Saturday, April 28, 2007;
Friday
The dust has not completely settled. But its nice when you take note of the people around you and how they try to cheer you up in their own little way however insignificant.
From being able showing a previously completely unknown side of myself so openly and honestly, to receiving a random sms just asking about how the game went, or just an open msn window asking whether you're alright or a slight push in the back as you're walking down to the canteen.
All these paved the way for a hollywood-like climax. At about 2 after another entertaining Lit class, I was strolling along the corridor flanked by the council room and student lounge on one side and the amphitheatre on the other with a covered walkway above my head. At this time, Nigel strolled up from the direction of the sanctuary. We had nothing much on at that time and so we just stopped to chat about the past day happenings. New insights on each of our parts compounded to our understanding of the going-ons. As we spoke, rain fell. What
started out as a shower sounded turned into a deluge as we continued talking. How iconic. Stay
strong bro.
"Heaven cries for us today"
- NJS
Moving on to brighter things, the guys met at 4 to arrange a lunch/dinner together with Mr Ali. Following which, we made banter and cracked jokes for bout the next two hours before heading home joyful.
I mentioned two poems of which I would post one. Here's the (alternative) ending:
Piercingly beautiful is the way
They culminate
Into a tapestry so exquisite,
And yet
So unintentionally.
Piercingly beautiful. Thats how it is.
To fully admire the tapestry, you got to take a step back first, Justin.
Justin,
Admiring the exquisite tapestry.
PS: Do drop a tag if you're passing through!
10:41 AM
Thursday, April 26, 2007;
So this is where our destiny has taken us.
The Start
High up in the skies or far below the earth,
Oft we try so hard, we give our all.
Success slips past us yet again.
As the world freezes, we too, freeze.
We watch as the world watches us.
As we run from this space,
tears stream down our face.
All the effort; progress,
That faint glimmer of hope,
All stuck in reverse.
Running, running in circles,
Minds in a crashing silence.
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be this hard.
Let’s make a rush to the start.
It's a pity that 19 fine young men would have nothing to show for all they've done. Nothing to show for all the miles their legs clocked, nothing to show for the beads of sweat that drenched their shirts, nothing to show for putting their body on the line and being on the end of all those bruises, scars and injuries. We're not going to get that chance to study with a medal in our hands. It's a real pity.
Oh well. So what now Justin? What are you going to do on those afternoons after school anymore? In all honesty, I have no idea now.
To all my fellow brethren who are putting their bodies on the line for their teams,
I have this to say,
I know what's like to lose, to win, to want to quit, to want to cry, to not want to get up.
I know what it's like to hear the cheers and yells for you.
I know what it's like to feel the pressure of everyone on your shoulders,
I know how hard we've all trained and worked for this.
It's never easy with what we have,
the beauty is in turning it around making the most of it.
With this, I wish you all the best as you achieve for your team.
Justin,
Salutes the 19.
8:31 PM
Wednesday, April 25, 2007;
It's nervy. At this point, I just can't get the thoughts of the RJ vs AC out of my head. I can't think or do work. My mind is just so preoccupied with these thoughts.
There's nothing we can do about it, and thats precisely why i'm feeling this way, cos we ain't in control of it no more.
I was looking at some poems written a while back, two in particular. One for each outcome. We shall see where our destiny leads us tomorrow.
Justin,
In the colours of the red and white.
10:10 PM
Sunday, April 22, 2007;
Well, its that time of the year again, season has begun and life has been caught up in that twirling mist called hockey.
All that running, stickwork and hard trainings. All culminating in these couple of weeks. They're gonna be unforgetable, just as how I haven't forgotten the matches I played in my Secondary School days under the shield of green and white.
What started out as reluctance quickly grew into fond affinity. As I've always said to the other guys, I took some time to find my feet. Add a load of first impressions to these as well. But we've grown so much, come so far, as a team. This year's Malaysia trip was also awesome. All the fun, laughter, jokes and banter added to the daily recipe of trainings and matches, and of course, not forgetting the singh in our second match and the lovely shot to the head I took.
We started off our season with a 0-6 reverse to RJ. The scoreline really flattered them quite a fair bit as we more than held our own for much of the first half and in little bits throughout the match.
A passing remark in the canteen increased my pride in the team by tenfold.We got the result out of our systems almost immediately and looked to our next match against AC. The preparations went slightly awry just as the match was about to start, and boy, what drama did the match produce. Missing shinpads and shoes followed by random hitting of balls preceeded our kickoff. However, within five minutes of the kick-off, the scoreboard read NJ 1 - ACJC 0. A beautifully taken deflection by Nigel. Luck did not sit on our side for too long and they soon equalized and took the lead by the end of the first half. 1-2. Needless to say, no one was pleased and we came out of the second half with all guns blazing. We then proceeded to snatch an equalizer through a short corner within ten minutes of the restart. Converted by Aaron Tan. Another lapse of concentration allowed them to peg back at us once again on that hot Tuesday afternoon. We were down, but not out. Disappointed, but resilient, we continued to press on, always believing. With less than ten minutes to go, we won another short corner, and from there earned a penalty flick. We deliberated on the flicker and it was down to me.
It was a nervewrecking moment. Miss, we lose, pack our bags and go home. Score, we're still in it with the slight upperhand. I jogged to the loose ball, then walked back to the penalty spot and placed the ball right at the tip of the spot. I was nervous no doubt. But the belief which my coach in Sec 2, Mr Ranjit Singh, placed in me steadied me. A goal would be assured in the ball landed in the bottom right corner. I stood face to face with their goalkeeper as my teammates retreated a distance behind. The silence was crashing. The numerous supporters there both from AC and NJ watched in nervous apprehension. I took a breath. Not a particularly deep one, just a normal one. With a step forward, I pushed the ball. The net let off a sound. Half a second of silence before the roar. I was euphoric. The NJ supporters responded by raising the decibel level. Truly, a magnificent noise. In the end, the game ended 3-3 with my late equalizer and we clung on. The goal against AC will go down as perhaps the most important goal I've ever scored. I had never before experienced such exhilaration. Pretty awesome feeling I must say.
AC is done now, and there's only IJ left. We need to go in there and play like Spartans, fighting to the last whistle and running till the last man standing. Its gonna be another fiery cauldron and we're going to use all the support we have. These guys will shift the balance in our favour. Our 12th man.
Before I end, some random photos of my memories.
Song playing:
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sureThere's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate,
I'm yours
Justin,
Loves the team and loves the game.
Let me play for the glory of one audience alone.
9:32 PM