Snippets of Our Future (Commit and Run Series #2)

Chapter 5

Nilapitan ko siya para kausapin. "Pahinga ka muna. You look like a mess today. Ayos ka lang ba?" mahinahong tanong ko. 

Sumenyas lang ako na magsimula na sila. Hindi na muna ako naglaro para parehong walang team captain ang dalawang team. 

He sighed. "May iniisip lang ako. Mawawala rin 'to." He looked so down so I just gave him a shoulder tap and left him so he would have a private space for a while.

Nagpatuloy ang training namin at ako na ang naging coach nila dahil hindi naman ako maglalaro. Mas nakita ko ang bawat galaw ng mga kasama ko nang sila nalang ang nagharap ng iba. They realized that they couldn't always rely on their team captain because we didn't know what could be our fate when the actual game starts.

"Stefan, practice more technique on receiving the ball lalo at ikaw ang main libero natin." Sabi ko sa kaniya dahil mas madaling matunugan ng kalaban ang mga receives niya kapag paulit-ulit lang ang mga technique niya. "Middle blockers, be attentive. Napapadalas ang pagkawala niyo sa focus lately." Mahinahon at madiin kong sabi.

May hinahawakan kaming standing mula pa sa nagdaang mga seasons kaya we can't afford to lose this time. We have the equipments and proper support they didn't experience so the pressure in our time isn't a joke. 

Nang makita kong naglalakad na pabalik si Tres ay bumalik na rin ako sa laro. He was somehow fine compared to his plays earlier. Bumabalik na ang dati niyang sigla kaya naging panatag na ulit ang isip ni Coach. 

We practiced for almost four hours again excluding the warm - up at cool down, hindi pa kasali ang mga breaktime namin kaya natagalan talaga kaming umuwi. It was understandable because all of us wants to grab that gold medal. Well, lahat naman siguro ng mga kalaban namin ay iyon ang gusto kaya mas ginaganahan kaming mag-training.

Sabay kaming pumunta ni Tres sa locker namin dahil magbibihis nalang muna kami dahil may sasabihin pang announcement si Coach kaya hindi pa kami pwedeng umuwi.

"You can tell me if you want," sabi ko nang tahimik pa rin siya habang naglalagay ng gamit sa locker niya. "I mean, if you are comfortable to share... then, why not?" agap ko nang isara na niya ang locker niya.

"Nah, I'm fine.  I can handle this." Ngumiti siya kaya hindi na ako nangulit pa.

Biglang umingay ang room at lumitaw si Frat na nakangisi. Nang binalingan niya si Tres ay tumahimik siya.

"Kwentuhan tayo? Tambay sa convenience store? Bawal pa uminom, eh." Siniko niya ng mahina si Tres. I also nodded so we can convince him. 

"Hindi pa kayo pagod? Late na rin..." he glanced on his watched.

Humilig ako sa locker ko, nakaside-view na ako habang hawak ang susi ng kotse. "Weekends bukas. We can rest until four in the afternoon." 

Hapon na ang training bukas dahil late kaming nakauwi ngayon. Gaya nga ng lagi kong sinasabi, importante ang pahinga. 

Pumayag rin siya at sabay na kaming lumabas para sa announcement ni Coach. Nakalibot na sila kay Coach pero mukhang hindi pa nagsisimula dahil naririnig pa namin ang tawanan nila.

Nang matanaw nila kami ay saka na agad sila pinaayos ni Coach para masimulan na kaagad namin ang usapan.

"Phillipine Volleyball Team is now starting to scout players from different big universities across the country." He said calmly but my teammates did the opposite as soon as they heard the news. "Bagong team ang bubuuhin nila dahil wala ng natira sa dating team, maybe because they've their own priorities in life, I don't know."

I nodded. Most of the players last year was on their late twenties and we couldn't blame them if they want to have a full life without volleyball. Ang iba, naghahanap lang naman ng experience, they just want to try how it feels to play international competition.