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After we had lunch, all five of us went shopping in Wood Green. Mostly shopping for the boys, dad kept them preoccupied with the game consoles in Game. I gave dad £100 to buy them some games they wanted to buy, while mum and I went to JD sports to get them some sportswear.

"George, your spending a lot of money, you need to be more careful. It doesn't grow on tree's you know." She said.

"Let's go somewhere I want to show you something," I said as we entered WHSmith. "What I will show you mum is going to be our little secret for the time being." When we reached the section were the top 50 fiction novels were I stopped. Scanning the books I spotted my book, it was sitting at 23, Picking a copy of it, I turned a few pages which I wrote before the novel started. Showing it to mum.

TO MY FAMILY WHICH I LOVE VERY MUCH.

WITHOUT THEM I WOULD BE NOTHING.

BY GM

Mum raised her hand, putting it over her mouth, tears started running down her cheeks. She began walking towards the cash till with the novel in hand when I said. "What are you doing mum."

"I'm going to buy my first Novel, my son's book!" She said loud. Getting the attention of all the other shoppers in the store.

When we got back home, Terry wanted to show me the games that they bought. Mum was heating up an apple pie she baked, Preparing some custard to have with it. Dad was fast asleep in his recliner chair with the newspaper on his chest. Terry was showing me the moves on Tekken 6, we started a fight when Tina and Vicky walked in catching both of us sitting on the edge of the sofa tapping like crazy on the controller.

"They never grow up do they, Vicky. "Tina said.

Looking at us, while smiling Vicky said. "I think they look cute."

Mum also made some tea with the apple pie. Vicky stayed a while then she had to go as her parents were visiting her in the evening. Tina showed her out, having a little chat before she came back in.

When Tina came back, she sat next to me. "She likes you."

"Who likes who," I said.

"Vicky fancy's you, you big loaf!" she shouted.

That's all mum needed, she was off as well, telling me that she seems a very nice person. She noticed as well when I was around Vicky I acted differently. Tina laughing a little too loud, waking up dad. Dad all groggy he looks around the room, seen me sitting there with a red face said to mum. "Helen it must be too hot in here, George has gone red as a beetroot." We all started laughing hysterically. Dad just sat there with a confused look on his face.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a Debit Card and gave it to Tina saying. "I have opened an account for you and the boys."

Tina couldn't stop hugging and kissing me when mum showed her all the clothes we got for the boys. "You must have spent over £1000 on them. You have to stop spending money on us all the time." When Tina wasn't looking, I looked at mum winking at her.

By 10 pm I started to make my way home.

*****

For the next couple of weeks, I was preoccupied with getting the gym ready for the health and safety audit by Haringey Council. Jacky would go twice a week to see a therapist that Father Petrou recommended for her. His office was a couple of blocks from the gym when she finished she would come to the gym to see me.

I got Mario enrolled at Haringey College to get him ready for his GCSE's, he will be taking in three months. Hopefully, when he passes, he will get into University. After college coming straight to the gym helping out, spending most of his time helping other youths. On his spare time, he would train with me. Mr Brown would be at the gym when Mario was there showing him all the time what to do to improve his skills.

Mario was just finishing off tidying the gym equipment, I was checking the emergency doors and windows to make sure everything was locked. Making our way home in the car, we spotted Mario's mum entering the Tesco Express. Pulling into the parking area, I said. "Go to see if your mum needs some help, Mario." He went inside to find his mum while I turned the car around.

Sitting behind the wheel waiting for him to return, playing with the different buttons on the steering wheel, trying to figure out what they do. That's when I noticed the same youth's which were harassing customers last time I came here. Pressing the button to open the window so I can hear what was going on. Who ever went into the shop or left they would say some comment or stand in front of them. Getting ready to get out of the car to say something. That is when I saw Mario's mum coming out with him behind carrying some bags.

"Hey, mummies boy chase after mum like a little dog!" A tall youth wearing a baseball cap said.

Mario carried on walking behind his mum not even turning back. His mum got in the car, he then handed the bags to her to put on the seat then closed the door. As he came around the car to get in. The Baseball cap started walking towards the car with his peers following, cursing and swearing trying to provoke Mario.

"Leave him alone Johnny." A young lady said.

Baseball Cap turns towards her hitting her in the face with the back of his hand knocking her on the tarmac. He lifts his hand to swing at her again when Mario shouts. "Hey, Johnny Cap why don't you try knocking me down." Then Mario started walking towards him.

Opening the car door ready to jump out, but waited I wanted to see how Mario will deal with the situation.

"Go and help him they might hurt him." Mario's mum said.

"He's going to be alright," I replied

Johnny Cap made fists with his hands and started throwing punches. Mario blocks whatever he swings at him by blocking them with his arm. He ducks a punch, at the same time bringing his fist into johnny's gut knocking him over. With Johnny Cap on the tarmac trying to catch his breath, Mario helps the young lady up, walking her towards the car.

Holding the side of her face, she says to Mario. "I am ok you can let me go now." When he released her, she just ran off into the night.

We dropped off his mum, he carried mum's bags to the house for her. He delayed coming back a few minutes, probably having a chat with her. When he returned the rest of the way, we were both quiet. Entering the house, he said. "I shouldn't have hit him."

"Hey, Mario whatever you did was in self-defence. You weren't going to wait for him to hurt you then hit back."

He was turning out to be an incredible young man, always there when you needed him. Every day in the morning we would get ready for our morning run. To my surprise a week after the incident with the youth outside Tesco I was on my 10-kilometre when my Fitbit bleeped on 4-kilometres for Mario to turn back, he carried on with me doing his first 10-kilometre run. When we finished, I asked. "How did that feel?"

The last couple of kilometres I wanted to give up, but I forced myself. On the final 500 metres, the pavement felt it was flowing under my trainers." He said as he was trying to catch his breath back.

"If your tyred and want to skip the rest of the exercise there is no problem," I said.

"From now on we finish our morning ritual together." Was his reply.

It was a cloudy Wednesday morning, I had just dropped off Mario at the college, making my way to the gym I noticed Father Petrou at the entrance waiting for me. Getting out of the car I made a quick sprint to get inside as it started raining hard. "Good morning Father, what a day. What brings you to these parts of the woods." I said.

"Good morning George, I have a small favour to ask of you?"

"Tell me, Father."

"You had a small encounter with some teenagers outside Tesco a few days ago?"

I corrected him by telling him what happened. "It wasn't me who had the encounter, it was Mario who was not at Fort at all."

"No, I'm not saying that Mario did anything, It's just those youths came to see me early this morning, asking me to ask you if they could join the gym?"

"Father Petrou you know my doors are open to anyone." On saying that he pulled out his mobile to call someone. When he finished, he smiled as he put it back in his pocket.

A few minutes later a group of teenagers strolled into the gym. All wet like they had just been dipped in a barrel of water, then pulled out. "Ok everyone you're making my floor wet. Changing rooms are over there. Boys on the left and girls on the right, you will find some dry towels, get dry." Directing them with my hand.

Looking back at Father Petrou I said. "I see you have found a way to do God's work faster with your mobile."

Punching me lightly on the shoulder he said. "Did you notice the girl with the black eye. That is Angela, she came with her mother to talk to me, telling me what happened that evening."

Since the incident outside Tesco Mario has been finding some excuse to stop at that particular store to buy something we need. He didn't say anything, but I had an idea who he wanted to see again.

It was 2 pm when Mario came from college with a backpack on his shoulder and a Tesco bag in hand. "Find what you was looking for at Tesco," I said while looking at Angela who was behind him doing some stretching in front of the large mirror.

"I got the items we needed." Lifting up the bag to show me.

"That means you didn't find what you was looking for."

"What do you mean by that?" Staring at me with a confused look on his face.

Looking at him I nodded my head for him to look behind him. Turning around he froze where he was standing. His backpack slowly sliding off his shoulder to the ground. On seen him through the reflection in the mirror she raised a hand to greet him. He slowly started to walk towards her. "Hey buddy you want to leave the Tesco bag with me," I said. Handing me the bag he made his way to Angela.

Sitting in my office finishing a conversation with Jacky about the private detective's progress on finding Gary. It had been a month since our discovery, it seemed he had disappeared from the face of the earth. Looking at a map of Britain with all the places the private detective highlighted that Gary used his debit card to withdraw money. I was in deep thought.

The door knocked bringing me back to reality. "Come in," I said.

The door opened, standing in front of me was Mario's father. "Do you have five minutes Mr Michaelides."

Seen him suddenly like that shocked me. I just sat there staring at him, at first I didn't recognise him. He was all cleaned up and seemed sober.

"I understand if your too busy sir." Turning to go making his way out.

"No, wait!" I shouted. Causing my voice to echo in the gym, making everyone stop what they were doing to look.

"What do you want here, leave me alone, get out of my life!" It was Mario shouting from across the gym marching towards his dad, with Angela running after him trying to grab his arm.

Rushing in front of Mario I blocked his path, bringing him to a halt. Angela at the same time pulling him back. "Leave this to me, Mario." Turning to Angela, I said. "can you take him to the changing rooms to calm down please." she nodded her head to say yes.

Running outside, catching up with Harry outside St. Mary's Church I grabbed his arm. He stopped without any struggle. "I'm sorry for coming to the gym like that, tell Mario I will not bother him again." He said.

"Let's go inside." Pointing to the church entrance. We both entered doing the sign of the cross on ourselves as we entered. It surprised me to see so many people in the church at that time. Looking around I found a stall away from others so we could have some privacy. We both sat down staring in front of us. "You've really changed your life around from the last time we met," I said.

"I came to say thank you for what you have done for my son. Also wanted to see him, to apologise for what I put him through all these years. Like I said earlier tell him I will not bother him again."

He was getting ready to get up when I said. Sit down with me for a minute. "Father Petrou tells me you're finding difficulty in searching for a job. I need someone to open the gym in the morning, then close up in the evening. Also, the gym needs some minor work done, like a fresh coat of paint. The pay is not bad either."

He quickly turned his head to look at me. "What about Mario."

"Leave that with me. Just be there at 9 am tomorrow morning."

When I returned to the gym, I went straight to my office. It didn't take long to hear the knock on the door I was waiting for. "Come in Mario."

"Do you have five minutes George."

"I am all ears."

"I was wrong at what I said to my dad."

"You was angry."

"Did you see him, he was all cleaned up, freshly shaven, new clothes, a changed man," Mario said with a smile.

"He is in desperate need of employment, I told him we need someone to open the gym in the morning, also to close it in the evening. Since his job is decorating, he will be doing some DIY to the place." I said. Waiting to see what Mario's reaction would be.

He opened his mouth to say something then closed it. Looked at me then walked out of my office, to what he was doing earlier. "Now that was easier than I thought."

In three months of opening the gym, everything was falling into place. In a month Harry made the place look new. Mr Brown and I were running the gym. Mario was trying to help as much as he could, but he had his studying.

"George you need to hire some more people." Mr Brown said.

"I need to make a phone call," I said rushing to my office, closing the door behind me. A few minutes later charging out of my office I shouted out. "Mr Brown look after the place I need to go somewhere for a couple of hours!"

It took me forty-five minutes to drive to Hamstead Heath, on West Heath Road they were doing some road works, stuck in the traffic for another twenty minutes. Once I turned into Templewood Avenue the road was clear, withing minutes I was in Templewood Gardens parked outside the house.

On approaching the house, I noticed there were no stairs mostly ramps. I rang the bell twice then waited. When the door opened, I recognised her straight away. "Hello, Mrs Brankovic. Sorry for coming on such short notice."

"Hello, George come in. Before we go into the library let me warn you, he might use some ugly word against you." Putting her hand on my shoulder, she also said. "Thank you for coming to see him."

When I walked into the room there, he was behind a big oak desk typing on a laptop. "Hey, Radovan!" I called out.

He quickly looked up at me with a shocked look on his face he shouted. "What the fuck are you doing here. I know you've come to confirm what you did to me. Let me show you." He quickly spun to his left then rolled forward past the desk suddenly turned again to face me, Removing the blanket cover his legs.

Standing there frozen for a moment, not knowing what to say. I noticed someone standing to my left, when I turned to look, it was Radovan's wife. She had her hand over her mouth while tears were running down her cheeks. Turning back towards him I said. "I am truly sorry for the pain I caused you and your family. If I could turn the clock back when my coach went to throw the towel in the ring, I would have let him do it."

He quickly turned his wheelchair around, just sat there looking out the large Victorian window at the garden. I walked up to his side just stood there looking outside. "I need your help," I said in a low tone.

Still looking ahead he said. "What help can I be, I am half a man."

"I don't see half a man." Then looking behind me at his wife I shouted to her. "Do you see half a man Malina!"

Wiping the tears from her eye's she said. "No."

"Look I'm not going to bullshit you, I've opened a gym to help the youth in the community, to get them off the street. I need staff that will assist these kids in life, that is where you come in. One more thing I don't get paid for this and you won't either, but you will be an inspiration to them, someone they will look up to."

He stayed quiet for a few minutes before he answered. "I will think about it."

I walked back to his desk grabbed a post-it note block, and pen sitting on his desk then wrote the address of the gym. "I've written you the address here, we open at 9 am. Think about it, you will be a great mentor for a lot of these kids."

Malina showed me to the front door. Before I left, she grabbed my arm. She said. "Thank you for trying to get him involved in this project. This is what he needs to bring up his moral."

*****

Next day was Friday, forgetting to turn on my alarm, I woke up late. It was past 9 am. The flat was empty Mario must have taken the bus to college. Making myself, coffee had a few sips to wake me up then I jumped into the shower. Quickly got dressed then left for the gym. On locking my front door, I heard a voice behind me.

"Hi, stranger." It was Vicky.

"Hi Vicky, long time no see, what are you up to," I said.

"Got the day off, going to do some shopping, I need to get out of the house."

"I haven't had breakfast yet fancy joining me?" I asked.

"Sure why not."

I drove to a cafe in Palmers Green which I had never been too. We both ordered a full English Breakfast. Since the day Vicky helped me clean the flat, I haven't had the chance to spend some time with her. We stayed there for quite a while talking in general. That is when I realised we had a lot in common.

It was nearly 1 pm when I asked the waitress to bring me the bill. In her place, a gentleman came in his 50's wearing a chef's uniform. He said. "Hello my name is John, I hope you enjoyed the breakfast." He said.

"It was very nice, thank you for asking. I just requested the bill from the young lady." I said.

"There is no charge for anything. What you are trying to do for our community is the least we can do for you." You have a beautiful day and come back again." Shock my hand. "I need to go now to prepare for lunch time." Walking back to the kitchen.

Returning to my car Vicky said. "very impressive getting highly respected from the community."

"Just trying to help," I said

I drove her to Wood Green station, as she wanted to get the Picadilly line to central London. Before she got out of the car, we made plans to meet up on Sunday evening for a meal.

The gym was very busy when I got there, Mario was showing some youngsters how to use the speed bag, while Mr Brown was with two other youths who were sparring in the ring. I went straight to my office closed the door dropping on the task chair. A few minutes later the door knocked.

"Come in."

Mr Brown entered the office came up to my desk putting his hands on the desk then leant forward. "I guess you know who came in today." He said.

"Fuck I thought he wouldn't turn up, believe me, he wasn't too happy when he saw me yesterday. I suppose he left when he didn't see me here."

"No, actually he's with a group of kid's, that joined today, explaining to them how to use the equipment safely. You did the right thing, George, I think our team is 100% now."

Letting Radovan finish with what he was doing I then went to have a quick word with him. "Hey, thanks for coming down today."

"I didn't have much choice Milana literally pulled me out of bed. But I am glad I came. Speaking to those kids gave me a purpose in life. If it's ok with you from next week, I come from Monday to Friday."

"Like I said yesterday, you are an inspiration for these kids," I called Mario over introduced him to Radovan, chatted with them a while, then told Mario to show Radovan around the gym.

It was Saturday evening, Mario had gone out on a date with Angela, my parents and I had gone around my sisters for a meal. We had our dinner, the kids went upstairs to play on their Playstation, Tina sent mum and dad to the living room to relax while we cleaned up. Putting away some plates in the cupboard next to the fridge I notice a picture held onto the refrigerator door with a magnet. It was Gary with the boys, taken in front of a semi-detached house.