PREAMBLE
"Hi, I think this is the first time I’ve commented on one of your stories.."
"Welcome sir,I'm new here so yeah it has to be your first time with me."
The above quotes are comments in my last post here. The first was @almadepoeta's comment and the second, my reply to him.
So where have I been? The sporting side of Hive mostly. Thus here comes a sporting related story for this week's prompt. Please pardon me, if you may not be into much of sports, but wow what a massive reception a lot of you afforded me last week with beautiful almost unnending comments.Thanks @ellizy,@corporateay,
@delightedpen, @oyebolu ,@lareaiyela, @goshen,@happy008 & @almadepoeta
HERE WE GO
So once upon a time, in same school I talked of last week– the University– I was to represent the school in a sport in the National University Games. Lawn-tennis, the sport. Two of us were billed to go for the school in the Singles Event.[The Singles Event means a one versus one contest].
Now I was new in the school, like I am here, I think it was my 1st year. I met a player in the school amongst a few others, very brilliant player, who was the school's number one, I was number two(2nd best). However, there was a small matter of our Medical School located hundreds of kilometres away from the rest of the school. We had tennis players there as well, with no coach,whereas we had a coach on our campus actively coaching us.
As a result of the magnitude and fame of the upcoming competition, it was only fair we give the medical guys an opportunity to represent the school. It means their best two players will challenge our best two players in a contest, the winners will represent the school.
Our coach told us that it was a mere formality, the guys over there were not coached, so they play the game by watching a bit of television and then, improvisation. We call them unorthodox players. The format of the contest was– the number 1 of one campus against the number 2 of the other. Fair enough, we concluded.
We were not bothered and especially for a newbie like me, it was such an honour to represent my school.
PREPARATION
However before this intra-school competition, up came our holidays. I was excited to go back home for the holidays as it will afford me the opportunity to go back to my roots– the courts back at home where I first learned to play tennis and my coach back home. I had enough experience to know that, you should never underrate your opponent. Infact I had been beaten by an unorthodox player before then.
Quickly as I got home I engaged a coach to prepare me for the event. It was quite a torturous training regime, I had never had such in my life before. "Come on on, come on",he will bark at me as I get tired of any training drill he metes out on me. After each drill, he will instruct, "No don't sit or stand still, walk around", as he preferred that if I must catch my breath after each drill, I should do that by gently walking around; then a fresh drill begins. I went on with him faithfully for as long as the holiday lasted– a few weeks– as my fitness improved and alas holidays was over.
Now back in school and continuing training, I made more enquiries about the Medical School's number one(my opponent) to know his style. I was told he smokes and takes a lot of alcohol, that he even plays like one who is drunk.
MY OPPORTUNITY?
Alas the day of contest arrived and I watched him as he hit some balls, practicing before our match and I tell you the truth, I lie not, this guy was moving like he was drunk, so irregular, jumping for no reason to hit balls. I have never seen a tennis player run flat-footed. Never, even till today! This guy ran flat-footed, so when he runs, each steps makes an audible thud. I was quite amused, but I noticed something important– he doesn't give up, he runs for every ball. I was ready, I knew what to do.
"Love, love" as we say to commence a match. Love in tennis means zero. The match started, I was in control, hitting the ball much harder than he does, whilst my opponent was running around chasing, until I finish off most of the points. I was leading, the other Medical student was being dealt with by my number 1, in the other court.
SUNLIGHT
In my Primary School days, we played a tongue twisting game, "The sun shall soon shine". You are required to say it quickly and correctly multiple times to win.
Dear readers, the sun became my undoing. In all my preparations, I never prepared for this! My match with him took longer than the other one because he runs a lot. Even so, I was leading and suddenly the sun arose on us, very hot! I lost my composure instantly, sweat began to pour faster and I began losing points. We were not allowed to take breaks as they do in professional tennis(well we didn't play as many games as them too). The sun didn't stay that way continuously, at a time it will calm down and like magic strength surges with me and I begin to win points; then out comes the sun again. This was a continuous occurrence.
Look the truth is we were firmly in the afternoon time of the day at the middle of this contest, so the occurrences of a cloud covering the sun( ie the sun calming down) were not sufficient to help my cause.
Lo and behold, with my coach becoming bewildered by what he was watching, the drunkard kind of player pipped me to victory.
I was distraught, I'm a male, we don't often cry, I cried within. Up in the flames went this unique opportunity to represent my University. My coach back home was waiting to hear of a victory, I never told him about this result, until I think he asked much much later.
It was indeed an opportunity that turned soar at the end.
Thanks for going through this lengthy read.
Cheers.