Team Fugee

by Dirk Mclean

  They looked at him with confusion.

  “Now, guys!” he yelled as he saw the Bluffers forwards break away. Hassan and Sunny joined him, jogging backwards. A Bluffers defender rolled the ball to their goalkeeper, who kicked it high past the centre line to where Ozzie, Hassan and Sunny had fallen back. Meanwhile, the Bluffers forwards had bounded toward the area, hoping to get the expected ball. Hassan trapped it and lobbed it back over the centre line toward Muhammad, who headed it over to Sam. But neither team could score.

  By the time Coach Greenidge called for substitution, Ozzie had touched the ball with his feet only a few times. He trotted off, exaggerating his limp. The laughter from the opposition did not faze him. There was a plan. At the side line he slapped both palms with Dylan.

  “Show no mercy,” he said to Dylan.

  In that moment he thought of the character word for November, Compassion.

  “Screw that, compassion can come later. This is soccer,” Ozzie whispered to himself.

  Coach Greenidge greeted him with a knocked fist. “Good, man.”

  “I hope this works,” Ozzie said.

  “They have tactics. We have tactics. I think they underestimate your abilities,” Coach Greenidge said confidently.

  Ozzie took up a spot behind the sideline near Victor with a full view of the entire field. Less than a minute after play resumed, Sam stole the ball. Ozzie started the play-by-play in his head:

  Sam dribbles the ball across the centre line. He passes it to Hassan who passes it back to Sam. Sam looks ahead toward the Bluffers goal area and sees Tarek and Sunny near the Bluffers defenders. He lobs it high. Tarek, Sunny and the defenders all jump. Sunny’s head connects with the ball first, directing it to the right. The Bluffers goalkeeper dives in the wrong direction. Well, wrong direction for him. The ball floats into the back right corner of the net — where it rightfully belongs.

  Brilliant Goal! 1–0.

  Sunny ran toward the area where Hall United spectators were cheering wildly. He fell to his knees and raised his hands high. Teammates mobbed him in celebration. Ozzie and Coach Greenidge bumped fists. Hall United had drawn first blood.

  “Keep alert, Victor!” Ozzie shouted to the goalkeeper.

  Victor gave a thumbs-up.

  Both teams repositioned. Kingston Bluffers kicked off. True to form, they began an aggressive attack as if to say no more toying with these upstarts.

  Bluffers forwards charge. Their star player scissor-kicks the ball toward Victor who catches it easily, hugging it to his chest. Victor throws the ball to defender Owen who passes it to Dylan who passes to Tarek. The ball is stolen from Tarek by a Bluffers midfielder. The Bluffers begin another charge toward a congested area in front of Victor. The ball is toed high. A Bluffers forward heads the ball, but not to the goal as Victor expects. He heads it softly over to his teammate, who heads it to the Bluffers star forward on his left. The forward heads it into the corner of the net.

  Outstanding Goal! 1–1.

  The Bluffers star forward front-flipped and landed on both feet like a gymnast. His teammates covered him as they celebrated, while their spectators cheered like they had won the match. But still they wanted more blood, Hall United’s blood.

  “That’s a tripleheader, very rare. Victor could not have known,” Coach Greenidge said to Ozzie.

  “Tricky,” said Ozzie. “What else have they got planned for us?”

  Ozzie cupped his mouth with his hands and shouted, “Victor. Recover quickly. It’s one goal. You’ll have more chances to save!”

  Victor again gave a thumbs-up and forced a slight smile.

  Ozzie was right. The Bluffers continued their dominant attacks. Victor saved three more shots on goal. Hall United’s supporters chanted:

  Hall United

  Da da / da da / da da

  We want a goal

  Da da / da da / da da

  With four minutes before halftime, Coach Greenidge signalled for the four substitutes to start warming up. He shaped an ‘X’ in front of his body with his fingers. Tarek was the first to notice. Soon he was passing the signal along to Hall United’s forwards and midfielders.

  Hassan chases the ball against a Bluffers defender. They jostle straight to the left of the Bluffers goalkeeper. The ball crosses the line off the defender to award Hassan the corner. Most of the players gather in front of the goal area. Dylan drifts toward the opposite corner, unchecked. Hassan blows out a breath. Coach Greenidge seems to be holding his breath. Hassan settles the ball in the corner arc and steps back. Without giving away what he plans to do, he crouches and steps forward, toeing the ball high over everyone’s head. The Bluffers chuckle as if it is the worst move they have ever seen. But Dylan traps the ball and instantly kicks it centre to an opening. Muhammad stops the ball enough to control its spin. Then he aims it into the net’s left corner with such speed that the keeper has no time to block it.

  Lightning Goal! 2-1.

  The Kingston Bluffers spectators went silent. The smaller group of Hall United supporters made the noise of ten thousand. Muhammad was mobbed by his teammates. Ozzie and Coach Greenidge, who was breathing again, bumped fists.

  Bam. Bam. Bam.

  Hassan, Dylan and Muhammad were not playing in the same combination as when they had trained for Double Cross at practice. They must have paid attention well. Ozzie marvelled at the poetry of it. He and Victor exchanged a thumbs-up, smiling. With one minute left on the clock, Ozzie started his warm-up.

  18

  An Act of Compassion

  “The Kingston Bluffers are a strong comeback squad,” Coach Greenidge said during halftime while everyone sipped water. “Their coach, Ms. Jeong-Hough, played in the World Cup for South Korea. She knows tactics. Don’t assume because you’re leading by a goal that the match is won. Find chances to score.”

  Ozzie was now dressed as a white-shirted goalkeeper with the CAPTAIN’s armband on. He shared what he had observed from the sideline. Victor told Ozzie which strikers to watch out for.

  Ozzie settled into goal and said his private oath: “I shall defend the gate to the castle with my life.”

  From the beginning of the second half, the Bluffers seemed bent on winning. One of their midfielders received a yellow card for tripping Ade. Sure, it was an exhibition, but rules were rules. Ade’s penalty kick bounced off the Bluffers Wall of Six. Ozzie wished the kick had been a little higher to give Ade a good chance to score.

  From his goal, Ozzie began to see a constant changeover of the ball. Back and forth it went between players on the same team and between teams.

  Change. There it was. Small change. Big change. What was in that word I feared? Ozzie thought. Hamilton. Scarborough. I would still be with Rebecca, Mom, Dad...

  Suddenly a Bluffers striker ran toward the penalty box area. He received the ball and curled it in toward the goal. Ozzie snapped out of his trance and dived — in the wrong direction.

  Exquisite Goal! 2–2.

  In the microsecond before celebrations broke out in the Bluffers stands a whistle was blown. But for whom? The Bluffers looked to their coach. She shrugged her shoulders. The striker was ruled offside. No goal allowed.

  From the sideline Victor shouted, “Keep your focus, Ozzie! You’re doing okay!”

  Ozzie knew he had to do better than okay. He could not let the squad down. He clearly saw the next shot on his goal. Instead of waiting for the ball, he stepped toward it, jumped and caught it. He quickly bowled it over to Riad.

  Hall United supporters chanted, repeating:

  Hall United, Hall United

  Give us another goal

  Hall United, Hall United

  You are worth your weight in gold

  Hall United midfielders charged forward but lost the ball before they crossed the centre line. A Bluffers midfielder gained the corner to Ozzie’s right. Ozzie saw the sta
r striker and another striker taking up positions within his penalty box. The midfielder aimed and missed the ball completely. Trying again, he kicked high toward a forward. Instead of heading it toward Ozzie’s goal, the forward headed it over to the star striker, who wasted no time heading it toward Ozzie. Ozzie held his position and caught it as it slammed into his chest. Had he fallen backwards it would have been a goal. But the doubleheader did not work a second time. Ozzie drop-kicked the ball away.

  I swore an oath to defend the castle with my life. But this hurts, he thought.

  Desperation crept onto the faces of the Kingston Bluffers. Ozzie clapped his gloves together rapidly. It was a signal. With fifteen minutes left on the clock Hall United went into high gear. Surprise Speed. Hall United, united silently in mind, was not going to allow Kingston Bluffers any more chances.

  Dylan fired a scissor kick. It was a missile. Ozzie, from his goal must have blinked. All he saw was the ball dropping to the ground at the back of the net. And then the team mobbing Dylan.

  Spectacular Goal! 3–1.

  Two minutes later, Muhammad stole the ball from the Bluffers striker. Several players from both teams bunched in front of the Bluffers goalkeeper. Ade had his back to the goal. When Peter slipped the ball to him, Ade stopped it with the sole of his shoe and kicked it directly backwards with his heel. He did not even look behind him. The reaction of his teammates told the story. Once again, Ozzie did not see it. The celebration said everything.

  Delightful Goal! 4-1.

  Four minutes left. Ozzie shouted to his defenders. “No mercy!”

  Coach Greenidge gave them a signal.

  Ozzie could hear his teammates saying four words. Time to run the Four-Step Poker Dance:

  Peter passes to Riad who reverses direction and sends the ball back toward me. I settle it, step back and kick with all my strength straight ahead. The ball drops just beyond the centre spot. Sam jumps in unison with a Bluffers midfielder to head it. It strikes Sam’s shoulder and rolls to the ground. Ade runs after it. He dribbles it centre toward the Bluffers penalty box area. He looks like he is checking to see that he is not kicking it to someone who might be offside. He dribbles forward and passes it to Hassan. Hassan stops it and slides it to his right to Farid who instantly shoots it directly ahead to Sam. Hassan has moved past the defender and is straight left of Sam. Sam rolls it to Hassan, who is aware of a defender charging from his left. He has no time to settle the ball. He shoots it straight ahead, just beyond the outstretched glove of the goalkeeper.

  Sensational Goal! 5–1.

  Less than thirty seconds were left of play.

  Then, finally, the ref blew the whistle, extending his arm in the direction of the victors. The Hall United team, including assistants, celebrated on the field — hugging, high-fiving, weeping with joy — even Muhammad.

  The Bluffers coach approached Coach Greenidge. They exchanged kisses on the cheek as she congratulated him.

  Ozzie waved to Rebecca and Dad in the stands. He whispered to Victor before both teams lined up to shake hands. When Victor reached the Bluffers captain, Victor held out his armband, offering it to his defeated opponent. The Bluffers captain was surprised, but offered his in return. Ozzie exchanged shirts with the Bluffers goalkeeper. They were acts of compassion in action.

  Coach Greenidge waved Ozzie and Victor over and introduced them to Coach Jeong-Hough. “She coaches league soccer indoors during the winter,” said Mr. Greenidge.

  “Congratulations, Ozzie and Victor. Goalkeepers and co-captains, a good combination of skills,” she said, handing each her card. “Have your parents contact me soon if you want to play this winter.”

  “Thank you for giving our team this chance to play,” Ozzie said.

  He looked at the card. He now had a new attitude toward change. He did not know what would be next in his life. But he felt that it would all be okay. And that made him feel excited.

  Epilogue

  Final Decision

  “REFUGEES TEAM UP TO DEFEAT SOCCER CHAMPS” the headline in the local newspaper screamed. The paper ran a photo of co-captains Ozzie and Victor and one of the entire team with a grinning Coach Greenidge. The article quoted Coach Greenidge as saying, “Soccer is a sport full of surprises. Hard work, determination and teamwork will sometimes make the impossible possible. I’m proud of these boys.”

  The next day, Coach Greenidge hosted a pizza luncheon in the gym. Principal Arsenault entered and congratulated them again.

  “Keep eating. I have one brief announcement to make,” she started. “Area Superintendent Dominski has agreed to support a soccer program for Grade seven/eight boys and girls separately. It will start next spring in advance of next year’s soccer season.”

  During the applause and whistles Ozzie’s only thought was how Coach Greenidge’s face lit up like both the sun and the moon together. By the afternoon Coach Greenidge reported that several Grade six and seven students had signed up for soccer.

  “I’m glad your dreams are coming through, Coach Greenidge. Well deserved,” Ozzie said.

  “You had a huge hand in that, young brother. Thanks.”

  After all the pizza they ate, Ozzie didn’t know if Dylan and Victor could eat much when they arrived for supper at the Holder house. He shouldn’t have worried. Victor, tasting West Indian roti for the first time, chose one they called I-Tal which had seven vegetables. There were side dishes of small round flatbreads, known as doubles, stuffed with curried chickpeas and other finger foods, along with guava and mango juices. Rebecca, Indra and Fola were there too.

  By the time Mom came home it was just Ozzie’s family gathered in the living room.

  “Today I made a decision,” she began.

  Here it comes, Ozzie thought. Well, I’m prepared for it. I think.

  “I have decided to take Scarborough Centenary’s offer. We will stay in Malvern.”

  Ozzie ran into Mom’s arms. It was good that he had trusted Mom to make the decision. It was even better that she made that one.

  Then Mom, Dad and Rebecca presented Ozzie with a gold chain with a gold soccer ball pendant. It left him oddly speechless. It was then that he realized that he had not put the beaded chain back on after the friendly match.

  Later, Ozzie and Rebecca sat in their room.

  “I’m not worried about change anymore, Sis,” said Ozzie.

  “But I’m glad we’re staying here,” said Rebecca as she left the room to wash up before sleep.

  “Me, too.”

  Ozzie thought about what he had said to Rebecca. Yes, Ozzie was glad to be staying in Malvern. But he had prepared for a big change and had actually been looking forward to being out of his comfort zone. He wondered what a new life in Hamilton would have been like: a different environment, huge mall to explore, school with new friends.

  But staying in Malvern didn’t mean that everything stayed the same. He had captained a soccer team to a win. He had helped start a soccer program at his school. He now had a new friend, Victor.

  Ozzie looked at Coach Jeong-Hough’s card on his dresser where it sat beside his beaded chain. A winter of league soccer would be a first for him. Bring it on! He would think more about that tomorrow.

  Ozzie placed the beaded chain in a wooden box with things he had outgrown. He touched the golden soccer ball on its chain. He liked it. It felt right. Then he opened a drawer. He lifted out the purple scarf and inhaled its scent. After all these years it still held a trace of his mother’s soap. He untied the knot and looked at the cover of the book. There was still a faded crimson stain. Blood. It was his father’s blood. His father had been rereading it when he and his mother disappeared from their home. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The author was from his birth father’s village.

  Things fall apart. They do. And yet they don’t, Ozzie thought.

  He opened to the first page and began readi
ng.

  Acknowledgements

  A heartfelt thanks to my editor, Kat Mototsune, for her diligent advice and support through the development of this book and sub-series. I look forward to producing more titles. Thanks, Jim and Team Lorimer, for continuing to publish much needed books for our youth. Super special thanks to Renee for enduring love.

  I extend deep gratitude to deceased family members for instilling the love of reading and support: Mary Adelaide Barde (Nursey), Laura Barde (Aunty Laura), Yvonne Domingue (Aunty Yvonne), Joan Frederick-Jones (Aunt Joan) and Laura St. Clair Charles.

  * * *

  The author makes a special thanks to the Ontario Arts Council’s Writers’ Reserve Program for research and development of the manuscript.

  About the Author

  DIRK McLEAN is the author of children’s picture books and the Sports Stories novel Not Out. He has also written radio drama and stage plays which have toured southern Ontario elementary schools. Dirk was born in Trinidad and Tobago and now lives in Toronto.

  Copyright © 2017 by Dirk McLean

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for our publishing activities. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts which last year invested $24.3 million in writing and publishing throughout Canada. We acknowledge the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s Ontario Book Initiative.