Wrapped

  Wrapping an object is easy but what if someone has you wrapped around their fingers? Have you imagine yourself being wrapped up into a box? You would not be able to get out. Binds wrapped tightly around your body, hands, legs and a cloth around your mouth. You are unable to speak, get up or even move a muscle, now that is a nightmare.

  Some of us will think that if we experienced that, we would not be here by now. Then, it is not physically but mentally or emotionally wrapped up. Mentally wrapped up is like unable to show your true potential to everyone because something or someone is preventing you to do so. Thus, emotionally wrapped up is like in your darkest deepest moments, someone came and comforts you. You will feel that the person was gathering all the broken feelings and wrapped it up, just like new.

  During my last three years in primary and first two years in secondary, I had joined a basketball team. My teammates and I fought side by side with each other for five years for the team, Yak Chee. During competitions, our communications on the court was spot on, our defense created offense, our scoring percentage were high. Every spectator thought our coach was satisfied with the team and we had easy training. Well, that was not what was happening during our training sessions.

  Let us face the fact now, every tutor, teacher, coach will have their favourite students, including our coach, Mr. Woon. The ones who got into the state team or national team are his favourites. The ones that are tall and fast are his favourites. Me? I was in the middle, the one who got compared with and brought down. I was the normal standard player in the team. My defense, offense, shooting, stamina were not on top but not the worst at the same time.

  Mr. Woon often compared me to his favourites. Telling me that I cannot get to where they are because I was lazy, he does not need me in the team or I was the burden of the team. Heartbreaking? Yes. He does not teach me what he taught them, he often says that I was unable to reach their standards. Therefore, I cannot be paired with them. As he was my coach, I am not supposed to speak up or step up and say “ I want to try ” as that will get me kick off the team.

  As years and competitions passed, I was still unable to redeem myself. I always feel like I was not part of the team as my age group was training in the court beside me. I was unable to show the coach that I can do it and convince him to put me back to compete side by side with my team. Mr. Woon was slowly wrapping me up till the point where it was hard to break free.

  As I got older, I see things more clearly and was upset that I was still yet to prove him wrong. At the same time, Mr. Woon doubted my skills and abilities. He kept trying to find my flaws and scolded me. Sometimes, one of his favourites did something wrong and I just so happens to be standing beside her, will take the blame. As this kept going on for training after training, my sadness had grown to anger and hatred towards the coach and one day, I just blew up.

  It was the starting of 2015. Our first day back to school and my first day back to training in 2015. As I was starting the year as a Form 3 student, I had to wake up early to school. I woke up before the sun even comes out. I did my morning routine and made some breakfast to enjoy. When I was about to go to school, Mr. Sun was just started to wake up, greeted the world with his warm hugs. Orange hues filled the sky, it was a breathtaking scenario.

  School was great, met new and old friends. We were busy sharing our memories of the holidays around the table and just did what students do on the first day of school. We had extra class every day except for Wednesday after school till 1:40 p.m. As the bell rang at 1:40 p.m., I rushed out of the school and into my grandfather’s car. I was going to my primary school to teach the juniors.

  I bathed and changed there, had lunch and we started training. The training ended at 6 p.m. and the secondary will continue training till 10:30 p.m. During the training, one of his favourites’ was not on time but Mr. Woon blamed it on me yet again. The anger inside me just blew up and I said, “ but it was her ”. That, set my coach on fire. That was the day that I got kicked out of the team.

   I went home crying. Who wouldn’t? I just got kicked out of the team that I was fighting with for 5 years. My hard work, tears, sweats and blood just got thrown out of the window. I missed school for a day, busy gathering all the broken pieces up, trying to fix myself. Unfortunately, I cannot. I was drowning myself in sadness but I did not have the strength to swim back up. Then, something happened.

  Out of the blue, I saw multiple hands, reaching for me, chanting for me to get a hold on them. Then, I realized, it was my friends. They came to my house and comforted me, telling me that if someone doubted me, I should leave and move on. I should not be miserable doing the things I love. They helped me got over this incident. After weeks, I was back on my feet. With my friends’ help, I was able to collect all the broken pieces and created a stronger, better me.

  We should never let someone has the rights to wrap us up. We are who we are, we should not change ourselves for the sakes of others. We should show our true potential all the time, keeping yourself lock up is not good for you. When we see anybody who is in need of help, we should help them get back up. We should not pull anyone down or doubt anyone’s abilities. We should accept our friends, family, strangers, classmates for who they are.