Tuckered-Teamwork

On sixth of January, I woke up late and wanted to get ready as soon as possible. My idea was simple, skip the breakfast as it takes at least six minutes of walking and then 10 minute to serve and finish. After breakfast again 6 minutes of walking so in totality I will lose 22 minutes which is near to half an hour. I did it. And reached office and found the great senior of mine already working. Hats off!  to him for being punctual, always. But I didn’t speak to him, something in me stopped me from inside. I guess this was my response in turn of yesterdays behavior. Today I had same feeling of angry child in me.Why did you do to me. Say sorry. And all these lines I cannt speak to him as my ego will get hurt. My O’ my, some time I don’t understand why and what I do.

This incident made me remember big shoot down of my life. On that very day I behaved in the same way and found myself losing my favorite game.

That was my twelfth standard, and I was the captain of the team. It was quite a glorious feeling. I was young and agile.  I started my year with a mission to prove something. I acted like a hero of big Hollywood movie star throughout the year. May be some people will certainly agree as they know that the story was nothing but screenplay was awesome. Last year greens, as we were known lost their first qualifying match itself. And that time the captain pushed me hard to get him victory. I still remember that match when I was getting maximum  passes,Mr.Chawla and other team member were passing me like hell. And Mr.Jain (from Blues), who was a left hand dribbler and tall figure, checking me like a mad shark in the ocean. He also succeeded in adding few baskets extra for the blues.  That day I saw the miracle,Mr.Chow-Bay, who was a class mate, did his life time best act. He got loads of awards (recognition) for a last minute three pointer. That was the utterly luck as he threw it from almost half of the court. And we were in trouble waters as cannot compensate a three pointer so soon and ended up in loosing. later after that match even my English Teacher appraised him in the whole class saying he was great today. I cann't say anything on that.

Confession time! This is something I never like to say but I have to. This lose was nowhere in my brain as it hardly affected anything in life. I was still going to be captain next year. I knew my name even can be considered for the captaincy of school team, as I was next to Mr. Perfect.  So I kept my nerves enact, next match was against yellow. And I was happy for Red as we both, shared respect for each other. We both were great teams in spite of their so many veteran players.  We supported them like hell in the match against yellow and they won and reached the finals. Now it was our turn to crush the yellows into the nano-particles.

I was very confident before the match and I believed in only one player. He was Mr.Sprint. he was fastest guy I have ever met, he hails directly from a village  and believed me as player.

The game was totally one way drive as we both did the what we suppose to do. Many of the field goals were done in a state where we both stood and passed each other to do the finishing. We both were fast for them. Also I guess they were down due their earlier defeat.  By the way, don’t forget we were also looser of first match. At the end we did it, now stood third in the tally. Happy and hope, both were served to me, after this match. 

This was a milestone, as my only motto to explain you this situation was my positivity. And I was alive in eleventh standard, even though I was smitten by love and defeat.

So we moved ahead to twelfth standard, I practiced whole year like hell. Hardest the labor, better the feeling, feeling of winning. It was awesome man. I think only of two things those days love and play. Rest of the stuffs were happening, accidentally. That will be in another part, today only game. As I love this game.

So I started preparing not only myself but the team. I was the play maker and I needed clever players to execute my game. I was getting insane to win that year. I even tried to get good players of blues. I negotiated to them as there team was worth less without a great like me. Join me up and see the glory. Actually this idea was given by some reds as one of the players was in another house. And last year, he changed his house due to some reason. All this happened in the starting of the year itself. And I asked them to do it as soon as possible so that people will not doubt. But they were fools or rather ignorant of how it feels to be winning. They led down my offer due to financial reasons as they cannot buy a new t-shirt again.

Let it be, It didn’t affect my determination at all. I was pushing myself every night to new level. I had all new sets of moves and strategies. You would not believe some of my new move were inspired by sixth standard students, one of them, lived in the campus,  was very impressive. I also worked on quite a few strategies against taller guys. Especially for Red’s gigantic centre players. They were my targets. I have seen every player closely and played loads of game with them. I should not say I knew the weak points, as they were very good in all the things. But yeah I knew their limitations, which existed with everyone.

 Confession time, that was an era of Michael Jordan, man he was a defender, still he managed to score highest in NBA. I was madly in love with this dude. The way he behaves after shooting and the big leap for layup. Man he was phenomenon. Mr.Perfect had different way of playing due to small physique , he use to throw the ball from underarms during layup and that was disrespectful, no matter how effective it is. But real magic of Mr. Perfect was spin. I never understood that why his ball goes and sticks to the board where as mine just bounces off, if some momentum is there. But believe me I had a way to stop him. And sharing it may be offending  to him, but two good and fixed pivots will stop him from taking layups and he was very deceptive at it. I had prepared theories in my mind. But I cannot execute all of it. I needed people as clever as me to understand. I needed at least two tall guys, One feeder, three shooters(including me), three fixed man and three athletes. My combination for a good basket ball curry spices is out.

 Man I started searching from my classroom. I started observing people like crazy. The way they move and they way their body language is, were tool for me to decide whether he can play nor not.

My classroom was full of oddly shaped creatures.There were people having good shapes,but were pathetic in moving their bodies. One of my friend who is in army now was so slow that I use think why he is bowling (cricket) in slow motion. Another friend, Dexter was amazingly uncontrollable. There were others who never even touched any sport in the physical world. There were some exceptions with the oddly shaped ones. One of them was the Respectful Indian. He was amazing at the table tennis. And I found him full of gaming sense. He was marked.  Then I found one guy called Mr.Current, he was great man. He is the only one, l learnt later, to put a perfect Yorker, fast and exact.  He was an honor to the team. Leo was nowhere even near to thought of.

 I got more people in the same fashions I don’t want to kill the beauty of match by going into the details of selection process.

One evening while playing, Mr.Cool’s younger brother Mr.Airy, who was in very good form and somewhat he was playing like a raging bull, not concerned about any consequences. While trying check he hit me twice and I asked for foul. He was enraged and started doing deliberately and later chanting foul! foul!  This was really unacceptable to me. And as I was determined to give him taste of his own medicine. I was incited and first thing I did was went straight into the chest of centre player with knee as guard, he was hurt. And so is the whole team. The game was no more a game, it was a War. Both the teams didn't left any opportunity to show their skills. And later I became a victim.  While trying to jump, I landed in a wrong position and ankle got twist. I left the court early that day and nobody bothered about me as what happened. I went home tied my ankle with crepe bandage. I went to school next morning I was practicing with my team, suddenly Mr.Cool and Mr.Airy came and started shooting. I shouted like a old hag. I don’t want to play with you before the real match. As you people are plotting to injure our players. They will not be able to play then. I left the court with my ball.

Confession time, those days in my life was first time I was against Mr.Cool, he was dear friend, but I wanted to win, that whole day he was kind of teasing  me, no matter, what drama I do, red will win. Even in the interval he was joined by Leo . But my idea was still the same that this year nobody can take this from me. 

Suddenly there was wedding in my native and I left the city for some days. I knew in mind that there is a possibility that match can be scheduled in those days. I prayed to god every day and wanted badly to be part of the team, my team.

Before I was coming I inquired about the match by the phone call. The news was not good, the match was scheduled one same day as I was about to return. But even then I considered myself lucky. Hope was still there. I reached home 8:30 am, and so I took a bath. In my mind I was praying , continuously. I took my moped(my gray beauty) and reached school in interval, I guess 10:30 am or near to it. I brought my ball with me , all geared. That was amazing . Suddenly the crowd acted insane. Everybody who was on court was in a fix. There were talks I guess in morning that greens are missing their captain. And now from out of the blue suddenly a ghost has landed on bb court. Man, I was like a proud king who’s addressing people and answering question. Even the Green Goblin was so happy, this guy is great character in my life. I collected the whole team asked the rest of people to leave this side of the court and started doing my proceeding. I was shouting and while shouting I guess one of the blue’s player didn’t like it and took it personally, later he retaliated. Another thing is that I was shouting to abate my nerves.

 And later that afternoon. We were against yellow , the first match itself. Now yellow was the color we liked, they lacked of any good preparation. But my mind was observing two players, and I guess they were fatal enough to make us regret. First one was Mr.Chemistry, those days he was the most arrogant fellow in my life. He gave me a damn always, he was great at chemistry also a great friend  of the respectful Indian as they shared table tennis love.  Another guy was junior to me, and his strength was his so ordinary dribbling with so extra ordinary shooting. His name was Mr.Winswall. and if that was the bad day then defence of Mr.Chemistry and Shooting of Mr.Winswall can led us to the match for third position.

So I  did what I can do, In first five minute their wounds were open, they lacked coordination. They were like who ever got the ball should run. Without taking any support.  Man first half was amusing and we were at comfortable zone. But second half was as astonishing .Even after having such a good lead, we started turning little slower and this was an opportunity for them. A new guy Mr.Talls, took the responsibility to play centre and then D, to take rebounds. There were two tall giants, snatching almost all the balls on rebound. And this gave somewhere, confidence to Mr.Winswall. He acted as I suspected, suddenly they started making gradual rise in the score card. We were also scoring but any shot missed means rebound and who will take the rebound. So played a small trick, I knew giants are not good in shooting. So I checked full court Mr.Winswall. Even If I got opportunity to hit him from back or side I did it. And I did it even , sometimes in the presence of referee. That guy was blind that day, only few minutes were left. Instead of increasing our score I asked my team to waste time. And that day we saved our skins. That team was even.

Confession time, now I see that match again in my brain, I see myself a criminal, that guy was playing good I should have let him do what he was doing. Believe me he missed only two or three shots in second half. And I didn’t let him attempt much. I was a shadow to him, my idea was do not let the ball reach him, first and if reached then make him pass as soon as possible. And this is only possible when I bother him like hell. So that I played a game of shit for my personal self and a victorious strategy for team. I ask forgiveness on this act of my life.

Now we were in finals. Man, the feeling was awesome and we wanted to face Reds as soon as possible.

Meanwhile one day I was practicing on court suddenly one guy came from the back and tried to kick me, I defended and his kick didn’t touch me. But then he shouted at me like hell. "You know who’ m i? I 'll see you. You are god here, you tell us where to play and where not". Man I was short circuited. I have never seen this guy in my whole life and he is saying I was shouting at him, come on, give me a break. Then story came as he is from blues, he was been asked to leave that court for practice so he was now retaliating to me, for it. I was determined to take some action, but those were the days of love. Happy, mirthful, soft pinkish days. Where man thinks about others and images. I was subdued by a sinlge comment from her highness, what’s the difference between you and him. " lamb , o poor lamb, he didn’t understood , I should go and consolidate him, for the bad treatment happened to him". Aah, these were first thought came to me, to get apt impression on her highness. Man of peace, mahatma. But suddenly Green Goblin came and showed brotherhood, he took me from the class room and told his intentions that he will help me.

Come’ on, be man. These juniors are nuisance, we have to answer them. Anybody can imagine what will be the next step. I thought we will go with cricket bats and hockey sticks and will beat them into pieces. But something else happened, we went to our English Teacher and we asked her help in suspending that guy else, we will take a strong action. I don’t know what does that strong action meant. As I knew nothing happened after her assurance. And I felt to be a fooled out. 

 This will continue man! Now I have to sleep its 3 in the morning.