Page 31 of Two Guys One Puck
“Does she have a lot of plants? I kill plants. They don’t like me.”
“She does. We both do. This can fit in her window and hold more.” It sounds kind of dumb saying it out loud.
“Is this for her birthday or something?” He leans closer, like he’s interested.
“No, just something nice. She does a lot for my brothers and me, so I want to do something nice for her. No one does anything for her.” I don’t know why I’m telling him so much.
“You’re adorable.”
“Fuck off.” I grab my iPad back.
He smiles. “She your dad’s sister or mom’s?”
“Dad’s, but she’s closer in age to me than my dad, so we’ve kinda grown up together.”
He leans closer. “You like plants, too?”
“I do.”
“Do you have a lot of them?”
I switch to photos and find one of my room, then hold it out to him. “It’s not a lot, but I like them.”
Ktytor takes the iPad back, looking at it for a long moment. “What types are they?”
I walk him through my little collection.
He scoots closer, listening. After I finish, he points to the Monstera. “I like this one.”
“Me too.”
“The leaves are like Swiss cheese.”
“A little, yeah.”
“I wish I could keep plants alive. I don’t know how you do it with hockey.”
“That single focus thing. That’s your problem.”
He looks at me for a long time. “You’re probably right. I am pretty single focused. But is working, no?”
“Don’t you get lonely?”
He considers my question. “I don’t let myself think about those things.”
I don’t believe him. “I told you about my thing. You really going to sit here and bullshit me?”
He searches my face then breaks eye contact. “You said earlier you don’t have a choice. You have to make this work, yes?”
“Yea?” I ask not sure what he’s getting at.
“We are in the same boat. I have to make this work. If I don’t, I have to go back to my country, and if I go back there, I have a war. At twenty-five, I have to serve unless I get a waiver for being an elite athlete. And then my brother can come here.”
I wasn’t expecting all of that. “He didn’t come with you?”
“How? This was my chance like you are taking yours. I have a scholarship to be here like you. I couldn’t bring them with me.” No wonder he works so hard.
I work my ass off to help my family, but he’s got so much more on his shoulders.
