Hurray! “Mom guess what “? John cried out in excitement! He was selected in the football league match which he was eyeing for months. His mom continued with her
daily chores of a small teashop which she used to run singlehandedly. She was busy serving the hot fermented idlis (savory rice cake) to the local paddy farmers. John’s father used to work as a labourer in coconut harvesting farm. He tried his best to meet the daily expenses but they were always short of money. John from his toddler days was hyperactive child whose favourite past time was to run behind the playful elephant calves. From his initial years he had developed a great interest in football playing along the backwaters in God’s own country. But it used to be the big nuisance for John’s mother as he used to wreck all the things in his house and shop imagining himself to be a Ronaldo! He used to brim with joy when fellow friends and their customer addressed him as Ronal. One of the regular customers of the shop suggested his mom to enroll him in an academy which did not charge from the kids with poor economic background. At first his parents were skeptical but have to give way to his persistent approach. Amidst the festivities of Onam (harvest festival) there was new ray of hope and dream at John’s house. He was willing to try hard as he could and prove his mettle to his parents who always were concerned about his future. His hard-work and dedication paved the way. Since then, there was no looking back for John. In no time he aced his position in his team and soon became an irreplaceable part of the squad. With hard work, dedication and commitment their team garnered lot of attention from district level selectors. Now they were no more a local football team. They got a chance to secure a position in the nationals. No one wanted to let go this golden opportunity and started their training rigorously. Hounding from the corner, there was another troubling thing waiting for John. His second-hand studs, provided by the academy, were really in bad shape & needed immediate replacement. He couldn’t muster the strength to ask from his parents as they were already in debt. He remembered his mother saying “Ups and down makes a person successful”.
“All of a sudden, he overheard a coconut seller telling his uncle that one of the high-end societies adopts “Minimalist approach” for their unused things. “Why not you try there as recently they had a sports day and many would have discarded their goods”. Without wasting time, he reached the place with his uncle & frantically started to search for the studs in the box. As it is believed that luck favours the brave and his hands got the feel of the shoes which he was dreaming about. They were an absolute fit as if tailor made for him. It was his faith and belief which makes all things possible.