Remember Grobbelaar!
Yesterday was brilliant, a nice shiny spot in an age of dullness and dreary drudgery. (What's the noun of dreary? Drear? I don't think I know. If you do please tell me.)
My two lovely little guinea-pigs, Grissom and Catherine, finally had their babies. Four of the most adorable, squeaking little bundles of fur you'll ever see. There's a black one like Grissom, one with a white head and brown body, and two creamy brown ones. The epitome of cuteness. The sister insisted on naming one after Paul Twohill (UGH), and I acquiesced. One of the brown ones will be named Caramel, white-head is...well, White-Head, and the last one doesn't have a name. Suggest away.
Well later in school Choy pleaded with Nordin to let Ben play goalie for the team. Nordin agreed to show mercy (GASP SHOCK HORROR) but the Leadership Training Camp deprived us of his services again. Bala played on despite the camp, but big Jian didn't, so they still needed the keeper. And my name was on the list.
I was feeling bloody nervous, I tell you. I hadn't played keeper in an age. But walking out on the field was a great feeling. Paul sent a couple shots my way, which I somehow kept out. I started to think 'hey, we can do this'.
We needed a win to progress, so they attacked right from the off. Bala won a penalty and Choy stepped up...and sent the ball flying over the top right hand corner. My heart dropped. We could have used that goal...but there was no time to think. They counterattacked down a flank, and my first act as keeper was to cut out a dangerous cross by smacking it away.
Beginner's luck?
Anyway I was feeling fine and the second half began. I kept out another near-post shot, swatted away a long-range effort, and it all seemed to be going so well. Until Nordin blew the whistle and pointed to the spot.
I didn't know he'd given a penalty until Choy ran up to me.
"Pick a direction and dive there!"
"What the heck? A penalty?"
"Remember what I said!"
Visions of Jerzy in Istanbul dancing in my head, I slapped my gloves and stared down Daniel, the guy from the college team. It was a stroke of luck no one told me he was the star, or I would have been freaking out. As it was, I actually didn't feel terror at all, more of detached interest.
I did the Dudek dance thing and when Nordin wasn't looking, stepped forward a yard or two off the goal line. Daniel then began the run-up.
Choy told me to dive left or right, but I was watching him and I somehow KNEW he would go center. So I stood my ground and waited for what seemed like forever.
The ball flew over the crossbar.
YESSS! I jumped up and accepted the wild congratulations of the lads.
Attacking with what I like to think was renewed impetus, Haziq scored a beauty of a goal. We were one-nil up and cruisin'.
Maybe that was why I did what I did next. I get dumb when I'm relaxed. Choy cleared a dangerous chance and I yelled "I fucking love you man!"
Nordin immediately blew the whistle and pointed at me.
"You want to argue, is it? What card do you want?"
"Er, no sir. Yellow sir."
"Talk some more and you get a red. No vulgarities!"
Well I bet Peter Schmeichel never got a card for just swearing. Unfair, I tell you.
But we did hang on to win, and qualify for the semis. So no harm done I guess. But the best part was playing for a class team. I'd forgotten what it was like. And I was given a sweet reminder yesterday.
A05 all the way!
Finn Solomon 9:25 PM
PROFILE
Sulaiman Daud a.k.a. Finn Solomon a.k.a. Dark Solomon, emo boy.
Liverpool FC die-hard. Rafael Benitez is my master.
Arts Student of Tampines College
Fortunate member of the best academic class in Singapore- 06A05
Reporter for the TODAY Newspaper
Fairly liberal Muslim
Technophobe
Quite possibly the biggest Stephen King/Terry Pratchett fanatic in the world
Lover of classic rock- The Beatles, Guns N' Roses, The Who, Led Zeppelin and AC/DCtag
Gemini- This might explain the days when I am insufferably moody. And also the days when I am wildly optimistic.
Dragon- The Chinese Zodiac is intriguingly accurate in its assessment of my character.
Shares a special bond with a special girl from Texas, an amazing woman in Madrid, the erudite psycho of Tampines, an amusing Egyptian and the classy rock lady in Canada, a great friend from the Phillipines, a lovely lass from Venezuela, another one in Sheffield, and the coolest of dudes from Miami, Minnesota and London.
If for some reason any of you are reading this, you know who you are. Thanks.
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