When I carried the food into the bowling alley, I instantly picked out my team. No amount of neon nights or blaring music could ever overshadow their personalities.
"Give me the ball already Joe, I can't stand to see you get another gutter ball and we're already behind as it is," Zoey said as she held his bowling ball.
"No way it's my turn and therefore my ball. Besides, I nearly got the hang of it," Joe said in his usual cocky fashion.
"With those toothpick arms of yours? I doubt it, Zoey fired back i as she snatched Joe's bowling ball as easily as an action figure.
Amongst the two's arguing, the twins April and May spectated from the sidelines, switching in an out of dialogue like they shared one body.
"My my. I don't think we're ever going to get tired-"
"Of seeing you two tear each apart while we sail to victory-"
"Thick as thieves," they finish together as they fist bump one another.
Henry, our ever loving gambler, slipped through Zoey's and Joe's argument, his gold teeth and necklace glinting in the sunshine.
"Oh really now? Bet you wouldn't be saying that now after I get my next strike."
With more shakiness than an earthquake Antonia said her whispered piece.
"I thought your therapist told you to stop making bets?"
"I meant that as a figure of speech Antonia. Besides, he just told me to stop betting with money."
"Oh, okay, just be safe."
"Pfft, and I thought this team only had one parent," Henry says as he sat back down.
Antonia then slinked back into her chair alongside Élise who consoled her after tapping away at thousands of video reels through hot pink cuticles.
"Là là camarade, the fool will learn soon enough."
The ongoing argument between April, May, Zoey and Joe kept escalating to a fever pitch, until our fearless leader, the woman of every hour, spoke. With a single close of her book from a distant booth the entire group quieted down.
"Settle down everyone. James is here."
The team's collective hollering then ceased in an instant, as they all turned their eyes to me. Something I don't think I'll ever get used to. Still a part of me was flattered as I greeted my introducer first.
"Thanks for the intro Sharmeen. I'm glad to be back."
Everyone but her then swarmed around me like a school of fish, each jumping in with their own sporadically sudden update or witty opener. Beautiful reminders of just how much I missed all this. Sure, stuffy video calls and messy chat rooms meant I could only go a solid week if I talked with them.
But that'll never beat seeing their smiles, feeling their warmth, and hearing their voices without some shitty lag. People take it for granted every day, but after everything I've been through, that connection, that in-person human touch, makes getting out of bed a little easier. Still, I couldn't help but get overwhelmed as I tried addressing everyone.
"Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm glad to see everyone's- wait, where's Jared?"
On cue, my hands got metric tons lighter as Jared, with his weathered pink hat and shaggy hair, picked up the food.
"Oh, there you are. Thanks for the help."
He only gave me a simple nod before valiantly departing to put the food down, leaving Élise to speak for him.
"Don't mind him mɛk. About a week back, Jared decided to do a-"
"Vow of silence in order to get closer to some form of a spiritual enlightenment"
"Um, yeah, how'd you know that?"
"He just told me. Either way, all the Dogs of War are here, so let's eat!"
Once the team set the table to unwrap their food like Christmas gifts, realizing how I cooked all their favorites. Joe, like the young kid he was, had a sweet tooth for butter pecan pound cake, full-on Texas style. Zoey, the total carnivore she was both one and off the field, enjoyed a thick, kosher-appropriate beer-braised brisket.
Prying open which one of the twins liked gingered Pho ga and Pho bo from their great grandmother was a difficult endeavor but worth it to see their faces. Henry got a delicious dose of Red beans and rice paired up with enough cornbread to seed even his greed. Antonia had her shrimp ceviche with slightly spiced chips straight from Peru to match her subtlety.
Élise demolished some homemade Candian Pizza against the judgment of her 7 million followers and 20-part-long nutrition playlist videos. And Jared got himself a little Lo mein cause he doesn't have a favorite. Thus, only one remained.
While the others continued their round-robin on eating and bowling, I paid Sharmeen a visit with a piping hot plate. Despite everyone else gorging on, Sharmeen she kept whittling away at her book from a table away. She always had a habit of trying to stay out of the spotlight. Though I don't think any amount of baggy clothes could hide her gracefully tall and lanky frame.
"Room for one more? You tend not to eat much but-"
Sharmeen then sheepishly looked away, her commander facade fading away immediately.
"I appreciate the gesture James but really I'm not hun-"
Her stomach didn't let her finish her sentence as it gurgled loudly enough to shake Sharmeen's seat. A blooming blush then covered her face. Temptation took her right then and there.
"It has been a hard Ramadan."
Seconds later Sharmeen was salivating seconds of her lobia la sekan, breaking through her rampant chewing to say.
"Thank you James, this is amazing. Abbu would be jealous."
"No problem, it was the least I could do after missing the last few practices. You did well holding the team together."
Sharmeen's mood wilted at the last sentence, gripping her daffodil oriented hajab like a child would a blanket.
"Barely."
Her brown eyes then shifted back to her book that was filled to the brim with team strategies. Things clicked into place from there.
"What have the past few games not done well?"
"No, we've been performing amazingly for now, way better than last year when we're still figuring things out it's just,"
"Just?"
"Whether we were doing our rounds or playing a match. Everyone tried figuring out what you would say or do. Heck it got so bad Élise was even more focused on livestreaming the game for you instead of actually winning. It got me thinking about what it would be like if you took charge."
A familiar weight dropped on my shoulders as the same resignation Sharmeen overtook me. So I found the words that I would say to myself.
"Sharmeen, who is the leader of this team?"
"I am."
"Who was the person who still tried getting members even after all the old members left?"
"I was."
"And who has run the team drills, and strategies everytime I couldn't make it because Lily had a dentist appointment or I had defused some bomb."
"Then Ms. Sharmeen Phool, I think you're still the person for the job. At least till we hold team elections after the match. Joe did say he wanted a shot."
"Pfft! Joe couldn't lead his way out of a paper bag, like literally, do you remember that paper bag that flew in his face during our run two months back?"
"Haha, how could I forget?! He spent a good 3 minutes trying to get it off, felt like I was watching a facehugger at work.
We both took a hardy laugh as Shameen let her smile peak through.
"Feeling a little better?," I say with my own devious grin.
"A little. I'm sorry I keep popping the question to you but I still can't help but think you're the better choice here."
"Really? Why's that?"
"Because, you're … just you. It's like you have this center of gravity around you, and we can't help but get pulled in."
I tried to automatically push away her statement, only to realize that it had at least some validity. I would never describe myself as popular but I've always been able to make a friend or 2 wherever I went. But is it because there is something about me, or is it just because I'm doing something we all should? Either way I shrugged it away.
"Trust me, Sharmeen, I think it's the other way around. I need this team more than you've ever needed me. And that discomfort will go away with time, you're all still rookies after all. You'll see when we play this game."
Sharmeen brow furrowed, as if it was already holding up another expectation, as she fired back.
"Let's hope Allah is watching then."
We then saved whatever remaining worries tomorrow as we partied with the Dogs of War tonight.