Hana Sobotková and Yasmin Afshar

 

The Fight

 

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, you’re listening to Radio XWTL and this is a live coverage of a first league boxing match between the current world champion Andrei Popp, alias the “The Masseur”, and a new rising star of the boxing world, Oscar Rosenbaum.

 

The match will begin in 5 minutes. Right now the last spectators are taking their seats here in Cebu City Arena. It is a subtropical, humid evening here on the Philippines, and I bet you guys are enjoying yours with a cool beer on the patio. The few remaining seats are at the front close to the ring, but they will soon be occupied by the fighters’ assistants. The atmosphere here in the hall is tense and full of anticipation. There are many who put their money on the outcome of this match, but none of them may have felt certain when guessing the result. The betting shops report almost even odds giving slightly more chances to Popp, but Oscar Rosenbaum is not far behind.

 

And here come the fighters! The crowds are going mad; the fighters are being attacked by the flashlights of reporters and eager fans alike. I can see them now. Popp is coming out of the locker rooms. He seems confident and well prepared for the match. We will see what “The Masseur” has to say today. Meanwhile, at the other corner of the ring, the less experienced fighter, Oscar Rosenbaum, is preparing for the match. He is ready to face the champion. His coach is giving him some final instructions, but now the coach has to leave the ring, because (Gong, Gong, Gong!) there goes the bell and the fight has begun!

 

I WILL DEFEAT YOU.

I’m ready.

 

 

Both fighters spring from their corners and move close to each other. They try to anticipate each other’s strengths and weaknesses and they dance around, like a …

 

I didn’t mean to hurt anybody!

Your behavior was unjustifiable!

 

I’m not guilty.

Yes you are!

 

but Oh!! Rosenbaum strikes the first blow!

 

IT WASN’T MY FAULT.

Yes it was!

 

And Popp dodges the punch! Rosenbaum is sure on his feet, missing his opponent has not thrown him off balance. Popp is unharmed, but the tension between the two in the ring is rising rapidly. The hall is roaring now, as you can hear. Will “The Masseur” give Rosenbaum his answer? No, not yet, he is still dancing around him, tactically calculating his opponent’s stamina.

 

You won’t take over my life.

I AM YOUR MASTER AND YOU WILL OBEY ME.

 

Rosenbaum strikes again but Popp bounces back!

 

My time is now and nothing can change that.

THE PAST MATTERS AND YOU’LL SEE THAT I’M STRONGER THAN YOU.

 

I can feel the anger in Oscar’s blows just like everybody else here. His aggression has culminated to a level when he just cannot think straight anymore, his hits are not well prepared and he makes more and more mistakes.

 

When I saw the water it was already too late.

It is never too late when you can still save lives.

 

And “The Masseur” takes his chance now. He strikes back.

 

But I was trapped already.

YOU WERE TOO SCARED TO GO BACK BECAUSE YOU KNEW YOU MIGHT RISK YOUR ASS!!!

 

And again: Rosenbaum struggles to keep steady on his feet, his coach shouts at him, but all for nothing.

 

NO! I ONLY THOUGHT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO CALL FOR HELP!

DEEP INSIDE, YOU KNEW YOU WERE RUNNING AWAY!

 

Popp strikes the hardest blow so far.

 

No I didn’t!

YES YOU DID; AND BESIDES, YOU COULD HAVE GONE BACK AND AT LEAST TRIED!

 

Will Rosenbaum have enough strength to deliver another attack?

No, he is being hit again and again. He falls to the ground…”

 

 

…they took him out of the cave. I crept out after them. I was in the daylight again, praising God. The men were looking at me, suspiciously. But I could not have done anything. It could have been me who was being carried out… His body was so limp. Like mine is now. I can feel the rocks beating my own body. It was an accident. I didn’t see it coming. But when the first tremor began, there was already no time left. I tried to call for the others, but they were deep down in the gallery. I went towards the light. There was no one around. Then I heard the shouts. They were running towards me. They had seen the water that was entering the gallery and had climbed up again.

 

“The Masseur” is unstoppable! He deals one blow after another, but Rosenbaum is lying on the ground, defenseless…”

 

NO, THAT’S NOT HOW IT WENT. THEY DIDN’T CLIMB UP. THEY COULDN’T KNOW THE WATER WAS COMING, BECAUSE I DIDN’T TELL THEM. I STILL KEEP GOING BACK TO THAT DAY, THAT DAY IN THE DARK THAT MAKES MY HEAD TURN ROUND AND ROUND WHENEVER I DON’T TRY TO PUNCH IT OUT OF MYSELF. IT WAS MY FAULT. THEY HAD NO CHANCE TO ESCAPE BECAUSE I MADE A MISTAKE. AND NOW I’M HERE. MY DAYS ARE NUMBERED. I WILL NEVER SEE DAYLIGHT AGAIN. TO BE HONEST, I GUESS I DIED TOO THAT DAY DOWN THERE IN THE CAVES. I NEVER RAN AWAY.

 

“This is not right. Somebody should stop this man before he...”

 

 

      The picture is fading. I’m losing it... at last.

 

“The coach and his assistants grab hold of Popp and lead him away. Finally the medics can take care of Rosenbaum. He is badly hurt. He suffered some hard blows to his head and his chest. The medics are examining his body. And I have a message here that the medics claim that although Rosenbaum suffered heavy injuries, he will live. They are putting him on the stretcher now and carrying him out of the ring.”