To Be A Quarterback

Zaini's quest to be amongst the most popular boys in school was quenching him desert dry with thirst. He was never shy to share his revolting thoughts and ideas about the 'Goody Two Shoes' - Guys that completed all their homeworks quicker than you can squeal out "Bloody Mary". The same guys who goes straight home after the final bell for the day, the ones who detested smokers and rebel mania. The guys that paid attention in class.

Zaini appeared attentive in class. In truth, he had just completed a couple of sketches and was sharpening his pencil to start on a new one. Smart and sharp as a needle, Zaini figured that he only needed a couple of days prior to the exams to prepare for the showdown. The formula worked so far and he intends to stick to it. HIs only concern then was, where does he fit in, the boy who refuses to commit to social norms, yet exasperated for people to call friends.

Then there are the rowdy boys. The boys who never fails to sit at their own table at the school canteen. The boys with swashbuckling hoo hah that scores the most prettiest girls in school with their uneducated quips and jokes. The boys that excel at sports and whose studies hangs in the doldrums of the bottomless pits. The boys that goes everywhere but home after school...the boys that entirely encompasses the epitomy of fun and teenage dreams. Zaini longed to breathe the same air as them...the Singapore's version for the American high School Quarterback punks!

Though strctly inhibited, it didn't take long for the popular kids to take notice of Zaini. His immaculate dressing, his apprecation for good music and high fashion, culled from his undying love for the arts and the likes, soon propelled him to be noticed by the popular guys. Soon enough, girls wanted to bed him.

Barely a month immersing into superstardom, Zaini realised that he was mingling with empty vessels. Noisy, charming, sexy yet refinedly doltish. This wasn't him he knew. Perhaps, in this world, there was only room for a few of his kind, and Zaini has yet to come across such an isolated soul. Zaini backed off slowly from the herd of punks and yet again found himself in the cushions of loneliness. It's true after all, in a safari of big cats, a magnificent leopard should just stay up his tree and avoid mingling with the brute stupidity of lions.

Mi Padre

Miguel remained rapt in thought as he stood before the dining room. All five children of the Garcia family raced to the door the moment they heard that unmistakable rumbling of the old Ford pickup come to an abrupt cessation. The heavy footsteps that followed suggested another enervating day at the factory.

The Garcia household froze in silence as the footsteps came to a standstill. The jingling of keys, accompanied by a series of heavy coughs made the youngest of the brood attempt to contain his laughter. "Papa's going to get a..", the youngest whispered cheekily before his older brother forced a palm over his talk hole.

"Happy Father's Day", the whole lot of them fought to be the first to give their father a hug. A ruckus of sorts soon ensued before Mr Garcia dropped to his knees and hugged all of them at once. Sophie, the eldest of the Garcia children, took a step back obligingly.

"Happy Father's Day Papa", Sophie wished her father after her younger siblings had released the firm hold they had on him. "Come here Sophie", Mr Garcia beckoned to Sophie to give him a hug. "What you're too old now to give me a hug huh girl?", Mr Garcia teased Sophie. Everyone knew, as much as Mr Garcia tried to demonstrate an equal amount of love throughout, that Sophie was his favourite.

"Ah, Miguel. You're here today. Why aren't you home son? It's just another normal day for your family?", Mr Garcia quizzed. "Erm..Ermm...Yes Sir. Me Papa died last year in a hit and run. And Mama....well Mama doesn't come home much these days since his death", Miguel lamented with his eyes looking down.

"Well. You must stay for dinner then. No one is suppose to have dinner alone on a special day like today", his heavy tone was firm and it was useless for Miguel to take leave. Furthermore, at least he can spend a little more time with his beloved Sophie.

Miguel never discussed about his father since his untimely death until today. Looking at Mr Garcia, sitting at the head of the dining table, guiding the family in saying their grace was a little bit too emotional for Miguel. No boy should bury his own father at the tender age of seventeen he felt and forced to be the man of the house but Miguel kept his thoughts to himself.

"Papa, are you going to teach us how to fix that punctured bicycle wheel?", the youngest blurted out at the dining table, with his mouth still full of food. "You promised..you promised", he didn't allow his father any time to gather his thoughts. "Well I have no choice do I?" Mr Garcia conceded. "How about we all go to that carnival in town later?", Mr Garcia laid out an offer hard to refuse. "Yayyyyyy!!", came the unanimous reply.

Miguel vividly recalled the day his own father thought him how to change his bicycle tire. It was an old red BMX. There were many a things that his father taught him that made it hard for Miguel to erase him entirely out of his thoughts.

Like all good fathers should, his father taught him how to tie his shoelaces, to shape a mean slingshot from the fallen branches of trees, and to excel at sports. As he got older, his father thought him how to shave like a real man with a straight edge razor, and how to impress a girl with a racing car amongst many other things.

Most importantly, little by little, his Father was already shaping him to become the man that he almost is and to not depend so much on others. At that exact moment, Miguel felt a surge of new energy and life breathe into his body, clearing all the worries and wrinkles that showed on his boyish face.

Miguel cupped his hands and closed his eyes. With renewed confidence, he said a little prayer in his heart and wished it wasn't too late to whisper Happy Father's Day. Somewhere out there, he knew that his proud father heard it too.