Just For Kicks

He is just walking across the field. Ambling across as if he were there with no purpose or cause. He looks unconcerned with the rest of the people around him. He looks to be in serenity with the environment. As if he belongs there and no where else on the world. Suddenly a whistle blows and he starts running. He sprints towards the corner of the field, looking up to see if there is any one else around him. There is a huge guy almost 6 feet tall lurking around, making slow but sure steps towards him. Suddenly he shouts “here, here, I am free, Right flank”. Slowly soaring above all the bodies on the field the ball comes towards him, His eyes light up like a little kid opening up his Christmas presents, the big burly defender is now moving quickly towards him. The kid puts out his foot and cradles the ball over his heel. The defender charges, He grace fully lobs the ball in the air, the defender is caught unawares, now too quick to change his direction and his momentum carries him over the line the kid successfully beats his man. The ball now quietly lands between his feet; he looks up with intent towards the goal. He sizes up his opposition looking for a crack in the wall, like a lion keenly observing a pack of gazelles looking for the slowest one. He finds his gazelle; He slowly nudges the ball from one foot to another and starts putting long strides He approaches the diminutive but rotund defender, who looks at him with a sense of determination. The kid flicks the ball to his right the defender sees the ball and shows intention to move towards it but the kid fades to the left and the defender is confused not knowing where to go, he attacks the kid but alas he is too quick, he circumnavigates the defender and collects the ball right behind the defender’s back who tries to turn around and trips. There is a loud murmur across the field, the goal keeper howling “fall back fall back, Right Flank attack”. The kid tells himself “two down, one to go”, as the whole battalion charges towards him he moves gracefully unimpeded towards the goal. Now it’s only the goal keeper and him, he nudges the ball forward and lines up a shot; the goal keeper senses his opportunity and dives towards the ball. The kid smiles, slowly brings down his boot onto the ball and pulls it back, the goalie dives and bites the dust .The kid triumphantly manages to get a smirk on his face and to the horror of eleven people on the field and many more around it, wraps his boot right at the bottom of the ball just above the ground and chips it. The ball slowly elevates rising above the flattened keeper, His eyes now as big as melons and watch the ball gently land between the dreaded caresses of the net .The keeper cups his face with his palms, unable to face the world and his team mates. The rotund defender kicks the goal post in anger, and then screams in agonies of pain, the big burly defender gets down on his knees and rests his face on his elbows. The kid nonchalantly walks towards the net and picks up the ball, as he turns around there is a huge huddle forming around him. Ten men almost twice his age lower their heads in respect and the kid smiles and for the first time in his life he feels elation, and he spends his days now in pursuit of getting the same feeling.

It is not every day that a ten year old kid scores a goal in a school match; it is even rarer that he does it within the first minute of the start of play. It’s astounding that he went past three men with the grace of the wind, ruffling them but staying serene himself. But the greatest virtue is he has the poise of an elder and he has been scoring goals like this for over a year now.