Home Game

by Endre Farkas

  When the Hungarian national anthem began, Tommy noticed the Debrecen players stiffen. They stood statue-still. Less of an uplifting song than a lament, the anthem was a funeral-sounding dirge with a chorous of words Tommy couldn’t make out.

  When it was over, Tommy led his teammates towards their opponents. He and Roberto exchanged pennants with Könyves and Gabi. Gabi and Tommy smiled at each other. Their smiles spoke of their shared childhood and the innocence and joy of games played in the dirt yard of their home.

  “Have a good game, Grosics.”

  “You too, Puskás.”

  Tommy won the toss and elected to start, even though it meant that Derek would be looking into the sun. It would be good to get that first touch of the ball. He looked at each of his teammates as they lined up and nodded. He took a deep breath and tapped the ball to Speedy.

  Debrecen swarmed them and before long they were penned in their half. Debrecen was fast, and sharp and accurate with their passes. They played the long ball, the short give and go and made perfect crosses. The Internationals were always one step behind. Coach Hus’s ruse about Derek’s weak side seemed to be working. And though being in shape helped to keep Debrecen from finishing off their plays and practising total soccer allowed them to bottle up the scoring lanes, Tommy knew it was only a matter of time before Debrecen would score. It happened at the seventeen-minute mark. A cross from the left wing found Könyves inside the sixteen-yard area alone. It took him only a second to turn and shoot to the left corner. Derek dove but it was out of reach. The crowd exploded.

  “Shit,” Derek said.

  The boys came by to encourage him. Schmutz patted him on the rear. “It’s okay, man. Lucky goal.”

  “Let’s focus. Let’s shit or get in the pot,” Ivan yelled to the guys as they headed back to centre field.

  Tommy felt as if he had already played a full game. “We have to open up our wings,” Speedy said to Tommy as they lined up. “We’re playing chase with these guys.”

  “Luigi, Archie, Schmutz, spread it to the wings,” he yelled, passing the ball to Speedy, who laid it out to Luigi on the left half. Speedy took off to the right while Tommy crossed over to the left. Stanislaus was waiting for Luigi’s pass and he immediately put it down the line to where Tommy was galloping. It was perfect. The Debrecen defence shifted and just before their halfback and fullback converged on Tommy, he centred it to Schmutz. who snuck up from his centre-half position and blasted one to the right corner. Gabi leaped and gathered it in. Tommy watched with amazement at how fast and how far he got. He almost applauded.

  “That’s the way, boys,” he heard Coach Hus yell. The chance gave the boys a new life. They were in the game. Although Debrecen still had most of the game, the boys were holding their own. They managed to keep the game around midfield and got a couple shots on nets. They got one more good chance just before the half on a corner. Stanislaus centred a beaut and Tommy out-jumped the guy guarding him. He twisted his head to direct the shot to the left corner. It was heading in when out of nowhere a fist shot out and directed the ball away from danger. God, he’s good, Tommy thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

  Debrecen took control again and their superior skills began to show. They started to beat the boys on one on one. “Double team. Double team,” Coach Hus hollered from the side. Tommy, Speedy and Stanislaus, the three forwards, had to drop back more to support the defence. Derek, inspired by Gabi, was making big saves himself. The crossbar helped out twice.

  The whistle blew to end the first half.

  “Great. Great!” Coach Hustle patted each of the guys as they walked off the field into the dressing room. He waited for the boys to catch their breath. “You guys were great. You guys are great!” He addressed them as he clapped his hands. “Keep it up. Keep it up. Derek, you’re amazing. Archie, good hustle. Ivan, solid, like a Russian tank. Tommy, they’re starting to double-team you. That should leave you, Speedy, with some room. Make something happen. You boys are playing great defence. Keep it up.”

  “He’s amazing,” Speedy said with admiration.

  “Yeah,” Tommy said.

  “How we gonna score on him?”

  Tommy shook his head. “He’s got everything, height, speed and range.”

  Derek leaned over. “Use the sun,” he said. “Half the time, I felt blind. If the sun sets the right amount, it should get him directly in the face.”

  Tommy nodded. “Okay. Boys, shots at sun level,” he shouted.

  The second half began the same as the first. Debrecen was swarming again but added the one-on-one attack. They spread the game so it was difficult for the Internationals to double team. At the twenty-third minute, a beautiful deke by the right-winger had Tito, the left fullback, turning the wrong way and gave the winger open field. Archie had to cover, which left his guy free for a clear shot that Derek had no chance on.

  “Debrecen! Debrecen!” the crowd chanted. The boys, winded, as if the goal had kicked them in the guts, were doubled over. The crowd could see defeat in their heads-down as they marched back to centre field.

  As the chanting subsided, Tommy heard Coach Hus yelling. “It ain’t over, it ain’t over till it’s over. It ain’t over, it ain’t over, till the fat lady sings. Huizinga!”

  The boys looked at Coach Hus, who was waving his arms around like some bird trying to take off. “What the fuck?” Ivan shouted. Schmutz laughed and joined Coach Hus. Soon the whole team was chanting “Huizinga,” The referee, the Debrecen players and the crowd stared at them, wondering what they were chanting and why they were laughing.

  They lined up for the kickoff. Speedy clapped his hands. Okay, here we go. The chant seemed to have lifted the boys’ spirit and energy. They kept Debrecen out of their penalty area. Tito, determined not to let the right-winger make that deke again, made a couple of hard but legal tackles on him. Schmutz and Kostas had the captain between them like a hot dog between a bun.

  “Wolfie, stay up,” Speedy yelled at Tommy. “They got two guys on you, so that’s less attack.” Tommy nodded, slowed down and hung out around centre field.

  “Tired?” one of the Debrecen players kidded him as they watched Debrecen press. Tommy shook his head and smiled.

  “You guys are very good,” he said, exaggerating his panting. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Stanislaus sneaking to the left sideline. Derek laid a lead pass towards him. Tommy jogged lightly in his direction. His two defenders moved as well. Then he took off toward the wing. The two defenders shot after him, which left the middle empty. Speedy and Archie came charging up midfield. Stanislaus lobbed it in and Speedy was in alone. Gabi came out to meet him. Suddenly Speedy passed it to his right and Archie had an open net.

  For a minute, the whole stadium was silent. Then, as one and at once, the sound of the crowd’s shock and the Internationals’ joy erupted. The boys raced to mob Archie.

  “Huizinga! Huizinga!” Coach Hustle was yelling and jumping up and down.

  The whistle blew. Debrecen won 2-1. Tommy searched for Gabi. They shook hands and embraced. “Good game, Puskás,” he said.

  “Better game, Grosics,” Tommy replied.

  The two held onto each other’s hands. Tommy was eight again, holding Gabi’s hand as they walked past a burning tank.

  “Emma-mama and Magda will be waiting for you outside,” he said. “I have to go with my team. See you at supper.”

  “See you at supper,” Tommy said, and they embraced again.

  Emma spread her arms like a welcoming mother hen to embrace her chick. “Tomikám. Tomikám!” She and Magda were both crying.

  “I have to go with the team, but I will be back next week.” They smeared him with their tears and lipstick.

  The reception dinner was held in the banquet hall of the Golden Stag Hotel. The dignitaries, the mayor, Mr. Luxton and Mr. Nemes, sat at the head table between the two fac
ing tables. Archie, seated next to Tommy, leaned in and whispered, “Look at their faces.”

  “What?”

  “Mr. Nemes is so serious, more than before. Mr. Luxton is grinning, like the Cheshire cat. He seems relieved, probably happy that it hadn’t been a blowout. Listen to their speeches,” Archie said.

  The mayor stood up. Again, he welcomed the boys from Canada, praising their strong effort and their sportsmanship. He congratulated the Debrecen team and expressed the city’s pride in their achievement. Mr. Nemes translated, adding in Hungarian that the Party was also proud of their victory and expected that there would be even greater ones ahead. Archie leaned over to Tommy for a translation. Mr. Nemes switched back to English and talked about the achievements of the Party that provided free university to all and equal opportunities to every one of its citizens. He extolled the virtues of the five-year socialist plan that achieved its objectives of raising Hungary from the rubble of the war against fascist elements. There was polite applause.

  Archie whispered in his ear. “His speech was a propaganda lecture. And he just gave their team shit for doing so poorly.”

  “Where the hell did you get that idea?”

  Mr. Luxton rose. He thanked the mayor, Dr. Nagy and the people of Debrecen for their warm welcome. He congratulated the Debrecen team on their hard-won victory.

  “On behalf of the government and people of Canada, I would like to thank Hungary and its people for this wonderful gift, for this opportunity of our young people, many of whose parents, immigrants, from all over the world, came to Canada seeking opportunities and freedom to pursue their dreams, to see the wonderful progress that Hungary has made. I would like to toast the strong bonds that events and opportunities such as these encounters present to bind the people of Hungary and Canada closer together. And we hope soon to see Hungary’s hockey team in Canada so that we may share with you our national sport as you have shared your national sport with us. And as we say, it ain’t over till it’s over.”

  The boys hooted and clapped.

  “That’s our propaganda lecture and a dig at their system,” Archie commented.

  Mr. Nemes nodded and translated a portion of it. Everyone applauded. Tommy looked over at Gabi. He remembered a dream he’d had while his family was in a farmhouse in the woods near the border, waiting for cloud cover before crossing into no man’s land. In his dream Gabi was in nets on a muddy field. Tommy was taking shots on him. Each time he kicked the ball towards Gabi, tanks shot it down. He waved. Gabi waved back.

  44

  Next morning, waiting to board their train back to Budapest, Tommy spotted a kiosk in the station. “Hey, Speedy, watch my stuff. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  He addressed the old lady. “Pardon. Do you sell rock candy?” She stared at him, uncomprehending. “Little pieces, white, crystal.”

  The old lady smiled. “Ah, yes.”

  The kiosk was like the one in Békes, where he and Gabi had stopped every day to buy their candy. Even the old lady resembled the one in Békes. They used to call her the turtle lady because she sat in her little kiosk, the size of their outhouse, and only stuck her head out when a customer came by. She made a cone out of a strip of newspaper and showed it to him. He nodded. While he was waiting, he glanced at the newspapers on display. He spotted the Hungarian People’s Sports Daily, whose headline read “Debrecen Wins!” It had a photo of their game on the front page. Tommy bought a copy.

  “Look, guys. We made the front page,” he said holding up the paper. The boys rushed him. In his hurry, Schmutz knocked the cone out of his hands.

  “Sorry,” Schmutz said.

  “Hey, asshole, watch what the fuck you’re doing!” Tommy yelled. His fists were clenched.

  The boys froze. They had never seen or heard Tommy react this way.

  “Sorry,” Schmutz said again. “I’ll buy you another.”

  “Fuck your sorry,” Tommy hissed.

  Speedy stepped in. “Cool it, amigo.”

  Tommy looked at him and then back at Schmutz.

  He was shaking inside. “Sorry. Sorry,” he repeated, grabbing his suitcase before heading for the train.

  “What was that about?” Speedy asked once they settled in.

  “Nothing. I don’t know.”

  “Bullshit.”

  Tommy stared silently out the window. Soon the steady rhythm of the train lulled him to sleep. The sky was dark. Suddenly, shooting stars were flying upward. After reaching their zenith, they paused for a minute before showering down into the dust. A pack of dogs appeared and surrounded the fallen, glistening stars. They licked them up. Tommy took a step toward the stars. He wanted some. The dogs snarled, bared their fangs and coiled to pounce. Tommy reached into his pocket for his knife. It wasn’t there.

  Somebody was shaking him. “Hey, Wolfie, you okay?” It was Speedy.

  Tommy jerked awake, fists, clenched.

  “You okay?”

  Tommy took a deep breath. “Yeah, yeah, why?”

  “You were yelling in Hungarian.”

  “I was?”

  “What’s megolleg?”

  “Huh?”

  “You kept repeating megolleg.”

  “I have no idea. At least not the way you’re saying it.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” He took a deep breath. Still, he felt anxious.

  “Okay. In that case, can you translate the article? The guys are curious.”

  He rubbed his face. “Sure.”

  They gathered around as he tried to decipher his mother tongue. “The headline says Debrecen Wins. The caption beneath the picture of the first goal says, Captain Könyves András leads by example.”

  Tommy flipped to the sport section where it was the top story. “Hungary defeats Canada. University soccer champions Debrecen welcomed Canadian university soccer champions with a lesson in soccer. It was not a surprise that Debrecen won. This fine soccer team, with such stalwarts as Könyves András and the excellent goal tending of Földember Gábor, had an easy time defeating the visitors 2-1.”

  “They beat us, but they had to work their nuts on,” Ivan said.

  Tommy continued. “It was obvious that Debrecen, in the spirit of friendship, did not go all out against the Canadian team that showed some talent but obviously were not at this elite level. Most of the game was played in Canada’s half and they obviously lacked the skills to really make a game of it. It was only toward the end when it was obvious that the game was out of reach that the Debrecen eleven eased up enough to allow our visitors a goal. It was scored by Bellafonte Archie.”

  The boys cheered and slapped Archie on the back.

  “Their top players and co-captains, Wolfstein Tamás and Gonzales Roberto, were easily held in check by the solid defence of Debrecen. Though Wolfstein showed skills, they were not developed to the level to pose a serious threat to his cousin Földember Gábor. They will play their second and final friendly in Budapest at the People’s Stadium on Sunday at fourteen o’clock. We look forward to an entertaining game.”

  “Cazzo.” Luigi summed it up with his usual Italian gesture. “It’s all bullshit.”

  “Let them try to get by me again,” Tito said. “I’ll tackle them into the fucking Danube.”

  “They’re going to come at us like crazy,” Coach Hus said as Tommy put down the paper. “This might work in our favour.”

  “What do you mean, Coach?” Derek asked.

  “Let me think on it.”

  The players drifted back to their seats.

  Tommy watched the countryside fly by for a few minutes. Then he went to sit with Schmutz and Kostas.

  “Rock candy was my favourite candy when I was a kid. Every day, after school, my cousin and I would buy a coneful at a kiosk, like the one at the station in Debrecen. One day we were there when the school
bully arrived with his friends and pushed us aside. The old lady who ran the kiosk told them to wait their turn. After I got mine, the bully smacked me in the head and sent my candies flying. When I bent down to pick them up, he kicked me in the ass and sent me flying. When I got up, he and his gang were laughing at me. The loss of the candy didn’t piss me off as much as the feeling of helplessness and humiliation.”

  Schmutz nodded. “Sorry,” Tommy said, extended his hand and returned to his seat.

  Archie was lecturing Speedy. “It wasn’t meant for you.”

  “What wasn’t meant for Speedy?” Tommy asked as he rejoined them.

  “Not Speedy, us. The article wasn’t meant for us. It was meant as a public reprimand for the Debrecen team.”

  “Why, because they only won by one goal?”

  “Yes, but more because, for their political system, this wasn’t just a friendly game. It was a propaganda match. Their socialist, communist system against capitalism.”

  “You think anyone cares about a friendly soccer game between a Canadian and Hungarian university team?”

  “In Canada? No. But here? Yes,” he said. Archie, who never spoke softly when he could preach, was on a roll.

  “Hallelujah,” shouted Schmutz and some of the other boys who had joined them.

  Archie smiled and continued. “You bet, brother. The article was for the Hungarians. Imagine if a Canadian all-star hockey team were to be beaten by a Hungarian team at the Forum. The puck would hit the fan.”

  “Canada would cream any Hungarian team,” Luigi said.

  “That’s not the point. Your reaction is. Same difference. In propaganda, image is everything. Debrecen may have won but just by our reaction after the game, jumping up and down, tell me, who looked like they had won? They, on the other hand, are probably being told that the score was the same as a loss. Coach is right. They’ll be told to show no mercy. Sunday will be a fight for the motherland. They’ll be out for blood.”

  When Tommy and Speedy were alone again Tommy leaned over and quietly said, “Meg öllek means I’m gonna kill you.”