《The GOAT》 Chapter 0: Prologue – Do not go gentle into that good night.
Earth The fifth of November, 2019 The year the sun hid from the world, giving way to darkness. It was bone-chilling winter''s night, as the winds of death howled. In a hospital bed, lay a man, who had lived a long life. His wrinkled and deathly pale skin camouflaged him, in the equally white bedding. The grey-haired man sighed and looked at the cold light clock at his bedside. [You don''t have much time left...] A female voice communicated with him telepathically. He looked through the gaps of his fingers as tears begged to escape, but he kept them locked up, ''I know, I can feel my vitality slipping through my fingers, but I''m not scared, I''ve had a long life: filled with loss and triumph. Thank you for helping me achieve my goals!'' [It was all hosts doing, I only gave you the tools.] ''For those tools, I am eternally grateful... So when are you leaving?'' [I already received a new mission; However, out of admiration to you, I chose to stay longer than I should have, but now I''m afraid I have to go...'' ''I understand, you don''t have to worry about me anymore.'' He acquiesced, ''Go, I don''t want to hold back the next person any more than I have, for I know that even with you, it''s going to be tough. They will experience multiple setbacks, BUT if they continue to work hard, despite their losses, the light at the end of the tunnel will surely come.'' [Farewell old friend.]Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ''Farewell.'' [Ding! The system will disconnect from the host in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0] ''I have my mind to myself now...'' He pursed his blue lips as the newfound silence invited loneliness. He shook his head trying to cheer himself up, ''You''ve lived a great life, pull yourself together!'' Once he had regained composure, a golden-white light shone in the form of a rectangle, in front of him. Then from the light, a door appeared, and from it came a man clad in white. He looked lovingly upon the old man with an affectionate smile, beckoning him, as he held out his hand. The old man sighed, and then he smiled, "My time has come, take me home." When he said that, the machines in the room went haywire as his heart rate dropped. A nurse on standby rushed into the room. She looked at the old man in front of her and shuddered. His pupils were dilating rapidly as his chest muscles twitched. These were all the signs of imminent death. Coming to her senses, she hastily paged the doctor on stand by. Then she ripped off the white blanket that was covering him. When she placed her hands on his chest; she began rigorous chest compressions, as the machines wailed their warnings of a patient in critical condition. Red lights were flashing on the monitors, as the numbers kept decreasing. Then a mother rushed frantically into the room. Her brown hair was scraggly, and her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying while she ran to the room. As she looked at her father, she could see the light waning from his eyes. At the same time, she could feel the darkness permeating her heart; it threatened to tear it in two. She released a short mournful squall. The old man in the bed recognised his daughter by the sound of her cry. It was the same sound, he had consoled in the past, '' I''ll do it again... One last time,'' He moved his trembling hand and placed it on his frigid lips. Then with the last of his strength, he stretched it back out to her, ''I love you.'' He thought for he was too debilitated to speak. While stretching his hand to his daughter, he stretched his hand to the man in white and held on to his warm hand. At that moment, a smile came about his face, and his heart flatlined. BEE...P The machine emitted a perpetuated sombre sound as the keening of a heartbroken daughter filled the ward. The doctor ran in, "What''s the status?!" Then he looked at the bed and saw the nurse still doing chest compressions with her tears dripping on to his face. The doctor took a deep breath, as his eyes became watery. His prolonged blink pushed the accumulated tears down his face, "The world has lost a great man today. His movies have given hope to generations. He has single-handedly inspired nations with his vision. Myself included. A multi-award-winning director, a loving father and a good friend. You will be missed, you were truly, the greatest of all times." Chapter 1: DeVile The screechy sound of athletic shoes, sliding on polished maple wood, echoed through the basketball court while densely packed energetic fans cheered their team on. "What a final this has been! Absolutely sensational." A commentator said. "Sensational plays from a sensational player!" Miles Parker, the combo guard for the Stars, has brought this game back to life. With his clinical passing and lethal shooting abilities, he has allowed his team to claw their way back to a tied position." The other commentator said. "The score is 100-100 with just thirty seconds on the clock and twenty on the shot clock. What can the Ogre''s who now have the ball make of it?" The Ogre''s point guard had the ball; he dribbled it down the line and passed it to his shooting guard, near the three-point line. The Stars used a man to man defence to defend against the opposition. With the defence so tight, the shooting guard struggled to shoot for three. Seeing that he had been locked down, he bounced the ball to the small forward, near the baseline. The Stars tried to block the pass, but it reached its target anyway. Then the small forward, using his athleticism dribbled past the opposing small forward and drove it home. The center tried to stop it, but he was countered with an underarm reverse layup. "OH MY GOSH! The Ogre''s just scored! The score is now 102- 100. The Stars need to score a three to win or a two for a tie. What''s going to happen?" "I don''t know, but this is the setting where legends are made. With just six seconds on the clock, can Miles Parker bring home the trophy?" Miles Parker dribbled the ball forward then passed it long to the shooting guard on the midcourt line. The shooting guard received the ball and dribbled it down until he met the opposition. The Ogre''s were double-teaming him, for he was known, for his long-range shots. This left Miles Parker briefly open for the three. He received the ball and ran behind his center that provided a screen for him. With only two seconds on the clock, he couldn''t go for a layup, he had to shoot. Miles Parker jumped in the air and pushed the ball forward, releasing it from his hands while being contested. The ball floated in the air and headed towards the rim. As it did, it descended and hit the backboard then bounced on the inside of the rim, bouncing back up again. As it came down, it was directly under the net, ready to go in. However, just in the nick of time, the opposing team''s big man slapped the ball away, denying the three-point shot. As soon as the ball hit the ground, the buzzer went off signifying the end of the game. The Ogre''s jumped on their center with jubilation as their shouts echoed across the stage. The cheers off their fans were equally fervent. However, for Miles Parker and his team, there was no joy, they felt discontent and defeated, as the scaturient tears streamed down their faces. They looked at the cheering team, and regret washed over them; it could have been them, had that ball just gone in the first time... "What a match Mike! The Ogre''s beat the Celtics 102-100 and take home the trophy." "It is as you say, Alan. They will be speaking about this day for weeks to come." "Indeed and although the Ogre''s won the game, you have to give credit to the Stars. They were so close but yet so far. Had that last ball gone in, Miles Parker would have become a living legend..." As the commentator said that, a notification popped on Miles Parker''s TV screen, ''Do you want to restart your career?" Miles looked at the prompt and sighed, "A restart on life wouldn''t that be nice." Then using the controller in his hands, he clicked yes. That''s when his mother, Lyra Parker walked into the poky tv room. She was a rather attractive woman. The surface of her lips was soft, pink and full where her eyes: green, closed-set and narrow. She had strikingly long and luscious hair that fell seamlessly over her round and smooth shoulders. The black, crew neck, work dress embraced her silky-smooth, pecan brown, figure accentuating her slender waist and supple curves. She stood 181cm tall. "C''mon on now Miles! Dinner is ready, you can always play again tomorrow." Her tone was melodic yet stern. Miles acquiesced and turned off the TV. Then he leaned forward and put the controller down. Coming back up, he widened his large hands and placed them on the wheel beneath him. Feeling the coldness of the metal, he rolled his hands, moving the wheelchair forward. Miles Parker was richer in pigmentation to his mother. He had a milk chocolate complexion similarly to his father. That same skin was gripping his body so tightly, you could see the outline of his bone structure. He looked like a skeleton with a thin layer of skin. Yet, despite his emaciated body, his face was a sculptor''s masterpiece. His eyes were a resplendent shade of green bursting with vigour. He had a defined jawline and a symmetrical face. If he could stand, he would be 190cm tall.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Miles moved to the room three meters away. This was the kitchen but also the dining room. It was cramped room in the shape of a U. The counters, basin, stove and microwave ran all along the perimeter of the U, while the four-seater table was on the inside. As Miles rolled his wheelchair into the kitchen, his older sister walked in the house through the front door, that was in the kitchen. She looked at Miles and then sighed, "Here''s your medicine. Drink up." She stretched her hand to him and offered him a vile with a transparent liquid inside. Miles didn''t take it, instead, he furrowed his brows, "I thought you said you didn''t have money? So how did you buy this? It can''t be from mom, all her credits cards have been maxed and you only get paid in two weeks..." She glowered at him and then whipped out her hand once more, "Do you want it or not!?" "Of course, I do. If I don''t drink it my condition will deteriorate rapidly." Then he took the vile from his sister''s hand. Sheilah sighed, "I know that''s why I bought it. This should last you a month. Use it sparingly because I''ve exhausted my last resource getting you this!" She said then widened her eyes to show she was serious. Miles gulped and nodded his head then he looked straight because he was afraid to look up. Miles was in a wheelchair, so her knees were at his eye level. He looked at her knees and furrowed his brows. Her knees were red and there were small droplets of blood flowing out of her alluring amber skin. He gasped, "Sheilah! Your knees are bleeding. Let me go get some toilet papers!" He put his hands on the wheels and thrust forward. He was halfway there when she firmly interjected, "NO! It''s okay, I''ll clean it myself. In my room!" Then she left the kitchen and walked to her room. "Where are you going? It''s dinner time we are having hotdogs as a celebration. I got nominated as one of the four for an upcoming promotion." Lyra Parker said tapping her high heel on the floor. Hearing her mom, she halted and turned around, "No thanks, mom. I''ve had enough sausage to last a lifetime," Then she turned back around and walked to her room. Upon entry, she slammed the door shut as anger, bitterness and just sadness came over her. She felt tainted, she felt low and filthy. She placed her hands on her arms and hugged herself tightly alternating between embracing herself and wanting to tear her own flesh away with her nails. She didn''t feel comfortable in her body anymore, even her tears were betraying her. Her tears were ruining her mascara she had put on before she left the house. Her clear and innocent tears were turning into a sludgy black mess. It was as if the world was mocking her, she couldn''t even cry pure anymore. The more she cried the more aggrieved she felt. She scrunched her face as the tears continued to roll down. Then she walked to her pillows and began beating it with a fist. She unleashed all hurt and pain on them, as a barrage of fury filled punches hit it. The sound of her punches flowed through the thin walls. Hearing his sister''s furious punches, Miles gritted his teeth then he looked at his mother, "I''m sorry mom, but I''m not hungry. Congratulations though, you deserve it! It would have come to you a lot sooner if you didn''t have a son like me..." He said as his eyes flashed with pain. His mother saw this then got up from her seat and got on her knees in front of him. She placed her affectionate hand on his shoulder, "I love you. No matter what condition you are in. No matter what you do. And if you hate yourself, I love you enough for both of us. You are my little boy." She said embracing him as the tears fell from his face... "I know how much you love basketball and I know what happened to you isn''t fair. But that''s life these things happen and most of the time it happens to the good ones... It''s going to be tough but you need to find a new raison d''¨ºtre. I know you can do it and so does your sister. You see this bangle you wearing, it says, ''we believe in you'' and we still do, that hasn''t changed just because you have." Then she released him from her embrace, "Put your food in the microwave you can eat it later." Then she stood up and went to Sheilah''s room. She knocked on the door, "Sheilah baby, can I come in?" "GO AWAY!" A disembodied voice intoned apoplectically. Lyra shook her head and then opened the door regardless of what her daughter said. Once she was in the room, she closed the door. In the kitchen, Miles clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth, "How long is this brittle body going to hold my family back!? My sister is beautiful and smart yet she couldn''t go to University because of me. Now she works a crap job that''s way beneath her just to keep me alive. And even with it, it''s not enough. I saw her knees, I''m not stupid, I know how that happened." He clenched the vile in his hands as his hands quivered, ''I just want to throw this away. But if I did, I would die. I''m already feeling the constant pins and needles flaring in my body. If I don''t drink this then what my sister did was for nought. She sold herself to buy me life¡­ It makes me sick just thinking about it, but I still need to drink it.'' Then he took vile with the transparent liquid inside and put it to his mouth and drank some of it. As it went down his throat, a cold chill went down his spine and he squirmed. Drinking what his sister had sold herself for made him sick to his stomach, he almost threw it up. But he stopped that from happening and kept it down. Nausea wasn''t a normal reaction. When you drink the liquid, it stops your muscles from feeling like they are on fire and or being stabbed repetitively by pins and needles. Yet despite the constant pain dwindling, he was in more pain than he''d ever been in. His body tensed up making him fall off his wheelchair. He laid on the ground in a foetal position sobbing as a puddle of saltwater accumulated beneath him. He continued to cry until he heard a woman''s voice in his mind. [How long are you planning to bitch about how life did you wrong?] Chapter 2: Parasite? [How long are you planning to bitch about how life did you wrong?] A female voice communicated to him telepathically. Miles furrowed his brows then uncurled himself and sat on his bum using the meagre strength of his hands. Once he was up, he looked around for the source of this rude, unfamiliar voice, however, he couldn''t find it, ''Am I hallucinating? Was there something funky in that vile...'' [No host you are not hallucinating. Host is very much sane.] Once again Miles looked for this voice, yet he couldn''t find it... He scrunched his face in confusion but decided to bite anyway, ''Okay if I''m not hallucinating, then who are you? Why can''t I see you!? If you got something to say, say it to my face!'' [I go by many names, life coach, hope and the most commonly used, system. Host can''t see me because I''m not in front of host, I''m apart of host.] He tilted his head to the right, ''Apart of me? So you are like a parasite.'' [No! Don''t lump me in with that degenerate species. I don''t take from my hosts, I give them the tools for them to sow their lives back together.] ''Then why do you keep calling me host? That''s what a parasite needs to live. Plus you entered my body without my permission. That''s a parasite...'' Heavy breaths of deep inhalations and exhalations could be heard until she calmed herself down, [Would you feel better if I called you by your name?] ''That would help.'' [ Okay then Miles Parker, fir-] ''Just Miles is cool'' [OKAY! Miles] She maffled, [Now that we have come to an understanding. We can begin by changing your life. As I said, I am a life coach and a system. I provide you with tools which you can use to become the greatest of all times in whatever field you choose. From your memories, I can tell that you wish to pursue a career in basketball. I can help you with that. But I do need to apologize to you. I was supposed to come to you two years ago but I was caught up on my previous assignment and I chose to stay. However, I am here now and my previous partner has long passed away. Time flows differently between your two universes. Anyway, because of my mistake, you have been given the right to a free miracle lottery pick.] ''Miracle pick?'' [ The miracle is a set of tailor-made miracles that would help you achieve your goals. You only get to pick this once in your life and the rewards are completely random. In order to access your free pick. Say ''stats'' in your mind.] Miles was still a bit confused but he did it anyway, ''Stats,'' Immediately, a blue screen with white words popped up in his face. On it had his name, age, hobbies, skills, attributes and more. It had everything about him represented in a quantitative and qualitative manner. Miles stood with his mouth agape as he looked at the screen, ''This is just like a game!'' [Name: Miles Parker Age: Seventeen This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Title: None Position: None Height: 6ft 3 Internal Attributes Leadership: D Vision: C Teamwork: N/A IQ: C External Attributes Ball handling: F Balance: F Dribble: F Lay up: F Set Shot: F 2 pointer: F 3 points: F Free throw: D Pass: F Man to man: F Block: F Steal: F Rebound: F ...] [ If you want specifics you can call out the name of the subheading. Try calling out, ''Lottery.'' ] ''Lottery!'' [Lottery: Life points available: 0 Free pick available: 2 (Miracle pick) and a (low-grade pick) Low-grade pick: 100 (Free use available) Medium-grade pick: 1000 High-grade pick: 10000 ... Miracle pick: Unpurchaseable ( one pick available) [Click on the Miracle pick and see what you get] Miles didn''t need extra encouragement, he hammered his finger on the screen. When he did, the screen turned into a 2D square with 16 different squares with numbers on, inside the larger square. The Square was coloured into four different colours: red, green, yellow and blue. Four inner squares were coloured in each of the colours. He surmised that the colours represented items of the same genre. Miles looked at the square in front of him and then looked at the colours, ''When I think blue, I think melancholy. When I see green, I think vitality. Yellow gives me more of a happy feeling. Red, on the other hand, gives more of a powerful feeling, so strength maybe... Ai, I have no idea, all I know that all of them represent miracles... System what are the type of rewards I can get?'' [I can not tell you that. You have to guess.] Miles chuckled, ''Telling me would have sucked out all the fun, but I had to ask. Well then, I''m going to go with my gut and choose green. This usually symbolises vitality. I can''t do anything if I can''t stand.'' Then he clicked on the number 13 since this was green and it was his favourite number. It had to be the correct option. After he clicked it, the screen went black and then white words appeared, '' Loading your reward, please wait.'' Miles waited but it was not patiently, he was tapping his foot and biting his nails. He so badly wanted to know what he got. He wanted to know if this whole system was real. That somehow he actually received a miracle. That this wasn''t a dream and that he wouldn''t wake up tomorrow in his bed knowing that it was way too good to be true and he that was foolish enough to even let his mind play tricks on him like that. Miles waited and waited until the screen finally stopped loading. When it did, the screen went blue again. And on the screen was a small 100ml bottle. Inside it was some green liquid. He looked at it and furrowed his brows. Then he looked at the description at the bottom of it and he couldn''t believe it. It said, ''Time reversal drink.'' He choked on air as his excitement washed over him. But soon afterwards his scepticism kicked in, ''No way is that possible!'' [Yes it is possible that is why it''s called the miracle lottery. Because it''s otherwise impossible without a miracle. But you don''t need to take my word for it. Why don''t you try it out yourself? Say inventory and then check in the inventory you will see the item you just bought. Just a little side note. This storage you are about to access can only store, store-bought items. You cannot place worldly items inside.] Miles nodded his head. ''Seems fair enough... Inventory.'' When he said that he saw there was a picture of himself and it showed that he was wearing no gear. The only thing he saw was that at accessories was the bangle that his mom and sister had bought for him about a year ago. Then he turned the page to the storage of the shop-bought items. When he did he saw the green bottle. So he grabbed the bottle placing his hand through the hologram as it rippled like was putting his hand through the water. Then he took the bottle and wala. He had a green bottle in his hand from out of nowhere. Miles got such a fright when he released, this. Now it was plausible that it wasn''t a lie. He looked at the bottle and gulped. Then he looked at the world around him and said, ''Goodbye cruel world. He opened the bottle and drank its contents. After a minute, his vision turned blurry as he found it difficult to keep his body upright on the floor and then he fell to the ground. Barely capable of seeing anything. His head smacked on the floor and just before he passed out he could see his mothers high heels close to his face. He also felt her touch and then everything went black. Chapter 3: Awkward situation After blacking out, Miles woke up still but he was groggy so he couldn''t see well. He peered his eyes and saw a woman sitting on a chair near his bed. Although he couldn''t see her properly, he could smell her. The sweet smell of perfume was one he was accustomed to. The woman sitting down could only be his mom. When his mom saw that he was regaining consciousness, she heaved a sigh of relief. On the other hand, Miles wasn''t relieved, ''Did I really go back into time... When I passed out I saw my mom running towards me. Now she is sitting beside my bed clearly worried... Let me look at her shoes. If they are the same as the ones I saw before then I know I''m back to square one''. When he had passed out the first time, he remembered seeing his mom''s black heels. So he looked down and saw those same heels on her feet. When he did he sighed, ''I knew it was way too good to be true. Time travel, my ass.'' He thought frustrated and disappointed. [Who said that it didn''t work. Look around you. Do you recognise this place? You couldn''t just jump back into your body of a year ago. You needed to be unconscious to transition.] Hearing the systems voice, he smiled and then his consciousness returned so he could see properly again. He opened his eyes fully and looked around. He saw that he wasn''t in his old room anymore. Instead, he was in the house he lived in a year ago before the accident happened that changed his life forever. Although it was summoned up as an accident. The word "accident" was euphemistic for what really happened... After looking around with great wonder, his mother smiled at him and then gave him a big hug, "We were still talking and then you fainted out of nowhere... Are they pushing you too hard at basketball practice?" ''Basketball practice? Oh yes, back here I was still playing basketball. Wait if that''s the case. My legs! Can I move my legs!?'' Miles looked at his legs and then gulped. He stared at his them trying to steel his resolve, ''It''s no biggie Miles. You just trying to move your legs. It''s not like your future depends on whether they work or not...'' He thought sarcastically. Miles took a deep breath then he tried to move his legs. One of his leg jerked slightly in response. Seeing this Miles put more confidence into his next movement. He waited a bit then willed for his leg to go up and down and it did. Overcome by the joy, he threw his blanket off himself then he tried to stand. He got onto his two feet and was a bit off-balance. He had to spread his arms like a plane but he was standing, ''I can stand on my own two feet (1)!'' While standing, the tears poured out his eyes as he grinned and laughed, "HAHAHAHA!" This was the happiest he had been in a while. He looked like a mad man while he laughed and cried. Being able to stand meant so much to him... While he laughed and cried, his mother looked at him strangely. She had asked a question but not only did he ignore her, now he was crying and laughing out of nowhere, ''Hunny dear are you okay? Did you hit your head too hard? Do you feel nauseous? Do you have a concussion? Do you need a doctor, maybe a psychologist?'' Miles continued to laugh, "No mom I am perfectly fine, I was just a little overwhelmed from practice that''s all. The amount of practice we do daily is extremely tough." Then he wiped the tears from his face using his front and backhand. Lyra Parker nodded her head, "That''s how it is, our aspirations never come easy to us. If they do they will go just as they came because you haven''t fought hard enough to appreciate its value. You know the saying, '' Early ripe, early rot (2)''. Anyway, I''m glad you''re okay." She smiled warmly. Then she looked to the closed door behind her and shouted, "Guys he''s okay!" When she said that, Miles heard a serious of sigh of reliefs sounding out behind his door. Then the door opened and his sister walked in into his room. He looked at her and smiled. Here she was eighteen and was doing her last year of school before she went to University.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Sheilah Parker stood 178 cm tall. She had lanky black hair and hazel brown eyes. Her thighs were thicc and slender curving around her alluring thigh gap. She was breathtakingly gorgeous, there was never a time when she wasn''t being pursued by boys. The way she walked was a work of art and her voice akin to a goddess: sweet and melodic. She stood in his room wearing her grey school skirt and long black stockings. The maroon school jersey clung tightly to her chest as if even it didn''t want to part from her. When she saw her brother was okay, she smiled her signature smile that could cleanse even the darkest of souls. After Sheilah smiled someone else walked in. However, Miles didn''t smile when he saw the person. In fact, his smile vanished. The person to walk in was his older brother, Jake Parker. His brother was a two year older than him making Jake nineteen years of age. Miles looked at him with a straight face, as his memories of how his brother treated him returned. Miles wasn''t thrilled to see his brother again but he was even less thrilled to see the man that walked in the door after his brother. This statuesque man stood 2.1 meters tall. He had narrow, hazel brown eyes which led you to believe he was always scheming. The muscles on his body were big and defined. This showed in the tailormade, tight fit, royal-blue suit he was wearing. His jet black hair was straight and he had smooth, milk chocolate skin. Henry Parker bent his knees as he walked through the door, so he didn''t hit his square-shaped face on the door''s bridge. Then he looked at his son and smiled. Seeing his father''s smile, Mile''s growled but surreptitiously, he couldn''t deny that he hated the man in front of him. Although the man standing in front of him was his father. It was also the same man that kicked him, his mom and his sister out of the house when Miles''s lost his ability to walk. His father kept Jake with him as Jake was playing basketball in a C league University. This is a huge achievement and a testament to his talent. Jake never played it to one day play professionally. He only did it for the scholarship so that he could attend University for free. As such all the money his father sent him could all be spent on himself. After Miles and his sisters were kicked out. His father found another woman and they got married. Miles always wondered how they got so close so soon when they had supposedly met after the divorce... However, his suspicions were never confirmed. All Miles knew was that he hated that bodacious woman just as much. She had poisoned his father''s mind which led him to discard his family completely. There were many times where he was going to die without his medicine. So his mother swallowed her pride and begged him for money, but he didn''t care. He didn''t want a cripple for a son. A crippled son was a blemish to his name. A crippled son could not carry on his legacy as a professional basketball player. His dad was a very wealthy man because he used to play basketball in the professional C league. He earned 150 million credits (9 878 175 US dollars) a year. Now he was the owner of a reputable basketball agency. As Miles thought of the past-future his anger began to show on his face. Lyra saw it and asked, "Is everything okay?'''' Miles put on his best fake smile, "Sorry I just remembered something that annoyed me." His mother nodded her head and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You truly are my son not only are you talented in basketball but we get angry the same way," Henry Parker laughed with a deep voice that threatened to vibrate all Mile''s organs away. Miles laughed awkwardly in return then they all laughed together as a family. Miles laugh wasn''t sincere. He was masking his anger by laughing, ''Calm down Miles. Although they had no scruples about leaving you to die; they haven''t done that yet. They might but they haven''t... Even if they would do it again, I still need to play nice. Next year my sister goes to University. My dad will pay for her studies as long as we still together. Since I''m still at school-level, the amount of money I receive for playing isn''t nearly enough. I have to hold on until I can provide for my family myself. I will NEVER let my sister have to do that again. She deserves teddy bears and tiaras, not a tearful mascara. My mother deserves to have everything she wants. She never stopped believing in me. She loved me all the same when everyone else turned away from me. I need to work first and for most for myself but also for them. Just you wait, I will be the greatest of all time!'' 1- Stand on my own feet- All though he means it literally he means it figuratively too. Thus now that he can stand he has a means of earning money. 2- Early ripe, early rot- It means if something comes to you quickly it will go just as fast. A fruit ripens quickly and then rots just as fast.