The basketball court baked under the afternoon sun, its surface shimmering like molten glass. Teenagers filled the air with shouts and laughter, the rhythmic thump of the ball punctuating their playful banter. In the middle of it all, Simon Williams stood near the sideline, watching his younger brother Charlie take part in a two on two game.
Suddenly, the buzz of activity faltered. Heads turned as an elderly man limped onto the court. His steps were uneven, his back slightly hunched. He wore faded sneakers that squeaked with every labored step and a sweatshirt two sizes too big. His gnarled hands gripped an old leather basketball as if it were a fragile relic.
"Hey, grandpa! You lost?" one teenager jeered, setting off a cascade of laughter.
The old man paused, shifting his weight to his good leg. "Mind if I join?" he asked softly.
The teenagers exchanged amused glances. "Sure," said one with a smirk, "if you think your hip can handle it."
More laughter erupted, but Simon and Charlie didn't join in. Instead, Simon passed Charlie a knowing look and said, "Let's give him a chance. We can do three on three with my brother and I and he can play on our team"
Big Marlow walked over to him, he was one of the tallest and more athletic ones on the
court.
" Man, you sure about this?" Marlow asked " Look at him he can barely stand"
Simon nodded.
" He's good, he is on my team. I could use a toddler and still beat your ass"
" Your funeral" Marlow scoffed.
As Marlow walked away, Charlie ran over to him.
" Simon are you sure about this?" He echoed.
" We got this brother" Simon said with a smile.
The game resumed, with the old man struggling to keep up. He fumbled passes, missed shots, and stumbled on defense. The teenagers mocked him relentlessly, mimicking his awkward movements. The entire tone of the game had changed, earlier it had been a mix of laughter and lighthearted competition that was until the old man joined, now it was turning mean spirited with the other teenagers taking joy in the old man plight. As the game wore on, his steps grew heavier, his breathing more labored. His shots missed more often than not, and his passes were slow and predictable. The other teenagers jeered openly now, mimicking his movements and laughing with each stumble.
"Come on!" Charlie groaned after the old man missed yet another pass. "This is pointless. He's just slowing us down!
"Charlie," Simon said, placing a firm hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "Relax, it's just a game."
"Yeah, but we're getting killed out here," Charlie snapped, his face flushed with frustration. "He's dragging us down."
Simon turned to meet his brother's eyes. "Look, I get it. It's frustrating. But remember how he asked us to give him a chance? We promised we'd do that. And sometimes, helping someone means being patient."
Charlie shifted uncomfortably, kicking at a loose pebble. "I guess."
"He's out here trying," Simon continued. "That's what matters. Let's just have fun. Winning isn't everything."
"Definitely not" Charlie sighed, shoulders relaxing slightly. "Okay. I'll try."
The game resumed, and though the old man continued to struggle, Simon and Charlie cheered him on. Slowly, the laughter of the other players lost its sting, and the brothers found themselves smiling again, even when the scoreboard didn't favor them. After a particularly clumsy fall, the old man signaled for time and struggled over towards the bench, his breathing labored. Simon approached with a bottle of water. "You okay, sir?" he asked.
The old man accepted the bottle, nodding. "Thank you. Most people wouldn't bother," he said, eyes twinkling with something Simon couldn't quite place.
"No problem," Simon replied, as Charlie joined him.
" His he ok?" Charlie asked. Simon nodded.
The old man took a long gulp of water, they watched as some trickled down his beard. He then let out a loud burp and used the back of his hand to wipe his face.
"Let me see your phones," he said, his voice rough with exhaustion.
" What?" Simon asked
" Your phones…please" He insisted
The brothers exchanged uncertain glances. There was no logical reason to hand their phones to a stranger, yet something in the old man's eyes—a mixture of sincerity and urgency—compelled them to comply. Simon reluctantly unlocked his phone and passed it over. Charlie followed suit.
The old man accepted the devices with care, his gnarled fingers moving with surprising precision across the screens. His eyes narrowed as he tapped a few keys on each phone. After a moment, he handed them back.
"What was that about?" Simon asked, cradling his phone protectively.
The old man gave a faint smile. "Because of your kindness," he said, "I've given you a gift. A website that will help you greatly. But be cautious—read the guidelines before you use it."
"What kind of website?" Charlie asked, his curiosity piqued.
"The kind that help people, who helps people" the old man replied.
Before they could ask more, the man turned away and shuffled toward the exit. Simon called after him, but the figure moved with more vigor than he displayed on the court and quickly departed.
The warm hum of the summer evening seemed oddly still after his cryptic message.
" You guys ready to play a real game now?" Marlow shouted behind them.
Simon help up a hand towards them.
"What just happened?" Charlie asked, breaking the silence.
Simon shook his head, his thumb hovering over the phone screen. "I don't know," he said. "But let's see what he meant."
The new icon on their screens was simple: a black circle with a faint, silver outline. Beneath it, the words "What-I-Need" were written in an elegant font. Simon tapped the icon.
WhatIneed.biz
The screen went dark for a moment before displaying a homepage with the same logo. A message blinked at the top: Welcome to The What -I-Need Store. A store that contains What You Need. When You Need. Read the guidelines before proceeding.
"Whoa," Charlie breathed. "What is this?"
Simon opened the guidelines. The text scrolled down in bold letters:
Guideline One: To be used only when needed.
Guideline Two: The Store reveals only what you need when you need it, not anything that is a want.
Guideline Three: You only get one request every twenty four hours.
Below the rules, a Visit Store button waited.
"It looks like some kind of shopping site" Simon said.
"But why would he give it to us?" Charlie asked. " Do we look like we have money ?"
"He said it was because of our kindness," Simon replied. "Maybe it's just some weird old website."
But curiosity got the better of them. Simon pressed the store button.
The screen changed a flickered a sentence
Warning: You have entered the Store. This is a one time free trial. Proceed with caution.
The brothers glanced at each other, and watched as the page changed.
The screen showed only a silhouette of a man holding a basketball. Beside it was the words " Add To Cart"
Curiosity got the better of the brothers and Simon clicked on it and it said added to cart. Then followed by a prompt "Do you want to checkout?"
Simon clicked yes.
The phone vibrated slightly in Simon's hand. His heart raced.
"Simon," Charlie said, voice trembling. "What just happened?"
" I don't know" Simon said, still staring at the phone.
" Hey you guys are ready or not? You still down by 20" One of the guys shouted.
Simon looked around, not sure of what to expect, but not surprised that nothing happened.
He slowly shook his head, thinking that they had just been had.
" Let's get back to the game " He said quietly.
As they walk back to the court they were met halfway by Marlow, he was the leading scorer on the other team.
" I see you are a man down again?"
Simon nodded.
Another member of Marlow's team immediately seized the moment to taunt Simon and Charlie.
"You're down by twenty anyway!" the boy shouted. "Might as well quit now!"
"Yeah," another chimed in. "Your MVP just retired to the nursing home."
There was a round of laughter.
Charlie clenched his fists. "Great. Now we're a man short and getting destroyed."
Simon opened his mouth to respond when a voice behind them spoke up.
"Mind if I join?"
They turned to see a slender kid about Charlie's age standing at the sideline. He wore worn sneakers and a plain hoodie, his hands shoved into his pockets. His expression was calm but confident.
"Uh...sure," Simon said, shrugging. "Why not? At least we are three again"
The other team burst into laughter. "What, you recruiting random kids now? Desperate much?"
The game resumed with the newcomer stepping onto the court. He caught the first pass with a nonchalant ease and dribbled past two defenders as if they stood still. He spun, crossed over, and delivered a no-look pass to Simon, who scored effortlessly.
The court went silent.
"Lucky play," someone muttered.
The next few minutes were a blur. The kid moved like a seasoned pro, weaving through defenders with dazzling precision. He sank three-pointers from impossible angles, stole the ball with uncanny anticipation, and orchestrated plays like a seasoned NBA veteran. Simon and Charlie barely needed to do more than follow his lead.
The score shifted rapidly. Twenty-point deficit turned to ten, then five, then disappeared entirely. Then with the scored tied, with final possesion, the kid dribbled to the top of the key, smiled faintly, and launched a shot that arced high above the court.
The ball swished through the net to the shock of everyone.
"Game over," the kid said, walking past the stunned opponents.
They were not laughing anymore instead their faces looked more shocked and bewildered.
Simon and Charlie stood rooted to the spot. "Who...who are you?" Simon finally asked.
The kid gave a small smile. "Just someone who likes to play a good game of basketball"
"You are not from around here, are you?" Simon asked
" No ….just visiting my aunt for the weekend" He said with a smile
" Thank you for the game, now I got to get back before she misses me" he said
Then he turned and jogged off the court, disappearing into the same area the old man had vanished into earlier.
Simon and Charlie stared at each other, hearts pounding.
"Did that really just happen?" Charlie whispered.
Simon gripped his phone, his thumb instinctively finding the icon of the black circle with the silver outline.
"Yeah," he said.
"Do you think it has something to do with that... What-I Need?" Charlie asked
Simon smirked and shook his head, still staring in the direction where the kid left.
" No, I don't think so" he said quietly.
" I would not think so" He said a bit quieter, mostly to himself.
THE END
PLEASE LOOK OUT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTERS IN THE W.I.N. SERIES BY SAM IVY
WhatIneed.biz ( Coming soon)