down her face yet she didn''t speak anything. And Mateo couldn''t even bring himself to ask now. All he could do right now was stand still and support her.


    For a while, his mother continued to wept at the foot of the door. And Mateo himself upon experiencing this moment of sadness couldn''t refrain himself from holding back his tears.


    With tears rolling down his face, he stood there like a mountain; supporting her while preventing himself from breaking apart like her.


    Given the age difference, it should have been quite the opposite. However in this instant, Mateo simply couldn''t bring himself to break apart.


    Finally after weeping for a while, his mother spoke in her teary voice breaking the news of the misfortune his father had suffered, "Your father....., he''s at the hospital"


    And that was enough to bring him on his knees . Immediately upon hearing that news, Mateo who had been desperately trying to hold himself from breaking apart felt like the sky had fallen upon him. The tears which was streaming down his face like a light rainfall started downpouring as he felt extremely devasted by the news.


    **** ****


    Coming back to the present, Mateo after hesitating for a while, finally strode towards his home.


    Knock! Knock!


    Standing in front of the main door, he knocked on the door. And soon, he heard a nking sound as he noticed the opening of the door.


    "Good news brother"


    As if she knew without even needing to look at him that it would be him at the door, his sister excitedly spoke while opening the door.


    But immediately no sooner had she opened the door, her smile faded away as she frowned and a look of concern reced the excitation on her face.


    "You scuffled again?"


    Sounding extremely concerned, she asked while looking at him with her eyes full of concern.


    Those bandages taped on his face could hardly conceal the bruises on his face. And without even needing to deeply look at his face, his sister could tell just from a nce based on those bandages that he had gotten into a fight yet again today.


    Afterall it wasn''t her first time seeing him in such tattered condition. And she was also well aware of the bets he would put and the risk he would take to earn some money.


    Yet despite seeing him such a sorry state, she could never bring herself to tell him to stop.


    With her father acting like a total loser and her mother ving her life away to fulfill the basic needs of this family, they were barely holding on. But with her brother earning money, a little burden had been lifted off of the shoulder of her mother who had already started showing signs of sickness.


    Sure he could have also worked some other jobs. So why would he have to do this kind of dangerous stuff to earn money?


    Previously he had tried working as a delivery man but because of his young appearance he would often get scammed and swindled. And the pay wasn''t much either. Forced to drop out of the school to reduce some expenses, he didn''t even have any educational qualification to get a decent job.


    And also because of his young age, he couldn''t be hired legally as well. Which only left him with odd jobs and illegal methods to earn money.


    He could have be a drug dealer or a smuggler. But he hated those stuffs and the risk it came with doing those stuffs.


    He wanted to alleviate the situation of his family. But he wasn''t willing to stoop that low to alleviate the situation of his family either. Finally he then did what he was good at and what he loved the most— y football.


    But once again, a problem arose— youth team didn''t pay much and no professional team was willing to sign him for their senior team.


    "Don''t make a fuss about it and here take this money to buy some books"


    Handing out the money to her, he tried to ignore her concerned gazes which were concentrated at him and tried to walk inside.


    But as soon as he walked inside, he found both his sickly looking mother and his sickly looking father who seemed rather sober today awaiting for him.


    "You''re back Mateo"


    His mother spoke in her gentle tone while looking at him.


    "Yeah"


    Swiftly answering such while nodding his head, he tried to walk away. Unwilling to confront them to not make them unnecessarily worried about him, he didn''t want to confront them right now.


    "A letter came for you Mateo"


    While he was trying to avoid them, his mother continued.


    "It''s from the national team"


    Immediately upon hearing that it was a letter from the national team, Mateo who was trying to walk away halted his movement. His eyes which were desperately trying to avoid meeting the gazes of his parents upon hearing that news, at once jolted towards their direction.


    "They want you to y for the U17 team in the uing U17 world cup Mateo"