"Are we really going to shovel it all?" I asked.
"Well, at least half," somebody hesitantly responded.
"It looks like a lot of snow."
"We can't afford to play in rec centers and the courts will be full anyway," another added.
"I guess it won't be so bad..."
We looked out from our heated cars, enjoying the last few seconds of warmth before we braved the cold. Somebody opened a door and I felt the wind chill overpower any heat that hung in the car. We moved out, opened the trunk, and pulled out shovels. We walked out to the court, snow up to our thighs (although now that I think about it, it might've only came up to our knees haha), determined to shovel off Mother Nature's dandruff.
* * *
I miss playing ball.
Playing basketball during the winters? Indoor courts were always packed with leagues and tournaments. Despite that, we found ways to play.
Where I'm from, nobody shovels anything. Mostly because they have snow-blowing machines, but because if they DO shovel, it's their own driveway or walkway. I remember one winter, it had been snowing for days and after not being able to get into a rec center, we decided to shovel half of a basketball court by one of our teammate's house. We started when the sun was rising and stopped when the sun started setting at 3pm. Our fingers were cold and we couldn't feel anything. Our shoes and socks were soaked through. We were famished. And even if we tried to run, the cement was still too wet and slippery. And we couldn't bounce a ball on wet cement. I'm surprised we didn't die of hypothermia.
I don't remember if we played. Knowing my teammates, we must have. I do, however, remember one of the girls saying that if it got too dark, we could shine our headlights onto the court so we could keep playing.
* * *
In retrospect, we were so in love with basketball, we were dumb. We could have died. Of hypothermia. Or if we had slipped on ice and cracked our skulls open. Or of hunger. I wasn't even that good to begin with. I always fouled out of games. Why was I out there in the winter cold shoveling half a court?! Hahaha because I loved basketball. I don't think I've ever devoted so much time or energy into anything since then. I wonder why. Was it a collective sort of obsession we had that we were able to bounce off one another? Or was it because I just wanted to wear my reversible jersey all the time? Maybe both.
Labels: basketball, giwu, i beat hypothermia, oldie, refs hated me because i always fouled out but y were they always watching me anyway i sucked, reversible jerseys are cool, u can't bounce balls on wet surfaces