It’s three minutes per round.
That’s all.
Fists and pain and staying upright.
Rube throws another punch to the mouth and I’m out for the round.
“He’s scared of losing’,” Bumper tells me.
“Good.”
In the fourth round, Rube reacts.
He misses me just once, then opens me up several times. His left hand it especially cruel, pinning me into his corner. Only once do I get through him and clip his jaw again. It’s the last time.
By the end of the round, I’m against the ropes, just about gone.
When the bell goes this time, I find my corner, oh, miles and miles away and stagger towards it. I fall. Down. Into the arms of Bumper.
“Hey buddy,” he tells me, but he’s so far away. Why’s he so far away? “I don’t thin you can go out for the last. I think you’ve had enough.”
I realise
“No way,” I beg him.
The bell goes again and the referee calls us into the middle. One final handshake before the last round. It’s always the same…until today.
I watch Rube.
There’s something in his eyes. Something I have never seen.
He’s hungry.
Hungry for power.
Hungry for the win.
I throw the first punch and miss.
The next punch is from Rube. It hits me in the stomach and I am blown back. I see stars and a blurry figure staggering towards me. He takes another shot and this time his glove lands on my neck.
A second later I’m against the ropes, unable to breath. Rubes looming figure is standing above me ready to take the knock out hit.
Don’t do it, my eyes say.
His eyes are filled with fire, the hunger for the win taking over.
“Finish him off!” calls Perry.
Rube glares at me and raises his fist. His hand lingers in the air for a moment and then the look of hunger in his eyes is gone. He lowers his hand and looks at Perry and shakes his head.
I collapse under the pressure, the last thing I see is Rube reaching out for me
When I wake up I find myself in my room alone. The door opens and Rube walks in.
Ruben Wolfe.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hey yourself,” I say back.
“Y’ okay?”
“Why’d you do it?”
“I take that as yes?”
“Why’d you do it?” I repeat.
He looks away and thinks of something to say.
“Dunno.”
“Y’ could’ve knocked me out but you didn’t. I wanna know why,”
“There was no point. Either way I woulda won and gone to the next rounds.”
I thought for a moment. He was right. Either way I would’ve been knocked out anyway and there was nothing I could’ve done about it.
“You’re gonna go out there and win the title won’t y’?”
“Guess so.”
I nod and Rube turns to leave the room. He stops and looks like he’s gonna say something but doesn’t.
Later that night I find Rube out in the backyard doing nothing. He’s just standing there looking out into the night, the stars.
“What were y’ gonna say before?” I ask.
“Huh?”
“Before y’ turned to walk away.”
“Ah… just that y’ fought real well mate.”
I’m not too convinced but I let it go.
I think of a question I’ve been meaning to ask but pulled out too many times. I ask it.
“Hey Rube, what’s gonna happen if y’ don’t win the title? I mean even if y’ do what are y’ gonna do?”
He doesn’t answer. I expect him to say something about how Steve moved out or getting a real job or even box again the next year. But he doesn’t. Instead he asks me, “What do y’ think I should do?”
I stare off into the sky, thinking hard. Who knows what’ll happen to me and Rube after this.
“Dunno.”
We stand in silence for a while. I look at my brother. He has a look of pride and determination. He’s gonna win this thing. This title of lightweight boxing. But what’s gonna happen after that?
Rube finally looks at me.
“I think that I’m Ruben Wolfe and you’re Cameron Wolfe and we’re gonna take on the world as it comes into us. We’re gonna go out there one day and prove ourselves.”
He smiles and continues looking back at the sky.
Yeah, he’s right. But right now I’m living at home with Mum, Dad, Sarah and Rube. Maybe next year.
“Wanna go for one last run?” I ask.
“You’re on,” he says as we sprint outta the yard.
Fighting Ruben Wolfe.
I’m never doing that again. Ever.
Cindy Ruan
9 Reeves
