A Dream's Walk

All Hobart Armstrong wanted was to be an Olympic medalist. He dreamt it. He visualised it. He talked it. He lived it. Growing up wasn’t much of fun to him. His parents had been separated since he was four. He usually told anyone that asked of his father that he hadn’t seen him before. This was because he had only a brief moment with him. Though, his mother wasn’t always pleased with such statement. His parents met when his mother travelled as an expatriate to a country kilometres away. They were just acquaintances later they became inseparable like eye and needle. Sheila had a soft spot for Cyril. He was handsome, smart and intelligent which endeared him to her. Cyril on the other hand adored her and doted so much on her. When she became pregnant, she wasn’t excited about it. She only wanted a relationship and not a third party. She was at the prime of her career and wasn’t going to allow anything slow her down not even maternity. It was a tug of war for Cyril to convince her to keep the pregnancy. She later attested to the fact that she was glad she finally heeded to her live in lover's advice. She said although stressful, maternity and career made her a stronger and better person. She said she loves her son so much and wouldn’t trade him for any other thing. When Hobart was four, it was time for her to leave back to her country. Although it wasn’t an easy thing to do but a farewell was better than a breakup. It was a bitter and sad one for Cyril, he had bonded so much with his son. His birth had also heightened his love for Sheila.

“So you said you're leaving me. So you said you’re going. Why?” he spoke with a pity tone.

“You know this is beyond me. I told you from the outset that I only have few years to stay. Those few years have come to an end. This is not my country. This is not my home. Am only a long stayed visitor and it’s time for me to go. Although it’s breaking my heart but l just have to leave.”

“No! You are not anymore a visitor. This is your home. In here, you have a home. You have a child for me and that has made you a part of us. You're a part of my family. You're welcome home. Please.... stay.”

“No! I can’t. My job is also important. This is all I know how to do well. This is all I wanted. Please just bear with me,” Sheila spoke with a pity look.

“Don’t worry I’ll get another job for you. A better one. That I'll do soon. I promise. Please stay. Marry me.”

“No, there’s no need for that. I'd love to marry you but I just can’t. Am so sorry.”

“How about our son? Is he going with you? Are you taking him along?” Cyril asked with raised eyebrows.

“Yes! Indeed. He's coming with me. If not me, then?”

“I know.... Just still want to ask. I love you both so much. You're like the air I breathe.”

After Sheila’s departure, Cyril was down and depressed. It took a long while for him to get out of it. She could sense and feel it anytime they spoke on phone. She had tried several times to talk him out of the mood but to no avail. A times he just broke down in tears while at other times he mumbled words she could barely understood. After a while, she could no longer reach him. Though worried but not thinking the worse, she felt he had finally moved on.

Hobart was always on the move with his mother. He had attended several schools and stayed in different neighbourhoods. He had seen his mother start and end several relationships. The last one before she finally settled for his stepfather was a heart wrenching one for him, he was really fond of him and had taken to him deeply. Tall and athletic, he really desired to be an Olympic long jumper. In high school, he had tried severally to participate in long jump but instead he had been enlisted in high jump. He never loved high jump, so he didn’t perform as expected. He had tried several times to convince his school's sports master that he could do better in long jump but all fell on deaf ears.

“Mum, I don’t know why my school’s sports master hates me so much. He doesn’t want to even listen to me. Am tired of the school.”

“Oh! My love. What’s the matter?”

“Mum, I told him I'd want to join the school’s long jump team but he always declines. He said he’d rather I stay with the high jumpers. Oh! Mum, can’t he give me a try? Am sure I'll do well.”

“Well, you know my aim is that you study hard and come out with good grades. Any other diversions is not my focus.”

“But mum! You said that education is just a pivot, there are more that can be added to make life colourful. Mine is athletics. Mine is long jump.”

“Hmmm. Yeah. That’s true I actually said so. Ok, what do we do about your sports master refusal. Can I come to your school and talk to him? Hope you won’t be embarrassed?”

“Definitely not.”

Sheila spoke to her son’s school sports master. He obliged to him joining the school long jump team but he said that will be in the next academic session and by then Hobart will be in his final year with not much time to participate with the team. Hobart graduated with good grades and proceeded to college. He joined the long jump team and participated in several competitions. Although his team won most of them, his focus was the Olympics. Seeing the eagerness in her son to take part in the Olympics, Sheila hired a private coach for him. It wasn’t an easy one combining studies and games but Hobart was utmost determined. After the interstate competitions, he was finally selected at the national competition to represent his country in long jump at the Olympics. It was a dream come true for him. It was to him the last lap to winning a gold medal.

“Mum! Have been finally selected to represent the country in long jump at the Olympics,” he spoke excitedly.

“Wow! That’s a dream come true. Am so proud of you. And your dad will definitely be proud of you.”

“How I wish he was here too. How I wish he was here to see his son become an Olympic medalist.”

“Yeah! How I wish he was right here with us. But wherever he is I know he'll get to hear about it and he'll be proud of you.”

“Mum, am thankful I've got you. You’re simply the best. I love you so much.”

Sheila embraced her son and said, “I love you too so much. Am grateful I have you. Go, for the gold!” This she said lifting up a hand high up.

Hobart was successful at the Olympics. He actually won a gold medal. His hard work and rigorous trainings had paid off. He dedicated the medal first to his mother, then to his private coach, also to his school and lastly to his father.