Page - 35 - in Hanadi & Christian - English

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 35 “Sure, but why can’t you play somewhere else? You are quite young. We train here because our league is more important than yours, that’s for sure. And we are better players than you, so we need better facilities. You can play in the park.” says one of the other boys. “Maybe that’s exactly why we need the better facilities, because we aren’t as good, and we need to improve. You are so skillful that you can adapt to playing anywhere.” Raul says bravely. An older boy approaches us with a smile on his face. He is wear- ing a T-shirt with a message that reads “We play better if we play together.” He interrupts the conversation. “What’s going on? Are you starting a new league with all the kids in the area?” he asks. I feel relieved after seeing the message on his T-shirt, though sometimes such messages mean nothing to the people wearing them. In any case, his mere presence makes me feel good. Maybe he can help. I’m not sure we can reach an agreement on our own. “No, Chema, these kids want to play on our courts.” says the boy who seems to be in command. “You really like that word ‘our’, don’t you? You’re not paying for them yourself, are you?” The older boy addresses the other one warmly. The boy in charge doesn’t seem bothered. They seem to be friends, which might work against us if Chema prefers his friends over us. “Well, that’s ok, isn’t it? The little kids are getting bigger and playing better. Maybe they could even teach you a thing or two, and perhaps, if they watched you play, they could learn a few things about the more serious leagues. And we could even use this as an opportunity. If you all train here, we could organize a league to liven up the courts and the neighborhood, and show everyone that you are nice people and you don’t bite.” The older boy looks at us, amused and calm. “Anyway, first things first. My name is Chema and I’m the com- munity worker from the Center. Their names are Kevin, Luis Alber- to, Juan Carlos, Cristobal and Lautaro.”