5 years ago, on my dad's red honda, i'd be listening to di cong on 95.8fm. it'd be really early, 6.30am? the sky is still dark, the dawn just about to break. heading for the bball court, i'd spot a few figures running around and a round object travelling past their feet, whizzing towards the 'goal' made up of shoes. taking off my own and running in with only my socks, shouting apple/orange at the same time, i'd then join whichever team i'm spsed to be in. (:
as more people stream in with the break of dawn and the lightening of the sky, it becomes a full match. running on the rough bball court flooring with only socks on your feet felt liberating. i like playing barefooted. but all too soon, its time for flagraising, and as we get into line with our sweaty uniforms, i sense mrs choy's disapproving glances at us. but we didn't care, did we?
recess time came, and we made a beeline for the 'bao' stall and the drinks stall. 20minutes was all we had, and we wanted to make every minute count. rushing onto the lush green field, our tugofwar for the better players started. i remember how happy i was whenever i'm not the last selected. even though we never EVER had full teams of eleven-a-side, somehow the field didnt feel very big. for a simple game which lasts for less than 20minutes, we ran and pushed and ran and pushed. i'll never forget the slide i made that day, and as i type this, i still remember the feel of the muddy soil on my legs as i slot the ball into the net. =D it felt truly wonderful.
as the bell rang again to signal the end of our shortlived game, we trooped back as an army of starving and tired green soldiers, but somehow, we always managed to stay awake in mrs choy's classes. and once the last bell for the day rang, it was back on the field, back to the tugofwar, and back to continue the game again. playing for an hour plus, sometimes 2, (i remember once when we played till 5, when we ended at 1) the stinky group of us will walk to the provision shop outside the school. i'd ALWAYS be the one to buy newpaper, and then they will snatch it and announce the results of the previous night so loudly, it was embarrassing. haha
since all of us stayed in the same area, taking the looped 315 was a daily routine, and we'd take the long way sometimes just for fun. being immature kids of 12 years old, screaming and shouting on the bus was a norm. i wonder now why the other passengers didnt complain about the ruckus we made.
thinking and typing about these past memories make me feel nostalgic and happy at the same time. happy that we had such beautiful memories, that they welcomed me, the only girl into their game, that we bonded through a beautiful game. i wish for the recurring dream to happen soon, the one where all of us gather again one day on the field, and play a game. i really really really wish it'd happen.
as i was playing street soccer today during pe and after school, i felt happy even though i thought i didnt contribute much to my team. i dont know, i was just playing for the sake of the game. not playing to win, but playing to have fun. to smile. to enjoy the company of my teammates. and i really did have fun, even though for both games we lost terribly. haha but it was really great fun. it lifted my spirits considerably for the entire day.
thanks to miss ho for the really inspirational talk ytd, and for the stuff you made our team do tgt. we might come off this year with nothing substantial, but we'll come off tgt as a team. (: i really love the girls a whole lot!
thank you for encouraging me, asking me to press on, never giving up, cheering me up when i'm upset, consoling me when i felt lousy, being there for me when i needed someone, etc etc etc. =D (i refer to alot of people here, haha.) you dont know how much it means to me.
i am happy!
;12:55 AM
