Fuddland

As soon as I left the building yesterday, it started pouring with rain. Two fields which belong to the local Sixth Form college lie behind my building on my route home, with a path running between the two. In one, a boys’ rugby match was just starting up, whilst in the other, the girls’ football team was doing some training; one group was practising passing, the other was taking penalty shots at their ‘keeper. It was this second group that worried me.

Sure enough, as I walked down the path, a player successfully bamboozled their ‘keeper and, since the goals have no nets, the ball rolled down the slope and, like the winning wood in a game of bowls in which my name was Jack, stopped just in front of me.

Whilst I’m not sure of the exact date, I can confidently say that the last time I kicked a football was sometime in the 1990s, and I’m fairly sure that I missed whatever the target was. So when the inevitable—and rather unladylike—shout of “Oi!” [translation: “Would you mind kicking that ball back to us?”] rang out, I got slightly tense.

To recap: pouring with rain, slick wet path, teenage girls with their power to crush grown men with a single ridiculing giggle, me not the best at kicking a ball. But there was no option: I took a couple of steps back and went for it.

The ball flew up the slope and landed with a splat fairly near one of the players, thus depriving everyone of the comedy ending to this story that they were hoping for. Sorry about that.

#1

Jann | 2004 / 10 / 14 – 12:32

Lol. Actually, probably more giamw. (giggled in a manly way).

#2

Lucky | 2004 / 10 / 14 – 12:56

Was that MY sixth form college?! That I went to many moons ago?!

Or was it the one across the road?

Feeling strangely homesick all of a sudden.

#3

David | 2004 / 10 / 14 – 13:04

Re #2: ‘Twas QE Sixth Form College.

#4

Lucky | 2004 / 10 / 15 – 12:59

Yep, that’s the one.

Fond memories.

And memories of being very cold in the cowsheds. And the house. And the East and West wings.

#5

David | 2004 / 10 / 15 – 13:36

Re #4: Cowsheds? Things sure have changed round here…

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