June 2, 2019 is a remarkable day for someone close to us. And since that someone is part of us, it becomes evident that we share the remarkableness of the day.

I barely agree with the thought that she has engraved this incident with the very date in her mind, even if she does , the minute, hour, day, will soon be forgotten in few months. Yet as we all share in the remarkableness of it, I take it upon myself to pen this very incident, however short it was, here. I bet we all shall appreciate it someday tomorrow.


Now, look closely at the picture above. Every person counts. Even the excited  photographer took pains to capture the moment in the nick of time.

We came to the court already tired and it was very difficult for all of us to get up once we put our bottom on the moderately comfortable bamboo bench on the court.

It was near 6pm and yet the sky was clear and a lil far from dark. Usually it gets dark about this time but today it looked like fortune was residing with us and we didn't waste it. Our efforts paid off.

Everyone picked up a ball, and tried pushing it through the hoop as most of us were new to this art of hooping. But one lady, Aseye who got the hang of the BEEF the other day kept making the shots. The kids behind kept cheering her up. She barely missed hoops and that was charming to watch.

At first she did not feel up to shooting and a few of her first shots were hardly reaching the hoop, so like before she did the wise thing of warming up her arms, wrist and and finger-tips, and when she fired the shots it was like lady Jordan standing right there and then in our face.

It made the other two in white almost discouraged. The kids who couldn't hold their tongue, with their slightly unpleasant remarks, moved the brothers to keep trying and also made few shots using peculiar techniques.

The brother in white at the right side of the rim came up with this idea. Jumpshot -  he tried it and it was like fine stuff for the others. When she saw it, she quickly seized the opportunity to build upon the drills she has done before and also the 30 point plus shots she made before. She was bodaciously adventurous. She said to herself; "Let me add some jumping to my my shot".

Wait, this is what will change the day for her, and for us yet at that point in time, she never knew it. She just wanted to go for it  and she did. She came thruough with the first , second, third ….. she kept making most of the shots back to back. I could see the joy in her, the smiles written on her face. She could explode anytime with that innermost satisfaction. And as infectious as this feelings were, we all felt what she felt - we were all excited.

We also took the twilight to learn some chest passes.  We reminded one another that we hold the sides of the ball firmly. Keep the thumbs behind  and step into the pass when releasing the ball. (never forget the follow through) And a receiver of the pass ought to have the palm open at chest level ready to catch any pass thrown towards them.

We then went our separate ways as the night was fast approaching.

As I walk home, I began to ponder and understand the fact that happiness is what moves people to do things and do it beyond. When she found the joy in it , she took it further by doing a jump shot today and also had enough energy  to learn chest passing too.

I do not want to forget and we all will not forget this lesson, on June 2, 2019, that happiness and joy can push one beyond their limits.