‘Hey. My dad washed those,’ Nippy warned.
‘Maybe he shouldn’t have.’ Angus inspected a hole in the armpit of his shirt. ‘I think the dirt was the only thing holding them together.’
Coach Wallace handed out the last of them. ‘Has belly-aching become part of our pre-game prep now?’ No one answered. ‘I didn’t think so.’
The coach knew shirts didn’t make a team win, but he also saw how many of the team were finding it harder each week to get them over their heads.
‘A good team doesn’t need good shirts to prove it.’
‘But what about my reputation with the girls?’ Tricky pleaded.
‘You’ll need more than a new shirt to fix that,’ Josie murmured.
There were a few sniggers. Coach Wallace ignored Tricky’s love dilemma and continued. ‘Things are a bit tight this year,’ he grunted as he helped Diego put on his shirt. ‘The association had a few unexpected expenses which left no money for new gear. Your parents are doing all they can to raise money for our team and in a few weeks they’ve organised a club dance to see if we might just be able to get those shirts.’
Tricky looked up to see Badger shaking hands with his dad. They were both smiling into the camera like they’d just won a million dollars. ‘Is he wearing a new shirt?’
Jasper’s eyes zeroed in on the bright green and gold shirt Badger was now wearing, with the TV station’s logo blazing across his chest like a neon sign.
‘Yep,’ he sighed. ‘They’re so shiny I bet you can see them from the moon.’
The interview wrapped up and the camera crew shook hands with Badger, who ran off to warm up with the rest of his team.
‘At least we’re not playing them this week,’ Nippy quipped. ‘Those shirts are so bright I’m not sure my eyes could handle the glare.’
‘Okay, let’s move in.’ Coach Wallace waited until the team had formed a circle with their arms around each other’s shoulders. ‘Remember, it’s not the winning that matters most … or the way you look,’ he added, with a pointed look at Tricky.
‘It’s the chemistry,’ Jasper blurted out.
The Rovers looked at Jasper as if they had no idea what he was talking about.
‘The chemistry between players, when you feel like you know what each other player is thinking,’ he said a little sheepishly. Maybe the concept needed more time to explain.
‘Jasper is right,’ Coach Wallace agreed. ‘It’s that … and it’s the way you play the game. Play fair, play well and play as a team. And Jasper?’
‘I know.’ He lowered his eyes. ‘No daydreaming.’
‘Good. Now this game should be tough. The Wanderers are a good team.’ Then he smiled. ‘But so are you.’
‘Go the Rovers!’ Lil suddenly called out.
There was a pause before Jasper added, ‘Yeah, go the Rovers!’
Lil’s cry had stirred the team up and before she knew it, they were all joining in, calling for the Rovers and jogging into position to play.
Lil walked beside Jasper and held her fists before her chest. ‘Forza.’
Jasper frowned. ‘What does that mean?’
‘It’s Italian for strength.’
Jasper smiled and walked over to midfield. But then, like every game, he looked at the hill where his dad would have been. He looked back and tried to focus on the game.
It wasn’t long after the ref blew the whistle that the team found their feet. With Lil leading the way with on-field cries and cheering, even at the smallest good move, the Rovers’ confidence inflated like a helium balloon.
The Wanderers’ tactics were good but that didn’t stop the Rovers.
Nippy quickly gained possession and moved the ball along the field, outwitting her marker at every turn, but one of the best plays came from Tricky, who forgot all about his shirt and displayed some of his finest footwork yet, including a sliding tackle that won the ball and sent him into a two-metre skid. From the ground, he executed an exacting sidefoot pass to find Josie, who took no time in sending the ball into the back of the net with a powerful instep drive.
It was the first goal of the match and the Rovers fans went nuts.
‘I think that’s that chemistry Jasper was talking about,’ Tricky said to himself from the ground, before being jumped on and wrestled by Diego and Nutmeg. The others were busy hugging and dancing around Josie.
The game ended in a one-all draw but Lil’s enthusiasm and Tricky and Josie’s goal made them feel like champions.
Lil held her hand out to Jasper. ‘Good game, partner.’
While they hadn’t managed to score a goal together, Jasper and Lil had played well. Jasper took her hand and she gave his a firm shake. ‘We’ll be playing for the Socceroos and the Matildas before we know it,’ she laughed.
Lil’s laugh was big and infectious and soon Jasper was laughing too, until the two of them were almost falling over each other as they walked back to the sideline.
Coach Wallace talked the team through their warm-down exercises while congratulating them on their play and giving them a few pointers.
‘Noggin, your turn for the shirts, and Angus, you’re on oranges for next game. See you at training.’
Everyone moved off and Jasper went to help his mum pack up the stall.
‘Good game. You played really well,’ his mum said, then added with a playful grin, ‘She’s pretty.’
‘Who?’ Jasper squelched into an orange segment.
‘Lil,’ she answered, as if it was obvious.
Jasper looked up, orange rind between his lips, and saw Lil getting a lift with Coach Wallace. She gave Jasper a wave and he waved back, a little confused.
For the first time since he’d met Lil, he saw it. She was pretty.
‘I bet she’s smart too,’ his mum added.
She was, Jasper thought. Smart and pretty. It was true.
‘Have you finished with that orange?’
Jasper realised he was staring after Coach Wallace’s car with the orange rind still stuck in his mouth and a line of dribble falling from his chin. He took it out and wiped his chin. As he watched the coach’s car drive away, he felt an uneasy twitch in his stomach. There was something about what his mum had said that he knew was going to cause trouble.
JOHNNY SAYS:
You see players losing their cool in all sports, not just soccer. Everyone has seen tennis matches where a star player cracks and suddenly their game starts going downhill. It’s a sign of class and leadership if you can keep your cool on the field. Some of the top players who are known for not losing their cool are Bobby Charlton, Pele, Diego Maradona, Roberto Carlos and Alfredo Di Stefano.
‘And that was a killer ball! Without a doubt it has to be one of the best passes I’ve seen in all my years of commentating. And that’s a lot of years.’
‘You’re telling me, Higsy.’
‘Easy now, Richo. I’m not too old to teach you a lesson or two.’
‘Ha ha ha. But you’re right, Higsy. Zammit has a range of accurate and deadly passes that even the great legends of soccer would envy.’
‘Look at him now, Richo. He’s moving so smoothly across that field. It’s like he’s skating on ice.’
‘And I think we’re about to see another classic Zammit set-up.’
‘He’s dribbled that ball magnificently down the wing. He has two markers on him. He’s given a quick pass to Vieri and … yep, there he goes. He’s scooted past the defender in a brilliant one-two and taken the ball back.’
‘Beautiful work. Nothing can stop him now, Higsy.’
‘He’s heading for the goal, he’s about to kick … but wait. He’s stopped. He’s looking into the crowd and I think it’s at a girl.’
‘Oh no! Jasper has lost possession of the ball and hasn’t moved.’
‘Who would have thought it possible, Richy? Soccer star Jasper Zammit, at the moment of another great goal, has blown it.’
‘It’s a dark day in soccer, Higsy.’
&nbs
p; ‘I’ll bet it’s an even darker day for Zammit.’
‘Jasper.’
‘It won’t be easy to come back from this.’
‘Jasper.’
‘And what about the fans?’
‘Jasper.’
Jasper’s eyes flicked open at the sound of his name. He lay in bed trying to remember where he was and why there was this crushing feeling of defeat in his chest.
‘Are you going to sleep all day or do you think you might make time for school?’
His mum was standing over him in her bright pink dressing gown.
‘Yep. I mean, no.’ Jasper decided it was best not to speak until his brain woke up too. ‘I’ll get up.’
After he’d managed to get ready through his bleary post-dream haze, Jasper met his mum at the front door. She put both hands up to his cheeks and smiled as she told him how much he was loved, and how he was without question the most important person in his parents’ lives.
Jasper sighed and hoped the Good Parenting classes would end soon.
There was something other than the dream that gave him a bad feeling, and minutes later he remembered what it was.
‘Jasper!’
It was Lil.
It wasn’t unusual for Jasper and Lil to meet on the way to school, but what was unusual was the way Jasper felt an iron ball crash into the pit of his stomach when Lil called his name, and the way every part of his body suddenly felt awkward and out of place, like each part was going to do something really embarrassing at any minute.
What was wrong with him?
Although he usually never cared about it, he suddenly worried about what his hair looked like. Had he even combed it? He tried to remember as Lil came bounding up to him, leaving him no time to check. Tomorrow he’d make sure he at least looked at it before he left the house, and maybe he’d even use some of his dad’s hair gel.
‘Hi, Jasper.’
She was still the same old Lil, the Lil he’d seen yesterday and the day before. But now it was all different.
‘Hi, er … er …’
‘Lil.’ She laughed her usual laugh, but this time Jasper wondered if she was laughing at him.
‘Yeah, I know.’ He cringed and let out this weird kind of snort.
‘I thought you’d forgotten for a minute there.’ Lil smiled as if she was expecting a quick comeback but Jasper just kept walking beside her, hands in his pockets, head down, concentrating hard on each step so he didn’t fall over.
She frowned. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Okay? Of course I’m okay. Everything’s okay. Why wouldn’t I be okay?’ Words spilled out of Jasper’s mouth like an overflowing toilet.
‘No reason.’ Lil let out a yawn. ‘I’m so tired. Dad was up late last night working and even though he thinks he’s quiet, he always manages to drop a cup or knife or accidentally slam his hand in a cupboard door.’
‘What’s he working on?’
‘Shop stuff. He works late and then brings home more.’
Jasper felt better now the conversation had shifted away from talking about him, and he did his best to try to act normal. ‘Really? What kind of shop does your dad work at?’
Lil was happy to see Jasper acting more like himself. ‘He owns a computer store.’
Jasper stopped. ‘Computers?’
Lil looked behind her to see a fish-gaping look on Jasper’s face. ‘Yeah.’
Think about it, Jasper thought to himself. There had to be at least six computer stores near where they lived. It could be any one of them. What were the chances of Lil’s dad owning the same shop his dad worked in? Or being the same new boss who was working his dad too hard and keeping him away from soccer?
He started walking again and tried to look like he wasn’t worried.
‘What’s the shop called?’
‘Spinelli’s Computers. My dad’s name is Joseph Spinelli, so when he buys new stores, he names them after our family name. He’s done it a few times before …’ Again Lil stopped when she realised she was walking by herself. Jasper had the same shocked look, only bigger. ‘What’s wrong? Don’t you like computers?’
Jasper was standing with his mouth open and his arms hanging limp beside him, as if someone had pressed pause on a remote control directly linked to his brain.
‘Jasper?’
He said nothing, just kept giving her the same zombie-like stare.
‘Should I keep walking by myself?’ Lil asked.
‘Sure. No. I mean …’ He tried to get a grip. ‘Computers are great. I love computers. They’re the way of the future.’
He winced. The way of the future? Stop saying stupid things!
‘I gotta go.’ He turned quickly and only just stopped short of running into a telegraph pole. A ridiculous giggle came from his mouth. He walked around the pole and ran away.
Lil stayed where she was and frowned. ‘I thought it was supposed to be girls who were hard to understand.’
JOHNNY SAYS:
Knowing when to make your move is all about developing good vision. All the great players have it. It means having an eye on the rest of the play the whole time, even when you’re dribbling or moving to receive a pass. It’s about having an awareness – an extra sense – for what’s going on the whole time, so you can time your move perfectly for that split second when your opponent takes his eye off the ball, or hesitates in a pass, and you can steal the ball without fouling. It’s also essential for good passing to your own team-mates.
Jasper sat at the kitchen table. Ronaldinho was at his feet, sniffing his ankles and wondering why they weren’t outside playing soccer. But this afternoon, Jasper couldn’t think about soccer.
He looked nervously at the clock one more time. It was five p.m. His dad wouldn’t be home for hours yet, which gave him time to work out how to tell him the news about Lil’s dad.
Or so he thought.
‘Hey everyone! I’m home.’
It was Jasper’s dad. Or at least he thought it was his dad, but without the usual dragging-feet tiredness he’d shown in the last few weeks.
Something was different. His tie was already off, his shirt was half open and he had a smile spread across his face that reminded Jasper of strawberry jam across hot toast.
Jasper’s mum looked up from her laptop.
‘Is my watch wrong?’
‘It’s spot on, I’d say.’ He threw his bag on the floor and picked her up from her chair in a twirling hug.
Jasper caught his grandad’s eye as he walked into the house to see what all the fuss was about.
‘How are we today?’ Jasper’s dad had given his mum a slobbery kiss and pulled out a chair for himself. ‘Who wants to tell news of their day?’
He rubbed his hands and looked eagerly around at his family, who stared back wondering if they were all having the same dream.
‘No one? Well, I have news so I might as well go first. Have a seat, everyone.’
Nannu looked across at Jasper’s mum, who gave him a smiling shrug before they both sat down.
‘We had another meeting at work today, but unlike all the other boring ones, I think this one was a real winner.’
Suddenly Jasper felt excited. Maybe his dad’s hard work was being rewarded with a new car or a family holiday. He could see his family on a beach in Fiji or Vanuatu or maybe even snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. His head filled with long white beaches, slides twirling into pools and whole tables full of food.
‘My boss and I had a little chat.’ His dad scratched his chin. ‘Actually, now I think about it, I did the chatting. He didn’t say very much at all.’
Of course he didn’t, Jasper thought, that was because his dad was too busy thanking him for the holiday to Fiji. His dad was big on saying proper thank you’s.
‘And you know what I told him? That he was wasting his life. And then I asked him when was the last time he spent more than two hours in a row with his daughter.’
What? Jasper’s beach-filled daydream wav
ered.
‘I told him I love my job, but if it means I’m too tired to talk to my wife or that I can’t go to my son’s soccer matches, then I can’t do it.’
The last of Jasper’s holiday daydream vanished in a puff of disappointment.
His dad, however, became more excited and jumped up from his chair.
‘It was great! I hadn’t meant to say anything, but he’d started talking about working harder and, even though he said we wouldn’t have to, he set a date for us to start working on Sundays – and I just snapped. It all became clear. Like I’d seen a shining light.’
‘Or got knocked in the head with one.’
Nannu crossed his arms firmly against his chest. He was finding it hard to be as excited about the news as his son was.
‘So as of today, I’m no longer an employee at Spinelli’s Computers but a man with a family who is stepping back into his life.’
No one said anything.
For a while.
Then Nannu had plenty to say.
‘That’s not how you play soccer!’
For Nannu this was a perfectly logical thing to say. He thought life was exactly like soccer and anything that happened in your day could be compared somehow to the game.
For everyone else, it made no sense at all.
Especially Jasper’s dad.
‘This isn’t soccer, Pop, this is life.’
‘It’s the same thing. When the game isn’t going your way, you play your hardest and you stick it out right to the very end for the sake of the game and your team. You don’t just give up because you’re not having a good time.’
Jasper’s dad took a deep breath and looked like he was trying to stay calm.
‘You saw what was happening with my job. I was barely here, and when I was I might as well have been asleep for all the good I was doing. I don’t want to be a father who only sees his kids on birthdays and at Christmas.’ His eyes became harder. ‘And sometimes not even then.’
Grandad slowly unfolded his arms from his chest.
Something about what his dad had said had caused a dark look to cross his grandad’s face, and Jasper had a feeling they weren’t just talking about what had happened today.
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