Aaah, Youth!

The eyes were intense and focused. Body was taught. Both hands were on the
hips. Elbows arched. Eyes dart to the left. Then to the right. Then again to the
left.

“Hurry up lah Muthu! We can’t be here all day. I’ve got my maths tuition at 4
o’clock. Please lah dei!”.

A quick run forward and the right leg goes forward and upward slightly. Doosh!
The ball goes up high in the air but then dips down quickly and like magic, curls
to the left.

It goes over the row of boys up in the front all dressed in their finest football kit.
Namely, old t-shirts and worn out shorts. No boots or shoes. Just bare feet.
Hands holding on to their most precious ‘crown jewels’.

Keeper Jagjit Singh dives but it’s a futile attempt. Whoosh! The ball goes into the
net and the ‘crowd’ goes wild.

“Whoo hoo! Go- Go- Go - Goaaaaaaaal!. Muthu does it again! Whoo hoo!”

The crowd was mainly Selvi, Ramesh’s 9 year old sister, two of Jagjit’s cousins
who were visiting during the school holidays, a bunch of other schoolmates and a
couple of bystanders who didn’t really look as if they were talent scouts. Possibly
kids from another neighbourhood.

Muthu didn’t care. He had scored. That made it three goals to none. And he had
scored all of them. He was a hero. He did a couple of cartwheels and put up both
his hands in the air showing the ‘peace’ sign. Then he did his famous ‘power
slide’. Sheeeeesh! His knees slid on the wet and slightly muddy grass. It hurt
sometimes.

“Come on Muthu. Enough of the drama dei. Let’s go have Ais Batu Campur and
head on home. My father will kill me if I’m late for tuition class!”

Muthu turned to the person who seemed to be in some distress. “Ok. Ok
Ramesh. Let’s go. But this time, ABC is on you. I’m out of cash lah”. No
allowance yet!

“Aisayman! Everytime, it’s the same old story. I thought you said your big brother
sends you money from wherever he was stationed? If this goes on, I’ll be broke
and will have to start looking for a job!” moaned Ramesh, Muthu’s best friend.


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