The Boy That Brings The Ball To The Taman

Most of us that has or had a playing relationship with football. Will have played football in the park or taman near our houses growing up. Remember the days, about 5pm, going off to the taman meeting your friends, just to play football until the last light of the sun. Then repeat tomorrow.

But. Tetapi. However. Walau bagaimanapun.

Do you remember about the person who always brings the ball to the taman? Remember him? Remember her? Remember the times that we collectively help to get the ball back if it got stuck up a tree or went into someone's house? Or when his or her parents had to pick them up early, we all got disappointed because we had to end football early or begged uncle or aunty for 10 more minutes.

Or. Atau. On the other hand. Sebaliknya.

Consider this. Did you remember or learn how that person had that ball, for all of us to play? Birthday gift, saved up to earned that ball?

From my experience, the combination of people who brought the ball from their houses to the taman. Was either obtained as a birthday gift or earned it by saving up over a period of time. For those who have earned it by saving up over a period of time, just so that we can play football. Thank you for doing a deed for the community, so that we can play football for fun during those days. 

I recently learnt about a tale of a boy who had to go through extra kilometres just to obtain a ball and pump, so that he, his friends and cousins can play football together at the neighbourhood taman. However, the boy's parents didn't want him to play football or sports in general, always want him to study, study, study. It is fair for wanting someone growing up to study and achieve academic targets. However, closing someone growing up off from activities that can build social skills and confidences like that shouldn't happen. That's a discussion for another day.

Anyways. The boy always tune into school about how he, his friends and cousins talk about the fun evening games that they play at the taman. Always feeling left out during those conversations during recess. An oppurtunity came when to be apart of the fun. One day at school his friends and cousins spoke about how they lost the ball the play with into the river nearby due to a huge deflection in a sequence of play. By not having enough money to buy a new ball. The boy offered them, a portion of his savings for them to buy a new ball together with a pump. A jar of coins that he collected over five years, that is more than enough to buy a number of balls. Accordingly, the boy gave his friends and cousins a portion of his savings for them to buy a new ball and a football pump. 

His friends and cousins are so touched by his gesture despite the boy couldn't even play football with them at the taman each sunny evening. So they decided, before going to the taman. Once every few days. Before going to the taman to play football, the group heads to the boy's house to ask his parents if he can play football with them. The parents consistently deny the request because he must study for his upcoming PMR in eight months time. The boy usually gets scold by his parents about his friends coming to ask if he can play football.

Fast forward to the day the boy, his friends, and cousins receive their PMR results. All of them earned good results. After collecting the results, the group asks him and his parents if he could play football with them. Again, the parents denied him. In the distance, his cousin's parents, noticed the boy's parents. Cousin's parents, Encik/Mr. and Puan/ Mrs. A, asked the Boy's parents about what's going on. The four adults converse with each other, after instilling a rational notion as well as revealing how the boy passed the group a portion of his savings so they can have a ball to play with.

The boy's parents understood how much he wants to play football with his friends and cousin at the park. Encik A, comforted and assured his brother, the father of the Boy. That by giving the boy joy outside of studies, like football will help him with social skills, confidences as well as realise a healthy lifestyle. The father and mother come to an agreement with Encik and Puan A, and let the boy their son, to play football in the evening with his friends with a few conditions. His group was surprised the following day, when they went up to his house, his parents allow their son to finally play football. After the evening, the group passed him the ball he brought for them to take home, as they will see each other again tomorrow evening.

Sometimes we don't realise the struggles of those who just wants to play football for fun, the struggles of people who brings and provides the ball for a collective to play with.