Theo the Street Kid and the Extraordinary Competition

Chapter 30 - The Mysterious Figure in the White Hood Revealed

Theo couldn't see anything in the mist. So when his whistle glowed, he didn't see it.
That was why Theo didn't see Borm sneak up behind him.
And that was also why Theo didn't see Borm hit him on the head with a coconut.
As Theo fell down onto the ground, he lost consciousness immediately.
At least, he thought he lost consciousness.
He wasn't sure.
He thought he had blacked out briefly, but that didn't last long.
The next thing he saw was the figure in the white hood.
As the mist swirled around them, Theo felt a sense of joy.
The figure felt familiar to him, as though he was about to meet an old friend.
And then, the figure removed her white hood.
He could recognize that face anywhere. He may not have seen her for years, but he knew it was her.
How could he not recognize the face of his own mother?
Her soft nurturing eyes magnified by her trademark glasses, her short cropped hair, her smiling lips, her rose fragrance - these were the traits that he remembered most vividly about her.
He was overwhelmed with raw emotion.
He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
"Hi Theo," she said in her soothing voice, which was as calming as a lullaby.
"Mommy," he croaked out, his body too weak to move. "What happened? Where have you been? Why didn't you come back for me in Lotus Hill?"
She sighed. "After I sorted through all those documents related to your father's death, I was on my way back to you in Lotus Hill when I ran into bandits. They robbed then raped me and then I was left for dead on the road. No one heard my wails as I died."
Theo's eyes became soaked with tears.
"Don't cry for me, honey," said his mother. "The joy of anyone and anything is in its transience. Enjoy it while it lasts but expect it to leave one day. Accept that things always come to an end."
"So you're a ghost now?" Theo asked.
She nodded. "I didn't know if you were OK, so my spirit refused to move onto the Eternal Afterlife. It latched onto the whistle I gave you, which was the most sentimental physical object you had that connected me to you, my love."
The fog began to dissipate slightly and he began to see her more clearly.
She was doused in a heavenly light.
Smiling, she explained, "Whenever the whistle glowed, it was my spirit powering the light and helping you out."
At that moment, his whistle began to glow.
Theo was filled with so much emotion.
He felt bittersweet, both happy and sad and also a little angry.
"Where were you when I needed you?" he demanded to know. "When I was starving, when I needed shelter, when I...."
His mother held up one hand. "I helped you during the times it mattered the most. I know you're a capable young man. You could take care of yourself for the most part. If I helped you all the time, you would never have learned how to do things yourself. You would have never developed your street smarts. You would have become too dependent on me for every little thing. You would have never matured into the young man I am proud of today."
Theo digested her words. They made sense.
She continued, "All those times when the whistle didn't work, you didn't need it to work. I knew you could handle those problems on your own. The whistle only worked when you really needed the help. I helped you during the times that you couldn't defend yourself, like when Mr. Joob tried to...you know."
She paused.
Theo was still embarrassed about the attempted rape.
His mother went on, "And I helped you during the previous two stages of this competition too. In fact, who do you think helped you find the last pyrope so you could enter the competition in the first place? I stole it from the King and hid it close to you in that trashcan at the hospital entrance."
And then, it hit him. His mother had indeed been there for him all along. All this time, she had been helping him, taking care of and looking after him like a guardian angel.
He was jubilant.
He laughed.
His mother smiled, but her expression grew somber. "There are some things I couldn't help you with. You had to make all the right choices yourself. That's how you learn and grow. But it was you all along. You made all the right choices: it was your choice to enter the Extraordinary Competition despite its risk of death, your choice to leave the Rattlesnake Gang despite the risk of retaliation, your choice to take Wolfie to the hospital despite the financial burden. I knew you would do the right thing and make the right choices. You had it in you all along. I just gave you the tools to accomplish what I know you are capable of."
He fell silent.
He knew she was right.
She tossed her head back a bit. "You were already a glittering gemstone, like the pyrope. All I did was polish you a bit."
Theo now understood, but seeing his mother again after so long brought out the little boy in him.
He said, "I just felt so abandoned. It was so scary."
He would never admit that to anyone else, but inside his tough exterior, he was just a scared and lost little boy looking for his mommy.
His mother said, "Mommy would never abandon you."
And then, he couldn't help it.
He broke down and cried.
His mother came over and enveloped him in a comforting bear hug.
The sensation was indescribably warm and loving.
It gave him hope.
He looked into her eyes. "I miss you, mommy. I don't want you to be dead. I want you to be alive and live with me again."
She smiled. "I miss you too. But think of it this way: energy is neither created nor destroyed. It could only change from one form into another. That means that no one could ever truly die, because nothing could ever truly be destroyed. Since we're all made of energy, none of us ever truly die. We simply go back to being energy after death. This energy will surround our loved ones and offer them protection and help them out when they need it the most. The love I give you: just pass it on to your own children and others who need it the most."
And that was when he knew he was in the competition for the right reasons. Other street kids, including Wolfie, needed his love and care and compassion.
His mother let go of him. "There comes a time when all little boys grow up and become men. Your time is now. Now get up. You have a competition to win. I've placed a temporary shield around you so that Borm can't get to you, but it won't hold for long."
"But how can I win?" he asked. "Borm is so strong."
In this competition, Theo was the underdog.
Borm had murdered Sovana and now, he had knocked out Theo with a mere coconut.
It felt like the odds were overwhelmingly stacked against Theo.
At that point, Borm seemed invincible.
His mother replied, "The race isn't over yet. To win this competition, you must sacrifice the thing that means the most to you. There is nothing to be gained without sacrifice."
He looked down at his whistle. "This whistle means the most to me. Sacrificing that is like sacrificing you."
"Don't worry about that," she said. "I have to go on to the Eternal Afterlife soon, but I will always be with you. Do you know what I mean?"
He shook his head.
She explained, "My spirit will always exist somewhere in the universe. I have merely changed from a physical form to an energy form. I will now be in the crisp lake breeze that cools you down, the warm sunshine on your face that makes you feel alive, and the cleansing rain that washes away the dirt on your body."
Theo was beginning to understand.
His mother will always be with him.
The thought cheered him up.
At that moment, just like in his recurring dream, his mother began to drift away.
Her voice became fainter. "Remember: there is nothing to be gained without sacrifice. In order to win, you must give up what means the most to you."