Status: Updated: 11/6/11
The Bucket List
Chapter 6: Work on a game day
January 13th 2011
Bruins’ Training Center
Boston Mass
9:23am
I was seven minutes early, but it wasn’t my first day on the job. The NHL saw my certification as a physical trainer (the work-out kind) and my major in college as nutrition, and jumped on me right away practically right after . It was only a part time job, but I got to get a steady income now that I was on my own.
Yes I was thrown out of the house. I left, and of all people Lucic took me in. I don’t really know how it happened, maybe he was the first one to call me after my mother and I got into the huge fight that lead to me getting kicked out, but I packed all my stuff into his extra room. Horton was the other roommate, and he had his own room. Normally my room was the parent’s room when they came to visit, but now it was mine, all 10 by 15 of it.
I sat in my car, just breathing in and out; trying desperately to get my mind from wandering any where I didn’t want it to go. “Just focus on breathing” I whispered to myself, and then slowly got out of the car.
It was cold today, not even reaching 20 degrees F. The new sweatshirt sporting the Pittsburgh Penguins was fuzzy on the inside, which reached the hood when I pulled it over my head. I just wore simple yoga pants and uggs, with the sneakers to change into, but I also had an under armor tee-shirt under my sweatshirt so I would actually participate in the activities that I was going to make the boys do.
So far, this week was not good, but I refused the memories to make their way to the front of my mind; and instead as soon as I saw Chara I ran out of the car and moved to catch up with his long strides.
“Chara! Готовы ли вы к моей чрезвычайно тяжелую работу сегодня?” I teased, flexing my nonexistence muscles in my arms. (Translation: Are you ready for my very hard work out today?)
“конечно” Chara answered smiling, but wrinkles formed above his brow when he took a look at me again. “Ana’s funeral?” He hit the nail right on the head.
“A couple of days ago. The day after you came back the road trip.” I said, trying not to dwell on the subject and plow through it, by plowing through the doors that lead to stairs.
“I’m so-“
“EMILY! Could you explain to me WHY the Kardashians were on the TV last night when I came in to the apartment?” Milian shouted from across the room when I opened the doors. Chara was on my heels, but then shifted over to Mark recchi, and began a light jog.
“I like to watch them. They make me feel better about myself as a person, and the choices that I have made.” I replied coolly, dropping my vera Bradley bag on the chair near the door.
The guys began to laugh, which made me automatically respond with a nice flip of the bird.
“Oh come on, you just want fashion tips from them so you can seem sexy. That what my wife does all the time.” Nathan said, laughing while he took a break from his leg presses.
“And how does that work for her? Does she get enough ‘d’?” I asked. The guys ‘ooh’ at my comeback until someone cleared their throat. It was Brad.
“And how about you? Are you getting enough ‘d’?” Brad asked. The room fell quiet. I laughed, winked, and then moved to the medicine balls and mats.
“Who is my victim today?”
Mark Recchi stopped his jog and walked over to me. I instructed him to get in the sit up position, so he could throw the ball to me, and I could toss it back. After a couple of minutes and the guys getting back to work and their aimless chatting, Mark began to talk to me.
“You seem very familiar.” He grunted, sitting back up again and throwing the ball to me.
“ I have been here for a couple of weeks now.” I answered, tossing the ball back. “Deep breaths,” I advised as well.
“No, it’s the sweatshirt. You just look like someone…” he grunted again, throwing the ball harder at me, only because the last 10 were coming to an end. “Its just… I think… I don’t know… maybe one of those… faces...” He managed in between sit ups before finishing them.
“The Penguin’s? You used to be on that team right?” I asked, trying to avoid the subject.
“Oh yeah, must be getting old then!” groaning as he sat up, done with his exercises.
“Good Job I guess; just do a couple of bench presses with Chara and some twist squats while tossing the ball around while I go talk to Tuuka and Timmy.” I said, patting his shoulder awkwardly. He smiled slightly, drank some water and moved on.
Tuuka and Timmy bounded over to me before I could react, yoga mats in hand and towels around their necks. They both had goofy grins on their faces, waiting for me to say something.
“Do you want it to be just you? Or should I invite some of the other guys?” I asked, picking up my bag that contained all I needed for yoga.
“No please don’t!” Tuuka begged, but he was too late because Lucic; my lovely roommate, came over all sweaty and gross from working out.
“Whatcha doin’?” Lucic asked, eying the mats.
“Yoga, wanna join? We are just going into another room where its more quiet.” I said, pointing out my extra mat. Lucic looked down at me, as if questioning me, then burst out laughing.
“What? You do yoga?” Lucic gasped inbetween chuckles. I gave him a hard glare.
“Of course, I’m a goalie. What did you expect?” I said, turning toward the door. Lucic just laughed.
“You know what Lucic, you might just want to stay here and do more squats, because if you want to compare yourself to Sidney Crosby and his goal streak, you might as well try to look like him. Squats are good for your ass you know?” laughing I ran out of the room before I got squirted with a water bottle.
* * * * * * *
“Emily!” My cousin whined on the phone. “Pochemu vy ne podhodit kigre? Eto budetdolgoe vremya prezhde, chem im obratno!” (Translation: Why are you not coming to the game? It will be a long time before I’m back!)
“Evgeni, YA dolzhen uchitʹsya naekzamen ya imyeyu vneskolʹko dnyeĭ! Mne nuzhno sdatʹ etot ekzamen sdatʹ moego klassa. Ty hocheshʹ, chtoby vyĭti iz kolledzha kak mozhno skoryee , ne tak li?” (Translation: I need to study for an exam I have in a few days! I need to pass this exam to pass my class. You want me to get out of college as soon as possible, right?)
“Of course,” Evgeni grunted. I frowned slightly, curling myself closer to the couch and looking over the notebook in front of me.
“Kogda vy zakonchite, vy mozhete zhitʹ s babushkoĭ i rabotatʹ dlya moyeĭ komandy. My naĭdem dlya vashoroshim chelovekom, kak babushka hochet.” He said, bringing up other topics I did not like to discuss with him.
(Translation: When you are done, you can live with grandmother and work for my team. We will find you a good man like grandma wants.)
“Still want me to marry Ovechkin?” I laughed. Moving the notebook aside to open my binder. I flipped though a couple of pages.
“Did… has my mom called babushka at all?” I asked. I breathed quietly, stopping the rustling of papers.
“Da. She very pissed.” Evgeni answered simply. “She no believe that you kill Ana. She say daughter is… is.. is Сумасшедший! She day not her daughter.” Evgeni told me softly. (translation: Crazy/ off her rocker)
“Well I guess that’s good.” I sighed, resuming my search for my Q1 paper.
“Emily?” Evgeni asked.
“Yeah?”
“Come to Pittsburgh for couple days. Is good to you.” He said, struggling to speak in english.
“Im coming next week during my road trip. See me play?” I asked.
“Course. Babushka come too, and Oskana and Matʹ i otets” Evgeni promised.
“YA budu smotretʹ igru segodnya vecherom. Zhelayu udachi.” I promised, turning on the pre game news as I spoke and clicked the end button. (Translation: I will watch your game tonight. Good luck.)
Bruins’ Training Center
Boston Mass
9:23am
I was seven minutes early, but it wasn’t my first day on the job. The NHL saw my certification as a physical trainer (the work-out kind) and my major in college as nutrition, and jumped on me right away practically right after . It was only a part time job, but I got to get a steady income now that I was on my own.
Yes I was thrown out of the house. I left, and of all people Lucic took me in. I don’t really know how it happened, maybe he was the first one to call me after my mother and I got into the huge fight that lead to me getting kicked out, but I packed all my stuff into his extra room. Horton was the other roommate, and he had his own room. Normally my room was the parent’s room when they came to visit, but now it was mine, all 10 by 15 of it.
I sat in my car, just breathing in and out; trying desperately to get my mind from wandering any where I didn’t want it to go. “Just focus on breathing” I whispered to myself, and then slowly got out of the car.
It was cold today, not even reaching 20 degrees F. The new sweatshirt sporting the Pittsburgh Penguins was fuzzy on the inside, which reached the hood when I pulled it over my head. I just wore simple yoga pants and uggs, with the sneakers to change into, but I also had an under armor tee-shirt under my sweatshirt so I would actually participate in the activities that I was going to make the boys do.
So far, this week was not good, but I refused the memories to make their way to the front of my mind; and instead as soon as I saw Chara I ran out of the car and moved to catch up with his long strides.
“Chara! Готовы ли вы к моей чрезвычайно тяжелую работу сегодня?” I teased, flexing my nonexistence muscles in my arms. (Translation: Are you ready for my very hard work out today?)
“конечно” Chara answered smiling, but wrinkles formed above his brow when he took a look at me again. “Ana’s funeral?” He hit the nail right on the head.
“A couple of days ago. The day after you came back the road trip.” I said, trying not to dwell on the subject and plow through it, by plowing through the doors that lead to stairs.
“I’m so-“
“EMILY! Could you explain to me WHY the Kardashians were on the TV last night when I came in to the apartment?” Milian shouted from across the room when I opened the doors. Chara was on my heels, but then shifted over to Mark recchi, and began a light jog.
“I like to watch them. They make me feel better about myself as a person, and the choices that I have made.” I replied coolly, dropping my vera Bradley bag on the chair near the door.
The guys began to laugh, which made me automatically respond with a nice flip of the bird.
“Oh come on, you just want fashion tips from them so you can seem sexy. That what my wife does all the time.” Nathan said, laughing while he took a break from his leg presses.
“And how does that work for her? Does she get enough ‘d’?” I asked. The guys ‘ooh’ at my comeback until someone cleared their throat. It was Brad.
“And how about you? Are you getting enough ‘d’?” Brad asked. The room fell quiet. I laughed, winked, and then moved to the medicine balls and mats.
“Who is my victim today?”
Mark Recchi stopped his jog and walked over to me. I instructed him to get in the sit up position, so he could throw the ball to me, and I could toss it back. After a couple of minutes and the guys getting back to work and their aimless chatting, Mark began to talk to me.
“You seem very familiar.” He grunted, sitting back up again and throwing the ball to me.
“ I have been here for a couple of weeks now.” I answered, tossing the ball back. “Deep breaths,” I advised as well.
“No, it’s the sweatshirt. You just look like someone…” he grunted again, throwing the ball harder at me, only because the last 10 were coming to an end. “Its just… I think… I don’t know… maybe one of those… faces...” He managed in between sit ups before finishing them.
“The Penguin’s? You used to be on that team right?” I asked, trying to avoid the subject.
“Oh yeah, must be getting old then!” groaning as he sat up, done with his exercises.
“Good Job I guess; just do a couple of bench presses with Chara and some twist squats while tossing the ball around while I go talk to Tuuka and Timmy.” I said, patting his shoulder awkwardly. He smiled slightly, drank some water and moved on.
Tuuka and Timmy bounded over to me before I could react, yoga mats in hand and towels around their necks. They both had goofy grins on their faces, waiting for me to say something.
“Do you want it to be just you? Or should I invite some of the other guys?” I asked, picking up my bag that contained all I needed for yoga.
“No please don’t!” Tuuka begged, but he was too late because Lucic; my lovely roommate, came over all sweaty and gross from working out.
“Whatcha doin’?” Lucic asked, eying the mats.
“Yoga, wanna join? We are just going into another room where its more quiet.” I said, pointing out my extra mat. Lucic looked down at me, as if questioning me, then burst out laughing.
“What? You do yoga?” Lucic gasped inbetween chuckles. I gave him a hard glare.
“Of course, I’m a goalie. What did you expect?” I said, turning toward the door. Lucic just laughed.
“You know what Lucic, you might just want to stay here and do more squats, because if you want to compare yourself to Sidney Crosby and his goal streak, you might as well try to look like him. Squats are good for your ass you know?” laughing I ran out of the room before I got squirted with a water bottle.
* * * * * * *
“Emily!” My cousin whined on the phone. “Pochemu vy ne podhodit kigre? Eto budetdolgoe vremya prezhde, chem im obratno!” (Translation: Why are you not coming to the game? It will be a long time before I’m back!)
“Evgeni, YA dolzhen uchitʹsya naekzamen ya imyeyu vneskolʹko dnyeĭ! Mne nuzhno sdatʹ etot ekzamen sdatʹ moego klassa. Ty hocheshʹ, chtoby vyĭti iz kolledzha kak mozhno skoryee , ne tak li?” (Translation: I need to study for an exam I have in a few days! I need to pass this exam to pass my class. You want me to get out of college as soon as possible, right?)
“Of course,” Evgeni grunted. I frowned slightly, curling myself closer to the couch and looking over the notebook in front of me.
“Kogda vy zakonchite, vy mozhete zhitʹ s babushkoĭ i rabotatʹ dlya moyeĭ komandy. My naĭdem dlya vashoroshim chelovekom, kak babushka hochet.” He said, bringing up other topics I did not like to discuss with him.
(Translation: When you are done, you can live with grandmother and work for my team. We will find you a good man like grandma wants.)
“Still want me to marry Ovechkin?” I laughed. Moving the notebook aside to open my binder. I flipped though a couple of pages.
“Did… has my mom called babushka at all?” I asked. I breathed quietly, stopping the rustling of papers.
“Da. She very pissed.” Evgeni answered simply. “She no believe that you kill Ana. She say daughter is… is.. is Сумасшедший! She day not her daughter.” Evgeni told me softly. (translation: Crazy/ off her rocker)
“Well I guess that’s good.” I sighed, resuming my search for my Q1 paper.
“Emily?” Evgeni asked.
“Yeah?”
“Come to Pittsburgh for couple days. Is good to you.” He said, struggling to speak in english.
“Im coming next week during my road trip. See me play?” I asked.
“Course. Babushka come too, and Oskana and Matʹ i otets” Evgeni promised.
“YA budu smotretʹ igru segodnya vecherom. Zhelayu udachi.” I promised, turning on the pre game news as I spoke and clicked the end button. (Translation: I will watch your game tonight. Good luck.)
♠ ♠ ♠
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