Sharks and Minnows
Epilogue
Epilogue
-Eighteen Years Later-
Noemi and I are sitting in the new Philadelphia Flyers stadium, our hearts pounding. Her fingers are laced through mine. Her engagement ring sparkles in the artificial lighting, her wedding band much more simple but still beautiful. The Devils unfortunately have the first overall draft pick this year, but we still have hope that our team will rise to the challenge and become great again. For the first time in eighteen years, they didn’t make the playoffs. It was shocking and painful to watch them sink so low, but Noemi and I have faith in the team. Our sons are sitting beside us, so identical that sometimes even Noemi and I have trouble telling them apart. They have her sparkling blue eyes, curly, dark brown hair, and extremely handsome faces. They are broad shouldered, muscular, and they are extremely tall. All in all, they’ve got the perfect build for hockey. Sergei looks over at me, apprehensive.
“Chto delatʹ, yesli nikto ne vosprinimaet nas?” (what if nobody takes us?) he whispers. I know that the question is only for me and his mother, and Noemi squeezes my hand reassuringly.
“Vy tri luchshe, chem vse drugie semʹi hokkyeĭ vmeste vzyatye. Poverʹte mne, vy budete idti vpervom ture. YA derzhal pari, moe kolʹtso na nem,” (you three are better than all other hockey families put together. Believe me, you’ll go in the first round. I’d bet my ring on it) I say quietly, motioning to my Stanley Cup ring. I’ve earned four more rings since the first one with the Devils the night before they were born, and each red and white ring is special to me, but none so special as my first. It signified both the highest achievement I could hope to earn in my career, but also the night my life changed forever. Sergei smiles at this, and the announcement that the Devils have made their first round selection is made. We all sit on tether hooks, waiting anxiously to see whose child will be selected first.
“The New Jersey Devils select for their first round pick, from Newark, New Jersey, Jani, Mikhail, and Sergei Zharkov,” the GM smiles, and we all stare at each other for a minute before leaping out of our seats and gathering in a family hug. The crowd around us applauds politely, and as we separate, my eyes fill with tears of joy. I beam as I see my sons tug on those red and white jerseys I was so familiar with, and Sergei gives me a very special smile as he walks off the stage.
Even though all of this was unplanned, I could never have asked for anything better. I have a loving wife, three sons in the NHL, another son, Kristof, playing in the IIHF under 18 world championships, and a daughter, Jahna, who is only sixteen, and has had a book published already. My family is the greatest thing in the world
-Eighteen Years Later-
Noemi and I are sitting in the new Philadelphia Flyers stadium, our hearts pounding. Her fingers are laced through mine. Her engagement ring sparkles in the artificial lighting, her wedding band much more simple but still beautiful. The Devils unfortunately have the first overall draft pick this year, but we still have hope that our team will rise to the challenge and become great again. For the first time in eighteen years, they didn’t make the playoffs. It was shocking and painful to watch them sink so low, but Noemi and I have faith in the team. Our sons are sitting beside us, so identical that sometimes even Noemi and I have trouble telling them apart. They have her sparkling blue eyes, curly, dark brown hair, and extremely handsome faces. They are broad shouldered, muscular, and they are extremely tall. All in all, they’ve got the perfect build for hockey. Sergei looks over at me, apprehensive.
“Chto delatʹ, yesli nikto ne vosprinimaet nas?” (what if nobody takes us?) he whispers. I know that the question is only for me and his mother, and Noemi squeezes my hand reassuringly.
“Vy tri luchshe, chem vse drugie semʹi hokkyeĭ vmeste vzyatye. Poverʹte mne, vy budete idti vpervom ture. YA derzhal pari, moe kolʹtso na nem,” (you three are better than all other hockey families put together. Believe me, you’ll go in the first round. I’d bet my ring on it) I say quietly, motioning to my Stanley Cup ring. I’ve earned four more rings since the first one with the Devils the night before they were born, and each red and white ring is special to me, but none so special as my first. It signified both the highest achievement I could hope to earn in my career, but also the night my life changed forever. Sergei smiles at this, and the announcement that the Devils have made their first round selection is made. We all sit on tether hooks, waiting anxiously to see whose child will be selected first.
“The New Jersey Devils select for their first round pick, from Newark, New Jersey, Jani, Mikhail, and Sergei Zharkov,” the GM smiles, and we all stare at each other for a minute before leaping out of our seats and gathering in a family hug. The crowd around us applauds politely, and as we separate, my eyes fill with tears of joy. I beam as I see my sons tug on those red and white jerseys I was so familiar with, and Sergei gives me a very special smile as he walks off the stage.
Even though all of this was unplanned, I could never have asked for anything better. I have a loving wife, three sons in the NHL, another son, Kristof, playing in the IIHF under 18 world championships, and a daughter, Jahna, who is only sixteen, and has had a book published already. My family is the greatest thing in the world