Blindfolded Outcasts

By Leonara Chin, 19
SMK Green Road

I was walking up the stairs of the auditorium, where the finals of the district level dance competition was to be held in a few hours, when a shabby teenage boy ran down to meet me.

"Miss Lee, they won't let us in," the boy named Jake frantically said to me.

I frowned, but nodded as we walked up the stairs together. There, four other teenagers were waiting for me.

"Miss Lee?" they called out in unison when they saw me. I smiled at them before walking up to the broad-shouldered security guard.

"Hi, we are one of the groups performing today, please let us in," I said calmly, while trying to maintain a stern eye contact with the guard.

The guard cocked his brows, as if suggesting otherwise.

"Do you need to read the legal papers that I have?" I pressed further, with a hint of frustration.

The burly man snorted before stepping aside. I waved to the five teenagers to come over, and we entered together.

"Woah...", exclaimed Jake as we stepped into the huge hall that would be the venue for the dance competition.

"In about an hour, this whole place will be filled to the brim, can you handle that?" I reminded them gently.

"Gee, M's Lee, I d'no, I'll prob'ly be shakin'," Emma grinned, some of her front teeth missing.

"Stay calm! You will not be seeing anything, remember?" I assured her.

Emma nodded and took a deep breath.

Just then, a group of haughty looking guys walked by. Based on their flashy outfits, they were contestants too. Their instructor, crinkled his nose and spoke in loud voice, "I don't even know how these people got into the finals."

"Mr Adams, let's just leave. I can't stand the smell of poor people," the boy standing in the front said.

When the group left, it was clear that the confidence level of our group had been shattered.

Sam looked confused and immediately smelled himself. "But I washed up, I don't smell today," he said softly.

"It's not your fault...", I tried to say.

"No, Miss Lee. They are right, we can never win. We don't belong here," another girl named Kate interrupted me.

I was going to reply when a voice behind me beat me to it.

"Of course we do! Have we worked less than them? We deserve this chance as much as anyone else here today!" Chris, the reserved and scrawny looking boy spoke up.

I smiled.

"Chris is right, we can't afford to feel discouraged now. We have come as far as the finals, right? The judges believe you should be here, so believe in yourself. You much learn to know your worth before others can see it," I reminded them. "Remember what we promised to do when we win the prize?"

"I'm gettin' m'self some dentures," Emma immediately said.

"I'm buying a new pair of shoes," Kate said, looking longingly at her tattered white shoes.

"I'm buying the best body soap for myself!" Sam grinned.

"I'm giving it to my mum so that she can use it to buy groceries," Jake smiled.

"I'm buying a teddy bear to keep Jenny company in the hospital," Chris replied. Jenny, his younger sister, had been hospitalised due to high fever.

"Then remember your promise as you perform on stage," I told them.

They nodded.

***
The time finally arrived.

After about an hour of warming up and last minute rehearsals, the competition finally began. I watched, performance after performance with some anxiety. Clearly, some of the teams stood out, but I had faith in the kids.

When it was their turn, Jake led the team on stage, while I watched from the front row.

"What is the name of your team?" the lead judge asked.

"We are the Outcasts," Jake confidently replied.

"And what it the concept of your performance based upon?" the judge asked again.

"Our lives," Jake replied, "We are beggars and pickpockets who live on the streets."

The judges were silent. Murmurs could be heard from the crowd watching the competition.

"And what is the title of your performance today?" the judge finally asked.

"Blindfolded dancing," Jake replied.

"Well, please proceed," the judge said.

I kept my fingers crossed, as each of them took out a coloured sash from their pockets and tied it around their eyes, completely immobilising their sight. The would have to depend fully on the beat of the music and their instincts to make it work.

The crowd hushed in anticipation.

The music started, and they moved around in sync. Despite being blindfolded, they moved in perfect harmony, keeping their routine flawless. The crowd roared in endless cheer. I nearly cried watching them perform, and memories of my first encounter with this young group flashed through my mind.

I am a social worker. It all began one fateful day when I was visiting the 'second class' neighbourhood in town. As I was walking, a teenage boy appeared out of nowhere and snatched my handbag. I screamed and gave chase, but had to stop in my tracks when I watched that boy leap over a wall higher than either one of us. Taking another route, I followed suit until I was at the other side of the wall where I found the boy - and the others. The one who stole my handbag was Sam, and Jake was in the midst of lecturing him for robbing a lady.

I began spending time with them and slowly, they stopped picking pickets or committing snatch thefts. And when I found out they could dance, I enrolled them in the competition.

For years, they had lived aimlessly, influenced by the environment they grew up in. Not only was it not conducive for their development, they didn't have a good role model to look up to. They committed petty crimes, following in the footsteps of those around them.

This competition renewed their hope and gave them something to live for.

All of them went back to school, leaving their old lifestyles behind. Jake, the oldest, would be graduating from high school next spring. He has promised to look for a real job and leave his criminal acts in the past.

The crowd's cheering went up a notch, shaking me out of my reverie. The performance was nearing the end. I watched nervously as the five of them prepared for the grand finale. This was the toughest part of the whole routine; a wrong move could result in broken bones.

I gasped as Emma and Kate did a flip before landing in a full split, while Sam, who had moved far back, charged forward and leaped over between the shoulders of Jake and Chris, landing perfectly in his desired pose.

The crowd didn't stop cheering for five minutes. Overwhelmed with happiness, I jumped on stage to hug all of them. I was so proud of them, not just because of the performance, but also because of their complete change in character.

***
As we made our way out of the hall, beaming with pride, we met Mr Adams who was still shaking in disbelief. His team was nowhere to be seen.

"How did your group manage to perform like that?" he asked, shaking his head.

I smiled at him and left thinking to myself:

If you have not experienced loss, you'll never learn to appreciate an opportunity.

If you have not felt a sense of hopelessness in your life, you will never work hard for anything.

If you have never been short of anything in your life, you will never appreciate victory.

Taken from Stuff@School, The Star, Monday 27 August 2012