Football

Arrested!

Roger: I love this coffee house. It’s the same as old days.

Perry: Yeah! But the coffee is different.

Roger: Things change Perry.

Perry: Yeah! Back then it was better. It was real coffee.

Both the friends didn’t say a word for other four or five minutes. They were dreaming about the past.

Roger: Do you remember Carl? The old waiter who worked here? We owe him a lot.

Perry: Oh yeah! ‘Mr Beetle’ we use to call him. (Reflective) I wonder if it was his Beetle. He was a tolerant man I must say. I bet I owe him more than anyone from our group. Poor Carl!

Presently they were in his shoes. They were old.

Roger: What about Andy? I thought he was coming too…this get-together. He loves such ideas.

Perry: Yeah! His doctor didn’t allow him to take a journey after the transplant. He thought he would sneak out but his wife…you know.

They shared a laugh and then again went silent. Suddenly there was a lot of noise and a group of boys entered the coffee house. They were cheering about their victory in a local football game. They shook hands with the coffee house owner, giving him details about their match. Such was the beauty of this small town. Everyone shared happiness and love. One of the young boys came and shook hands with both Roger and Perry, and told them, ‘we won 3-0!’

Both of them were simultaneously arrested in what was now their history. They couldn’t help but think about the days when their life also was all about playing football.

Perry: Ah! Yeah! We know the feeling too!

Roger: The feeling! (Sigh)

Perry: We have played some good football Roger. Do you remember our 5-0 victory?

Roger: Come on Perry, the rival team played like a bunch of idiots.

Perry: Ha ha! Yeah! But you can’t take the credit away from us. We played well.

Roger: Sure! Sure! (More like a whisper) I can’t take anything away. It’s Time that takes away all.

Perry: Yeah!

They turned to notice the group of boys. They couldn’t resist smiling.

Hiding From The Rain

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Jagriti Rumi Attic Clouds Football Hiding Podolski Rain Sky Stories

Mr. Podolski was sitting in the attic, smoking idly. He continuously ignored the noise that was coming from downstairs. Everyone was watching the game, football. Both the windows in the attic were open.

For a long time, he was gazing at the blue sky which had some white spots here and there.

‘That’s a goal!’, shouted his grandson, gripped in the game. Mr. Podolski gave a grim grin and lit a cigarette afresh.

He failed to ignore the clouds gathering, the blue sky soon less blue. He thought, ‘they are teaming against me, again, like…that day.’

‘That Day’ echoed inside him as the huge church bell echoed in the town. It revived his rage and furry. In spite of his daily practice, he merely feigned calmness.

He stood up from his rocking chair and reached the window limping. He sharply glanced above while the clouds replied with a thunder.

He tried, tried hard, very hard but failed. His mind’s eye presented a slideshow before him.

Green ground, heavy rain, his white dress no more white but muddy, 90 minutes almost over, scoreboard shining 2-1, the crowd going mad, fans screaming ‘P-O-D-O-L-S-K-I-P-O-D-O-L-S-K-I’, the commentator shouted, ‘it’s a penalty…all eyes on Heinz Podolski now!”

His mind de-fossilized the amber which consisted of the words spoken by his coach before the match. He had said, ‘for some people football is a matter of life and death…I can assure you it is much more serious.’

This was exactly what he thought before hitting the penalty and then…. ‘We won!’ said Mr. Podolski’s grandson, shouting at the top of his voice.

Mr. Podolski’s recollection died away. It was raining outside. He shut both the windows and settled back in his chair.

‘Should I tell grandpa?’ exclaimed the grandson, who was extremely excited to think before speaking up. In a few minutes, though, Mr. Podolski got the answer as his grandson didn’t come upstairs.

He sat in the dark attic with the steady smoke all around him. He soaked the thundering sound and the heavy rainfall that gave his face a plastic expression and his eyes some moistness.

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