Heaven
knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the
blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.
-Charles
Dickens, Great Expectations, 1860
It
was a thunder storming in Berlin today as predicted by the weather men. I was feeling the rain and of course, the thunder! standing alone in the rain listening a Bollywood
song in background. I know each raindrop was the tear of the Germans which they dropped in the previous day. These droplets evaporated and precipitated again to their
hearts! I spotted my tearlets from the millions of drops and those were falling
down through my barren breast! I noticed every German had the same feeling,
everyone could recognize their own went-away-tears.
Dear
reader! If you are still baffled, I will explicate what had actually happened
here in the previous day. Yesterday was a fine and sunny day. For Germans it
was a feting day. The Deutschland team was going to face up Italy in Euro cup.
Everybody was sure about the outcome of the match and from every nook corner of
the country the far-famed slogan was coming out Wir für Deutschland! Wir für Deutschland!
The team had not lost any game since they played in the last sixteen matches
and it would never lose its seventeenth match against Italy that was
everybody’s anticipation. The entire town was adorned with German flags and signs.
Everywhere people were putting up big screen to watch the match. I was slightly
bemused to decide which place I must go. Each corner pulled me into them to pep
up with them. We made up our mind at last to go to Potsdam University ground
where the university students put up a
very large screen. We were four, Sujith sir, Vivek Sigh, Aparna and me. When we
reached there, we knew that the jubilation had already started. Students were carrying
out different physical performance. It was so impressing that two guys were
dancing in the air according to the background music. They jumped in the air
and convoluted their body in different direction and somersaulted sometime in
the air only to come down in their normal position! It was about 8.45 and it
was the time the play about to start. I was standing in the left side of the
screen but the big screen was partly seen there and every inch of the ground
was occupied by the ebullient German fans. I was sure, if I was standing there like
that I would never be able to watch the match. I suddenly thought back the
match I was watching at Kavanur mini
stadium and the way I usually get into the ground!
Those days it was easygoing
to me to enter the ground even without the ticket. If you love something
passionately the way to get in will be easier. Then I remember the old proverb,
even in the mackerel packed town an elephant finds out its own way. I am not an
elephant, so why don’t I try my way, was I thinking that time. Vivek might have
thought the same proverb. So I intruded the already packed ground and easily
got a place. I was observing the students around me. They were in a dreamy
state. The queue before the nearby beer shop was fattening in each moment.
Suddenly a girl with her Italian dress stood up and waved an Italian flag.
Everybody noticed her and I was so scared and I thought I must go for her
protection! She was very brave to express her solidarity to her team even in
such a tense situation. But Germans were very disciplined fans and they had
much sportsman spirit to allow her to express the team spirit. Everybody was
decorating their faces with beautiful colours; some wore black-yellow-red hats
and dress. Some were waving the German flag. When I noticed some were busy with
tingeing their faces with colours of German flags, we asked them the colouring
marker. Very gently they gave it us. Seriously yaar I have never painted my
face with the colours of flags of any country, but now the spectators gathered
there silently asked us to conjoin with them. We also decorated our faces with the
colours of German flag. The pattern of German flag is Black on the top, red in
between and gold at the bottom.
The German Flag designates the overall
background is Red, black and gold. The description of the German Flag is as
follows: Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold. According
to Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated with colours.
The colours on the German flag represent the following:
Yellow - a symbol of
generosity
Red - hardiness,
bravery, strength & valour
Black - Determination
They are derived from
the similar colours of the Imperial coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire.
Black (determination)
should come first. I did a mistake, the flag was pasted upside down, and I did
not notice it. The girl behind me pointed out that fault and immediately she
collected a NIVIA facial cream and a serviette from somewhere, so I redrew the
flag. People respect their cultural symbols and national identities. After
painting German flag, I suddenly felt the all anxiety of each and every German
around me. It was the time of national anthem, for respecting it, the whole crowd
stood up and bowed down their heads.
Match started! It was
the time when the German soccer style began to rain there. The spectacular
movements composed a beautiful poem on the ground. People were dancing with the
steps of German players. Drums were beaten up obstreperously, the sound of band
reached above the cheers of the students. Everywhere the endless summer just
started. But all of a sudden the all the mood of festivity paused when Mario
Balotelli’s header pierced through a vulnerable German defence.
But the
men in white were not tired yet, they were attacking to break the Italian goal net.
Another shot of Mario Balotelli again perforated to the German goal post
and he took off his shirt and stood on the ground in Gejini style. Then every noise
was suddenly stopped. There was a pin drop silence everywhere. Suddenly I
realized a teardrop had just fallen down from my eyes along with the millions
of German fans. I stood up and just went away from the crowd. I looked at the
sky, the sun was about to leave from the sight and the clouds were coming from
afar. And at the same time a message came to my mobile informing the weather forecast
that there would be a thunderstorm in all over the Deutschland within 24 hours!
