Out Of The Picture...

He has finally crossed the finish line; exhausted, sweating and thirsty. It was his moment of joy; the feeling of triumph was just overwhelming. Never had he imagined that he would finally make it. He was later crowned a winner, a champion and a hero. But deep inside, he knew it was time to be out of the picture. It was time for new blood to rush down the race track and be the first to finish the race.

He first started as a junior, a second year student, when he joined the team. He was rather quiet and keeps to himself. He never takes the initiative to practice, always waiting for order from his seniors and coach. He felt that his team was in a broken state, uninspiring for many for they had never won any competition. And he became just like his seniors, skipping practices and never tried to do his best. A year was wasted on boring trainings.

By the end of the year, he was called out by his coach. He said, "You have just been promoted to the senior team. Well done." He was shocked. How could a sportsman like him managed to gain entry into the most prestigious team. Without any ideas on what to expect, he walked into the senior’s training session. All eyes are on him. He coldly looked at those brimming eyes and searched for a place to sit down. He remained silent throughout the session. By the end of it all, he has evaluated them; one by one he found a common trait and a strong desire to make things run. A revolution perhaps, but he refused to believe it and he waited till the time is ripe. Another year was wasted well, not as much as last year’s. There was much improvement in his attitude and the way he interact with his teammates.

Then, the juniors arrived. They were lively, outgoing and simply friendly. Being in charge of them, he thought that it was going to last, all their smiles will turn sour and their laughter will be long forgotten. The coach told him that he wanted his team to win this year and appointed him as the captain. He had no choice but to accept the job. He knew it was not going to be a smooth sailing journey till the end. There will be storms, lightings and the ocean’s rage. Nevertheless, he felt something was different as months passed.

His prediction did not come true. His juniors who he thought to be a burden had become the fuel that drove his motivation to move on. They practiced together from sprints to long distance running, rain or shine and what more surprising was that his juniors kept smiling and fatigue did not seem to bother them at all. They stuck by him, listening to his every command and instruction. And they put in extra effort when they trained. This made him worked even harder. He changed soon after. He became more committed, more blissful inside and more confident about what he was doing. After trainings when his juniors had left, he would do extra rounds. Before trainings, he would be one of those who came early. He grew to like his team which somehow changed him to be someone different in a positive light.

Months passed and the competition was finally here. The team was more than ready but there was always some doubts and setbacks along the way. The race soon started. He looked back on those trainings his team had, those smiles of joy, those grins and all the hard work. Two years was wasted and on this moment, he was determined not to let history repeat itself. He led them with confidence as they walked towards the race tracks. The crowds went wild, cheering, making all sort of noises he could not make out. The atmosphere at the stadium was tense. It was the first time he felt such feelings as if chills ran down his spine. When the gunshot was heard it was show time. And yes, he made it across the finish line.

It was a great success that the coach praised him for leading these rookies to have their first taste of victory. It was almost an unbelievable achievement of his life and he knew he owed it to his juniors who lifted his spirits high to soar. The victory was celebrated back at the campus where a mini farewell party was conducted. His juniors were behind it all, surprising him greatly. And a small farewell gift was presented to him. It was a farewell card. It almost brought tears to his eyes but he held back. He just did not want to cry in front of his juniors. It left a special meaning in his heart. He had never thrown his seniors a farewell party let alone gave a farewell gift. To him, this was unexpected and probably the most beautiful thing that had happened to him throughout his time in the school. He could not react that he had forgotten to thank them all. How he wished he had at least thanked them for caring, a significant event that showed that he would be missed but not forgotten…

This story is based on a real account. The author wants to share his past experience with his juniors and his point of view. Plot has been partly altered to protect privacy of those involved in the story.