Match Highs

I landed at the 130th Battle of the Blues filled with an all-familiar anticipation and the hope of being in for a truly thrilling time. You see, the Royal Thomian has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember! From those trucking days when the boys actually boarded hefty garbage trucks filled with all manner of nature’s weedy, leafy gifts, to the days in which Wednesday’s Cycle Parade meant lots of boys running amok past the College gates, (not to mention the guttural moans of”R”, “O”,”Y”,”A”,”L” filling the air), there were nothing but pleasant memories that accompanied this annual fixture, for me.

Decades later, I looked forward to catching up with new friends. Friends I had never schooled with. Friends I had never known during those old fun-filled days. I was to spend my Royal Thomian Match for 2009, with a new group of friends she had just begun to hang out with. Fun, laughter, music, a little bit of high spirits… a little bit of revelling (and of course the match itself!). Prospects of being in the company of friends I had just struck a commonality with made me all the more excited to face and spend the match time that was to follow.

What a day it was! The resounding welcome I got as I entered the tent reminded me of how happy I felt that I had found this new group of people who I could really touch base with. Hugs and outstretched arms followed.

On with the drinks…

My first drink was rum mixed into my apple soda bottle which I readily gulped without a second thought. There was music in the background and as I surveyed the grounds and absorbed the little flutters of yellow, blue and black, not to mention long strips of white emanating from the young school boys, I began to remember the days when I’d have some schoolboy crush on one of the boys who in turn would ardently follow me wherever I went. Ah! Those were the days, weren’t they? The days when shyness accompanied every boy and girl and the boldness to express one’s love eluded the fairest of maidens and the strongest of guys!

As the memories continued to build up, my cup was being re-filled. My second rum neat for the day and I was already in high spirits. I turned around and noticed the red t-shirt of a guy I was ever so happy to see – a long lost friend who in turn was overjoyed to meet me in person. As we exchanged pleasantries, my cup was being re-filled. This time with arrack.

A couple of re-fills later, the place was beginning to spin and I could feel myself losing control. Oh well, I was in high spirits and I was enjoying myself! I put my arm around my best girl friend and she put her arm around mine and we continued to sway to the music while we watched proceedings on the grounds. The Thomians were putting up a fight and that was worth being on the grounds for. I had premonitions of a royal victory and it was really good to see the Thomians averting defeat the way they were.

Meanwhile, the buzz was becoming stronger than I could handle. All I could remember was one big slip across the grounds and I was down on the floor, completely high and knocked out! This wasn’t good at all and I knew I was as dead a drunk as could be. My friend came running to my rescue. He together with my other friend lifted me up and supported me. I was now unable to stand my ground and my knees were wobbly. My speech was slurring and my eyes were falling to the ground.

A few hours later I found myself tucked in to bed, washed, changed and cozy. I was safe in my own home and try as I could, I could just not recall how I got there!

I don’t know how much I missed out on by having my match cut short just because I got drunk out of my wits but one thing I know, the friends I had made were friends I could depend on, to take care of Pme, no matter what state I was is in and that was by far, the best shot of the day, for me.