Samurai Hazard

1: The gift

"Yahoo!", cheers and laughters rang in the corridors of Everest High School. It was obvious, as it was the last day of 9th grade. Talking and chattering, laughing and yelling, what a joyful scene! thought Jharede. When he and his couple of friends got outside, by the iron-carved school gates, they saw the dazzling sun. Everybody had to shield their eyes, so that they could adjust to the light.

"What a fabulous day to play a soccer match, right Jharede?", a skinny, round-faced boy, with curly hair, asked Jharede."Of course, but why are you worrying about the weather, you aren't playing with us, are you?", Jharede asked to Mark, his best friend. "No,no,of course not......just by hearing the name of soccer I'm tired, I just like to do the commentary", Jharede was not listening to Mark, he was comparing the situation of a few minutes earlier, and of the present time. A couple of minutes before, every second passed like an hour. After a long and tensed examination of History, everybody was waiting for the bell to ring.

But now, nobody, except the teachers (trying to control the students) were tensed.

"Common, let's go!", cried Jharede, to his friends - Mark and John, over the noise of children. The three of them hurried towards the parking lot to get their bikes. It was a fun ride, with joking all the way. When they reached Jharede's home, Jharede told his friends 'good bye', and went inside the house, planning new tactics for the day's Soccer match, in his mind. The home of Anan's was pretty big, possible because of Jharede's mother's job of a surgeon in the Life-Line Hospital. "Mom, I am back!". Jane Anan, Jharede's mom, emerged from the kitchen, which was at the end of the long hallway. "Oh, Jharede, I had been waiting for you. Why are you so late today?", asked Mrs. Anan.

"Mom,you know that today was our last exam.", said Jharede. "So?", asked his mother. "So- everyone was in a mood of fun, we did a small party, Mark had brought a chocolate cake.", saying this Jharede advanced towards the marble staircase leading to his upstairs room.

"OK, so are you hungry now? I can make pancakes.", asked Mrs. Anan, when Jharede stepped on first stair. Jharede liked pancakes, but now, his stomach was loaded to its maximum level. Moreover, he wanted to go and take rest in his room,so that he can remain energetic for the match, so he replied,"No mom, it's OK, I'm not hungry."

At the last words of Jharede, the doorbell rang."Mom will you please open the door? I'm very much tired. I want to get some rest.", saying this, Jharede continued to walk upstairs, but stopped, when heard a voice- "Is this Jharede Anan's home?", before his mother could call him, Jharede, unwillingly, went downstairs. At the door he saw a postman, with a square box in his one hand, and a clipboard in the other.

"Yes, I'm Jharede.", he said to the dark, muscular postman. He looked like a teenager."There's a parcel for you, from Rose Anan.", said the postman, looking at a paper attached to the clipboard.
All the tiredness in Jharede disappeared. "Oh, thank you very much!", said Jharede receiving the parcel, smiling. Grandma always sent stuff like video games, baseball bats, to Jharede. And on a recent call she told Jharede, she will send something, which he will like. From that day, he was very excited.

Jharede signed in the paper on the clipboard. And went inside the house, eager to open the parcel. He teared off the tape and opened the box.

Jharede was pleased to see a Flamy Sports soccer ball, it was the best company in the country to manufacture soccer balls. It was perfectly solid, and was painted with perfect white and black hexagons. Just by watching it, Jharede imagined himself doing different tricks on the ground, with the brand-new ball.

"It's really nice. Now you should write a thank-you letter to grandma Rose", said Mrs.Anan. Jharede realised that she was also looking at the soccer ball, intetestedly.

"Sorry mom, but I can't the write the letter now. Now that I have got this ball I should go to the ground early, to practice, you know.", said Jharede. "OK then, write it after you come back and don't be late.", Mrs. Anan said. " OK mom, I'll definitely write, bye."

But Jharede didn't know what was waiting for him on the ground.