A Reason for Happiness

                                                           Chapter 1

A wise person once told me that all men lead two lives, one that is known by everyone that surrounds him, and another that is secret and private.  Robert Metry was the happiest person in the world; this was what most people that knew him thought.  His broad and dimpled smile always was present, how could anything ever bother him?  People envied his happiness the same way someone might envy the richest of the rich when they are poor. 

Everyone has something missing in their lives.  I don’t care what you want people to think, nobody has it all figured out.  Rob was the exception.  He had the right advice for every problem, the right response to every failure, and he was so positive.  He loved being that guy, nothing bothered him, and people always applauded him for it.

It was a cold Tuesday night in February and Rob stood outside his hotel smiling.  The rain came down harder by the minute.  He had always loved playing in the rain as a young child, but tonight was different.  He felt different, what had happened?

                                                 Chapter 2          

“Hey Class this is Mikey Sanders he’s going to be joining our fifth grade class can everyone say hello Mikey?”  All the students gave a long drawn out reply, “helllllo Mikkkey”, Mrs. Harp ushered him to a seat in the back next to Robby.

Mikey slid into his seat and hunched over his desk, “hey I’m Robby.”  Mikey turned to see Robby’s hand extended, and he awkwardly shook it.  “So where are you from?”  Robby asked.  Mikey hesitantly said “Kentucky.” Another kid turned around, “weirdo” he said,  “I’ve never heard anyone that’s ever been from there.  What do you do for fun run around with your shoes off and hunt coons?”  The people around Mikey that heard it chuckled and so did Robby. Robby would probably never know Mikey and even though he wanted to he couldn’t.

From then on Mikey was an easy target, and to seem better in front of all of his classmates, Robby didn’t mind putting him down.  One day the other kids harassed Robby enough so that he took Mikey’s lunch and smashed it all over the ground, “sorry it was an accident” Robby said sarcastically wishing that it was.  Robby did feel bad, but he saw it had to be done; there was no way that Robby wanted to end up like Mikey.  One day he would realize how wrong he was. 

It was a Tuesday afternoon 2:45 and Robby could not have been more excited for school to end, he was going to see his dad for the first time in 3 years.  The entire class was pretty excited supposedly, Anthony Metry had played in the NBA, and that was the main reason he couldn’t ever see his son.  Hopefully that was all about to change.  So Robby waited, and one by one all his friend got picked up but his dad hadn’t come.  Eventually it was just him and Mikey. 

“So are you excited to meet you dad?” Mikey asked breaking the silence.  “Yeah I can’t wait till he gets here!” Robby said optimistically. Robby had so much to tell his dad.  Like how he became the star on his school’s basketball team even the 6th 7th and 8th graders couldn’t compete with him.  He had about 6 inches on everyone in his class, and his doctor said he might even be as tall as his dad one day.  He also wanted to play for UCLA just like his Dad had back in the day. 

“I wish I had a dad like yours”, Mikey said to Robby. “Mine never comes and sees me and the only time I talk to him is on the phone sometimes with my Mom.”  Robby didn’t know what to say, secretly he felt the same way, “I’m sorry dude that sucks” he stuttered.  Mikey’s Mom pulled up as he said this and besides a teacher waiting for everyone to get picked up Robby was left alone. 

Robby started to hum, just a simple tune to keep his mind somewhere else so he could be surprised.  Then the teacher’s phone rang.  At first she started having a friendly conversation, but then she grew silent.  Robby turned around in the bench and looked at her, and she began to tear up.  She couldn’t tell him what had happened, so she just said this, “Hun your mother is running a little late today, but she is going to be picking you up.”   



                                         Chapter 3                    

Lets fast forward a little bit to Robby in high school.  The score was 63-62 and the mustangs called a timeout with .5 seconds left they needed a prayer to win this thing in regulation.  It was Robby’s senior year with the championship on the line, and he wanted to make this one count.  Everyone knew who was going to take the shot, because of the way Robby poised himself in every game.  “Robby you’ve got this”, said Coach Kelly.  And the other players nodded their heads in agreement as he drew up a play.  “It’s going to be a cut and Robby will catch and shoot.  Rivers you set up a pick.” 

The players moved on to the court and The whistle blew.  The players scampered around and rob made his move.  He spun and he cut and then he had a full length on his defender.  The rest was routine, and when rob caught the ball everything stopped.  The other team already knew what was going to happen, another Championship season for the mustangs. 

As Robby went through the motions, the unusual happened, his hand slipped.  The crowd went wild, but not for him.  He had just air balled a game winning shot that he had hit 4 times during the regular season, why did it have to be now?  Robby thought, “I need to hold my composure”, so he was positive, patting the other team on the back as he walked toward his bench.  “Don’t sweat it”, Coach Kelly said, I’m glad that it happened to you and not someone else, because you can shake these kinds of things off, you got it all figured out kid, great season!” 

Rob walked straight to the locker room from there, he ignored the reassuring comments from his teammates that walked by, but kept his smile.  He quickly changed into street clothes, and did the only thing he knew to do, wander out into the rain.  He managed to avoid everyone, the local press, the disgruntled fans and any other people that happened to pass by and recognize him.  He felt empty inside, or maybe it was just the uncomfortable knot in his stomach.

“BEEEEP” a car passing by hurled water on him and brought him back to his reality, how could anything get worse than this?  Where was he going? Rob started to turn around, but then he noticed a familiar face crossing the street.  What was he doing, another car came rushing by it’s tires screeching as it tried not to hit Mikey, but it was too late and the rain caused it to slide.  For a moment Robby stood in awe.   

                                                 Chapter 4

After the accident Robby had been doing a lot of thinking, and he stayed positive despite the circumstances.  He had wanted to play Basketball at UCLA, but life had taken him along a different path.  He had never felt this way before, everyone knew about what happened, and they all treated him different.  He didn’t have a friend in the world now he knew what it was like to be Mikey.  All those years of being ignored, and miss treated, it was karma.

He was his dad a washed up athlete with a full time job making barely enough money to feed himself.  College was something for the people he once called friends to achieve, not him.  “Excuse me sir!”  Robby spun around at the cash register to see a young kid standing in front of him.  “What can I do for you today,” Robby replied with his everlasting smile.  “I’d like a kid’s meal, my mothers in the bathroom right now she’ll pay when she gets out.” 

Rob missed his Mom, and for a brief moment he was reminded of a time when his mother was there for him. It was just the little things though, like buying a kids meal, it was hard for her to love Robby because he was what split her and his dad apart. “You know Robby you can’t be working this slow.” The manager said behind him. “I put you up here because you always have a great attitude, but that doesn’t fix working slow.  If you can’t figure things out I’m going to have to let you go.”

Robby lost his third job in four weeks, and he thought it was time to call it quits.  He couldn’t take it any more as he drove his way to the hotel where he had lived for the past month.  He found what was missing in his life something he had never had, and that something was love.

Everyone around him looked so happy, and he had the worst job of all, he had to fake his happiness.  How could people see him being happy were they blind, he just wished someone knew.

As he cruised through the lobby, he rode up the elevator to his hotel room and slammed the door behind him.  The rain came down hard in buckets.  He watched through the window of his hotel balcony thinking. 

                                                           





Chapter 5

15 years had gone by and the man in the black Mercedes was nervous.  The way he had been when he was a child.  He had to do it, after what had happened, he couldn’t not do it.  After all that had happened the guy needed a friend and who better than him. 

As he rolled up to the address he noticed someone out on their balcony.  5 stories up and the guy was leaning over the banister, It was all too obvious what was going to happen.  He quickly got out of his car and ran to the hotel as fast as he could.

He started to lean “clunk”, his hotel door swung open.  “Don’t do it!” the person yelled.  Robby knew who it was, but why and how?

Rob’s memory flashed back to the accident.  He didn’t know what it was that made him do what he did.  His sacrifice for a kid he had never really knew.  It only took a moment for him to push Mikey away from the moving car, and in that moment he lost his hopes and dreams.  He thought he was going to die as he lay still in the middle of the intersection.  His legs he knew were useless.  Maybe it would have been better if he had died then and there rather than going out like this. 

“I owe you my life”, Mikey said, “and if you died I would feel worthless.”  “Everyone is better off without me” Robby cried, “My mom doesn’t talk to me, my dad is dead who cares?  I never treated you like a normal person anyways so I’m getting everything I deserve.”  “Nobody deserves that”, Mikey exclaimed, “not you not me, and not anybody on the face of this earth.”

Rob leaned back into his wheel chair, “how have you been?” Mikey asked.  “Horrible.” Robby replied honestly for the first time in his life.