Moyo wa shujaa 4
#16 of Erik Kijani
And thus, Erik's first season comes to an end as the Alphas beat the Keystones in the Eastern conference finals. Let's see what Erik has learned.
June 20-22, 2016: A leopard named Erik The final buzzer sounded off in the arena. The end result of the eastern conference finals, Alphas 109, Keystones 105. And just like that, after seven games, the season was over. That's when it finally hit Erik, hard. Having injured his ankle in one of the games and not being cleared by doctors, Erik sat there on the bench with his teammates, clenching his fist knowing that there was nothing he could do to help his team win. He stood up slow and heard the last few words from his teammates and his coach. There was a sense of disappointment and anger in the group, but, in the end, there was a bit of....joy. Joy in the great season they had. Though it was over too soon and it was a hard fought battle by everyone throughout the whole season and Erik finally realized that.
As the teams began to meet with each other, Erik took the time to shake Kelvin Hailey's hand and congratulate him. He told him: "You better win this championship now, or I'll be pissed". The two shared a laugh and Erik ended the conversation by quickly saying: "See you next year".
Then, the leopard began his walk back to the locker room. No doubt that the coach had some final words for the team, but then, someone called out to him.
"Hey rookie!" It said.
Erik turned around to see that it was Randy Catcher walking towards him. He wasn't looking too happy either. Erik sighed and walked over to him.
"Oh boy, what did I do this time." Erik said.
Randy then put one hand on Erik's shoulder and said.
"You played your heart out this series. Hell, this whole year."
Erik's ears perked up, surprised that he was actually getting complimented from his very strict mentor. Randy continued.
"I pushed hard this season and you answered back every time. You showed commitment, heart,....a little attitude, and passion for this team. I can see that you have grown a lot this season and....well, you did good Erik."
Erik was silent. This was the first time Randy ever said his name.
"Kid, you got....a lot to learn still.....but I think you're gonna be a great player in this league."
The bullfrog finished his speach and walked away towards the locker room. Erik still stood there in disbelief. After standing their for a few minutes, a smile slowly appeared on his face.
A few days later, Erik returned home to his family in florida with his agent Shandra. She gave her a ride to his house to stay with his parents for a while. Once they reached the house, Erik looked very suspiciously at his agent.
"Boy, whatcha lookin' at me like dat for?" Shandra responded.
"You not coming?"
"Nah, I'm sorry boy. Old Shandra got lots of work ahead of her. Ya just be sure you stay healthy."
"What are you up to Shandra?"
Shandra patted Erik's head and said.
"Don'tcha worry boy. I be still workin' with ya de whole way." Erik just smiled and opened the door.
"Hey." Shandra interrupted. Erik stopped to look back. "John would be proud." She said.
"......Thanks." Erik said, smiling as he left the car.
Shandra drove off.