From: hooshyar@scrp.Stanford.EDU (Hooshyar)
Subject: Gol koocheek (Part 2 of 4)
Organization: Stanford Cardiac Rehab Program
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 22:09:03 GMT


                              Behind Amjadieh               (Part 2 of 4)
                              ===============              

 I do not know what really happened, but in the middle of the school
 year our superintendent changed, and Mr. Tabrizi took over.  From his
 first day Mr. Tabrizi intimidated us by such a severe act that it
 changed the whole mood in the school.  The first action he took was to
 ban our football games in the school yard.  We were no longer
 permitted to carry a ball into the yard.  He established various
 disciplinary actions for those who disobeyed his orders.  He used to
 argue that football was a dangerous sport likely to injure us.  'We
 might fall to the ground and hurt ourselves.  These injuries could
 result in liabilities for the school and the Ministry of Education,'
 he would further reason!

 It was ironic that he was in favor of few sports like basketball and
 volleyball.  He would even encourage us to play these sports as if
 they would not hurt us as much as football.  I will never forget the
 first day Mr. Tabrizi came to our school.

 As usual that day we started the early morning game.  It was only few
 minutes later that a man in a nice three-piece suit and tie appeared.
 He had applied so much oil to his hair that it was shining under the
 pale sun of the early winter.  He was square-shouldered with a string
 of white hair that would make him look like he was in his early
 forties.  He glanced at us and started inspecting the school compound
 and its building.

 That day I was playing in the defense position and our team was ahead
 in the game.  I had fixed my eyes on this man.  I was thinking to
 myself perhaps he was the father of one of the unlucky students who
 had been summoned to school by the principal.  I reasoned that the
 poor student either had not done his homeworks or had done something
 wrong, and now his father had been called.

 Now, the man was standing next to the teachers office and was staring
 at our game.  He looked like he was jealous that he could not join us,
 or perhaps his zooming eyes to the ball suggested that he wanted to play
 too.

 In a lightening moment I found a player from the other team with the
 ball in front of me.  In a fast move I kicked the ball away from him,
 but it was not strong enough and the ball went toward the teachers
 office.  I ran after the ball with an ardent desire while the opponent
 was chasing me from behind.

 The ball found its way in the middle of the man's feet.  Both the
 opponent and I were trying furiously to kick the ball.  Our heads
 down, we were lashing the poor ball with our non-stop kicks, and in
 the process we were kicking the man's feet too.  Finally the ball went
 another direction and I happily ran after it, but it seemed a force
 was preventing me from moving.  As far as I could think my body was in
 a running position and my feet were leaning against the ground so that
 I could take off.  But I did not know why I couldn't move.

 It took few seconds until I heard this voice from behind my back
 saying,

 - Hey, animal!  What is the rush?  Why are you hoofing like a cow?

 I turned back and I saw this newly-arrived person who was holding my
 sweater from the neck, and like a person who was holding his dog
 collar, he wouldn't let me loose.  He continued:

 - Now, you are so rude and outrageous that you play football in front
 of the school superintendent and you even kick him in the feet too?

 I could understand his anger about being kicked, but why was he
 picking on me?  I was not the only player and he knew that better,
 because he had been watching our game since morning.  Anyway, that day
 I stayed at the office with our new superintendent.  After he slapped
 me in the face and I was given a sermon by the principal who always
 wanted to act like a wise and relaxed father, I went to my next class.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     ********  TO BE CONTINUED  ********

 We will not sit back and accept this unfair treatment.  We will find a place
 to play football, and Mr. Tabrizi cannot stop us.

Xref: sparky soc.culture.iranian:3557 soc.culture.turkish:4310