“Hey c’mon Sam,” I shouted. “You coming out?”

I stood outside listening to music on my phone.

“I’m coming,” Sam said as he came out.

“Good,” I said.

It was the last weekend of the December holidays and we are going to play in the stadium.

“So, bra, while you were in Bloem, a guy was shot dead. His body was found by the cops next to the river.”

“Are you serious?” I asked shocked.

“Yeah,” Sam said.

I thought to myself for a second.

“So who was it?” I asked.

“Nobody knows, bra,” Sam said.

I lowered the volume of my phone.

“Sam, this is Parkview, the most peaceful place I know. Who would do such a thing? Gangsters?”

“I don’t know, bra. Cops are investigating,” Sam answered.

The stadium was drier than ever. Most of the slabs surrounding the stadium were gone. The changing room area completely broken down with bricks laying everywhere.

A few girls that I know were playing netball on the netball court. Thandi was with them along with her friend Lillian.

“They do this everyday,” Sam said.

“Isn’t she gorgeous?!” I said to myself while staring at Thandi.

“What?” Sam asked confusedly.

“Err… nothing,” I said laughing.

“Then go to your position,” Sam said.

Sam and has been friends since we were kids and now we are going to high school together. I walked to the goalpost.

“Hey, Sam, I got it all figured out now,” I shouted.

“I’m sure you do, bra. You ready?”

I nodded. Sam stepped a few steps back and pointed to the left of the post indicating his direction of kicking. I ignored it and looked into his eyes. He was looking at the right side.

Last Monday night on Soccerzone a goalkeeper had an interview and he said you have to look straight into the eyes of your opponent.

Sam kicked and the ball went to the right.

I dived and caught the ball.

I fell on the ground and lay there laughing, not minding the pain that I was in.

“Hayibo!” Sam shouted, standing there with his mouth open.

“Told you I got it all figured out,” I whooped while doing my celebration dance.

“You got lucky.”

“If you say so,” I retorted.

It was getting dark. It was Sam’s final turn to kick.

“You aint gonna be so lucky now, bra,” Sam said.

He took a few steps back, then he kicked the ball, harder than before. As the ball came flying towards me I heard someone calling my name…