The Sports Fan

Sports Fan:	Hey.
Random Friend:	How’s it going? What you been up to?
Sports Fan:	You know, the usual stuff.
Random Friend:	So how did your team do this season?
Sports Fan:	Not so good…lost in all competitions.
Random Friend:	Didn’t they lose last year too?
Sports Fan:	Yeah.
Random Friend:	And also the year before that?
Sports Fan:	Shut the **** up.
Random Friend:	[laughs]
Sports Fan:	Next year will be different. We will win for sure.
Random Friend:	Really?
Sports Fan:	There are some good new players coming in. The youngsters are also maturing well. The manager has laid a solid foundation.
Random Friend:	Hmm…you really think so?
Sports Fan:	I know so.
Random Friend:	But, didn’t you say the same thing last year?
Sports Fan:	[cold stare]
Random Friend:	…and the year before that?
Sports Fan:	[grits his teeth] Next year will be different.
Random Friend:	Uh-huh.
Sports Fan:	I’m telling you we will win next year. I have a good feeling about this.
Random Friend:	Do you?
Sports Fan:	Yea, I really do.
Random Friend:	So, tell me, why do you support this team anyways?
Sports Fan:	Ha?
Random Friend:	It’s not like this is your hometown or anything. And they lose so much.
Sports Fan:	Are you not listening? We will win next year.
Random Friend:	[rolls his eyes]
Sports Fan:	We will.
Random Friend:	‘We’ ha?
Sports Fan:	Yes, we will win.
Random Friend:	Aren’t the games really late at night? How are you able to watch them?
Sports Fan:	Yea…so?
Random Friend:	And they don’t even come on regular cable.
Sports Fan:	I find ways. A real sports fan always finds a way to the watch the game.
Random Friend:	But, is it really worth it? Hunting for places to watch, staying up late night, and losing sleep…all for a losing team.
Sports Fan:	[indignantly] Yes, it’s definitely worth it. It’s my team.
Random Friend:	Can’t you watch the replay the next day or something?
Sports Fan:	The replay ??? [disgusted scowl] Have you lost it? A real sports fan always watches the game live.
Random Friend:	So, you didn’t answer the earlier question. Why do you like this team?
Sports Fan:	I don’t know, I just love them. It’s my team.
Random Friend:	Do you like some particular players?
Sports Fan:	I like many players…but you know, the players often change from season to season.
Random Friend:	Is it the manager you like?
Sports Fan:	Yea, but that also doesn’t always remain the same.
Random Friend:	What is it then? The stadium? The fans? The style of play?
Sports Fan:	[silence]
Random Friend:	…the color of the jersey?
Sports Fan:	I like all of those things….but that’s not even it. I don’t know…I can’t exactly explain.  When I first saw this team play, I knew this was the team for me.
Random Friend:	What made you so sure?
Sports Fan:	I just knew it.
Random Friend:	So, love at first sight then?
Sports Fan:	Something like that. Look, my ship sinks or sails with them. If they win, then I can celebrate, I’m instantly in a good mood, and life is great. If they lose, then my day or week is ruined.
Random Friend:	[shakes his head]
Sports Fan:	If you were a sports fan, you would understand.
Random Friend:	Whatever man. So tell me, is it possible that after some time, things change and you stop liking this team? And then support another rival team instead?
Sports Fan:	[grimaces] Never.
Random Friend:	Never?
Sports Fan:	Never ever. This is my team. I’m attached to them, for better or worse, through thick and thin. I’ll never switch loyalties like that. No matter what happens.
Random Friend:	Really? Even if they lose badly for the next ten years?
Sports Fan:	Yes, no matter what happens.
Random Friend:	You’re crazy.
Sports Fan:	[grins] Thank you.
Random Friend:	You clearly have some deep issues.
Sports Fan:	[still grinning] Yeah.
Random Friend:	Fine, I give up. Good luck to you and your team.
Sports Fan:	Thanks.  We will win next year. I have a good feeling about this.

Words

Today, I decided to make a list of some of my favorite words, the ones that have a certain ring to them, and strike a chord with me. I will update this list from time to time.

• Epiphany: A sudden moment of intuitive perception or insight.

Example:  It was during his visit to Europe, enchanted by the numerous palaces, museums, and churches, that Mark had an epiphany and decided to quit his job and start a career as a photo journalist.

• Satori:  In the Zen Buddhist philosophy, satori is a state of sudden enlightenment and intense awareness; it means seeing the true nature of all things; it is considered a glimpse along the path to nirvana.

Example: In the hushed silence of center court at Wimbledon, as he bounced the ball on the plush green tennis courts, and prepared to serve, Novak Djokovic entered the state of satori. His mind was engulfed with a calm stillness, like the surface of a lake, with all his thoughts coming to a rest. He became intensely aware of his own breathing and his hand bouncing the ball. In that instant, there was nothing but him and the ball.

• Elixir:  Something that can cure everything, a sovereign remedy; or an alchemic preparation capable of prolonging life or of transmuting base metals to gold.

Example: After four hours of playing soccer in the hot summer sun, Alfred felt his body burning up from inside and his legs ready to collapse. His eyes homed in on a bottle of cold water lying on the side of the practice ground. He was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. He picked up the bottle and took one long, tantalizing, refreshing gulp. He exhaled deeply and looked at the bottle of water as though it was the elixir of life.

• Bliss: Supreme happiness, the joy of heaven

Example: As he held her hand, and gently slid the ring on to her finger, Raj experienced a moment of sheer bliss. After so many varied journeys, he had finally found the one person who made him feel truly alive, and he was going to be with her for the rest of his life. His skin tingled from head to toe. He felt like he was airborne, floating towards the sky, and nothing could bring him down.

• Saudade: A deep emotional state of nostalgia or longing for someone or something that is absent. It is a mixed feeling, having both recollection and mentally reliving happy memories, but also carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never return.

Example: He looked outside the window at the empty street, where not a sound was to be heard. It was Diwali day. His mind transported him back to Mumbai, his hometown. During Diwali time in Mumbai, everywhere in the city there are lights. Diyas, lanterns and lights of all shapes and sized and colors. These dazzling lights illuminate every street, every building and every home in the city. Fireworks explode in the night sky. Everywhere there were children laughing and playing. People are on holiday, shopping for things, gifting mithai boxes to each other. The air of festivity envelops the whole city and every one within it. An overwhelming feeling of Saudade swept through him. When would he ever see Diwali in Mumbai again?

Hundred Dollars

            Lando sauntered up the steps of his undergraduate dorm at the university. Spring break was coming to an end, and he wasn’t looking forward to classes starting again.

            He made his way to his dorm room, and was about to turn the key and step in, when a crumpled paper on the floor just outside the door, caught his eye. He opened the door and went inside. He paused, and looked down again. It seemed sort of green. He bent down to look closer.

            It was a hundred dollar bill.

            Lando blinked and picked it up. He straightened it out, and found it to be in good condition. Whoa, this was his lucky day.

            His mind was racing with thoughts of what all he could splurge on. A palpable sense of excitement arose. He went right back down the steps, and headed straight for the mall.

            His eyes homed in on the sports store on the top level. The dark green, dry-fit Nike t-shirt was definitely his style, and would be great for the summer ahead. Minutes later, it was his.

            Next, he set his sights on a matching Nike baseball cap, which would complement his new t-shirt. A broad smirk grew on his face. Now, what?

            He checked to find that he had about thirty dollars remaining from his serendipitous loot. It was almost dinner time, and Sullivan’s Steakhouse was on the way back.

            Lando feasted on a scrumptious dinner of hand-cut kobe beef. As he wiped his fingers clean and settled the cheque, he began to feel wistful. Who knew a hundred dollars could get over so quickly? It really wasn’t a lot of money, was it?

*****

            Luke entered the undergraduate library at the university, grudgingly prepared to get back to work as spring break drew to a close. He searched for a quiet spot and parked himself.

            He sat on the desk, opened his bag and brought out his text books and notes. His pencil slipped to the floor below. As he went to retrieve it, he noticed a folded paper on the floor next to the legs of the desk he was sitting on. He picked it up.

            It was a hundred dollar bill.

            He looked at it again, and confirmed that it was in fine condition. He couldn’t recall the last time he had some spare money to spend. He smiled, and shrugged. He could come back to study a bit later.

            Luke made his way to the mall. He passed the kids store at the first level, and thought of his five year old niece, Ayesha. He went in and picked up a cute stuffed bear for her. That would surely bring a smile to her face.

            Next, he went to the women’s store and ambled around. Mother’s day was around the corner, and the bonus cash had come just in time. After much deliberation, he bought a purple scarf that he thought his mother would appreciate.

            He checked to find that he had about forty dollars left. It was almost dinner time and he headed back to the university. He rounded up a bunch of his friends who were loitering around in various labs, dorm rooms and libraries. He ordered three large pizzas with his remaining money and treated his friends. Like any self-respecting undergrads, they devoured the free pizza without a second thought about the source.

            Luke wore a satisfied smile as he went back home. Wow, hundred dollars could sure go a long way. It actually was quite a lot of money, wasn’t it?

*****

The Light and the Darkness

            On a lazy Sunday afternoon, in the plush, air-conditioned interiors of his twentieth floor apartment in Malabar Hill, one of the up market localities in Mumbai city, Raj sauntered into the shower. Music blasted from his home theatre system. He sang along as the warms jets of water sprayed all over him. Half an hour later, he emerged from a thoroughly refreshing bath, and went about his day.

            On that same Sunday, on the other side of town, in the slums of Dharavi, Sanjeev scrambled to take his place in a long line of women and children waiting with empty buckets for a tanker to come to give them water. Sanjeev estimated there were at least a hundred people ahead of him in the line.  If he were lucky enough to get some water, it would be his first shower in weeks, and a welcome, albeit temporary, relief from the hot midday sun.

*****

            It was the first weekend of the New Year, and Elizabeth decided to treat herself. That afternoon, she hit Oxford Street in London, on a shopping mission. She purchased the latest handbag from the winter collection of Louis Vuitton, and matching high-heeled shoes from Mary Jane. Still, her appetite wasn’t satiated. After hours of window shopping, she finally settled on a fur coat, and to put the icing on what had been a prolific shopping spree, she picked by a cream-colored, flower-decorated hat, inspired by the Kate Middleton school of fashion. Elizabeth smiled smugly as she headed home. She was ready for the year ahead.

            On that same weekend, in the town of Kismayo, in the southern part of Somalia, Amina waited patiently. She had been hovering around the garbage dump for several days. At the start of every year, an elderly Somali gentleman would dispose of a bag full of old clothes there. Amina wasn’t alone that day. This repeated ritual had caught the attention of street kids all over Kismayo who, like Amina, loitered in the shadows waiting for their moment. When the old man eventually performed his annual clothes dump, a scavenger hunt erupted amongst the waiting kids. It was fiercely competitive, but Amina was lucky enough to score an old scarf, and a long purple t-shirt that was stained, and slightly torn. It was over-sized for her frail, four foot tall frame, and extended almost till her knees, but she would gladly take it. It was her first new piece of clothing since last year. Hopefully, it would get her through the rest of the year.

*****

            On the weekend of Easter, David and his girlfriend sat down to feast on a seven course buffet in Las Vegas, where they had come down for a holiday. The spread of food that lay before them was mind-boggling. It ranged from Chinese dim sum to Japanese sushi; from build-it-yourself tacos to French omelets; from hand-tossed pasta including pumpkin ravioli, to chocolate fondue; that buffet had everything. There was an extensive salad bar, and a huge sea-food section that included smoked salmon, crab claws, marine lobsters, shrimp, oysters and assorted condiments to go with it. There was also the finest kobe beef, succulent lamb chops, and top-of-the-line caviar. In fact, there was almost too much choice. David re-filled his plate with course after course. They ate for nearly four hours, and he must have taken at least seven trips to the buffet. It was like Christmas for his taste buds.

            On that Easter weekend, Okello trekked for five miles barefoot before he reached the city of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. He had been slaving away in the fields for more than fifteen hours a day. His employers were relentless in their demands and the workload wouldn’t let up. Okello was making this trip to the city after receiving his weekly pay. His body had been fading away slowly, with a thin layer of skin covering distinctly visible bones. He made his way to the local market and got himself a loaf of bread. He sat on the ground to devour his first decent meal in days. He gobbled up slice after slice, before it was finished in less than five minutes. The burning sensation in his stomach was evidence to how badly he had needed that meal.

*****

            Saturday night was the most happening night in New York City. Ryan and his friends were set to party. They started with a quick dinner in midtown, followed by bar hopping in the Village. From then on, the night took a course of its own. They shook a leg at night clubs, smoked some hookah at lounges, and sang their hoarse voices out at karaoke bars. Ryan didn’t know how many drinks he had consumed. It was five am when he took the subway back home. He could scarcely recollect all the events of the night. He did however, have the phone number of the pretty girl in the black skirt who he had danced with. He smiled as he got off the train. The lights from Times Square shone in the distance. In New York City, the lights never went out. It was the city that never slept.

            Saturday night was full of the usual horrors in the rebel district of Bab Amir, in the city of Homs, in war-torn Syria. Attack drones from the brutal ruling regime of Bashar Asad, launched bombs and missiles, with the intent of destroying all targets. They would not stop till they flattened the entire rebellion.  The international support to the rebels was still thin, and thousands died every day. Hafiz and looked around him. He was lying on a bunk in a makeshift medical centre, where the horrors of war were inescapable. On the bunk next to him, the man had lost both his legs. Another man was brought in with his eyes popping out from their sockets. Hafiz’s own wife had been killed last week in one of the blasts. But he was not alone in his loss. Almost every family he knew had suffered. Brothers, cousins, wives, fathers, all victims to the brutality.

Hafiz had a broken kneecap that night, and was probably the least injured person in the room. The deafening roars of the explosions continued to fill the night sky. The most disturbing sight Hafiz saw was when a nine month old baby was brought in, with its face completely disfigured from shrapnel wounds.

He didn’t sleep that night. Most Syrians didn’t sleep at night, since the violence had begun. His thoughts were centered around how long he would manage to stay alive in that battle-ravaged country. Then, darkness descended on the nation of Syria.

*****