Never to be left behind...

Just yesterday, I was feeling kinda down, I was looking forward to participating in an upcoming basketball tournament, but I could not find any teammates. I felt rejected and unwanted. Sigh.... for quite some time I've felt that my best years were behind me. Ever since I injured my knee in the final of the Sukan Rakyat, I never fully regained my confidence. I never thought with certainty (like b4) that I could go into the court and play with fire in my eyes and amber in my heart.

But, juz as I was feeling down, I got a call from one of my friends. He asked me, coincidentally if I would be playing in the tournament. He told me of another of my close friends who would be taking part tis sat. At that moment, I felt a twitch in my heart. Could Innerflame go for glory one last time? Could this broken frame sustain another moment of battle?

I quickly dialed all my friends from UKM. I had a plan in mind. If I could assemble a team according to the blue print, it would have been rather formidable. I called Dak, my star forward. The phone rang and rang but no1 picked it up. I proceeded to call Kang...my point/shooting guard, I knew he would not only provide leadership but also much needed calm in the team. Unfortunately, Kang told me he himself had sustained the same injury that I had suffered and could no longer take part in the tournament. Worse still, he told me that Dak was also laid down by injury. Although I was dissapointed, I was happy that these ol' friends of mine still would have gone down to play for me, bleeding and fighting all the way, throat to throat with me, if I had insisted upon it. Such loyalty these days are almost unheard of.

Still...I didn't want to give up.I have alwis been a fighter, haven't I? I proceeded to call Hilmi and Yasier. Both of these bros. were the only remnants of my class which I had tutored in school. I have to admit my training regime was strict beyond reason and sometimes totally unortadox. Many failed to see that my training ways could have benefit them. But, these 2 stood by me thru thick and thin. They defended me by the scruff of their neck when they had to all these years. Now, they are leaques beyond me in terms of skill. Alas, they have not forsaken me. Both of them already had teams of their own. I was too late in recruiting them. But, what Hilmi said almost brought a tear to my ice cold eyes. He told me to be there on Sat. for both of them becoz they wanted to shake my hand b4 the game started. Such a gesture left me totally dumbstruck. Many lesser man would have forgotten me. Afterall, I was only the person who polished their game, I only told them of their potential still unharnessed. My only regret, if any, is that these 2 bros. still cannot play in the same team. I had developed both of them at a different pace. I thought this would have helped them compliment each others game.

Unfortunately, this resulted in them being further apart as they grew to maximise their own individual skills. Sigh....perhaps this would be a good point as well..who knows?

Later, that night I got a call from a frn in UPM. He had a team and had requested my presence in it. I humbly declined. His intention was pure but it was shrouded with emotions. He had asked me to be there becoz I was his friend. He was tied down with sentimental values. But, I would know better that sentiments are sometimes a bane in such a situation. I will not bring any added value to his team rather, if I had played, I would have only held him back. The right thing to do is to let this chance past.

At the end of the day, I'm still left without a team, but, unlike b4, I'm happy. I will be going this Sat. NOT as a player, but as a friend and spectator. I still have things to do. I have :

• to shake the hands of my former students who are now my gr8 friends
• to suppport friends who had me in mind when I was laid low (yu jin)
• to remember those who have fought and played with me all these years (all my teammates frm MHS - UKM)

P/S: Guys, tis doens't necessarily mean the end of Innerflame. MY sneakers are not hung up yet. As a matter of fact, I have juz purchased a new one. I look fwd to the day we can all lock horns in competetive battle once again. Till then, GUD LUCK!!