Chapter Twenty-Two
MATO
KODA’S PUNCH to my gloved hand is weak, which is to be expected from a ten-year-old, but his follow-through is getting better.
He showed up at the gym after school on Monday with a bruise on his cheek and a cut lip.
He told me he got in a fight at school, but the last time he showed up with a black eye was also on a Monday.
I won’t push right now since he’s only been coming around for just over two weeks, but if it keeps happening, I’ll see what steps I need to take.
To make myself feel better and to give him some confidence in himself, I’ve been teaching him self-defense moves this past week. But in all honesty, the kids grown on me and I want to find out which house is his so I can pay his parents, or parent, a visit.
I bought him some boxing gloves and showed him how to punch the bag, in addition to the defense moves. It was the first time I’ve seen him truly smile.
Glancing at the G-Shock on my wrist, I’m a little disappointed that it’s already time to take him home. “That’s good for today.” I drop my hands with the training gloves and pull them off. “Your form is getting better.”
He steps back, out of fighting stance, and drops his hands. “Can you teach me to do what you do?”
After setting up my training area in the corner, he’s walked in on me a couple of times while I was doing my warm-ups and practicing on the punching bag.
Staying down on one knee, I choose my words carefully and nod. “Sure, I can teach you. Do you want to learn for fun, or do you feel like you need to learn?”
His throat bobs with a swallow, and I can see the indecision in his brown eyes as he wonders if he can trust me. Lifting a shoulder, he says, “I don’t know, it looks cool.”
So, not inside the circle of trust yet.
With a sigh, I nod. “You know, if you ever need help, you can call me. I’ll help you.”
He looks torn, and for a second it looks like he might open up, instead, a mask slips over his face and he shrugs. “Yeah, sure.”
Standing up, I toss the training gloves in the corner by the bag and pull my wallet out of my pocket to take out the fifty bucks I promised him at the end of every week.
His back is to me as he pulls his gloves off and reverently sets them next to the ones I just took off before he wraps up the half sandwich he didn’t eat from our dinner and puts it in the takeout bag.
I’ve noticed he only eats half of his dinner every day and takes the rest home, and I wonder if he’s saving it for breakfast or lunch.
Holding the cash out as he turns to face me, he looks at it and hesitates before he reaches for it. His eyes lift to meet mine. “Would it be okay if I left what I don’t use here? Maybe I can just get what I need when I need it?”
What happened to the money I gave him last week?
“Sure, I can get a cash box for you to keep it in; they even come with a key. You want to add the money I gave you last week?”
His eyes light up and he nods before his face falls. “No, just this.” He takes the ten-dollar bill and gives the two twenties back to me.
“Okay, you’ll have it by Monday.”
He nods and folds the smaller bill in the hidden zippered pocket on the side of the bookbag Breanna gave him.
“Breanna said the puppies might have their eyes open tomorrow, she said they’ll be moving around in no time.”
His whole face lights up, and he beams like a kid on Christmas Day. “Yeah? Do you think I’ll be able to play with them yet?”
Grabbing my keys, we walk to the side door to go to my truck. “Maybe, we’ll see tomorrow.”