SHANE. Most people have always considered me to be frugal or stingy. I may have appeared to be so, but I really had more concerns with not being able to provide for my loved ones, myself, or my potential children. I felt any money I spent now would be money I wouldn’t have later. In the past, these thought processes prevented me from spending much money if I didn’t feel it was completely necessary.

Now that things have changed, I look at life, money, and spending much differently. Taking a breather from boxing, and hoping for a worthy opponent, I decided to take a step in the direction of what it was I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Train other boxer’s to be like me.

“Keep those elbows tucked, or you’re going to have a broken rib,” I shouted.

Unable to respond with the mouthpiece in his mouth, he nodded his head.

“So,” A-Train asked as he held the bottom rope.

“He’s come a long way,” I responded.

“Kid might just have some serious talent. He’ll have to learn to control his mouth,” I shrugged.

“We’ll work on that. I like the kid, Dekk. He’s a good kid,” A-Train smiled as he looked into the ring.

I nodded my head toward A-Train and turned to the ring, “Stay in close, kid. Use that speed. Don’t let him lure you like that.”

“Damn, Dekk, you’re going to scare him, you keep shouting at him like that,” A-Train laughed.

“He needs shouted at,” I half whispered.

“That’s it, in close. Use! Your! Hand speed!”

He unleashed a ferocious combination, and worked his way up his opponent’s face, ending with what would have been a wild left uppercut, had it not connected.

But it did.

His opponent dropped to the mat like he’d died.

“Damn, he dropped that guy like a bad habit,” A-Train whistled.

“Sure did,” I agreed.

“Help him up kid. Always be a sportsman, never a prick,” I shouted.

As he bent over the man got up on one knee and shook his head from side to side. He was done. The uppercut was rather poorly executed, but landed perfectly. The end result was a semi-unconscious man on the mat who had no intent of continuing to fight.

“Anyone want to give my guy a whirl?” I screamed into the gym.

Slowly, a new face walked up on my left side. Tall, muscular, and tattooed he walked to the edge of the ring and ducked under the ropes. Since my winning the championship, the ring had been overcrowded and overrun with people wanting to join the gym and utilize the services of Kelsey and myself. The gym was small, run down and barely had room in it for the fighters who had been here for years, let alone any more. Kelsey and Joe did the best they could and attempted to accommodate everyone, but it was becoming tough for us all.

“What’s the ribbon mean on his arm?” I asked, recognizing it as a military marking.

“Airborne. Ranger. Appears to be an Army Special Forces boy,” A-Train nodded.

I raised my eyebrows, “Should I get him out of there?”

“Don’t underestimate the kid, Dekk. He tries harder than you think,” A-Train responded as he pulled on the lower rope.

“Better listen this time, kid. We got a ringer in here,” A-Train shouted.

“Alright touch ‘em up. And keep it clean,” I hollered.

The Ranger immediately swung a wild left uppercut which missed by a fraction of an inch. As that punch was on the upswing, he swung a right hook which immediately followed a nano-second behind, connecting with the upper ribcage.

“Oh shit, that hurt,” A-Train winced.

“Sure did. Oh hell, look at him,” I laughed.

After absorbing the hook, he stepped in and began working the body of the Ranger. As the Ranger got tired, and it didn’t take long, he loosened his elbows, and held his arms loosely at his sides.

“Ribs, kid, Get. Those. Ribs,” I screamed, knowing both fighters could clearly hear me.

He swung a hard right hook into the ribs of the Ranger. Immediately, he folded up in pain. Although I considered stopping the fight, he appeared to want to continue. Almost certain a rib had been broken, I waited for him to give the signal to stop the fight.

“You realize the Ranger won’t give up, right?” A-Train asked softly.

“Why?” I asked.

“Rangers lead the way,” he smiled.

I shrugged, “I don’t get it.”

“Pride, Dekk. Pride,” he responded.

“Should I stop it?” I asked.

“Nope,” he smiled.

As I turned toward the ring again, Kelsey walked up to my left side.

“How’s he doing?” he asked.

“He’s good, old man. He really is. Kind of a wild man, but overall he’s good.”

“Like someone else I know,” Kelsey smiled.

“Me?” I asked.

“No, The Ripper. He’s like a skinnier version of The Ripper,” Kelsey grinned.

“Stay in close you skinny little fucker. And hit him on the shove off with a hard right jab,” Kelsey screamed.

“I swear, are you training this kid, or talking to your favorite jarhead?” Kelsey asked as he slapped A-Train on the arm.

“Well, I’m training…”

Holy shit!

After a series of body shots, the Ranger shoved the kid off of him. As soon as he did, the kid swung a hard right jab, which connected directly with the Ranger’s chin. The Ranger immediately fell to the mat, unconscious.

“Grab the smelling salts for this one, Dekk. He went down hard,” A-Train said as he pulled the rope up and stepped into the ring.

“You dumb fucking jarhead, what did I tell you about getting in my ring with those street shoes on?” Kelsey screamed.

“Shut up old man,” A-Train said as he looked up from the Ranger who lay unconscious on the mat.

Kelsey turned to me and smiled, “Alec’s a damned good man, kid.”

“I know he is, boss,” I responded.

At A-Train’s request, I never told anyone he came to get me when I ran away from Kace and my problems digesting everything. He asked that I simply act as if I decided on my own to come home. I’ve never met anyone as humble as he is. He wants no recognition, and cares for no praise. All he wants is to find a way to leave the war behind. Slowly, I see progress in him every day. Casey has been a great asset to building A-Train’s confidence in being able to become human again. In time, I’m sure he’ll be whoever he was before the war started.

Whoever that person may be.

“Get a shower, kid,” I hollered into the ring.

“We’re gonna have to do something before long, kid. This gym’s overrun with people I don’t even know. Joe and I are turning people away. It’s a sad sight. Never thought I’d see this day. You know I hate to turn anyone away. This has always been a sport for the kids who might end up somewhere terrible if they didn’t have it – a place to let off steam. We might have to increase our hours,” he sighed.

“You’re already here to what, 11:00?” I asked.

“Yep, close at 10:00, here ‘till 10:30 or 11:00 most nights,” he nodded.

“Want to go to lunch and talk?” I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders, “Sandwich at the Italian joint?”

“Sounds good,” I smiled.

“And one other thing,” he grinned.

“Name it,” I responded.

“Damn it, Kid. Stop calling him kid. You know how it pissed you off. Call him by his name,” he grinned sarcastically.

“Austin!” I hollered across the gym.

“Yeah, boss?” he hollered back.

“Good couple of fights, kid. I’m going to lunch. Be back in an hour,” I shouted into the ring.

“Alright. I’ll just hang out here,” he screamed.

As the Ranger finally stood up and leaned against A-Train, Kelsey and I turned and walked toward the door.

“Kid, I remember the day you rode that damned bike here from Compton. I thought you were one arrogant little fucker. You knocked The Ripper on his ass, and had me wondering if you had talent or if you were just a lucky fucker. After a few fights, I knew if you’d stick with it, you could go the distance. Never knew what it’d be like if we made it, though. Gotta tell ya kid, my life has come full circle; sure has. And I thank you,” he nodded.

I nodded my head once in return.

Your life hasn’t gone full circle yet, old man. Just wait.