A game, and The Game

So let’s go…

No, I’m not in the mood.

Why what happened?

Nothing, just, mmmmph I’m not feeling good… I don’t want to go.

Come on, get out of the house, you’ll feel better, trust me.

No I won’t, and just because you’re me don’t try to pull any mind reading tricks, okay?

Arey? Where did that come from? I’m just saying ya, some moving around, some physical exercise would feel nice.

No! It won’t.

Stop being a baby, whining won’t make you feel better… take your mind of whatever is bugging you, it’ll help.

I just want to be alone, I don’t want to be surrounded by people… I said na, I’m not in the mood.

But I want to play, come on, don’t spoil the fun for me, please.

Oh yeah, you want to play, so I have to come along, but I want to brood, that of course is entirely unacceptable. You’re so selfish.

You’re just saying that to yourself, you know!

No, I’m not, I’m nice, when you’re feeling down, I am nice to you, and I take care of you, and listen, you just want to go play, then go, leave me alone.

Well, first of all, I don’t like seeing you like this, because it’s not just you, it’s me too. Secondly, I know physical exercise will fix things, it always does, and I do care about you, otherwise I’d have gone with the guys, instead of waiting for you to cheer up. Look I know it’s not fun to think about moving, but really, things aren’t that bleak, there’s a lot of good stuff going on too. They want to play with us, you should come.

No, they want to play with you, not us, and you’re most welcome to go, I’m sure if you could leave me behind you would, it’s just because we share the same body that you can’t, or you wouldn’t be waiting here.

That’s mean of you to say, you shouldn’t say things like that. You really think I don’t care for you? Huh? Really?

Okay, fine, I know you care for me! Look I’m sorry, I’m just not enjoying my life at present, I feel very powerless, just chaffe in the wind, and that’s not a pleasant situation.

Well okay, let’s go down, let’s smack a few balls out of the park, take a few wickets, win a few matches, and we’ll feel better na? I don’t enjoy feeling this way either, but I know I can have some amount of control on the pitch, you’ll feel better after you win.

I don’t know… oh okay fine, I’ll come, I did want to try out that new delivery we were talking about that day.

Which one? Oh yeah, that inside out one? Oh fuck yeah, I can just about imagine Rohit dancing around the ball… ha ha ha yeah, let’s go do that. We’ll bowl first okay, like you like to?

Hmm, yeah, poor Rohit, I don’t like the way he takes every chance he gets to talk about how the hit those two sixes in our over.

Yeah, and he never mentions his previous two innings where we got him first ball… accha now get up na…

Yeah yeah, I’m up… should we change?

No, just put on shoes, I think, we can’t possibly play in floaters. How did he manage those two sixes though, it was quite embarrassing.

Hmph! We thought he’d expect the googly, so we bowled two simple balls before the googly, and he latched on to them. We did get him out eventually though, in that same over. The inside out ball will mean he won’t have time to latch onto anything though, even after 5 innings, if he wants!

Hm… oye you’ve got the laces on wrong.

No, they’re perfectly fine… I hate these socks though, they itch.

Yeah! Just fold them down to the ankle, that way we won’t feel them as much.

How does that work? The shoe fit? You think you can run in them?

Yeah, I guess, a little tight around the toes, but then, I don’t intend to run to make my runs. Just hit!

:D yeah, just hit! We will have to field too you know, at least a little.

Maybe… eh… anyway, let’s go, you ready, where’s the lock.

On the shelf by the door, did you get it?

Yeah, found it, chalo, I’m locking up, put the keys in the flowerpot as usual I guess?

Yeah yeah, we might not come back straight, specially if I’m still in this mood.

Hmmm…

Race you down the stairs?

And who’d win?

Erm… fine…

***

Hey, check it out, they don’t seem to have started playing yet… I wonder which team we’ll be in.

As long as its not Rohit’s team!

Oh come on, in that case we’ll just win!

Yeah, but I want to get him out, over and over again, it’s no fun bowling to the other guys, they can barely bat. They just keep touching the ball, or avoiding it hitting the stumps, till they do something stupid, and get out!

Okay, fine, let’s just see whose team they put us in.

Not rohit’s not rohit’s not rohit’s not rohit’s

There! Happy, we’re playing with Ravi, Ankan, and Mehta… not Rohit, you can bowl to him to your heart’s content.

I’ll only be content if I can get him out! :p

Okay, so are we batting first, or bowling?

Hmm… let’s see, they’re just doing the toss… yup we’re bowling first.

Oh cool, four over match?

Yup, and we bowl first.

Ah, and Rohits opening, ha ha, boy is he going to be in for a surprise.

“Ankan, ball de yaar,”

Ooh nice catch…

Damn lousy throw though, is there anything Ankan can do right?

Oye he’s not that bad either, he does play decently, he just can’t field, that’s not the worst thing, he could almost play for the indian team.

Ha ha very funny.

Okay, so, now to business… fuck I feel so silly measuring out my run up, even bowling, why does it have to be so awkward? I wish there was a more elegant way to do this…

Okay, chalo, bowl ya…

Hmmm, so here we go, first ball of the match, Eduard bowling to Rohit, there is a torrid rivalry between these two, and when they’re at opposite ends of the pitch you can expect fireworks.

What delivery should I bowl?

Oh fuck yeah, it’s the first ball… well I guess just for a loosner, he can’t have got his eye in yet.

Yeah, but if I use the googly, or inside out, I might get him out soon…

Then again, if he sees you the delivery, but you get the line and length wrong, he’ll know what’s in your arsenal…

True that, loosner it is then, what’s the worse he can do? Hit another six? Six and then out, I can live with that.

“hmph!”

***

Nice balling saqqy, nice balling, keep it up, c’mo c’mo c’mo

Yeah yeah, coming o’

This time the googly?

Yeah, lets see if he can even read it.

***

Fuck, he was ready for it! But, well, he couldn’t do anything with it, just didn’t get beaten.

Yeah, MAJOR ACHEIVEMENT! Ha ha

Okay, chalo, now what? Inside out? Or another googly?

Inside out, this time, then another googly!

Cool…

***

Oh fuck almost had him that time, did you see his face?

Yeah, the way his eyes lit up when we saw the ball go back out? It was so funny, poor chap never knew what hit him.

Or didn’t hit him, yup yup!

Okay, one more googly… hey this is still a maiden no?

So far yes, oh cool…

***

YES! Alright, yaya! That’s what I call a ball… fucker didn’t even know where to look!

:D that was classic man, fuck ball of the century as far as I’m concerned… yeah tell me about it.

Whose next?

Amir?

Looks like him… yeah, he’s up.

Easy pickings man, I’m going for around the legs on this one.

You sure, you probably won’t get him.

Just watch.

***

“out out out! YES! Al right! Huh? What, not out? It bloody hit the leg stump man, I saw it right from here, look, I can bowl that delivery a million times, it’ll do exactly the same thing, pitch outside, and hit leg, wanna see? Hell even Amir knows it hit leg, he’s walking ya”

But it wasn’t out, we saw that! 

Yeah I know, but the umpire just gave it out, what are you complaining about.

Isn’t that wrong?

Hey I just appealed, nothing wrong with that, if their bloody umpire is too anxious to bat, and happily declares his teammate out, what am I supposed to do?

I don’t know man, but that didn’t feel too good, you pressured him into doing it, if this were a real match, you’d be fined.

No, I wouldn’t, I’d get away with it, just like the Australians…

Why?

You know why… because I’m white.

One day that’s not going to work for you.

I really hope that day comes soon, just because I use it, doesn’t mean I enjoy it.

Yeah right.

Anyway, whose batting next? Who is getting out?

Apparently they’re sending in Sam, the wall…

The wall, that’s rich, let me see if I can find any cracks in him…

Try try..

Another googly to end the over?

Yeah, sure, or a regular delivery, no use wasting the inside out, again…

***

Fuck man, should have got him out! Damn it!

It’s okay, chill… you got two wickets… leave some for the other guys… I’m going to field close in, I hope I get to dive or something!

Yeah, I doubt you will. But all the best! Three more overs of just standing around!

Hmm… but I like fielding, when the ball comes this way. Who is bowling?

Rajiv.

Oh, not much chance of a wicket then. But, well we might get an edge.

Okay wait, ya, I want to concentrate.

Hmm…

***

“oye good balling, good balling… nicely done, just pitch it up a bit.”

That was  a good ball, man, Rajiv has got better…

Hmmm, chal quiet again…

***

“out out out!”

Yes, oh fuck that was good, one more wicket to go.

But I want to take a catch! Don’t think I’ll get a chance.

Yeah, that’s too bad, but fuck it, yeah, we’ll get them all out for nothing.

Hmm.. okay next ball…

***

Fuck fuck fuck, he’s running get the ball… throw, throw! YES! OUT!

Ha ha, chalo, I also got to do something… but fuck man, one run to win? That’s embarrassing ya!

Well, Rohit was the only one who could score for them, and guess who got them out!

Yeah, but now I’m feeling depressed, no batting to do! L

Yeah, that does suck! Still I’m feeling much better, thanks man this was a good idea.