A Substitute Spectator

A Substitute Spectator 

Our first date was set at the field

After which he turned to the kickoff

Neither events were hung up

He got to know lots of friends this way

The friendship last for years

At times a dozen of them gathered in our sitting room

Sleep on the terrace out of gate after watching the game

On the wall hangs a team photo of Manchester United   

In our album his heroic photos were kept

While I cleaned the trainers for years

Plus listing the names of teams and footballers

The fields became another home for us

He chatted with foreign teachers about teams and members

Declaring that football was part of his life and his motto: 

Football first, wife second

Saying that when our son were born

He would start training him as soon as he could walk

----I was left speechless

After all he was trying to practise English

Later our daughter turned a football fan

I was there to prepare night snack and drinks

…

Now forty years passed by

I was still not sure about certain rules or rather laws

But he had hung up his spikes/boots

Only scrolling on his mobile for chess study

While reviewing those amazing goal highlights

I would sneak out of bed in his snoring 

To follow the live broadcast from final 16 of knockout stage to semi final

Hoping , when he wakes up,

To be the first to tell him the score

July 14, 2026