Godfather Of Champions

Twain and Shania spent their new year’s day in the hospital ward. Twain was in a critical condition at that time, and neither of them had the mood to celebrate.

He stayed in the hospital for a month and finally received Stanley Meyer’s approval to be discharged at the end of January.

When news of his forthcoming discharge was made public, the entrance to the Royal College of Physicians’ hospital became jam-packed once again. Media outlets from all over the world rushed over for a shot of Tony Twain, as it was going to be his very first public appearance since his hospitalisation. The reporters had a month’s worth of questions for him. It was easy to imagine the scenes that would unfold at the entrance to the hospital.

To avoid bringing trouble to the hospital, disrupting their operations, being harassed by the reporters when he gets discharged, and because Twain enjoys going against the media even if he is suffering from a heart disease, he chose an unexpected timing for his discharge: 1 a.m. in the morning.

Needless to say, the timing that was released by the hospital to the public was that his discharge would happen slightly later in the day at 9 a.m.

The paperwork necessary for his discharge were finished a long time ago. When it was time for him to be discharged, he walked to the entrance under the accompaniment of Shania.

Everywhere around him, be it the front or side of the hospital or the streets, was deserted at 1 a.m. in the morning.

The frigid temperature outside was below zero degree Celsius and it could turn water into ice. There were no reporters who would wait outside the entrance to the hospital under such conditions just for a shot of Tony Twain.

They successfully evaded the reporters by choosing this time. They shook hands and thanked Stanley Meyer and the other hospital staff who had taken great care of Twain for the past month at the entrance to the hospital before leaving the premises quietly.

The two did not return to the house located at No.13 Branford Garden Lane. Instead, they drove straight to a fancy neighbourhood near the Lace Market, where Shania had previously bought a house at.

Unlike Twain’s old residence, this house was not as well-known to the media. Twain did not have to worry about reporters waiting to ambush him outside his door for a long time.

This change in residence had been pre-arranged by the doctor. Stanley Meyer wants Tony Twain to recuperate in peace during this period of time following his discharge. Twain should not do or care about anything else besides recuperating. This meant that he has to stay away from the media as much as possible. If the media really wanted to know about the latest news regarding Twain, they could give Pierce Brosnan a call, for he would be more than happy to play the role as ‘Tony Twain’s spokesperson’ on all things related to Twain.

There were no newspapers related to sports in the house. The television would never switch to the sports channels either.

Twain has to train for half an hour every day, quit drinking and smoking, as well as cultivate a regular daily routine by sleeping and rising early…

He has to start living a brand new life here.

The medical staff who was specially hired by Shania started work as well, and that was when Shania could finally take her hands from everything and rest.

In the blink of an eye, another month passed by.

Towards the end of February, Shania published a post on her official website thanking her fans for their concern, and she also revealed the date for her comeback, which was during Milan Fashion Week Spring.

The way in which she had stubbornly pushed aside a number of her jobs suddenly had caused her to lose most of her brand endorsements and some popularity. It did not matter what reason she may have for refusing the jobs. The modelling industry is very competitive and brutal, and she has to start from the bottom once again, even if she used to be a super model. She has to work hard on the runway and win back the endorsements and popularity that she had lost with her abilities.

Twain was a little worried as to whether Shania would be able to make her way back to the top, but Shania looked full of confidence and fight.

She has been in good spirits ever since her relationship with Twain had been thoroughly confirmed. None of the problems she ran into at work mattered to her anymore.

If not for the fact that Twain was not in good health currently, she most likely would have given her body to him a long time ago…

When March arrived, Shania began practising zealously for her upcoming runway show and became very busy with work. Twain’s care was generally left in the hands of the male nurse named Albert Douglas.

Speaking of Mr. Douglas, he was someone who was specially selected by Shania after going through numerous rounds of tests. He was a conscientious man who was very meticulous about his work. At the beginning, his conscientiousness tormented Twain, but Twain soon came to realize that his only option was to give up against an individual who was even more stubborn than him. Thus, he became obedient and listened to every word that Mr. Douglas said.

Forcing himself to quit smoking and drinking was something that pained Twain both mentally and physically. It was only after a month of perseverance that he realized he could sleep well without thinking about his cigarettes and alcohol.

In Twain’s eyes however, the best part about Mr. Douglas has nothing to do with his professional attitude towards work or his accomplishments as a nurse, but rather how he is able to cook authentic Spanish cuisines!

Twain has certainly been in for a treat all this while after his arrival.

Shania was forced to give up on her romantic ideas of feeding Twain her home-cooked food after tasting Mr. Douglas’s dishes.

The days went by peacefully. Twain would go for a check-up at the hospital every 10 days under the accompaniment of Douglas. His every visit was kept low-key, and he would not say much even if he was caught by the reporters. The way in which he wore sunglasses and pulled a long face made him look like a movie star who was putting on airs instead of a football manager.

The feedback he received from the hospital became better and better with each visit, and the time in between his check-ups lengthened as well.

Both his operations, one to cure his heart disease and the other to implant the pacemaker, were also a success.

On the last day of March, Twain visited the hospital for another check-up once again.

After the check-up, Meyer asked him, “Mr. Twain, why am I not hearing you rant about your life this time round? You’ve always talked about how your nurse is too strict on you, and how asking you to stop smoking and drinking was like asking for your life, right? Why have none of these come up this time round?”

Twain grinned, looking very proud of himself. “I have quit smoking and drinking a long time ago. Entirely.”

“That is definitely something worth congratulating you about, Mr. Twain. That’s right, are there any areas that you are not used to in your life right now?”

Twain hesitated slightly, then he touched his nose and said, “I’ve forced myself to stay away from football for three months, but I still have not gotten used to life without it.”

Stanley Meyer smiled as he nodded his head. “I didn’t think you’d get used to it either. Actually, I think it’s about time you start reverting back to your previous lifestyle.”

Twain did not comprehend what Meyer was saying at first, which was why he sat there unmoving for a moment. When the words finally registered in his mind, he was quite surprised. “You mean I can start working again?”

Meyer shook his head. “No, that’s not what I meant, Mr. Twain. What I wanted to say was… Your heart is pretty much fine now, so you can start getting yourself into the mood, but you still can’t get back to work just yet… Basically, I want you to start getting your heart ready for the future when you do return to work.”

Twain was left mildly dejected at his words, but was quick to regain his optimism. “This works as well. At least now I’d be able to know where Forest is ranked…”

Meyer was a little surprised. “You still don’t know?”

“I’ve not looked at a single thing related to football so far. How could I possibly know?”

Meyer sighed after hearing Twain’s words. “I thought maybe you’d still learn a thing or two about the current situation of your team. I didn’t think you would really completely shut ‘football’ out of your life.”

“If I said I will means I will.” Twain felt that it was only natural for a man to be true to his words.

“Well, I suppose it’s good that you are not in the know.” Meyer smiled again. “Finding out yourself is always better than finding out from someone else. Also, Mr. Twain, you can stop coming for check-ups so frequently from now on. You just need to come back once every half a year. As expected of a 40 year old. You have recovered a lot faster than I anticipated.”

Twain was very happy to hear his words. It is only when you fall sick that you come to realize how importance health is. Now that he has fallen ill, the well wishes that he wants to hear the most from others are not wishes for him to be successful in his work or to have a prosperous year ahead, but rather wishes that wish him the best of health.

They bade farewell to Meyer and exited the hospital soon after. Douglas went to the parking lot to get the car while Twain stood by the side of the road and looked at the newsstand across of him.

A colorful array of newspapers and magazines was put on display before the black newsstand. However, Twain did not cross the road to buy the newspapers in the time it took Douglas to drive the white Mercedes jeep before him.

He might have acted like he was really excited to learn about the news surrounding Nottingham Forest back when he was conversing with Meyer, but now that he truly had the chance to find out for himself, he was getting cold feet. He was quite worried about the news that he would learn, because he suspects that the team is not performing particularly well even if he has not heard anything so far.

The situation was disastrous enough when he was in charge, and he did not think that Dunn could do a better job than him and turn things around. If Dunn could, then surely he would not have not won a single match during that time when he took over when Twain was served a three match ban.

It was not hard to imagine the kind of predicament that Nottingham Forest would be in given how they have no money to buy players and had suddenly lost their manager.

Nottingham Forest was a team that Twain had personally built from scratch. He was very familiar with every area, every component and every person in the team. He could tell the team had not been performing well even with his eyes closed.

Still, he felt that his heart was not fully prepared for what was to come… He was afraid that the news that he would see the moment he bought a copy of newspapers would be news about the team that could not get any worse.

If that were to happen, Twain would probably have to be re-admitted into hospital. However, fainting right before the hospital does make things a lot easier, and he might also get the chance to witness the prowess of the nuclear-powered pacemaker that was implanted in him, and see if it is powerful enough to let him reach his climax.

Douglas pulled up the car by the side and stepped out of the car to open the door for Twain. He realized that Twain’s gaze was fixed on the newsstand across the street.

“Do you need me to buy a few copies of the newspapers for you, Mr. Twain?”

Twain shook his head and got into the car. “No, there’s no need for that. Now’s not the time yet.”

※※※

Shania returned with endorsements from three world-renowned brands after her work in Milan. Her abilities, popularity and Mr. Fasal’s means had allowed her trip to Milan to be a lucrative one.

When she learned that Twain’s heart was fine, she became so thrilled that she announced on the spot that she was going to bring Uncle Tony back to Brazil for a vacation!

Twain was taken aback. He understood that there was only one reason why they would go to Brazil for a vacation. How could they not meet Shania’s parents if they were in Brazil?

How should he handle the situation when he meets her parents? Even if Shania insists that she will not let her parents interfere with her love life, he still feels awkward…

He still remembers the scenes when he last met her parents. It was clear that Shania’s parents treated him as a friend who could take care of their daughter in Britain. Yet, during their next meeting, his status would have changed from ‘guardian’ to ‘your daughter’s future husband’…

That gap was not something that everyone could accept easily.

However, he could not find it in him to reject Shania’s proposal after seeing how excited she was. All he could do was to force himself to bring along a few pieces of summer wear as well as his male nurse Douglas, who was highly conscientious, could cook, could drive, was willing to do anything without complaints, never talked nonsense and was very subservient.

The three of them flew from Britain to Rio de Janeiro the following day.

※※※

Just like the last time he was at Brazil, Twain saw Shania’s parents waiting outside the airport the moment they stepped out.

Shania left Twain behind and pounced towards her parents the moment she saw them. Her actions were like that of a child’s.

On the other hand, Twain stood awkwardly behind their daughter, with Douglas standing next to him with a solemn look on his face.

How should he address her father?

Address him as “Bruce Tenório”, perhaps? Does that sound too distant? After all, I am their daughter’s boyfriend…

Or maybe address him as ‘Dad’?

Stop joking around! We are of the same age… What’s more, I haven’t gotten married to Shania yet, that’s just inappropriate!

Just call him ‘Bruce’? That was how he addressed him previously.

But… Should I really be addressing him in such a chummy way?

As Twain was lost in his thoughts, Bruce Tenório had already reached out a hand towards him. “It’s good to see that you have been doing well, Mr. Twain.”

And so, he reached out and gently shook Tenório’s hands. “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Tenório. It’s been a while…” The expression on his face and his tone as he spoke were a little unnatural.

However, Tenório did not seem to mind. He extended his hand to Douglas behind him next.

“Hello, this is the first time we meet, Mr. Douglas. I’m Shania’s father, Bruce Tenório.”

Douglas shook his hand back half-heartedly.

He was not the main cast over here and naturally did not care about what Tenório thought of him.

Twain looked at Shania who was babbling away endlessly in her mother’s embrace. It was the only moment that he felt that all three of them looked like a family. Shania was truly their daughter, and they were truly Shania’s parents.

All of them are usually busy with their own lives and only get to meet a few times in a year, which is why Twain has the tendency to forget about the existence of Shania’s parents.

The ones who are forgotten are the most troublesome…

Mr. Tenório’s lack of enthusiasm told Twain that this trip to Brazil was not going to be easy for him.

Sunshine. Waves. Palm trees. Beach. Beautiful women in bikini… As compared to having a holiday in such a country, I would rather be holed up in my damp and cold house in Britain watching a replay of a football match…

Tenório smiled at the sight of Shania in her mother’s arms. “All right, let’s save the talk for later, Jordie.”

It was only then that Shania let go of her mother and returned to Twain’s side. She then reached out and hooked her arm over Twain’s naturally.

Twain’s body was still a little stiff as he gingerly followed Shania into the car. He did not forget to observe her parents’ reactions, and he realized that neither Shania’s mother or father appeared to be upset by Shania’s gesture.

That was when Twain heaved a sigh of relief.

Shania nestled against him as they sat in the back seat of the car. Twain suddenly felt like he had been acting too cowardly this whole time. Why can’t he act like how he did the last time they met and be all smiles and jest? Why is he acting so reserved this time round, almost like how someone acts when they meet someone older than them?

In contrast, Shania has not been holding anything back and she clung onto Twain tightly like an octopus. She paid little heed to Douglas, who was seated next to them and was being a third-wheel.

It seemed like she was intent on showing her parents how far her relationship with Uncle Tony had developed.

※※※

On the way back home, both Tenório and his wife showed concern for Twain’s health. They asked him several questions about his heart problems, and the atmosphere in the car could still be considered as amicable.

Once they arrived at Shania’s house, they each began settling down in their respective rooms. Shania stayed in her own room, while Twain shared the guest room with Douglas so that it was easier for Douglas to take care of Twain.

After they had settled into their new rooms, Douglas sharp-wittedly went out to the balcony to gaze at the Copacabana beach, leaving behind the other four in the living room.

The red flags in Twain went off. He knew the crux was about to happen.

Shania’s mother, Giselle Tenório, looked at her daughter. “Jordie, isn’t there something you should tell your parents about?”

Shania pouted and intertwined her arm with Twain’s once again. “I thought I’ve already made things pretty clear.”

Twain felt like he could not utter a single word in a family’s talk like this. He was almost like a backdrop that one would see at theaters. The only thing he needed to do was to show how deeply in love they were with each other, and… keep his mouth shut unless asked to speak.

Shania’s father, Bruce Tenório, opened his mouth to speak. “To be honest, I’m not very surprised at this development.” He turned to speak to his wife as he placed his hand gently over hers. “Our Jordie has always been unique as a kid. She never played around with boys of her age. I still remember asking her why. Do you know what she said? She pouted and said ‘they are too childish’! Haha!”

Mr. Tenório could not restrain a laugh as he talked about Shania as a kid.

“I will never forget how Jordie looked like as a nine year old as she said those words. She had a look of seriousness and displeasure.” Bruno Tenório averted his gaze onto Shania. “We watched that interview that you did in Hollywood, Jordie. I don’t have anything else to say. This is an issue that concerns only you. Neither of us have really interfered with what you did growing up. We always gave you as much freedom as possible, and we intend to keep doing that. You have the right to choose who you love or do not love. Your mum and I will never get in your way.”

Twain heaved a sigh of relief after hearing his words, and his body that had been stiff all along relaxed as well.

Shania felt the change in tension in Twain’s body. She looked up at him and smiled at him, looking very pleased at how things had turned out.

“However, your mum is still very upset at the fact that you did not call to tell us that you have fallen in love with someone, Jordie.” Tenório went on to say.

Shania grinned. “But I brought him back for the two of you to see! Actually, I still have something else on my mind. I plan to get married to Uncle Tony this year!”

Looks of bewilderment were written over both her parents’ faces at what Shania just said.

One look was all Twain needed to know that her parents had not expected her words.

Looks like it’s still not the time to relax just yet…

“You cannot do that!” Giselle’s rejection came out of her mouth without much thought. The smile that would sporadically appear on her face was gone once and for all.

“Jordie, I hope you can reconsider that.” Her father, Mr. Tenório, had a solemn look on his face as well.

“I knew it…” Shania shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “The two of you only give me freedom to decide on trivial things. You will always do this whenever it concerns something important.”

“Jordana.” Her father’s voice became cold quickly. “We might agree to you being in a relationship with Mr. Twain, but that doesn’t mean we agree to your marriage. Marriage is a serious matter. How can you make a decision so easily?”

“Shania, if you were to get married so early, what is to happen with your modelling career? Or your career in Hollywood? Do you understand what a woman needs to sacrifice when she gets married?” These words came from Shania’s mother.

Twain recalled that Shania’s mother used to be a model in the past as well. However, she left the modelling world after getting married to Shania’s father, and has rarely made an appearance on the media since then.

Shania once said that Chinese blood runs in her mother’s lineage, and it looks to be true. There are certain traditional viewpoints that are just hard to rid of…

Shania stubbornly refused to relent. Her obstinate side was beginning to surface again. “If I have the freedom to fall in love with whoever I want, then why can’t I have the freedom to marry whoever I want? I want to get married to Uncle Tony within this year. I know full well what kind of consequences that might bring to my job. I’m not a kid who doesn’t know anything!”

Twain could not help but cough after noticing that the joyous mood they had earlier was about to dissipate. “I’m sorry… Do you mind if I said a few words? After all I did play a role in this…”

All three turned their gazes onto him.

Twain scratched his head, then said, “Where should I begin? To be honest, I only came to truly understand who it was that I loved about three months ago. I’m a little dense when it comes to these things… But Shania has loved me for five years, from the very first time we met. The love that we have between us is very special. At first I treated her as my junior, and I sometimes called myself her ‘surrogate guardian’ in Britain. After all, I’m older than her by 22 years… I can’t escape from that fact. I’m just…” he looked at Bruno Tenório, “Younger than you by a few years, Mr. Tenório. The fact that we are able to be together now is itself a miracle, especially after how I lived through my heart disease and experienced such a big happening in my life. Shania stayed by my side through it all, even at the expense of her endorsements. I am not a religious man, but I can only thank fate for that.”

“I think I can understand your worries and concern, but at the same time, I can understand Shania’s feelings as well. On 9th September this year, I celebrated my fortieth birthday. Half of my life is gone, and I’m a sick person. I have a nuclear-powered pacemaker implanted over here. I don’t know when I will suddenly… Fall asleep again. To Shania, I am someone who is living in constant danger. She doesn’t know when she will lose me forever, and likewise, I don’t know when I will lose her. Thus, to the both of us, every minute that we can spend with each other feels exceptionally precious. We can’t waste even a minute or a second. The reason why Shania so desperately wants to get married to me must be because she wishes to cherish the present.”

“Shania loves me, and I love Shania. There’s no problem with that. To someone like me who has died once before, there is nothing that fills me with more assurance than waking up and seeing that the person I love is still beside me. The two of you will not be able to imagine just how much I cherish everything that I have in my life right now… Maybe you might even be skeptical about the feelings that I have for your daughter as well. The truth is, I don’t know how many more years I have to live, but there’s one thing that I’m certain of… And that is that right till the moment I die, my feelings for Shania will never change.”

Shania looked on in shock as Twain conveyed his deepest feelings. Even when they were alone, Uncle Tony would always act like he’s the elder, and would rarely be so forthcoming with his words. She thought that the Uncle Tony whom she had fallen in love with was someone who was inarticulate, unromantic and did not know how to sweet-talk.

“So, out of consideration for our desire to cherish the present, I sincerely ask the two of you to agree to let me marry your daughter.” Twain straightened up on the sofa and said the words in a grave tone.

“Uncle Tony…”Shania did not expect Twain to be the one to bring up marriage. She thought that deep in his heart, he actually did not want to get married too quickly.

Shania’s mother looked like she was about to say something, but she was stopped by her husband. Bruno Tenório said with a smile, “As expected of the manager who is known for his eloquence. I don’t doubt the feelings that you have for my daughter, Mr. Twain, just like how I don’t doubt the feelings that my daughter has for you. It’s just that have you ever thought about this, and I’m not cursing you, but your health is truly a worry. If one day you were to suddenly… What will happen to our daughter?”

“Dad!” Shania jumped to her feet. She was very upset that her father had said such words.

Twain tugged on her hand and got her to sit down. Then, he faced Tenório and said, “I can’t promise anything about the future. That is why I only said my feelings for Shania would not change right until the day I die. But, Mr. Tenório, have you not thought about it this way? It does not matter how healthy a person can look, there will come a day when he or she has to die. Maybe they will suffer from a heart disease like me or some other incurable disease, or maybe they will get into a car accident or some other accident… I’m no different from them. Nobody knows when they will die, and nobody knows in what way they will die. Rather than worrying about what happens after death, why not live each day to the fullest? If a fear of what happens after death keeps us from getting married, then I think nobody will ever get married.” He shrugged. “But, please rest assured that I won’t die so easily, because I want to enjoy all the time that I can spend with Shania. This heart of mine…” he pointed at his left chest, and suddenly sounded valiant, “This heart of mine is nuclear-powered! The duration of its radioactive half-life would be the duration of my love for Shania.”

Shania hugged Twain from behind out of the blue, and buried her face in his shoulder. She suddenly remembered the words that Mr. Fasal told her that afternoon in America.

“The truth is, once you make your way into their hearts, you will receive the warmest reciprocation you can ever get. It’s just that pirates tend to be a little careless, so they don’t really pay attention to the people and things around them. But once they notice them… I need to start racking my brains over what is the best thing to get the two of you for your marriage.”

Hearing his words, Bruno Tenório held out his hands and smiled at his wife. “What more can we say? Even I’ve never said those words to you when I was young, Giselle. The duration of its radioactive half-life would be the duration of my love for you… It seems like our daughter has found the best possible partner for herself.”

He turned to face Twain with a smile on his face. “But Mr. Twain, are you truly prepared to call me ‘dad’?”

Twain had acted like a real man just now, but his words had stunned him.

To call a man a few years older than him ‘dad’…

Shania continued to lean against his shoulder. Her mind was still preoccupied with Twain’s confession earlier, and she was not aware of the predicament that Uncle Tony was in.

Twain could not count on Shania to help him. He was in a dilemma over what he should do for a while, but he eventually decided to make the right choice in that situation.

Forget it, it’s not like we meet each other every day! Let’s just pretend I’m still 26 years old right now!

“Dad!” Twain yelled, his voice sounding stiff.

He did not stop there. He turned to Giselle Tenório next and yelled in the same tone, “Mum!”

Bruce Tenório burst out laughing and he patted Twain’s rigid body. “You are a good man, Mr. Twain. I know I can definitely leave Jordie in your hands. Enjoy the time that you have together!”

Twain broke into a stiff smile.

“Are you hungry? Let’s go eat. We shall treat it as your engagement banquet!”

As he finished his words, he helped his wife to her feet, before the two walked outside together.

Twain got up after them, but realized that Shania was still leaning against him. He turned his head to the back, and saw Shania raise her head, her cheeks visibly flushed. She looked immensely bashful, but there was still a hint of slyness in her bright irises.

“It’s good that I’ve not forgotten this piece of chemistry knowledge… The half-life of uranium 238 is 45 billion years. Uncle Tony, you have to love me for 45 billion years!”