Free Men: Before The Game
It was just me in the court.
The ball in my hands,the clock ticking louder than words can explain.......this was what I've always dreamed of as a kid before getting into high school.but just then as if the hall had miraculously become full,I could hear chants behind me.
I turned to look and what I saw made me run for I became scared and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't run any faster.
Was this some sort of weird dream?
It felt so real I could feel myself literally sweating.
I turned back to get a close look,I was being chased by a pile of humans on top each other. On closer inspection,they look like they had been eaten or mutated by and were now one big pile of trash. I couldn't run any faster,my palm became wet and my legs start to shiver and just in a switch the lights went off and all I could hear were voices from people I knew and those I didn't......i wanted out so badly I just fell on my knees and my face in my hands and just then a light from one end of the corner came up and I could hear the personage standing in the light saying
"Your tryouts are today,wanna miss or get on the team?"
"Get up Khode"
"Get up!!"
And soon the whole lights surrounded the room and I felt my eyes open and when it was all clear, the personage in the light was my dad......if you listen carefully, I could swear you'd hear my heart pumping two times faster then the normal,my palm were all sweaty and my body was wet.
"Where did they go" I said,my voice shaking
"Where did who go?" My dad said, making me feel stupid.
"Never mind" I said as I got outta bed.
I'm a kind of person who don't waste time on getting ready to go places, especially places that were really really beneficial. Today I'm going for the tryouts to join my school basketball team,the Red Scouts. Weird name yeah?,I know but that's what they call themselves. Soon after I got outta bed I was done bathing and on the dining table having breakfast.
"You miss your mother?"
Chills ran down my spine,I instantly lost appetite and the food in my mouth tasted sour as I swallowed it. Was this his way of making me skip breakfast? And just then I blurted out saying,
"Why in heavens do you have to care?"
"You don't even know me,I've stayed with you over 11 years of Life and you don't know me.......dad" saying the dad sarcastically
"You don't even care and now it's not just you,it's the world too,that day something happened and everyone's playing dumb like they can't remember nothing even my own father"
And as I stood up to leave for school he said
"would she have loved the way you talked to me"
I never bothered replying and I just left.
"Yo bro here it comes" Fash said as he passed me the ball
I got the ball bounced a little and shot, aiming for the hoop but I missed,Fash had the ball bounced for a while,shot and it swooshed right into go the hoop and out then he looked at me.
"We should be on the team no matter what happens brother" his emphasis on the brother made me look up.
"What did you just call me?" I asked just to confirm I heard right.
"I said brother,what? You not down for it? We're too close now I'll take you as my junior brother" he said giggling then dunking the ball before passing to me.
Just then I felt the urge to get the ball into the hoop on my own.
I decided to try out my handles,I did some skill roll and then tried some dribble moves with Fash and then dunked and just then we heard someone clapping.
"Nice dunk,only two of you here or......"
That was the heavily built Coach Alex.
He made it to nationals as the MVP of the game and helped his team stay at that point for all his stay in high-school.
"Umm,yes Sir,just two of us" I said looking at Fash.
And Coach said "Nice" before exiting the hall.
"You think we didn't impress him,I mean he just left like that without a compliment" I said to Fash
And Fash just passed the ball and said "seems you're really new around here, haven't you heard about the Ghost train?"
I had heard about the Ghost train,it was the same team Coach Alex played for in high school.
"Yeah? What's wrong with? Ain't that coachs' old team?"
Fash tossed me the ball and said
"You know who named the team?,it was Coach Alex,he was known as the Ghost by every student in his class and his teammates,he rarely talked to anyone but no one ever got him when he had possession of the ball,he'd move right pass you like you weren't there and when his team won the almost impossible game making them 3 blocks away from the nationals,it was all because of Coach Alex and his Ghost skills and out of joy his coach named the team Ghost train just before they hit the nationals"
"Wow.....have you been taking history classes on Coach Alex?" I said and paused as other team players started moving in.
As Fash and I moved to the side,he said
"And I Know that every team Coach Alex coached, chose their names themselves"
Pheeeeeeeeeeeeeewwpppphhhh
Coach Alexs" whistle blew the room like it was a siren
Gather together boys!!!
"Today I shall be doing the honor of introducing you all to the elites joining us"
"The us I mean is those of you that'll be chosen after the tryouts today"
All that was left in the room now was murmuring ......
"Which of the elites are joining us??"
"Who would it be?"
"Would I be chosen?"
Pheeeeeeeeeeeeeewwpppphhhh
"Less talking boys,let's grind!!!!''
48 mins later
"End of the game people"
"If you hear your name, you'll be on my team and if you're not on the team, we'll be rooting for you and would take you on if any of our players go drop out or go below school grades"
Then came the moment where I wished I wasn't human,after the hectic 48 minutes playing against each other to be on the school team,that was one moment everybody was thinking and having doubts of their skills.
"Kelvin Benjamin"
"Austin McCarthy"
"Byron Stone"
And you two he said pointing to Fash and I, "The moment I saw you guys this morning training here alone,you were already on the team"
"Thank you coach" we said almost at the same time.
"And now let me introduce them to you,the two elites joining us today"
Everyone was anxious,we only heard stories of Elite players but they joining us never struck our minds. Elite players were teenagers who were overly good in the game and they were only 12.
As two of them walked in, Coach said that is Cozy Stormz and that's is Jamal Murray,they'll be playing with us from now us.
"Khode,can you do us a favor and give us a name?"
I could feel everyone looking at me,I didn't know what to say and then Fash said
"Bro be yourself,be free"
And it all came to mind,the whole picture became clear and I said
"Coach, we'll be called Free men"
And he just nodded and left and that was how it truly began. THE FREE MEN
Thank everyone of you who came this far with me and a big thank you to my sponsors
Article type: Story
Episode: 5
Date:January 13, 2022
Author:Code_FMG
FMG🖤