When I was in Primary School, I was a little timid kid. Never was outstanding in anything, kinda blends in with the crowd.
But the thing is I’ve always felt and wanted to be different, but I just lack the ‘tools’. For someone who was the shortest in class, there’s nothing I could possible do about it.
There was this Malay boy, whom I deemed cool. He played soccer and runs in athletics for the school. He has this really ‘cool’ aura about him. I’ve always wanted to be like him.
So to spearhead my “Be Cool” movement, I decided to be his friends first.
Back then you couldn’t just go up to someone and says ‘I wanna be your friend’. Among the boys you’ve to prove your worth to be part of the clique.
And he was part of the “Cool” clique.
So it was recess time and we boys tend to played soccer. Well they do, for me, I just watched from the hillslide facing the field.
That one fine day back in the 80′s, I decided to leave my gang of “loser” friends at the slopes and journey down the short hill and tried my luck with soccer. Hopefully I’ll be cool with this gamble on mine.
First up, the glares. Hey I was new, so be it. Being the newcomer to the bunch of kids, selecting team member, I was chosen last. It seems my ‘idol’ was on the opposite team.
Ok fine, I’ll play the best god-damn soccer ever, that he and his gang won’t have any other choice but to accept me into the gang with much fanfare and confetti with Doraemon song in the background. Hahaha, yes that was my train-of-thoughts back then.
And the match started. I played leftback or a defender role if you’re clueless. As the match went on, I had a string of fine passes and tackles, well things was going well.
With my idol playing a striker role, I was really into the game every time he was facing me. I flew a few tackles when he tried to dribbled passed me. He gave me a few glares.
To me that was interpreted as he’s noticing me!
I was ecstatic of course. I could just imagine now the gang all around me, cheering me on and putting me up on the ‘pedestal’ as their new idol … but of course not all dreams come true right, haha.
So the last tackle I made on my idol, he threw me a cautionary response “Don’t tackle me anymore”.
Again to me that was interpreted as he’s talking to me now instead!
Hey I was making friends with him already!!
Then on our next encounter, I once again tackled my ‘idol’ … we both went down. As I was getting up smiling at him, he “popped” me in the face.
Yup right smack in between my nose and the mouth. I fell down, obviously too shocked to respond. It was my first ever virgin so called “fight”.
As I got up, another kid pulled me away, fearing retaliation. Well there isn’t need to pull me away, in my thoughts I wouldn’t know how to respond anyway.
Reality sinks in and I walked away dejected, wondering what I did wrong. I had good intentions, with no malice in mind. That was the last time I played soccer in school and tried my best to avoid my ‘idol’ around school.
And you know what, it seems that fate brought us back again together after two decades plus. He’s now a regular user in my gym. I wonder if he remembers me.
