Soccer with Sixth-graders (And, conversations in their world)

I was out on the playground to play cricket with a bunch of adults when an aggressive team of six-graders came along and asked us if they too could join in. Some of my team-mates who call the shots (not me, when it comes to cricket for sure) relented. A pair of siblings with a football, as we call it, caught my attention. I asked them if they would teach me soccer (obviously giving them some reasons why they should and how good I am already at other games.)

This is what one of the sixth-graders had to say -"I can try but only if you learn fast will I continue." F*%& off, I would have said to anybody else but that was a kid so I replied innocently, "If you teach well enough, I will learn fast enough." The bunch of others giggled. They found it amusing. They found ME amusing. As usual, that's my story! The game started and my li'l coach was impressed with my progress. The turn of events was that which made it all so funny. Sixth graders today are other-worldly, I discovered.

Have you ever played with kids old enough to talk about you like this, "We need to have Aneesh this side, because Shilpa is a girl, she can't play, of course." ? I snapped back saying, "C'mon boys, is it really about girls/boys?". But then I stopped thinking there's no use now. Nonetheless, I was the tallest among them all when we started the game. They put me as a goalie. And guess what, I did really well. They graduated me to "passing the ball", mind you, strictly passing it back to the one who gave it to me. I proved I am good at that too.

We finally had a taller guy come in to join us. The guys who called the shots (no, not me..even this time around!) thought we are good to start in teams for a game. I was compensated by a stronger player in my team, the tall guy. He was a ninth grader. "She's a girl, yar", they said. My team obviously was scoring better. They all gave me high-fives whenever I saved a goal and also shouted in unison, "Great save!"...I obviously have never felt better before!

Later my li'l team member Vishal told me that I play well. My coach was obviously off by then since his mom had called him in. Actually, Aneesh and vishal were siblings. Suddenly, they were both laughing and teasing a new guy. I asked them what the matter was. The younger one, Vishal, told me that the guy they are teasing is a 50:50. I let out a big WHAT. "Oh yeah, he is. Lemme show you", said he and ran off to call the poor boy. He comes back with the boy and whispers in my ear, "Shilpa, just check the way he walks and talks." I was introduced to a whole new world, obviously. I sat both of them down. I asked this guy what his name was. He was Siddharth. I asked him what was he playing today, he said nothing really. The other boys giggled. I told them there is nothing like 50:50 and they should not trouble the poor boy anymore. Before Vishal could say anything, Siddharth said, "That's fine, I don't really mind". "What????", I thought to myself, "Am I still talking to people who are younger than I!". Looks like these things don't bother the kids! Even then, I told them nobody's giving Siddharth any shit anymore. For once, they just stared. Then the game resumed.

This time my team allowed me to go ahead and take a kick to the other goal. I did one. Everyone clapped in consolation.I generally asked one of the boys where he was from. I obviously meant the building/floor but he replied thoughtfully, "You could say, I'm from Punjab." Ah, this "you-could-say" style in a kids-world is new to me!

"And how could I say that, if I were to".

"Cuz, I'm from Jalandhar."

"Oh, I've been to Jalandhar."

I asked the siblings where were they from. "London" they replied in unison. "Oh, I've been there too", I told them. "It was good", the older one said thoughtfully. May be that was a question, now that I think about it. On that note, Vishal decided I was good enough to be extended an invitation to. He told me I could play with them on the weekdays.

"Thanks", I said, "I'm not too sure if I'll be back from work when you play, though".

"Which floor do you stay at?" I told them which one.

"Oh, may be if you are finished working you could peep out of your balcony and join in if we are still playing. We always play on this ground."

"Oh good. I will check."

"We gotto go now", Aneesh the older one said.

(A sixth grader and a fourth grader "need to push off" now. What can be so urgent in their lives, I thought to myself.)

"Why? We can play another 30 minutes", Vishal kind of whined.

"Tuition starts at 6. It's 5:45 now. We gotto get ready", Aneesh replied too calmly for an older bro.

"What do we need to get ready for?", Vishal argued.

I interrupted them at this point. Told them to leave if they had to. They left and walked a few yards and then Vishal came running back to me. He very conspicuously told me, "There's a broken window at the back of the building you can get in from. It's the shorter way. Watch me." and ran behind his brother.

I watched them both jump into the building from a broken window twice the height of each. Crazy about silly things- these kids, I thought to myself. I had nothing to do next, the cricket team wouldn't take me in so I decided to go back. Walked around the building. Walked back around to get to the back, jumped in through the broken window. Believe me, it's as much fun as it would have been when I was a sixth grader!