il mio momento più lungo

Picking up the tag from PCube...My longest moment was when I was in school...probably in Class-IX, if I remember correctly. We used to have inter-house sports competitions regularly. My bro (M) and me played for different teams/houses and incidentally were the goalkeepers as well as wicketkeepers in football & cricket respectively. When it came to the school team though, we played for the same team. He was the penalty shootout specialist and the best defensive goalkeeper we had. Never afraid to dive towards the ball sometime snatching it from within the strikers reach moments before he would shoot! (Come to think of it...we shud have taken up some cool sounding name like Keeper-Power or Force-M ;-)...Okay Okay...I know...yikes! )

Well it was during one of the practice matches when our house teams were battling it out that the incident happened. We were 1 goal down and were desperate to score. Most of our strikers were in the opponents half and all defenders near the centre line. Time was running out. With no one near our goal post, I was pretty bored and just jumping around the post and idly moving around the penalty box, keeping an eye on the opponent striker who was almost getting into an off-side position, when suddenly our centre forward got a clean shot at the goal. Instead of taking the shot, he thought of getting a little bit closer to the goalpost and shoot. In the process, M was also advancing towards him to block the shot. As he took the shot, M dived to his left and towards the ball. He got his hand on to the ball and deflected it. M was on the ground, and I saw almost everyone running towards the goalpost. I was waiting for the confirmation of the goal from the referee when I suddenly realized that M had still not got up. He was definitely hurt. Play was stopped. I was worried and ran the length of the field towards him. Apparently, in the momentum of taking the shot, the strikers leg had hit him on the neck. M was conscious though but couldn't straighten his neck without severe pain. He was immediately rushed to the hospital by our PET teacher while I informed mom at home. When mom & I reached the hospital we were told that there was no fracture/sprain but the impact of the hit caused the severe pain & consequent bending of the neck. They treated the area with infrared beams and M could move his neck. After getting the prescription from the physician we got back home and were then subjected to one of the longest lectures from mom on being careful on the playing field and all. Even to this day, she keeps telling M not to indulge in the so called 'dangerous' sports which any concerned parent would say but the adventurous we rarely listen!

That moment when M was on the ground and not moving at all remains to be one of the scariest and longest moments of my life till date!

I tag whoever wants to pick this one up :D.