When the magician's magic failed...

The only thing passing through your mind would have been, when did this moron learn magic and if so, where did he learn it from ? I know a little bit of magic, but it only works with my 4 yrs old niece and i make hers work with me :-) (A very mutual understanding..., u see)

I was just getting back to my old days. My face hadn't just had a slightest of glow when i received a mail from the football team co-ordinator, asking me to come for the practise session at our office ground last saturday. It was something that i was going to try after 10 yrs... Yeap, 10 long years.. So much changed within the last 10 years, right from being a rough guy to being a delicate soul and ya, not to mention a little weight that i put (Esp on the tummy).

I warned my friends, guys, you may feel some trembling early on saturday morning, dont mind, its just me going to kick the football as if it was your butt. The wait was really long..., The mail came on tuesday and had to wait uptill saturday. Tell you what, it was more curious than waiting for a date. I remember those old days where i spent hours on the football field and reached skool after the recess and then dosed off due to the heavy practise that we had. I knew i never could be like that, and you see Magic once learnt can't be forgotten.

I did not even put a habit to walking off late and then, you are gonna ask me to run for about 90 mins, Isn't it asking too much from a little soul ? However, that was a challenge to be faced, and more merrily, I was looking forward to be a part of one of the corporate team.
The preparation was awesome, Just the previous day, i remembered that i had no shorts, no jersey, no boots and no stockings... Like always, asked google.com for the nearest sports shop and google.com with the help of sulekha.com (woh ads waali aunty) helped me locate one as close as 1 km from my office and i made sure that i went upto everyone's desk to let them know that i was going to purchase a football boot.

Hmm... Nothing like expecting a contribution from them, but wanted to let everyone know WHAT I WAS.... Yes, I was upto self praise (even after knowing that its never worth). I of course expected questions from my collegues, Dhinu, do you play football too ? for which i would have replied, Dude, maybe u didn't know, but i was a state level football player when i was in skool! That would have caught them with their mouth wide open and few fatsos even with water oozing from their mouth.

Finally, I was there, I picked a studs of my choice, a jersey, black stockings and a short too... and headed back home. On the way, i went to meet a friend and seen many books lying with him, asked him if i could borrow them, he said.... All yours buddy!!, That was sweet of him, Had a light dinner and i was on my bed by 10 pm, thinking that i've to sleep early as i've to start off to the ground by 6.30am which would be a good 22-25 kms ride early morning. The book was really intresting and did not know how time flew off, When checked the clock for the time, It was 1.40am. Oh shits.., Can i make it to the ground tomorrow with less than 6 hrs of sleep ? I did not want to be like my friends who wanted to go for a vacation as soon as they get a job. No matter what, I SHALL GO!! and went off to sleep....

My alarm tried waking me at 6am... Snooze was pressed as soon as it rang. 6.05am..., Snoozed again, I could barely open my eyes to see it was 6.05 am... Am sleeping for 5 more mins and its the last 5 mins of my sleep this morning..., 6.10, the alarm goes off again, I whole heartedly thank Nokia, that untill you put it off, it keeps buzzing every 5 mins. This time, i woke up, put the fan off and lied again..... Finally it was 6.20 am and I was finally up!! I knew i wont be able to do much in the morning with packing, so had my bag ready the previous night.

I was all set to go by 6.40 and I drove like i was a part of Brazil going to play the finals against Argentina. (Thank god, i remember 2 football playing nations!) . There i go and find the security guy asking me for my ID card to enter the office complex, oh okay, i had to stick it out, which i had not, Probably coz, i was going to office to play and it was not a working day for me. Beside the security gate, it also read " Badges must be worn at all time when in office premises", Hmm..., new experience isn't it... playing football with your office ID tag around your neck ? All the morons who think that I was wearing it even when playing..., dont u think you were right..., I stuck it on the bag and off i go to play.

The first shot after 10 years... Booom..., aimed at the goal and it went hey wire...., like everyone else, I checked on my boots..., probably the boots are not fine enough ;-) (i was really not finding something else to blame it, for i moment, i really thought, should i also tap the ground to see if its proper). 2nd and 3rd shots weren't any different., I had to blindly accept, its not the boots or the grounds, its ME.... I am the problem to myself!!

After a little bit of warming up, we finally split ourself into 2 teams and started to play, I tried possibly to reach for the ball as and when, but someone or the other always managed to grab it out from me, and I was feeling nothing less than a "immovable asset" stuck to the place where i was standing, and i was just not standing, but almost down breathing as heavily as i could. I finally told my goalkeeper, i would be at the goals and he can play at my position for sometime. He was okay with it and me was absolutely fine with it and i managed to halt a couple of goals too.. ( i was too proud of it...)

After like another 15 mins of play, I thought i'll go back to my position and I did not for more than 10 mins when the least expected guests came in.., THE RAIN. We were used to playing in the rain when we used to practise at skool, but this time, i had turned from a rough and tough to a delicate soul..., so decided not to take much chance and got off the field, leaving my team with 1 less. I was down and out, almost got everything wrong and also turned good looking things to bad. I could not even manage to take a good shot at the empty goal!

The game was finally over and we guys marched out of the ground, I was nothing less than a soldier damaged himself completely in a war. It was a mental blow too... This was just the beginning..., A beginning after a brief end, when a magician got all his magics wrong. I thought, i will never let go this skill of playing football and i was wrong!! Will let u know if at all i would get some magics right., the next time that i am on the field. For now, I am sure that i would not be attending the camp this weekend and in the coming weeks, I shall make myself count, if not for anything, atleast for the amount of sleep that i give up on saturdays....

Luv, Dhinu!