“Thank you, Beko”
After a few days of training, Kyle and I divided the teams up into Varsity and Junior Varsity squads. My JV team had about a week before our first game. We practiced all week, mostly playing small sided 3v3s and 4v4s. With cleats and barefoot. One day, toward the end of the week, we had a double session. One practice in the morning and one in the evening. I had meant to bring a lunch to eat in between sessions. In fact, I had packed a lunch…but I forgot it at home.
After the morning training session, I was standing out in the sun on the field with Hanna, Liz, and Naddi, when a voice called to us. I was Beko! She was sitting with Paw Ku in the shade under a tree by the parking. We couldn’t make out what she was saying, but we could see her waving us over, so we walked toward her and Paw Ku.
As we got closer, we could make out what Beko was saying: “You want some food?”
She invited us to sit with her and Paw Ku in the shade, and to eat with them. She opened her food container: some white sticky rice and a few ribs. It was enough food for one person, maybe two. But six people would be pushing it. Yet still, she called to us from across the field. She went out of her way to invite us. For Beko, however much there was was enough for however many people there happened to be. We shared. That’s just what Beko does. We shared, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s company in the shade under the tree.
“Thank you, Beko”.
