Round One: Awaken
Round Two: Awaken 2
The moonlight shines.
The writer was seated by the window watching it. In his mind runs the words of that painter in his last story AWAKEN.
"Father! Father!"
He closed his eyes and The Pen wrote him another story. He saw the title, The Light. The story started to run in his dream.
The championship game will be tomorrow night.
A soccer coach brought his twenty boys to the park. The boys made their own groups to practice, having their own soccer balls to use. They grouped themselves into five boys each group as instructed by their coach. They could choose their members. So there were four groups of players scattered in the big park.
The purpose of the coach to bring them out to practice in the park was merely to take out anxiety from them. The championship was just a community game. Not a big time event. His boys anyway wanted to show themselves off to their families and friends. As a whole, to the community as well.
The sun went down, the park gets darker in some places or spots where there are no posts of lights to lighten the park.
"Okay boys, it's time to go."
The coach was in the school bus he drove to bring the boys to the park. He was accompanied by the team trainer.
Both of them stayed inside the bus talking and having some snacks and drinks while watching the boys in front of them.
The boys refused when they were told to stop, as the trainer called them to be assembled as he blew his whistle.
"Give us some more time. We are enjoying it."
It was obvious that they do. It was the group of best players who asked for it, as they themselves have chosen each other to form their group.
The trainer shrugged his shoulders. The park was lit up with light posts, free of people and the wind, warm. So he was convinced.
"Okay. One hour more since it is already dark. Play where there is light. I said, where there is light."
The boys cheered and went back to where they were playing. Their spot in the park. Some of them, like the group of best players, were playing in a spot where there wasn't enough light at all.
It was already seven o'clock in the evening when they were asked to go. At six thirty, the park's lights were lit up.
Half an hour later, it was really dark. Thanks to the moonlight, there was still a bit of light in dark areas.
Three of the groups have listened to the trainer's instruction. They played and enjoyed their games under the lights. But the fourth group got so hooked up with themselves competing with each other in the spot where they have chosen to play. Unfortunately there was no ligth around.
They have chosen to be far from the rest, because they said among themselves, that they would not want to give a hint "to losers", how to play good like them.
Their eyes fought hard to see each other, the ball and surroundings. Two of them got kicked in the leg by the other and they started to growl on each other. One fell and hit his head into something. Running after the ball, eyes fixed on it, he did not realize the presence of a tree. All the others laughed. While the others were scrubbing their eyes to see better.
"Let's play where there is light."
One of them said to the others. Another was against it.
"Neeh. What are you? A sissy?"
The others laughed. One more added some to it.
"This is great! Great challenge to play in the dark. We can do it!"
And so, they stayed. Until it was the coach who whistled and called them all to the bus.
The following night, the championship arrived.
The community people were cheering and shouting for their teams as the games went on.
All the others were happy except the five boys. The best players of the team. They remained seated after the second half of the game. They were just required to watch.
Two of them got their legs bandaged as they were kicked during the game in the same leg where they kicked each other the night before. The other two claimed they could not see well, their eyes blurred. The fifth was given a red card, because of his bad temper. He was upset that his other four friends were not playing well during the game.
The game finished with the best players on the bench. But the team won.
The others they called losers came towards them to celebrate the winning of the Leagues trophy. They stood up quietly and silently as they were hugged by the others. They were not celebrating. They were crying. They have tears falling on their cheeks. The others thought they were tears of joy. So, the more hugs they got from everyone, including their parents, families and friends.
Only them, between themselves, knew the truth inside their hearts.
The writer opened his eyes. The moon light was still shining up there in the sky. He prayed with gratitutde.
"Father, thank you for giving us your Light."
Then he went to bed.
(c) bbayonito20/bethbciar
