My Journey

Chapter 1 School Days

Standing out in the hot sun, Deborah was practicing goal shooting, bouncing the netball, jumping around on the netball court, Deborah aimed the ball to the net.

As the netball went straight inside the net, a smirk appeared on Deborah's lean face.

I am Deborah; the girl practicing on the netball courts and the author of this book. I am taking you through my Journey.

I was not very famous in school, had very fewer friends everyone has their own styles and perceptions hence I got along well with the itaukei girls more.

Later at the senior level, I had two friends Rafia and Kamini, I hung around with them most of the time. We were classmates, the three musketeers.

I was boyish and was an average-looking girl, more than average i.e. 5ft 8 inches (175cm) in height and darkly tanned. At the tender age, I would have loved to have a boyfriend but always felt shy and was always made felt that I don't look good.

Most of the girls in form 6 were in pairs, they looked very excited, received gifts. At that point in time, I did not have anyone lonely looking at them thinking why I can't have a boyfriend.

I, as in I, started asking myself questions like why don't I look good, why I am I looking like this, why am I so tall and dark. A lot of times I felt lonely and then diverted my mind towards sports.

On one note, I was not very famous with my bubbliness yet I was good at sports.

And another story would be if I had a boyfriend, I don't know how much beatings I would have had from mum.

At the age of 16, I think I had a crush on one guy, he was not from the same school, he was much elder than me. I liked his built, he was really tall, though dark but handsome. This was a teenage crush. The perfume he wore was mesmerizing. However, he vanished in thin air. I never saw him again.

I started playing netball from primary school and was in the school team in high school. I was a very sporty girl, was a short and long-distance runner, played long and high jump.

I even took part in dance competitions, active participation in school plays. I was chosen to be a prefect in class 6 and also when in form 6.

Let alone, I was scolded for not spelling word "prefect" correctly even though I was wearing the prefect badge with prefect written on it but I wrote "Frefect" I laugh often when I think about it.

At an early age in school, a leadership quality was identified then as well. When teachers left for the staff room, some days, I was given the responsibility to write the names of students who were talking or misbehaving on the board. I used to stand in front of the classroom, proudly observing the class. I did write a few names though. And the rest you, student names written, would not talk to me for days.

I was an above-average student in the class, in primary school. I worked hard and was a determined person.

When in primary school, I participated in Girls Rally, we learned cooking, sewing and we were also paraded and marched in the opening day of the Hibiscus Festival. These days were awesome, my mother always accompanied me to all the places and provided me with tremendous support.

Apart from school functions, I participated in Sangam, Woman's club. Played netball till the year 1998, performed traditional dances on stage. Every year we traveled to other cities and towns at Easter for the tournament.

I participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, doing volunteer work at the CWM hospital and also climbing Mount Korobaba. These adventures were conducted in groups, my brother Sanjay and Sister Renuka participated as well.