Final Story: Goodbye, 'A' High School

Chapter 6

23 May 2022

The annexe of the school is where the clubrooms are located. It is my favourite place: from the top floor, where the room for the baseball team is situated, I can see the sunset over Sword Lake. The vista is simply breath-taking.

This afternoon, Phúc and I decided to pay a visit to the old clubroom to see how things have been since our retirement in February. Final examinations are over, so we can rest easy for now at least. Sooner or later we'll be forced back into the vicious cycle of studying, eating, sleeping (if we manage to get any).

The door to the room opens without resistance, revealing a rather unsightly mess inside. Jesus Christ, have they been cleaning at all? What is this, a pig pen? No one's currently inside. I don't expect anyone to be here at this hour, really; there's just no reason to remain here after school anymore.

"That's a lot of things on the floor, on the table, and basically everywhere," Phúc looks around, frustrated.

"Hmm, I can't really leave the place like this. Let's clean the room up."

"Seriously? Fine."

The two of us get right down to business, firstly by getting rid of the trash. Then we move onto sorting out stuff. We check things one by one to see if anything's usable, if not, then it's going to the bin.

Since the news on that fateful day, everything we know has collapsed. Teachers teach with little vigour, students feel the urge to ditch school, and clubs fall apart. My juniors told us that no one feels like coming to practice, not even Mr Sinh. So much for the very first baseball team in Vietnam.

"Oh, what's this?" I pick up a light book with dust all over its cover.

"Hmm, let me see as well."

"It's an album," I flip open the pages. "Those pictures show only the previous and the current batches since the team was first formed last year."

"They looked so happy in those pictures, our seniors. Really takes me back. I still remember the time when both of us were still greenhorns, but within a year we made it into varsity," Phúc remarks. "I wonder how our seniors are doing now in university..."

"University, huh? How's studying going, by the way?"

"Sanguine."

We laugh it off and continue our impromptu task. While tending to the equipment rack, I take a good look at the bats and gloves stashed haphazardly in one corner. Such good times, the matches in the past. I still remember the sensation of holding the bat and hitting that stunning home run, winning us the match.

My reminiscing is interrupted, however, by the entry of people into the clubroom. Mr Sinh, Hiền, and the rest of the team suddenly appear at the doorstep, stopping in their tracks when they see us already inside the sanctum.

"Fancy seeing you guys here," Mr Sinh greets us by taking off his cap. "I thought you guys would already be celebrating the end of exams with your friends."

"Hi everyone," my companion replies. "The same could be said to you guys. Mr Sinh, what are you doing here?"

"I guess we had the same idea as you two: looking at the clubroom the final time before saying our goodbyes. We'll help you clean up as well. Since the school will transfer all equipment to other schools at a cheaper price, we'll do them a favour and make their job easier."

We thank our former coach, and immediately everyone enthusiastically joins in. Our cleaning up reveals many things about the club that even Phúc and I didn't know until now. Each object carries memories of its owner, no matter good or bad. We had a good time looking back at the past.