Kenny

Du An's world went completely silent. He had never felt anything like it. A family, it turned out, could be shattered so easily in the face of life. Everything had been fine when he left for school that morning. In just a few short hours, the world had been turned upside down. Countless thoughts crowded into Du An's head all at once, so dense he could barely breathe. What he needed most right now was money. His grandmother's current medical fees, the treatment still to come, living expenses for him and his younger brother Ethan, school fees—every one of them came down to money. He had to stay by Grandma's side. And he had to protect Ethan, the little brother who had been at his side since they were small. The two brothers had grown up together, and from childhood Ethan had never once kept anything from him. He knew every small secret Ethan held in his heart. He knew his brother had a crush on a girl in his class, that he secretly blushed over her, quietly brimming with joy. He knew that deep in his brother's bones burned an absolute, fervent passion for football—the exact opposite of their grandmother, who was afraid of it. All these years, every secret of Ethan sneaking off to watch and practice football, Du An had helped cover up. He had hidden it from Grandma and protected that little flame of love in his brother's heart. But now everything had changed. Deep down, Du An felt utterly lost. What did he want? What was he supposed to do? How was he to walk the road ahead? The tangled thoughts surged up layer upon layer and jammed against his chest, making Du An feel like a drowning man who could not get his breath. Beside him, Ethan was the first to break. The cruelty of life crushed the still-tender boy. Ethan cried. His sobs rang out startlingly loud in the corridor. Du An pulled his brother tightly into his arms of his own accord. His palm patted Ethan's back gently, again and again, murmuring to soothe him. "It's all right." "There's a way. There'll be a way." "There has to be a way." He said it for Ethan to hear, and even more for himself, on the verge of collapse. He was the elder brother, the only support this family had at this moment. Not far away, the policeman and the bank employee who had been standing there exchanged a glance and gave a slight shake of their heads at the same moment. There was nothing to be done. Off to one side, Marina's eyes were brimming with tears. She came from a typical traditional Glasgow family, kind and warm-hearted by nature; whoever needed help, she was always the first to reach out a hand. Over the years she had watched with her own eyes as Grandma Mason endured the pain of losing her closest kin in that disaster, struggled to raise two grandsons, and finally scraped through to the point where life had just begun to look up. Now a scam had brought a second blow down on this family that had already suffered so much. She looked at the two boys holding each other, at the tightly shut doors of the resuscitation room, her heart full of bitterness, and could not get out a single word of comfort. Du An held the trembling Ethan. He knew clearly that from this moment on, they had no fallback left to rely on. "Football?" Du An suddenly thought of what David Coleman had said. Did he have talent? Could football change his life? Maybe... it was worth a try. It was the only chance that seemed to exist right now. Soon, a middle-aged man came over, tall and upright, wearing a simple dark casual jacket, with a gentle face. Kenny Dalglish, Marina's husband. He spotted Marina's tears at once and lifted his eyes in a silent question. Marina looked at him and slowly shook her head. Clearly, the situation was not encouraging. Dalglish fell silent and asked nothing more. Then he turned and walked over to Du An and Ethan. "Hey, Du An, Ethan, relax. You've got us. Mason will be all right." Du An looked up, his eyes blank. He did not know this man. In his arms, Ethan's crying stopped abruptly. He was utterly stunned. He straightened up out of Du An's arms and stared at Dalglish. "You're... the King?!" At that, Dalglish gave a faint smile. "That's a name from many years ago now." Du An grew even more bewildered. He turned to his brother, completely unable to grasp the weight of that short exchange. But Ethan's whole state had changed. Once the shock passed, light burst into his eyes. "Dalglish! Kenny Dalglish!" Ethan spoke very fast, turning to Du An. "This is a legend of Liverpool! The King of this city!" Any boy who grew up in Liverpool and was mad about football knew that name. Kenny Dalglish was a football faith carved into this city, a name countless fans went wild over. His number seven was the greatest number in Liverpool's history. A legend Ethan had only ever seen in video magazines and heard about from the mouths of fans was standing right in front of him now. The shock of it, for the moment, overpowered the pain of his family's collapse. Du An did not understand football. But day to day he picked up a few names from other people at school—Benitez, Gerrard, McManaman, Rush, and Dalglish. Even so, he could clearly sense how much weight Dalglish carried in Ethan's heart, and in the heart of this city. Just then, the doors of the resuscitation room were pushed open, and a doctor in a white coat came out, his face weary. Du An and Marina stepped forward at once. "Doctor, how is she?" Marina spoke first. "She's out of immediate danger for now. It was acute stress shock. She's elderly, her constitution is weak, and she can't take violent shocks. Her vital signs are stable at present, but she's still unconscious, and we can't say when she'll wake up." The doctor added, "She'll need to stay in hospital for close observation and complete rest." Hearing that she was out of danger, they all relaxed a little. After that, Dalglish and Marina handled the paperwork for moving her to a ward and everything else besides. The two of them quietly took care of it all for the two boys. Grandma Mason was settled into a ward. The room was very quiet, with only the soft beeping of the monitors. Du An stood at the bedside, looking at his unconscious grandmother, silent for a long while. Then he turned around and faced Dalglish squarely, his eyes utterly serious. "Mr. Dalglish, thank you—and Auntie Marina too. Every penny you've paid up front, I'll work hard and pay back in full, not a penny short. I can't promise how long it will take, but I will pay it back!" The boy's voice was not loud, but it was firm. Dalglish glanced at Marina. Marina smiled, knowing what he was about to say, and gave Du An a hug. "Du An, don't fret. There's always a way. You're a good boy." Du An nodded. Marina went on, "Ethan and I will look after your grandma. Kenny would like to have a word with you." At that, Du An looked at Dalglish, puzzled. Dalglish smiled, endlessly gentle. Summary: Du An reels as he realizes his family's collapse leaves money as the central problem, weighing his grandmother's fees and Ethan's future, and recalling that Ethan worshiped football even as Grandma Mason feared it. Marina's husband, Kenny Dalglish, arrives and gently offers his and Marina's help; Ethan is stunned to recognize him as Liverpool's "King," while Du An only senses his importance to his brother and the city. The doctor reports Grandma Mason is out of danger from acute stress shock but remains unconscious, needing close observation and rest. Dalglish and Marina handle the hospital paperwork, and Du An vows to repay every penny they advanced. Marina stays with Ethan to watch over Grandma, and Dalglish gently asks to speak with Du An alone.