Our Games

It's been three days in a row that I've woken up at like 4 in the predawn hours, no matter how long I've slept for, and just couldn't get back to snooze.

For the past two days, since it was the weekend, I didn't waste time tossing and turning in bed just to try to fall asleep again. I just plopped my pBook back in front of me and started surfing and writing. I didn't feel sleepy again till it was about 7 in the morning, when the sky had brightened and the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood had begun.

But today, when my eyes opened at 4 in the morning, I had to force myself to get back to sleep, simply because it's Monday - yes, working day. But I couldn't, so I tossed and turned and tossed and turned again. Drifting in and out of sleep, woken easily by any slight shuffle on the bed, confused by dream and reality. Until my alarm rang at 6.30.

Now, I feel like a zombie. But I can't get back to bed, I can't afford to oversleep today.

Important task on hand, this morning.


It has been a nice weekend. Almost great, but I think I should just leave it at 'nice', for my own sanity's sake. It was already much more than I could wish for, in times like this.


It's also been a long while since we played basketball together. Well, he's been playing, I've been playing, but not for a long while with each other. But we did yesterday, out of the blue. We used to try to make it for the weekly basketball sessions with his good buddies - well, to us, these sessions are more like a get-together than a real basketball game. But since the man started flying more, he was seldom in town on Sundays - so we had been missing the Sunday games for the longest time (well no, the longest time was when he was still in Brisbane). Wow, come to think of it, the last time we played was before the Chinese New Year in February this year.

Some time ago, probably after one of our small fights (I can't really remember, but it has to be, for me to have said this), we took a drive back to our old varsity one afternoon to play basketball with his hall-mates. Playing ball on those courts - something I'd done almost everyday while I was still a student there, and something I've definitely terribly missed. Pick-up games with the guys gave me the challenge I sought.

That day, in the midst of our game, I said to the man: I think we're happiest together when we're playing ball together.

I think he pretty much agreed with me then too. In our games together, all our unhappiness with each other seems to fade away - albeit temporarily. We only care about challenging each other, tackling each other (actually more me than him), disturbing each other (actually more him than me), talking and thinking about nothing but basketball.

Is this an upsetting thing? No, I don't think so. A love for a common passion. I think that's one reason how it all started.


So, today, everything went on court, as if nothing happened between us, again. I pushed, jostled, tackled him. He teased, joked, laughed, taught me stuff.

Maybe that's why I'm happy, for a moment.