I joined the Balongnal Football Club a little over a year ago as a new football player. Balongnal Football Club was one of the most well-known teams in England and had been around for decades. It's known all across the globe for its football talents, but few people know that they have an essential ceremony every year to welcome its new players. This year, it was my turn.
I played at some of the most prestigious clubs in my city, where I made a name for myself with my skills on the field. At fifteen years old, I was already considered by many to be a prodigy. People called me "Bongo" because of how much force my kicks could hit with. And while I might not have looked like it from the outside—at six feet tall and weighing about 160 pounds—my muscles were so well developed that my teammates often joked about putting up a statue when I left.
My size, quickness, strength, and stamina made me one of the best players in my position in the league. But even though I was young, I knew that if I wanted to play professionally, I needed a more serious approach to training. Not only did I work out every day to get fit, but I also took special training to learn the game's fundamentals. And what's the point of being able to kick the ball farther than your opponent if you don't know how to control it?
The thing that worried me most was the initiation ceremony. I'd heard rumors that the club didn't take kindly to newcomers who weren't good enough, and I wasn't sure I'd measure up. So, I trained harder than ever before. That was why there were a lot of things that surprised me when I arrived at the club's headquarters.
For starters, it was a nice place. The clubhouse was huge. There were multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, showers, and a kitchen. On top of that, the stadium, which sat right next door, was perfect. It had a total gym inside and an impressive locker room. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought I was meeting in the home of a professional athlete.
The first thing you notice when joining any football team is how physically fit everyone looks; they're all in great shape, most are tall and lean with toned muscles, while some have more strength than others. I'm not saying I looked terrible to them, but no one would call me skinny. What impressed me was that despite having just turned twenty this year, I looked up to the older guys as equals.
During my first practice, after we had settled, the captain introduced himself: "Hi, I'm Bernardo Mahrez." He was the oldest guy on the team, with short black hair and a pleasant smile, the expression just like he was in the football player poster. His voice was more profound than mine, and he looked down at me in his suit. "Welcome to Balongnal Football Club, Boipelo Bowen. My job is to ensure you go through the initiation ceremony in one piece without unnecessary injuries, so please forgive me if I seem a bit intense."
"You can call me Bongo." I said, "I'll try my best."
Bernardo chuckled and nodded. "That's good. Now, we have three main goals for the initiation, although, knowing our team, I expect that we might add a fourth or fifth goal once we figure out what works and what doesn't. First, we want to see how fast and strong you are. We'll start with a simple endurance test, a sprint, and a game. After passing all, your induction ceremony will be held. Then, we'll shower you, and then you can rest. All right?"
"Sounds good."
"Okay, let's begin then."
We walked toward the stadium, which was next to the clubhouse. It was empty except for one other person.
As soon as I saw him, I froze.
He was built like a brick wall.
His shoulders were broad, his arms were thick, and his chest was flat. He moved with such speed, grace, and power that it was hard to believe he could be human. From how he carried himself, I couldn't tell if his athleticism or natural confidence made him look so confident.
What grabbed my attention the most, however, were the tattoos. They started at his neck and spread onto both arms, disappearing under the sleeves of his shirt.
Bernardo cleared his throat. "Well, this is our newest member." He nudged me with his elbow. "This is Pedro."
"I knew," I said. "He is the famous football player Pedro Gonzaga, the striker of Balongnal. I've seen him play on TV."
"Oh, yeah?" Bernardo asked. "You must have a big screen at home. Otherwise, I doubt you could see anything past his body."
Pedro stood up and shook my hand. As he was taller than me, I had to lift my head high to meet his gaze. In the process, I noticed something else about him: how he held his head as if it was permanently fixed in front of him. What made it strange was that it never seemed to change. Without moving an inch, his head would shift slightly to the right or left.
And then his eyes met mine.
At least, I think they did.
They were dark, deep, and mysterious. I had seen brown eyes on people before, but he was different. It was as if they went beyond the normal limits of color. They were between green and blue, and it was impossible to describe them in words. You would have to see them yourself to understand.
"Are you going to introduce me next?" Pedro asked.
Bernardo gave him a dirty look. "No, you're not. Your role is to watch and listen. Got it?"
Pedro rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir."
He turned back to me. "Nice to meet you. I'm Pedro."
I nodded, unable to say anything with my mouth still agape.
I was starting to worry that this initiation ceremony wouldn't meet my expectations.
***
First came the test of endurance.
This is called the VO2 Max test and was part of the test of endurance. According to Bernardo, it was supposed to determine how fit we were. While it sounded fancy, it was pretty simple. All I had to do was put on the mask connecting the tubing to the analytical instrument, run until I collapsed, and stop breathing. The experimenter expressed satisfaction with my VO2max values and handed me a towel to wipe the sweat from my face.
The next test involved a sprint.
Bernardo led us to a nearby track where we ran laps. I was already exhausted, but it was all worth it when I learned that I was faster than anyone else in the group. Although, it didn't come close to my record.
In my experience, people always exaggerate things, so it was still possible that someone on the team could run faster than me. But not for long. I ended up beating everyone in terms of speed. When I finished, Bernardo congratulated me and told me that I had passed the first part of the initiation.
After a break of thirty minutes, it was time for the game.
Me and the other newcomers to a corner of the field. The rest of the team was waiting with a ball and a net. Bernardo and the rest of the team are all in their football uniforms, but their football uniforms are messy and smelly. They haven't washed them for a while.
"All right, fellas," Bernardo said. "Let's show these new guys what Balongnal Football Club is all about."
The game between the old and the new was unfavorable for the newcomers.
Each guy took a position. A few of the veterans started the offense, including Pedro. And when they kicked the ball, I realized I was standing alone on the field. They would use me as a decoy to draw away the defense, and the rest would follow behind me.
There was no way I could stop them all, but if I managed to dodge one or two of the passes, they would surely lose interest and leave me open. That was exactly what happened. Pedro looked around, saw me, and passed the ball to another player. I easily dodged this one before coming up against a defender. The challenge was to be patient and wait for an opening to counter-attack.
I waited as patiently as I could, but it was frustrating waiting around like this. Most of the team had already left my side, and I was left trying to fend off two men while the rest of the defense watched. One of them tried to kick the ball to me, but I blocked it with my leg, knocking the man backward. After getting rid of the ball, I charged at the defenders and threw them off balance.
They retreated, and the ball landed on my legs. While I waited for my chance, I kept glancing over at Pedro. He looked bored, but he was constantly watching me. Either he was trying to mess with me, or he had some plan in mind to deal with me. I couldn't tell, but he was watching me closely.
One of the defenders saw my opportunity and kicked the ball at me. I barely beat him to the punch, scooping it up and dribbling it to the right, running as far as I could. The moment I reached the end line, I stopped and waited.
Pedro was the last to arrive. He jumped and stretched as he approached me. He didn't seem particularly interested in playing fair and was probably going to try to hit me, but I had an idea. I used the same trick I'd used against the other defenders. I stepped aside and allowed him to collide with me, knocking him off balance and leaving him wide open. He was falling forward, then I broke into a sprint and dove forward, brought the ball down, and scored a goal.
Everyone cheered and whistled. Bernardo clapped his hands. "Good work, Bongo! Excellent move!"
"Thanks, Bernado." I smiled.
Bernardo nodded. "All right, gentlemen, that concludes the test. Congratulations. You've all passed."
I was relieved. It wasn't easy, but I'd done it.
Pedro smirked. "Congratulations. You're being inducted into the club."
"Yeah, thanks." I shrugged. "I don't know how far I need to go, though."
"To become a real member of the team," Pedro said. "You'll have to conduct an induction ceremony, but after this, you're officially a part of our team."
When Pedro spoke, the whole stadium became quiet. He wore his football uniform and looked professional despite all these sweaty bodies. He was one of the stars of Balongnal, not just because he played well. His charisma, presence, and confidence were enough to make you take notice.
"Really?" I asked. "So, what's next? Do we have a party or something?"
Pedro laughed. "If only." He looked at Bernardo. "Your turn."
Bernardo frowned. "Don't worry, Bongo. This ceremony is used to unite everyone. We'll show you what it's like to play football as a team rather than in isolation. You can choose to do it or not and quit halfway."
"I just need to do what?"
Bernardo gestured toward the field. "First of all, each of you newcomers chooses a veteran player. There is some physical contact, so..." Bernard prevaricates.