Chapter 19
"Haven't you forgotten anything?" Rocky asks me as we board the plane. I nod at him as we take our seats. Pauli and Duke sit on one side and Rock and I on the other.
I realize that I have to talk to Rocky now before I can get into his training mode.
"Are you scared?" I ask gently.
"Wouldn't you be?" he replied. Okay point for him and I have to try and suppress my grin.
„The truth is I do gett a little scared. When I´m in that ring really getting hit and my arms hurt so much I can´t lift them. I´m thinking, God, I wish this guy would hit me on the chin so I don´t feel nothing anymore but then there is another side that wants to go one more round. When you don´t think you can … That´s what makes all the difference in your life. You know what I mean?"
I nod slowly. I actually understand what he means.
"I love you Rocky, do you know that. I am so sorry that I have been so distant the last few years. It´s just that I had to accept the death of Mickey. I kept on blaming you, because you went out there but I finally realized that it wouldn´t have made a difference. Mickey was a fighter and he chose when and where he wanted to spend his last moments. And what I also realized is that somehow I´m glad that I had the change to be there with him."
"I love you too, Lex. No matter what."
After what seemed like forever we finally land in Russia and the first thing I realize it is way colder than I have imagined.
"This is Russia?" stellt Pauli entsetzt fest als er aus dem Flugzeug steigt.
„Don´t look so tough." Ermahnt ihn Rocky als zwei Herren auf und zu kommen.
„We take you to quarters now." One of the gentleman announces.
"When does the sun come up? This is detrimental to my sinuses."
We all give Pauli a weird look as the gentlemen goes on to say "Weather changes hour to hour. Get used to it. Get in car now. We have very long trip."
"He sounds like Dracula´s cousin."
"Wrong country, Pauli. Come on." I nudge him towards the black car and what can I say the man didn´t lie. We spent about 3 hours in the car, until we finally arrived at the destination that Rocky picked.
"Like you requested, yes?" Rocky just nods looking around. Well he did say that he wanted peace and quiet. He definitely has that here.
"You requested this dumb location?" Pauli asks dumfounded. "Why? You planning to grow reindeer or something?"
"I just wanted to get away from things."
"The equipment you requested is in barn." The Russian man explains.
I look around and notice two more men looking at us. "And who are they?"
"They are assigned to you. Official chaperones. Where you go, they go." I can´t help but notice that he´s giving me a weird look and looking at my red hair like he´s never seen something like that before.
Pauli just keeps on complaining. "I have a bad dream here."
"It´s okay, Pauli" I try to lighten the mood but he just keeps on going.
"There´s no antennas. You have to complain, Rock."
"We are finished, yes" asks the gentleman, eager to get away from us. Rocky nods and he get going.
"No sparring?" I ask now realizing that he didn´t have a partner besides Duke.
"I don´t think I need it anymore." Now it´s my turn to look at him dumbfounded.
"No sparring? No TV? Nothing? How the heck is he supposed to train around here? No TV. What about the Rose Bowl game? No room service either, I bet. I hope they have at least comics here. What a depressing vacation."
We start to make our way to the cabin when we hear Pauli screaming "Goddamn." Whilst he lies in the snow and I just can help myself as I start to laugh earning myself an angry look by Pauli.
We've all settled in as far as we can. Rocky and I sit in his room and go over the standard questions. Since the whole fiasco in Las Vegas, I've been thinking more and more about finally quitting my job and trying to get started with my own ideas and writing style.
Just as we finish, Duke knocks on the door before he comes in. "Am I interrupting?"
"No, not at all."
„How you doing?" he asks as he study's Rocky who took a placed a picture of Ivan on the mirror, that he asked me to bring along. "Some kind of weather we´re having. But for what you have to do it´s good. Toughen you up."
Rocky just gives him a slight nod. "I guess so."
"You´ll have to do almost everything alone, but I´ll be with you. We´ll be with you."
"Yeah I know."
"Apollo is like my son. I raised him and in Vegas a part of him died that night and a part of me also died. But now you´re the one. You´re the one that´s going to make sure he didn´t sacrifice himself for nothing. Even though he´s spirit is broken at the moment, you´re the one who is going to keep his legacy alive. You´re the one that´s going to make sure, that this wasn´t all for nothing…"
Duke looks at him as if to make sure that he really is listening to him.
"You´ll have to go through hell … worse than any nightmare you ever dreamed. But it the end I know you´ll be the one standing."
"I´ll try."
"You know what you have to do. Do it!"
"Thanks, Duke." It´s the first time that I can hear the emotion back in his voice.
_
Only 2 more weeks until the fight and the training was … well Rocky still wasn´t focused like he should be to say the least. He did everything that Duke wanted him to do. His body was there, but his mind was still with Apollo.
I was slowly getting ready since I still needed to interview and write about Ivans training and well to be honest I´m slowly starting to miss Ivan. Not being able to see him for so long was exactly what I needed to clear my mind. I do believe that it can work, but one thing that neither one of us thought about what´s going to happen when the fight is over?
Say Ivan wins, why go back to America?
Say Ivan loses, why go back to America and on the other hand I don't really plan on staying here. We definitely need to talk about a few things after this is over.
"You off?" I jump up at Paulis words not realizing that he was standing behind me.
"Yeah. I have to interview Ivan as well and document his training. So I guess we´ll see each other at Christmas."
He just keeps staring at me, now that I think about it he hasn't stopped looking at me like that ever since we got here. "Is everything okay?"
He just scoffs at me "Is everything okay? Do you want to confess anything? Like you screwing with the enemy?"
I can literally feel all color drain from my face. How could he off all people know about this.
"I.." but he interrupts me. "You nothing. Pack your bags and leave. You have the nerve to be hear whilst Rock is doing everything he can just so your little skanky ass can go back to the Russian and tell him everything he needs to know."
"Pauli.." but he again jumps at me.
"The only reason that I haven't told Rocky about this, is because he needs to stay focused but if I were you I´d stay far away. Look at you Alexa, what have you become but a ring rat. It´s better for Mickey that he isn't here to witness this."
This was the breaking point, before I could even stop myself I slapped Pauli in the face, but unlike with Ivan I felt no guilt what so ever.
"Yo, what´s going on?" Rocky asks as he walks into the room.
"I have to go. I love you Rocky." I hug him so tightly afraid that this might be the last time. If Pauli reacts like this I can only imagine how mad and disappointed Rocky must be. Before anyone can say anything I´m out the door and jumping inside the car.
"Where to, Miss?"
I quietly give him the address of the hotel that Ivan wrote down for me as I look behind me at the disappearing cabin.