2026-06-10, 06:29 AM - Word count:
Nobody had really wanted to leave the grand sight of the Victoria Falls behind, and the staff must have started getting uneasy about when to break the silence and bring the teenagers back. It was dark by the time they did eventually start making their way back. It felt like a final goodbye, even if there were still a few days left before the players would be heading to their new homes.
The following afternoon, Joe and some of his teammates were lounging around on a couple of couches, finally back to talking somewhat normally. Talking about how strange it all was; they had spent a year together, sharing moments of joy and pain, coming so close to their greatest goal only to falter. And now? Now, it was all done, and that greatest goal of theirs was undoubtedly going to become but a footnote to many of them. Something that they might not even really remember ten years from now. Or maybe they would. For some, it might have been the closest they would come to winning a trophy of significance. For others, it could conversely be a small failure on the way to glory. If someone were to win several cups and championships at the senior level, would they really even care about having missed out on an academy title? Most likely not. Still, though, at this moment in time, it was all in the unknown. And in the unknown, in the presence of the friends they had made, it was the one thing that was known.
Some of the players had more or less finished packing, and thus had made it to the common room. Before long, they would be saying their goodbyes to the facilities, and to each other. Even though it already felt as though their actual farewells had been made at the Victoria Falls. After all, that evening surely was what would remain in the minds of the players. Even if the final results of their academy season were to be half-forgotten, that moment would stay. If nothing else, then as a reminder of all the people they had shared the past year with.
For now, however, they took to talking about their plans for the future. Some of the players had already found their next homes. Joe was one of them.
While packing, Joe had come across a pair of thin pants with an elephant print that he realised he hadn’t worn in months. In fact, he’d only really worn it once, when he had apparently gone some two weeks without doing laundry. The pile of dirty clothes has grown beyond the laundry basket, and so when he had finally gathered all of them in a couple of big bags, he’d thrown in the pants he had been wearing on the day as well. Only to realise that he was now entirely out of clothes to wear. Frantically rummaging through the room, he had found nothing in the pants department and turned his sights to the suitcase he’d brought from Bangkok in desperation. In there, he had found the elephant pants. Such was the story of the singular instance upon which they had been worn. Seeing them again as he was preparing to leave the country, it really did dawn on him just how fast time had passed. Not to mention how much he missed home.
The pants were the most ordinary thing you would see in Bangkok. First and foremost as a tourist-thing, with what felt like every other farang sporting the elephant print, sometimes both on their loose pants and on their shirts, making them one big walking print pattern. Then the aunties and uncles selling souvenirs to farangs started wearing them too, almost indicating that “hey, I am here for you, tourist”. Finally, there were people who just happened to have a pair lying around, gifted to them by a friend who had too many to sell, or bought when they’d been desperate for something to wear at an unanticipated circumstance. Like for an impromptu temple visit decided upon by a friend, when you were in shorts. Elephant pants would then be the cheapest, most readily available solution. For that reason, they had a bit of a reputation. And in turn, that was why Joe would rather not wear them. And why he had brought a pair with him to Thailand. When he’d been just about ready to leave, at that one final night at the football court near his dad’s fruit stall, his friend Sem had given him a pair. “Now, you’re going to be the foreigner,” he’d said, pushing the pants towards Joe’s chest.
By now, he really had been a foreigner for an entire year, and he didn’t feel a lick more like a local than when he first arrived. Joe and his teammates had been constantly travelling for matches and training camps, and whenever they were actually at the academy… well, they would be inside the premises, not really interacting with any locals, other than the academy staff. It had even taken them about a year to go on that one safari trip, and not least to finally visit their namesake. In that sense, although Joe had indeed been, and continued to be, a foreigner, he never quite got to be a tourist. It almost felt like a year wasted. Think, how many things they could have seen and done in southern Africa in a whole year. When Joe had talked to his dad and his sister about this in a video call, his dad had reminded him that none was wasted. Joe was there chasing his dreams, not playing photographer or tourist. Even if he and Joe’s sister had appreciated the photos he had taken of the animals and the Victoria Falls.
Joe was in the airport for what felt like the billionth time. To think that it had been only a year since he had his first taste of airplane food, seated next to that noisy American. Since then, he’d always sat with familiar faces. In that case, it did feel somewhat novel this time around. Not to forget the fact that he wasn’t here with a whole crew of friends and coworkers. A few of the boys had undertaken the short trip to the airport together. They were going to each their destination, and their flight times were scattered all across the day, but had convinced one of the academy staff to drive them to the airport in the bus they normally used for matchdays if they were to go at the same time. Once they’d made it through security, they had bought a bunch of snacks and drinks and found a place in the small airport where they could sit together. From there, they departed, one after one. Alex Peña had a long trip ahead of him with a couple of layovers, as he would be going to New Zealand to join his first senior football club. Umaq Yupanqui at least got to stay on the continent, although Egypt did seem to be a world away from the Victoria Falls with the images of endless deserts that the name conjured. Nacho Kusora, too, would be staying in Africa, as he was due to join a famous club in Côte d’Ivoire. Joe wondered when he would next see them. Would they already be regular starters by then? He hoped so, whilst also wishing that it wouldn’t be too long. Perhaps they would even face off as opponents in the SSL Minors divisions someday. If he himself could make it as a starter, anyway.
In the end, only Joe and Bruce McAllister remained in their little corner of the airport. Joe’s flight was up next, and he agreed to Bruce’s suggestion that they buy some small souvenirs before leaving. Bruce would be going to Canada, where Montréal United had apparently gone on a bit of a spree and picked up a few different Scottish youngsters whom Bruce seemed to know already from the international league that the Victoria Falls Eagles had participated in. Joe wondered if there would be any other Thais at his new club. Or at least someone from the general region. He bought a couple of paintings of animals in a local style and gave one to Bruce. Then the two teenagers said their goodbyes, as Joe walked off to his gate, excited about the trip he was about to embark on. A trip that would conclude in the signing of a two-year contract with Rapid Magyar SC.
Later, on the plane, Joe swore to himself that he would make the best of the coming two years. This time, he would make sure to remember to take the time to be both a foreigner, a tourist, and to learn to be a bit of a local. He looked down at the elephant print pants and smiled to himself just as the cabin attendants were approaching with the first rubbery meal of the day.
The following afternoon, Joe and some of his teammates were lounging around on a couple of couches, finally back to talking somewhat normally. Talking about how strange it all was; they had spent a year together, sharing moments of joy and pain, coming so close to their greatest goal only to falter. And now? Now, it was all done, and that greatest goal of theirs was undoubtedly going to become but a footnote to many of them. Something that they might not even really remember ten years from now. Or maybe they would. For some, it might have been the closest they would come to winning a trophy of significance. For others, it could conversely be a small failure on the way to glory. If someone were to win several cups and championships at the senior level, would they really even care about having missed out on an academy title? Most likely not. Still, though, at this moment in time, it was all in the unknown. And in the unknown, in the presence of the friends they had made, it was the one thing that was known.
Some of the players had more or less finished packing, and thus had made it to the common room. Before long, they would be saying their goodbyes to the facilities, and to each other. Even though it already felt as though their actual farewells had been made at the Victoria Falls. After all, that evening surely was what would remain in the minds of the players. Even if the final results of their academy season were to be half-forgotten, that moment would stay. If nothing else, then as a reminder of all the people they had shared the past year with.
For now, however, they took to talking about their plans for the future. Some of the players had already found their next homes. Joe was one of them.
While packing, Joe had come across a pair of thin pants with an elephant print that he realised he hadn’t worn in months. In fact, he’d only really worn it once, when he had apparently gone some two weeks without doing laundry. The pile of dirty clothes has grown beyond the laundry basket, and so when he had finally gathered all of them in a couple of big bags, he’d thrown in the pants he had been wearing on the day as well. Only to realise that he was now entirely out of clothes to wear. Frantically rummaging through the room, he had found nothing in the pants department and turned his sights to the suitcase he’d brought from Bangkok in desperation. In there, he had found the elephant pants. Such was the story of the singular instance upon which they had been worn. Seeing them again as he was preparing to leave the country, it really did dawn on him just how fast time had passed. Not to mention how much he missed home.
The pants were the most ordinary thing you would see in Bangkok. First and foremost as a tourist-thing, with what felt like every other farang sporting the elephant print, sometimes both on their loose pants and on their shirts, making them one big walking print pattern. Then the aunties and uncles selling souvenirs to farangs started wearing them too, almost indicating that “hey, I am here for you, tourist”. Finally, there were people who just happened to have a pair lying around, gifted to them by a friend who had too many to sell, or bought when they’d been desperate for something to wear at an unanticipated circumstance. Like for an impromptu temple visit decided upon by a friend, when you were in shorts. Elephant pants would then be the cheapest, most readily available solution. For that reason, they had a bit of a reputation. And in turn, that was why Joe would rather not wear them. And why he had brought a pair with him to Thailand. When he’d been just about ready to leave, at that one final night at the football court near his dad’s fruit stall, his friend Sem had given him a pair. “Now, you’re going to be the foreigner,” he’d said, pushing the pants towards Joe’s chest.
By now, he really had been a foreigner for an entire year, and he didn’t feel a lick more like a local than when he first arrived. Joe and his teammates had been constantly travelling for matches and training camps, and whenever they were actually at the academy… well, they would be inside the premises, not really interacting with any locals, other than the academy staff. It had even taken them about a year to go on that one safari trip, and not least to finally visit their namesake. In that sense, although Joe had indeed been, and continued to be, a foreigner, he never quite got to be a tourist. It almost felt like a year wasted. Think, how many things they could have seen and done in southern Africa in a whole year. When Joe had talked to his dad and his sister about this in a video call, his dad had reminded him that none was wasted. Joe was there chasing his dreams, not playing photographer or tourist. Even if he and Joe’s sister had appreciated the photos he had taken of the animals and the Victoria Falls.
Joe was in the airport for what felt like the billionth time. To think that it had been only a year since he had his first taste of airplane food, seated next to that noisy American. Since then, he’d always sat with familiar faces. In that case, it did feel somewhat novel this time around. Not to forget the fact that he wasn’t here with a whole crew of friends and coworkers. A few of the boys had undertaken the short trip to the airport together. They were going to each their destination, and their flight times were scattered all across the day, but had convinced one of the academy staff to drive them to the airport in the bus they normally used for matchdays if they were to go at the same time. Once they’d made it through security, they had bought a bunch of snacks and drinks and found a place in the small airport where they could sit together. From there, they departed, one after one. Alex Peña had a long trip ahead of him with a couple of layovers, as he would be going to New Zealand to join his first senior football club. Umaq Yupanqui at least got to stay on the continent, although Egypt did seem to be a world away from the Victoria Falls with the images of endless deserts that the name conjured. Nacho Kusora, too, would be staying in Africa, as he was due to join a famous club in Côte d’Ivoire. Joe wondered when he would next see them. Would they already be regular starters by then? He hoped so, whilst also wishing that it wouldn’t be too long. Perhaps they would even face off as opponents in the SSL Minors divisions someday. If he himself could make it as a starter, anyway.
In the end, only Joe and Bruce McAllister remained in their little corner of the airport. Joe’s flight was up next, and he agreed to Bruce’s suggestion that they buy some small souvenirs before leaving. Bruce would be going to Canada, where Montréal United had apparently gone on a bit of a spree and picked up a few different Scottish youngsters whom Bruce seemed to know already from the international league that the Victoria Falls Eagles had participated in. Joe wondered if there would be any other Thais at his new club. Or at least someone from the general region. He bought a couple of paintings of animals in a local style and gave one to Bruce. Then the two teenagers said their goodbyes, as Joe walked off to his gate, excited about the trip he was about to embark on. A trip that would conclude in the signing of a two-year contract with Rapid Magyar SC.
Later, on the plane, Joe swore to himself that he would make the best of the coming two years. This time, he would make sure to remember to take the time to be both a foreigner, a tourist, and to learn to be a bit of a local. He looked down at the elephant print pants and smiled to himself just as the cabin attendants were approaching with the first rubbery meal of the day.
