While we certainly played a lot of soccer, we also watched just as much if not more. We had discovered that a ledge ran across the length of the wall bordering one side of the soccer field. This ledge was positioned right below the row of windows and thus if we sat on the window sill we could comfortably place our feet on the ledge. Often times when other grades were playing, we would sit there and watch while either commentating on their game or discussing soccer in general. Normally it would be Bijan and I commentating and we would use nicknames we had made up for everyone to the amusement of all others sitting with us. Our usual spot would be the first window closest to the main office.

One day as we sat there watching soccer, we spotted Homayoonmehr a few windows down and motioned to him to come and join us. Homayoonmehr acknowledged us, slipped inside the building and popped out at our window and sat down with us.

“Why did you go back inside?” I asked him. “You could have just walked along the ledge.” While it was possible, however, the ledge was narrow and it would have taken a mighty balancing act. Certainly not one that even I would try.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I could have, I just decided not to.”

“You probably didn’t because you knew you would fall.”

“I go back and forth along this ledge all the time,” he snapped back. “It’s no problem at all for me.”

“Fine, then prove it to us,” I said. “How about you walk along the ledge all the way to the near end and back?”

He accepted our challenge. As he stood on the ledge he pressed himself firmly against the wall to make sure he didn’t topple over. Looking firmly down, he carefully shifted each foot sideways while inching forward. Of course the harder task would have been to ask him to continue till the far end, however, what made the near end more amusing was the fact that right after our window was the office with its full length surrounding windows. Looking down and being too preoccupied with not falling, it was too late before Homayoonmehr realized that he was now flat against the office window. Perhaps it was the penetrating stare of the teachers inside who had spotted this Spiderman-like creature prowling outside that finally caught his attention. While clearly panicking, he still had no choice but to slowly inch back before dealing with their wrath and subsequent punishment.