Chapter 4

The shop owner knew me.

"Hey, Winston. You heading out?"

"Yeah."

I nodded.

"I can't spend my whole life as a cripple, or live off someone else."

"I have to stand on my own."

That night, Amanda told me the news in a few short words.

"The team's leaving for Bayport for a match in a couple of days."

"I got you two cases of instant ramen. Be good, Win. I'm sorry it'll be rough for a few days."

"When I'm back I'll cook you something good."

I watched the delight rise in her eyes without saying anything.

She'd been looking forward to this match for a long time.

Three years ago, Amanda was the best player on the court.

If it hadn't been for me dragging her down.

She might have gone pro.

Instead, for my sake, she could only pick up day-rate odd jobs.

"Okay. Go."

"You're free, after all. You can't be tied down to me."

Her eyes went a little red.

She kissed me on the forehead.

"Wait for me, and be good."

The day after she left.

I pushed the wheelchair out on my own for the first time.

Trying to figure out how to make myself go a longer stretch on foot, all the way to the station.

But on the road I ran into a fortune-teller.

He stroked his beard and looked at me with a sigh.

"Young man, you were born for great fortune."

"It's only because you took on someone else's karma that you ended up like this."

"Do you want everything to go back on track?"

I froze completely, and it was a long while before I turned around.

"Sir, is there a way?"

I did as the fortune-teller said and went to the hospital to get a prosthetic.

Every few days I went in for rehab.

The doctor looked at how I was doing and said gently,

"No rush. The leg's just been fitted. Walking's slow at first. Take it easy."

"Once you're used to it and recovered, you'll be able to give up the wheelchair for good."

At the end, the doctor asked me, puzzled,

"It's been three years. Why didn't you think about a prosthetic from the start?"

I lowered my head.

Because there'd been no need.

Amanda had said she'd stay by my side always, that she'd be my legs.

So I'd let the one trouser leg hang empty.

But now I didn't need anyone to be my legs.

A prosthetic was fine too.

Amanda went to Bayport for the team match. She wouldn't be back for two weeks.

She'd left me two cases of instant ramen.

Thinking I could hold out until then.

But I didn't want to live like that anymore.

Depending on someone else just to get by.

The day before I planned to leave, Elwin got hold of my number from somewhere.

He sent one intimate photo after another, the kind you couldn't stand to look at.

Then came a flood of messages right behind them.

Nothing but provocation.

"Winston, to Amanda you're just a dead cripple."

"See that? On the days she's not with you, she's either on the court with me or in bed with me."

"At first I only wanted to have some fun with her."

"But now I think this woman's actually pretty good."

"No one dares fight me for what I want."

"So, Winston, take the hint and clear out on your own."

"Otherwise you can't beat me anyway."

I stared at the messages for a while, quiet. Then I smiled.

"Fine. I'll give you what you want."

The next day, I moved on the prosthetic with difficulty and packed two changes of clothes.

I set the keys down in the entryway.

Then, step by step, I walked downstairs.

"Airport, please."

Right before I left, something came to me, and I opened my phone.

All those messages and photos Elwin had sent to taunt me the day before.

I forwarded every last one to Amanda.

The next second, my phone started buzzing like mad.