Just My Luck

It seems to me that last week is my greatest luck after experiencing a number of losses that almost put an end to my desire to play badminton. Most employees who played a lot have really step-up to a new level of the game and suddenly I began to question my self: is this how good they are? To the point that I only win one game for every set that we play, sometimes I win the first game or the second but the last and final game was always destined to be theirs and not mine.

It made me reflect on how I, my partner and my opponents play the game, the good thing though was I kept on searching for answers over and over again until I finally manage to create two important pointers why I kept on losing and here they are:

1. They always look for the weakest partner of mine and they kept on giving the shuttle until he or she breaks down and when it’s my turn to receive the shuttle the prize is always a hard smash. And how the heck will you be able to handle that?

2. They always have this secret weapon that’s too hard to execute and it’s called, “The Drop Shot.” When your opponent expect you to perform the usual shots it would be very difficult for them to adjust a new move such as dropping the shuttle in a very light way where it seems it was just enough to pass through the net and drop the floor in a very smooth way.

I really didn’t know how to execute this not until last Tuesday when I saw a gay who was really good in playing badminton. The court was currently jam pack with players and there is nothing else to do but to observe. While observing him carefully and trying to understand why he was so good and kept on winning from one game to another clues began to hit me little by little until such time a light bulb suddenly pops into my head and realize this was the key to my long search.

Fortunately, indeed it was!!!

Right after their game I was scheduled to play and I was so excited to perform my new tricks and guess what…it did work! However, it was not perfect enough to grab the first game because sometimes I made the wrong shot and it’s either it was net or out of the court. On the second game, it was totally different I manage to rally and put a good game on it. The third game was even better because the effect of my drop shots from first and second game made them so weak that they manage to perform errors and as for me I still have enough power to perform my smashing moves and it did work. I killed the game and finally I manage to speak loud the following words: “Pare Nice game!” yakyakyak…I dedicate these words to the guy name Erwin. He has been my long mortal opponent who refuses to loose and always believe that winning is all that matters for him. The ugly part that I see on him is he always whisper those words to me every after winning game and it’s been a lingering voice inside of me for the past weeks. The moment I beat them so bad, I was not hesitant to express my feelings and gave those exact words to him in a loud voice which is enough to be heard by his friends who cheered and tried to distract me during our game.

After the unforgettable victory I was so hungry to master my new moves and perform it on Thursday afternoon and while waiting for that day I decided to master my self first thru stretching and workout.

As soon as the sun came up on Thursday I was quite excited and when the time hit 5:30pm I hit the gym practicing those moves as if I didn’t care if I win or loose because what mattered most was how to master the drop shot even if they already notice the same pattern and perform some necessary adjustment. I keep on working my new moves over and over again until such time I manage to do it pretty well to the point that most of them are doing it too because I keep on winning one after another game. They were even good at it. From 5:30pm to 9pm we just play and play and play not until when we are about to leave the place we were challenge by a guy name Vincent who was known to be the best when it comes to badminton. Obviously, none of my pals wants to play with him because he was so good that he could really smash so freaking hard. I convince Kuya Tanak to play with him even though he was so hesitant at first but when they where already walking straight to our court he just stood up and simply play the game and there’s no turning back.

It was freaking nervous knowing that you are competing with the best guy together with a big tall girl at around 6”3 I think, that can really smash and play like a boy. At the back of my mind I said to my self: "Well mark this is it lets see if your new moves will work."

At the beginning of the game it seems that they are so nervous about us too because most of their serve hit the nets. I begin to ask my self: “don’t tell me that they are more nervous than us.” When it’s time for me to perform the serve I was very fortunate that I manage to make the drop shots so good that we kept on scoring against them. All I did was to give the drop shot to the big girl since she was so fat and it would be very hard for her to play catch and it work. There was a time when we gave her a good shot and man she smash it like almost the same as Vincent, so powerful that you don’t want your face to be hit on it.

One of the most interesting parts of the game was everyone decided to stop playing and watch the game. During the first couple of minutes the girls are cheering to their friend as she perform the power smash against us at the same time they were also cheering to Vincent when he manage to hit the net. It did make me smile and wonder, perhaps these girls hate Vincent for being so rude when playing. Little did they know that those cheers did help me unleash my remaining strength in order to execute the necessary drop shot moves, until such time we already hit the number thirteen score which is the final diction if we win or loose the chance of my life. It was my partner who manages to counter the entire action given to him that allowed us to have the last and final serve. I cheered my partner and said, “Yeah you’re the man!” It was a form of boosting his ego and gave him his best, too bad but the serve was short and everything is up to me.

My first serve will be directed to Vincent and I know he was ready for an ambush to stop my serve so I decided to perform a high and long serve to avoid the ambush and man I was so right that when I perform the serve I saw him moving forward but sad to say it was not the way he wanted to be. We manage to point and now our score is fourteen it is the last and final number towards victory if I do it right. My serve goes to the big girl and everything was intense I gave her the back hand serve and she deliver it to me in an exact way and I just drop it like a bomb and it’s game over baby.

I was so happy, my smile reach to my ear, my heart is shouting: “You’re the man!” and it never feels so good. I got my shirt and go straight to the bathroom because I just can’t help it and once I am there I was shouting like crazy and bumping from walls to walls I was like a little kid with little joys. After the celebration inside the bathroom I change my shirt and walk straight suddenly, Vincent approach me and ask for one more game. I was so surprise and said, “huh? Pagod na kami kanina pa kami eh. Promise bukas laro tayo ulit.” I kept on repeating this word’s because he won’t let us go home then finally my partner kuya Tanak said,” bukas maraming taga CELCOR.” He seems convince with a sad face as he walk away with a little grief in his eyes and finally I got home with a real big joy in my heart as if I won a tournament. What more can I say the guy doesn’t want to loose but we kick his ass hahaha.

I have to admit that the moment I go to bed it did took me some time to sleep because not only I was hyper and happy I just had my Gatorade and the effect seems to start the moment I was in bed.

Though I can say that it was so amazing that I won all those awesome games I still lack one win and that is to the guy name Kuya Louie. Ever since I started learning to play badminton I never manage to win over this guy even if his partner is a girl. He really knows how to play the game and man he was all the reason why I want to get better I just want to defeat him. Is that too much to ask? Indeed it was.

Just this Saturday morning both of us schedule to play this afternoon and man how I crave to play again once more with this guy. I just want to know if I was good enough to beat him in a real game. I played at around 4:00pm together with some friends later, after an hour Kuya Louie came and it’s time for the real game. I was so nervous that most of my drops hit the net and it just doesn’t seem to work at all, talk about bad luck for me. We manage to reach game three but the game was destined to be theirs. I was so sad and accepted the fact that he was just too good for me.

Fortunately, my partner challenge them for one last set and told them that: “Di naman tayo na pagod isang set pa.” And both of them agree. He never realizes how I wanted this game so desperately just to know if I can do it.

This time I said to myself this is it, my one and only chance to prove what I got. The rest was history to tell you honestly hahahha. I just allow my self to be free and do the smashing moves combine with perfect drop shots that I really wanted. We manage to defeat them two straight games without letting them taste how it feels to win. Oh my, I even shouted: “Thank God at tinalo narin kita kuya Louie. Sa wakas makakatulog narin ako ng mahimbing ahhaha.” He was smiling but deep inside I know he was not happy about it. The people around CELCOR saw the game and I know they envy me because of it tsk tsk tsk. Just imagine how me and my partner manage to defeat the best badminton player in our company, you can’t deny the fact that the pride I felt can never be taken away. It was something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. It was done and will be forever part of my history in life.

It was an awesome game and the best story in my life that I could ever blog. The principles that lies beneath this story would definitely came from the movie trailer that I just saw in youtube.com and it goes something like this:

Mastering enemy is strength. Mastering yourself makes you fearless.

Comments

maks said…
hehehe hayaan mo gagalingan ko para di na sya tsamba! :D

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