Chương 58: The Seventh Star

"I have something special for you," Una said. Robin raised his head, intrigued. He had his cap on; it was the big day. Underneath the bill, his eyes were haunted and red. Una was glad he couldn't see himself.

"What is it?" Robin's voice was small and coarse.

"Just you wait. It's coming," Una promised. Robin waited; she could see he was impatient. It wasn't long until the final. Together, they'd listened to the last two games of the Primara División on the radio. It was the one thing he could still do. Sunday was round 6. Cruz Azul faced Deportivo Toluca. Earlier that year, Toluca had crushed his boys three to one. This time, Azul paid them back with the game's only goal and advanced to the final. It was the first time Una had seen Robin smile that week.

The next game was a tense draw against Pumas de UNAM, 0-0. The final would be winner-take-all. A maintenance man in a brown uniform knocked and entered.

"Eddy" was embroidered over his breast pocket. Robin watched him closely, wondering what was up. Eddy walked over, opened the window, and leaned out.

"What's going on?" Robin craned his head to see. Una had to help him sit up. A coaxial cable dangled down to the window. Eddy snagged it and pulled it inside. A smiling hospice nurse wheeled in a television on a cart. Eddy hooked up the set and spent a little time finding SIN, the Spanish International Network.

"No way," Robin breathed.

"We get to watch the final?"

"Live on satellite." Una smiled. It had taken a lot of asking to get this to happen. Apparently this ward wasn't wired right. Maintenance had to string a cable across the roof. They positioned the cart at the foot of the bed so Robin could see better. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"All good?" Eddy asked.

"Yes, thank you!" Robin rasped.

"Enjoy!" Eddy waved as he left. Una could see his smile crumble as he stepped out, but Robin's eyes were locked on the screen. The Primera División logo sprang up and the announcers began to chatter.

"This is so cool! Thank you, Una! I can't believe it." It had been a long time since Una had watched television. There were so many commercials now! Silently, she prayed for Robin's team. He needed a win so badly. As they played, Robin pointed out the players and named each one. His favorite was Horacio López Salgado, a left winger from Taxco. Puma almost scored, but it was saved by Cruz Azul's Argentine goalie, Miguel Marín. Robin sat straight up and leaned forward to watch.

Una worried he was getting too excited, but said nothing. It was the most alert he'd been in days. To his credit, Father Jonás hadn't even tried to lie to her about the last rites. Robin was angry, and why shouldn't he be? She prayed he had time to see the light. Carlos Jara Saguier, a Cruz Azul midfielder from Paraguay, snatched a header and drilled it right into the Pumas' net.

"GOOOAL!" Robin howled along with the announcer. Una glanced at the door. Normally, a nurse would come in and scold them. No one did. Let him yell, she resolved. These games were his whole life. Robin smiled now, and cried out in joy again when Horacio Salgado scored the second goal. Robin straightened up in bed, all nerves. Anything could happen in a game. As the minutes ticked down, he relaxed more and drifted back against the bed. Una watched him struggle to keep his eyes open.

Robin fell asleep as Cruz Azul was up 2-0 with a minute left. The clock ran out and they won. The seventh star was theirs. Una got up and clicked off the TV. She'd had to pay to rent the set, but it was worth every penny. There was nothing like the smile of a little boy whose team had just won the championship. Even now, he seemed more at peace than he had in a long time. Una realized she was alone. The hospice nurse rushed in. The game was over.