CHAPTER 1: ancient history

 

For many there is a war; fought either on the battleground or against another person one on one. Some have a war with their schoolmates; and with others, its with the member of the family. But some fight their battles on a courtyard against players of an opposing team. Blood and sweat run down their faces as the winner of the last game of the season is announced. One will go home in victory, and the other in defeat.

 

The history of The Asian Basketball League (ABL) is full of these moments; fights on the courtyard, cussing escaping from the lips of the players, and tension between the coaches of the teams. But nothing compares to the story that lies behind The Hawks. The team was once championship material; made up of the finest players that came from all the countries that participated in this grande tournament - Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. But during the 1900’s a fight broke out between the members though no one knows exactly what it was about. Ever since that fateful day, The Hawks haven’t won a single game since that day. Even as the teemates retired and new ones came in, the arguing continued and with every game they lost, sponsors started to pull out. And now, in the present day, they are the biggest losers in the KBL.

 

“...and that’s the story behind this team.” Manager set himself back into his chair, his eyes rising slightly.

 

I frowned after he had finished the story, shaking my head mentally against the entire idea of coaching such a team. With my inexperience, I had assumed that when the rumor stating that this team was being re-instated started spreading that it was either not true, or they would get someone more experienced. More or less, I also assumed that they wouldn’t ask...a girl to do it. For a moment I remained silent, “So let me get this straight...” My molars put pressure on the bubble gum bouncing around in my mouth, “...you want me to gather teemates for this “Hawks” loser team, shape them up, and get them into the playoffs?”

 

The Manager smiled, “That’s right.”

 

“With all respect sir...” I zipped up the hoodie that lay over my tank top, “for something so impossible, you should find some other person to do this. I don’t have the time or the want to try something like this.”

 

A moment of silence sat between us; and all that time he just looked at me. I felt like his eyes were piercing the depths of my soul, going right through me and entering into my heart. It was scary and downright unwanted. “There is no one else. We want the best; and you are the best coach.”

 

“I’ve been a coach for two years sir. The only female-”

 

“ doesn’t matter. What matters is your winning streak.” He picked up a bunch of papers that were nestled on top of his desk, “Let’s see here...” Another paused, “captain for the boys basketball team in high school for four years AND captain of the male basketball varsity team for four years. No loses.. Coach of two high school teams with the same results.” The Manager put the papers down, “need I say more?”

 

My mouth wanted to spit out some words; anything. But no matter how hard I tried to speak, or how many times I went through a reply on my head, I couldn’t seem to form the words. Finally, after going through at least a hundred different replies I nodded my head, “Alright. But ONE year. No more. I got jobs lined up. Places I need to be a year. I can give you the year.”

 

Manager Lee smiled, “Good.” His wrinkled hand was placed against the bare surface of the desk. “Now. Where are my boys so I can meet them. When will an introduction be scheduled?”

 

A frown slowly came up onto his face, “Well...” His hand went up behind his neck as he started stuttering, “you see...we haven’t really recruited them...yet.”

 

That was just absurd, the basketball schedule was beginning in only a few months, and no one...not ONE person had been recruited. I laughed, “That’s funny...” My tone changed, it scared even me. “...I could have sworn you said no one has been recruited.”

 

“Well...” He shuffled around in his desk, “...you see we-”

 

“How am I suppose to COACH ANYONE if I have no one to coach!” I exclaimed, crossing my arms over my chest, “what am I suppose to do? Make people out of thin air?”

 

Manager Lee frowned, “Since we have no candidates, we sent out recruiters a couples years ago and found some candidates.” He passed me a long list of people, fourteen different names in three different languages.

 

I pointed to one name, “Wu Chen? What language is that crap?”

 

“Please respect their names. And its Mandarin.”

 

Mandarin? “Uh...okay...”

 

Manager Lee smiled, “As I said, we have fourteen names on there. After searching and spending many nights going over a really long list, we have cut the names down from forty to fourteen.”

 

“So..?” I rolled my eyes, “what am I suppose to do? If you haven’t recruited them I CAN’T coach them.”

 

It seemed obvious to me, I had never come across a team that won with nothing but thin air. We needed players, not lists or PAPER. But the Manager didn’t seem to understand that, especially when he sighed, “You will do the recruiting.”

 

I tilted my head, “What...I’LL do the recruiting?” They must be crazy, there is NO WAY I can do that. People come to try out for ME, I don’t go out and find these people. “WHAT THE HECK!?”

 

The Manager frowned. “Look, I can ex-”

 

“I’m out.” I jumped up from my seat, “I am not doing ANY work that I don’t need to do.”

 

Without saying another word I turned around to walk out, “If you leave...” I couldn’t see Manager Lee, but I heard the surfaces of the chair legs squeak against the smooth floor, “you will never have another job in this town.”

 

Okay, things had officially started going crazy. I stopped in my tracks and looked at him, a small evil smile plastered on his face, and without another I rolled my eyes, “where do I start?”

 

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“Welcome to Taiwan.” A voice over the intercom said in Mandarin; I frowned at the sound, why the heck was I doing this for a basketball team?

 

Thankfully he didn’t tell me HOW to recruit these boys...only that I needed to get them to agree to become a part of the team, and to ship them back to South Korea. I looked down at the sheet and read the first four names on the sheet; Wu Chun, Aaron Yan, Jiro Wang and Calvin Chen. All Mandarin names. All living in Taiwan. There was a note beside their names, something I had read before, but to be sure I reread it:

 

These boys are a part of a small gang, thankfully there is only four of them. You can find their gang hanging around the basketball courts in a major park not far from the airport. Just go west forty minutes and you should see it. The recruiter said they were REALLY good players. Decide for yourself what they will play.

 

                                                       - the manager

 

                                                          p.s. you’ll know who they are when you see them...

 

I frowned, how in the world was I suppose to know who these boys were? All I knew was their names, but that might not even be enough to get them to agree. But the threat...it was mean, but the manager was smart, he already knew how he would recruit me as the coach so he must know what he’s talking about. I shook my head; this had better be worth it.

 

Taxi’s were almost impossible to find. My mandarin was good, but I could tell it didn’t matter when I tried to hail down my tenth taxi and it just drove by. What’s with this horrible service?

 

“The park please.”

 

The driver turned to me, “You need to be more specific ma’am.”

 

I frowned, “The FIRST park.” How was I suppose to know the name?

 

“Alright.” He shook his head, slightly amused, but started the car down the road. And all along the road I thought, I wasn’t even twenty five and already I was being demanded for basketball coaching jobs. Most people thought females couldn’t do anything, that all they were alive for was cleaning and cooking...yeah right. Tell that to Jane Austen, or that lady that flew over the Atlantic Ocean. Neither of them just stayed with cooking, they were KNOWN as someone who did something important.

 

I could never understand why people looked down on females; in fact I hate people who do that. I HATE them the MOST. Anyone who says females can’t do anything has to have the ability to do nothing themselves. Ten minutes went by before a park came into view, it was large, definately what I was looking for, “Stop here please.” The driver pulled up to the curb, and after I got out and paid him, he drove off without another word. What a wimp...I shook my head, I couldn’t worry about the driver when I had a job to do.

 

Don’t judge me, I jaywalked across the street. I wasn’t about to run five miles just to get to a stupid traffic light. But as soon as I set foot on the grass in that park I could smell the basketball court, it was like it was calling me back on to the court...how I longed to be a part of a team again. But when I turned my head I saw a couple of set of people playing ball; the first couple of people were on the far right. They passed...but their shots were way off. None of them even hit the net. The second set of people weren’t even playing basketball...and the third; all of them were male. Each boy wore a guy styled tank top and black short and man were they good. But another thing I noticed was the tatoo on their shoulders of a hawk. Those were the boys.

 

I put on my shades and smiled devishly, this was going to be one crazy ride.

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