Imane khelif

An Unexpected Ally

The afternoon sun beat down on the dusty football field behind the school. Iman sat cross-legged on a low wall, her chin resting on her hands as she watched the boys' match with longing eyes. Her hair was a wild tangle of curls, having escaped the tight ponytail her mother had carefully styled that morning. Her uniform was rumpled, with a smudge of dirt on one knee from where she'd tripped earlier.But Iman didn't care about her appearance. Her dark eyes were fixed on the ball, following its movement across the field with an intensity that betrayed her passion for the game. Her foot twitched involuntarily, mimicking the players' kicks.

On the field, the boys darted back and forth, their shouts and laughter filling the air. Iman recognized most of them - Ahmed, the team captain; Karim, who had hit her just days ago; and Youcef. Her heart clenched a little at the memory of Youcef's angry words after she'd helped him.

Suddenly, there was a commotion on the field. One of the boys, Farid, collided with another player and fell hard. He clutched his ankle, his face contorted in pain.

"I can't play anymore," Farid groaned as his teammates gathered around him. "It hurts too much."

Ahmed, the captain, ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Great, now we're a player short. We can't finish the game like this."

Iman's heart raced. She wanted so badly to offer to play, to run onto that field and show them what she could do. But the memory of past rejections and taunts held her back. She bit her lip, fighting the urge to speak up.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Youcef's voice rang out. "What about Iman?"

All heads turned towards her. Iman froze, her eyes wide with shock. Youcef was looking directly at her, his expression unreadable.

"Iman?" Ahmed scoffed. "She's a girl. Girls don't play football."

Youcef stood his ground. "She's fast," he insisted. "I've seen her run. And she's brave, too." He paused, then added quietly, "Braver than some of us.

Iman couldn't believe her ears. Was this the same Youcef who had yelled at her for helping him?

The boys on the field exchanged uncertain glances. Karim sneered, "We don't need a girl on our team. She'll just slow us down."

But Ahmed was looking at Iman thoughtfully. "Can you really play?" he asked.

Iman's heart pounded in her ears. This was her chance. Swallowing her fear, she stood up, lifting her chin defiantly. "Yes," she said, her voice stronger than she felt. "I can play. And I'm good."

Ahmed hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright," he said. "Show us what you've got.

As Iman walked onto the field, she could feel everyone's eyes on her. Some boys snickered, and others looked skeptical. But Youcef gave her a small nod, and somehow, that gave her courage.

"You're on our team," Ahmed told her, pointing to one side of the field. "Try to keep up."

The game resumed, and for a few minutes, the boys seemed to ignore Iman, not passing her the ball even when she was open. But Iman didn't give up. She ran, she positioned herself, and she called for passes.

Finally, Youcef had the ball. He was surrounded, with no clear path to the goal. His eyes met Iman's, and in that split second, he made a decision. He kicked the ball towards her.

Time seemed to slow down. Iman saw the ball coming towards her and saw the surprise on the faces of the boys around her. Without hesitation, she trapped the ball with her foot, pivoted around a defender, and started running towards the goal.

The field erupted in shouts. Boys from the other team converged on her, but Iman was quick. She dodged one, feinted past another. The goal was ahead of her now, the goalkeeper tensed and ready.