Chapter 79
After Cristiano was discharged from the hospital that day, he immediately reported safety to Ms. Dolores and Ms. Simeone, and then to the Manchester United group chat and the Portugal team group chat.
The two groups were bustling with cross-blessing emoticons - regardless of whether or not there were religious people, they were all pragmatic believers.
The next day in the Champions League group match, AC Milan drew with Manchester City, and Cristiano watched the live broadcast at home.
Kaka undoubtedly started the game and was in good shape, which made Cristiano feel more at ease. As long as his performance in the game was not affected by the players coming to him midway, it would be fine.
"We can see that Kaka was very active in this game! He participated in many offensive build-ups!"
"Kaka is very pleasing to the eye whenever he appears on screen. His sprints are very entertaining..."
"Gattuso assists, Inzaghi scores in the penalty area!"
"AC Milan won the group match 1-0!"
"Congratulations to AC Milan for winning the first game of the group stage!"
The commentator finished his explanation of the game, and Cristiano agreed with the commentator's fair evaluation.
Cristiano was given an enforced vacation, and he stayed at home every day doing nothing, at most kicking a ball on the lawn in the small yard, where grass was almost growing.
[C: I don’t want a vacation at all]
【C: I’m still young, why should I take so long to rest for such a minor injury? 】
[C: My brain is fine, I want to play in the group stage]
【C: …】
【C: Jorge, can you talk to the boss on my behalf? 】
Mendes is almost annoyed by Cristiano, so he asks him to discuss it with Ferguson?
Discussing letting a guy with a three-centimeter gash in his head play football?
Ferguson would have his revolver against his temple.
Why didn't he ask Ferguson himself?
Mendes rolled his eyes and dialed the number, only to hear Cristiano replying to him in a low but confident voice on the other end of the line: "I ask the boss? The boss will blow my top. My head will hurt, Jorge, you can't do this to me."
Mendes: "...So you're just going to leave me to endure Ferguson's rage and roar? You're amazing, Cristiano."
While he was gritting his teeth, he said, "Cristiano, you are such a nuisance" while finding a suitable activity for the boy to pass the time.
"Don't think about the competition. If you have the ability, go find Ferguson yourself. This is the only activity I have that is most suitable for you right now," said Mendes.
"But I don't want to take on any commercial activities during the game. I want to stay in shape." Cristiano complained unhappily.
"It's not a commercial event, it's a charity visit in Manchester," Mendes corrected. "You don't live in isolation during the game, so consider this small event. There will be someone else participating with you."
"Who?" Cristiano asked.
"It's not decided yet. It depends on the clubs' willingness to let them go," Mendes said. They are all his subordinates anyway. "It's either Mourinho or Kaka."
Either the coach or the player, Mendes wants Mourinho to come, but the bad-tempered Portuguese probably won't be happy.
Cristiano paused and asked: "Will AC Milan let him go?"
"It's very likely. They have no reason to refuse." Mendes curled his lips. The club needed these icing on the cake. He didn't say much, but Cristiano could guess the reason.
"Okay, I'll go then," Cristiano replied.
Mendes raised his eyebrows and looked at Cristiano: "You haven't seen each other for a long time, right? This is a good opportunity for you to get together."
Cristiano paused, then looked away guiltily - they had just slept in the same room two days ago - but he pursed his lips and nodded seriously: "Yes."
The final candidate was just as Mendes expected. Mourinho complained loudly on the phone with a sour face and rejected it very thoroughly, while Milan gave a positive answer.
Cristiano smiled and went with Mendes to pick up Kaka at the airport.
In the underground parking lot of the Aerospace Building, the two tacitly pretended that they hadn't seen each other for a long time: "Long time no see, how are you doing recently?"
"You know, just the same old thing. It's not bad."
Mendes was sitting in the passenger seat, listening to the greetings between the two people in the back seat. He couldn't help but wonder in his heart, what's going on, don't these two usually chat and reply to messages privately? Are you that unfamiliar?
"The theme of today's event is caring for children with heart defects, Chris, it's the charity you have been concerned about before." Mendes turned his head to look at Cristiano and Kaka.
Cristiano nodded when he heard this, he had an impression.
The details of the event had been shown to the two in advance, but Mendes would always briefly mention some key points on the way:
"The person in charge will take you to Manchester Children's Center Hospital. There is a thirteen-year-old boy scheduled to have surgery this afternoon."
"You can first visit the boy, take a photo with him, and learn about his condition with his parents and doctors. This is to educate the public about these cases and, of course, to raise funds."
"Your autographed jerseys, sneakers, and balls will also be auctioned for charity, and there will be an auction dinner in the evening."
Cristiano and Kaka nodded to show that they understood.
It takes more than an hour to get from the airport to the Children's Center Hospital. The two got out of the car, and the cameramen arranged by the media and the event organizer were ready.
The chairman of the charity and the person in charge of the event were both there and warmly welcomed Cristiano and Kaka.
"Cristiano Ronaldo! Nice to meet you!" Charity chairman Fein stepped forward and shook hands with Cristiano and hugged him with a big smile. "I told Mendes that I hope you can be here this time anyway. It means a lot to us!"
Finn looked at Kaka and shook hands with the new AC Milan star. He smiled and then turned to the media gathered at the door.
"Mr. Cristiano Ronaldo has donated a number of very generous relief funds to us over the past two years, allowing us to help more children in need!"
Kaka looked at Chris when he heard this. He had no idea that Chris had done all this in private.
Cristiano tilted his head and whispered to his lover, "He's exaggerating. I asked Mendes to help me deal with it, but I didn't expect him to say it so loudly. There's no need for it."
"But I think it will help some children in need to some extent," Cristiano said.
In his previous life, he had also been paying attention to some charitable organizations and related hospital institutions in this regard, or perhaps it was because he could empathize more. When he had heart problems, it was Sporting Lisbon Club that helped him, and later when he had the ability, he hoped to give back the kindness and help he had received.
Kaka narrowed his eyes. Cristiano, his lover, always showed his soft side in places where many people couldn't see.
He whispered, "Yes Chris, God will bless these children, and God will bless you. I will pray for you."
Cristiano grinned. He was not surprised at all that Kaka said that.
The two of them went with Finn and the event organizer to visit the child who was about to undergo surgery. After Finn participated in the group photo session, he quickly left because he had to be busy with the upcoming auction dinner.
He hugged Cristiano again and thanked him for his help.
The boy was lying on the hospital bed. It would not be long before he was pushed to the operating room. He stared at Cristiano who was standing beside him without blinking - he made a wish to see Cristiano Ronaldo up close, and today his wish came true!
The nurse came over and moved the little boy onto the trolley that would be taken to the operating room, and pushed him to the corridor to wait.
The little boy's parents nervously followed the attending physician to the office nearby and listened carefully to the boy's condition and the instructions for the next surgery again.
Kaka and the cameraman who followed him went to the attending physician's office. This was also one of the purposes of their event - to let more people know about the situation of these children in need and to call for more help.
The doctor's office couldn't hold too many people, so Cristiano didn't go to the office with Kaka. He waved his hand slightly and whispered to Kaka: "I don't want to listen to those things. I don't understand them. You go, I'll stay here with this kid."
Kaka smiled and nodded. He followed the parents into the office and whispered to comfort the middle-aged couple.
Cristiano and his cameraman stayed where they were. He looked around and his eyes fell on the face of the little boy lying on the bed.
He raised his eyebrows, then took a ball from the side - the organizers had prepared several balls for them to sign, and they were piled in the corner of the boy's ward - he took one and asked the boy: "What's your name? Do you like football?"
"My name is Arthur, I like football, I'm a Manchester United fan, and I like you, Cristiano." The boy's eyes brightened up when he talked about football. He lay on the bed, tilted his head slightly to look at Cristiano, and said in a soft and shy voice, "On my birthday, I made a wish to watch your game live, to see you and shake your hand. Now it's almost come true!"
Cristiano was slightly surprised, it turned out that this was his little fan.
He smiled, signed his name on the ball, and waited for the marker to dry. "When the operation is over, I will give you tickets to Old Trafford and you can come and watch me play. How about that?"
The boy's eyes lit up incredibly: "Really?!"
"Of course." Cristiano responded without hesitation.
He performed a trick with a ball in front of the little boy. The ball obediently rolled down his left arm, across his back, over his right arm, and landed smoothly and steadily in Chris's right hand. Then, it was sent to the boy: "This ball is yours now."
The little boy Arthur looked at Cristiano with fascination and eagerness. He took the signed ball and couldn't help but kissed it hard, cheering happily: "Thank you!"
"Do you want to play football in the future?" Cristiano was chatting with the child, and he asked casually while holding his chin.
The boy showed a little shyness on his face, but he nodded firmly: "Yes! I want to be a professional football player, just like you!"
Cristiano laughed. He raised his hand and rubbed the little boy's golden hair. It felt as soft and silky as silk. It felt great. His smile widened and he said, "That's good. I think you can do it."
"I still want to play with you." The boy seemed to be encouraged and became a little bolder. He looked at Cristiano with bright eyes, "I want to be your teammate."
"Well, that day will come sooner or later," Cristiano replied, pinching the boy's cheek, "but the prerequisite is that you have to be strong enough and work hard enough. Which position do you want to play?"
"Midfielder, I'm going to pass you lots and lots of balls." The little boy said with gestures, making Cristiano laugh out loud.
"That's great, little Arthur, I'll be waiting for you, keep up the good work." Cristiano stretched out his fist and gently touched it with the little boy's fist.
The two chatted about this and that for quite some time, and soon a nurse came over to remind Cristiano that little Arthur had to go to the operating room.
Cristiano paused when he heard this, nodded, and was about to step back to make some space for the nurse when Arthur grabbed his hand.
"Cristiano." the little boy whispered.
Cristiano looked over and bent down slightly: "Hmm?"
"Does it hurt?" Arthur asked, looking eagerly at Cristiano, "I know you and I are the same..."
Cristiano was stunned for a moment. He reached out and touched the boy's soft hair. No wonder this little guy paid extra attention to him.
At the same time, Kaka and Arthur's parents were staying in the attending physician's office, listening to the doctor carefully explain the condition: "...It is a relatively rare heart rhythm disorder. When it occurs, the patient will experience palpitations, a sudden increase in the ventricular rate, exceeding 200 beats per minute, etc., and may suffer from shock, heart failure, or even sudden death."
Kaka realized that the boy's condition was exactly the same as Cristiano's. He stood there slightly stiffly, listening to the doctor continue:
"The patient has an extra blood vessel in his heart. We will perform cardiac radiofrequency ablation. This operation cannot be performed under general anesthesia. We need the patient to be fully awake during the puncture."
"At present, we cannot confirm the location through electrocardiogram, so the patient must feel and tell us the location of the pain, and then use laser to burn the point. This process will be very difficult, but unfortunately, he has to bear it himself."
The boy's parents had already discussed these things with their attending physician, and they had filmed them for the documentary. But when they heard them again, they couldn't help sobbing softly with their hands covering their mouths: "God... that must have hurt... my Arthur is still young..."
Kaka stood aside like a silent sculpture.
He clenched his fists involuntarily. It was the first time he knew that the surgery Cristiano had undergone when he was fifteen was like this. He heard the sobbing of the boy's parents beside him, and his heart ached as well.
Fifteen-year-old Cristiano had to face such surgery and pain, as well as the fear that he might not be able to play football again. How strong a spirit does he need to be to face and overcome it?
…
Cristiano was looking at Arthur. He hesitated for a few seconds before slowly saying, "I don't know if this is appropriate for you to say. I'm not going to lie and tell you it doesn't hurt at all."
Arthur held his breath seriously and said, "I want to be mentally prepared. That way I know what I'm going to face and I'll be braver."
Cristiano smiled and nodded: "Okay, let me think about it..."
"I remember that I received a local anesthesia. It was very painful when the anesthesia was injected, and then the skin would lose sensation. But you can still feel the doctor's movements, because it is... inside? The skin outside is numb, but inside, you can feel it clearly."
He tried to describe it: "The doctor will use an instrument to squeeze your heart and ask you where it hurts. You have to feel it carefully, distinguish it truthfully, and then tell him. After that, you will feel something burning somewhere inside, which is the location of the blockage. The feeling is difficult to describe, but you can endure it. After all, you still want to play football later, right?"
The little boy nodded vigorously. He looked much better than before, and even had a smile on his face: "Yes! I'm not afraid at all!"
Cristiano curled his lips and rubbed the boy's hair vigorously: "But there is one last thing. As the operation goes on, the effect of the anesthetic will decrease. I remember that I went in in the morning and didn't come out until the evening. The anesthetic had worn off when I was stitched, and they didn't replenish the anesthetic. This might be the most painful time."
Arthur's eyes widened. "The doctor told me it would only take two or three hours."
"I guess I'm just unlucky." Cristiano laughed. "Besides, that was five years ago. It must be faster and safer now. Little Arthur, I wish you all the best. Come out soon. Can we play football together one day?"
"Okay!" The boy agreed immediately, waved his little fist and grinned. He looked behind Cristiano and noticed that his parents had returned from the doctor. He immediately whispered, "Dad! Mom! Come on, I'm going to surgery!"
When Cristiano heard the sound, he looked behind him and saw the boy's parents and Kaka standing not far away.
The boy's parents quickly wiped their eyes, smiled gratefully at Cristiano, and trotted over: "My baby!"
"Cristiano, I'm going to have surgery! Wait until I can play a game with you in the future!" Arthur stretched his neck hard to find Cristiano after being kissed by his parents, then waved his fist beautifully, "I want to be like you!"
"Okay Arthur," Cristiano replied, and he watched the boy and his parents walk to the corridor at the other end of the operating room.
The person in charge quickly stepped forward and led Cristiano and Kaka to the lounge, where their filming mission was also completed.
"A special car will come here soon to pick you up for dinner. Please wait a moment." The person in charge said softly.
Cristiano nodded.
Mendes was also sitting in the lounge. He let out a breath and looked at Cristiano. It was the first time he heard Cristiano talk about his surgery. When he met Cristiano, the boy had already become famous in Lisbon, and there was no sign that he had ever had such an experience.
He felt pain just listening in the corner. He had to endure such an operation at the age of fifteen. No wonder Chris could endure any injuries he suffered while playing football.
Perhaps in Cristiano's eyes, being able to play football is enough to offset all other hardships and pains.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about your surgery?" he asked Cristiano.
"What's there to say?" Cristiano curled his lips. He stood up and poured himself a glass of warm water to moisten his throat and lips. "And I thought I didn't remember much, but I didn't expect that, hey, my memory is still good."
As he spoke, he raised his thin eyebrows towards Mendes with a little pride.
Mendes was amused by Cristiano's appearance. He shook his head and said, "It's only been five years, my dear Cristiano. If you don't remember much, then I have to worry about whether the anesthetic has had any bad effects on your little brain."
Kaka looked at Cristiano and knew that his lover was referring to the memory that had been separated by more than 20 years.
The process and pain that are still remembered after more than 20 years should be even more so for little Chris at that time... Kaka pursed his lips and said softly: "You are very brave, Cris, you are born to be a warrior."
Cristiano curled his eyes: "Thank you, Kaka, I like this statement very much."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
