Fon gathers her things on the other side of the gym. 

I think about walking over.

Uncle beats me to it. 

 

“She doesn’t like boys who stare.” He cracks a smile. “Makes you look weak.” 

“Does she hate me?” 

Uncle takes a long drag from his cigarette. 

“She sees promise in you, Lek.” He exhales. “She is disappointed, because you don’t.” 

Uncle tosses his cigarette bud. Then jumps into the ring. 

“If you want the key to Fon’s heart. Then beat the hell out of your opponent next week.” He belly laughed while strapping pads to his arms. 

He smashes the pads together.

“We have work to do.” 

I nod.

If I don’t win this fight.

Then they sold me for nothing. 

And more than anything… 

I can’t let Fon down. 

“Lek, get into your guard.” 

I raise my hands, standing tall. 

“This isn’t Kung Fu, Lek. Are you posing for a movie?”

He taps my hips.

“Square up.” 

I shift. It feels wrong. My feet are too far apart. 

“Feet under you.” He says, “you want balance.” 

He gives me a light push.

I stumble over.

He laughs.

“You don’t have it.”

I sit there for a second, staring at the mat.

No balance. 

Not in my stance.

Not in my head.

Not in my life.

I stand up.

I raise my hands.

Uncle pushes me again, this time with the bottom of his foot.

I stumble back, but don’t fall.

“Good, I’ll take that.” 

Uncle smiles.

“Forget everything else.”

“I’ll teach you one thing you need to survive your first fight.” 

Survive?

Not win?

What could it be? 

An elbow?

A head kick? 

A secret Muay Boran technique?

“A jab.”

I say stupidly, “Like, a special jab?” 

Uncle cackles. “Special? I suppose so.”

“If you throw it right, it is.”

“It measures distance. Controls rhythm. Lets your opponent know what to be afraid of.” 

He leans in closely.

“And you…”

His eyes narrow.

“You’ve already shown me something interesting.”

My stomach tightens.

“That punch you landed on Fon…”

I look away, catching Fon in the distance. 

Pretending like she’s not watching.

How embarrassing. 

“That was Luck.” 

He shakes his head.

“No.”

“It wasn’t.”

He slaps the pads.

“You just don’t trust it yet.”

I hit the pads again. 

Uncle drops the pads. Tucks his chin to his chest.

He points at his forehead.

“Here.”

But, I already messed up with Fon.

He wants me to hit him now too?

“Don’t worry, I have a hard head.” He smirks.

“Uncle-”

“-Just hit me, Lek.” 

I throw my jab out. It bounces off his head. 

He doesn’t blink. 

Uncle barks passionately. 

“You’re still apologizing." 

“You must believe in your hands!”

Then slyly grins.
 

“Don’t you want to win your little girlfriend back!?” He cackles.

“She’s not my-”

“-Just do it!” 

My hands shake.

And this time…

I don’t stop myself.

I step in…

And punch.

Crack.

Uncle’s head shifts.

He grins.

“There it is.” 

“Again!”

I throw another.

Hard.

No hesitation.

“Again!” 

Bam.

I’m breathing heavy now.

A weight lifts off my chest. 

Uncle finally raises a hand. 

“Alright, that’s enough.”

He rubs his forehead, still smiling. 

“That’s the one.”

I lower my hands. 

My heart’s racing. 

I glance past him, across the gym. 

Fon’s gone. 

I don’t know if she saw.