Ronaldinho sped through the dog flap in the back door. He circled Jasper’s feet, before settling down to hear about training.
Jasper slowed down as he got closer to the part about the goal, making sure he told every detail of him and Lil in action.
His grandad sat back in his chair with a proud grin on his face. ‘Sounds like this new player is a real find. Once there’s chemistry between players, you’re a whole lot closer to having a great team.’
Jasper beamed. He loved playing soccer and couldn’t think of his life without it but, for the first time since he’d started, he felt he’d played it on a whole new level.
It wasn’t until after dinner, when Jasper and his grandad were doing the dishes, that Jasper’s dad trudged through the door.
‘Sorry I’m late.’ His voice was tired and flat.
He took off his tie and carelessly threw it on the kitchen bench behind him. ‘The boss called a last-minute meeting. He wants more communication in the business. More talk. And boy, can that man talk.’
Ronaldinho snuck in behind Jasper’s feet, sensing the bad mood his dad was in.
He dumped his bag and kicked off his shoes so they lay in the middle of the floor. Jasper took a quick look at his mum. Usually there’d be trouble if any of them did that but his dad didn’t even seem to notice what he’d done.
Jasper’s dad gave his mum a quick peck on the cheek rather than his usual sloppy kiss. He sat down at the table while Jasper took his dinner plate from the oven.
‘There you go, Dad.’
Jasper was itching to tell him his soccer news but somehow he knew now wasn’t a good time. He turned to his mum and she gave him a look that seemed to say, ‘Let your dad speak for now.’
Jasper rarely saw his dad in a bad mood and the few times he had, it had felt like it wasn’t him. Like he’d been replaced by some angry person who looked like him, but was really someone else.
‘We have new rules at work.’ His dad was smiling when he said it but Jasper could tell it wasn’t because he was happy. ‘Everyone has to work more hours for the good of the business. So we can create a company we can be proud of.’
He was getting more and more worked up.
‘We bust our butts for that place but it seems that doesn’t matter. What matters is filling our entire lives with work.’
‘Maybe it’s just for now,’ Jasper’s mum suggested. ‘To get the place into shape.’
‘Not likely. Apparently what this guy does is buy businesses that aren’t doing well and turns them around so they start making lots of money. And one way he does it is by getting his staff to work longer hours. Which is great if that’s what you want to do, but this guy has a family. I guess his precious computers are more important than them.’
He became quiet, like he’d suddenly remembered something else.
‘And we have to work on Saturdays. So I won’t be able to come to the game.’
Not come to the game! Jasper felt his whole chest gripped by panic. Ronaldinho let out a small yelp. Except for one time when his dad was laid out on the lounge smelling of Vicks and sneezing through whole boxes of tissues, he hadn’t missed one game since Jasper had started playing in the Under 5’s. His dad’s old boss understood the importance of soccer, why couldn’t his new one?
Jasper wanted to say it wasn’t fair. That he needed him there. That the new boss was making a huge mistake and was injuring the future of Australian soccer in the process.
But he couldn’t. When he saw the sad look on his dad’s face, he knew he wouldn’t say any of it.
‘That’s okay. I’ll tell you everything when I get home.’
Ronaldinho nudged Jasper’s leg.
Jasper’s dad smiled and a flash of his old self came back. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll work something out. You watch, I’ll be down at those matches sooner than you know.’
Jasper turned back to the dishes.
When he’d first decided he wanted to play soccer, his dad wasn’t happy about it. He wasn’t interested in any sport, but he said he’d come to training and meet the coach and then decide if it was okay.
When he saw Jasper play, he said, ‘You’ve got it, haven’t you?’
‘Got what?’
‘Nannu’s legs.’
‘Nannu’s legs?’ Jasper was horrified. He’d seen his grandad’s legs and they weren’t pretty.
‘You’ve got soccer in you,’ his dad explained. ‘Which means you’ve got to play. Nannu had it and so do you.’
‘Is that okay?’ Jasper asked.
His dad had laughed quietly and ruffled his hair. ‘Of course it is, you nong. If you want to play, it’s very okay.’
Jasper finished washing the dishes in a kind of soggy daze. His dad wasn’t just a spectator, he was his mascot. Just before the beginning of every game, he would throw Jasper this huge smile that made him feel like he could do anything.
Now, as Jasper faced the first game of the season, he was going to have to do without him.
He tried to stay positive. His dad would sort something out. He had to. But as Jasper pulled the plug out of the sink and watched the water gurgle down the drain in a foamy, sudsy swirl, he felt the excitement of his perfect day gurgle down with it.
JOHNNY SAYS:
Practise, practise, practise. The soccer ball is your best friend – spend every waking moment with it, even if you have to keep it under your pillow at night! Soccer is a game of skill, and no one can give that to you except yourself. Practise is what will help you develop your own personal relationship with the ball.
‘Pele was the top Brazilian goal scorer of all time. He scored 1281 goals in 1363 matches, which is a world record.’
Lil and Jasper had met after school and were on the way to his place for soccer practice. Lil went to the local private school and Jasper’s school was only two streets away, so most of the way they walked together. Lil bounced her soccer ball on her knee a few times before tapping it to Jasper.
‘And he was voted Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. Imagine that! Athlete of the Century!’
It turned out that Lil knew just about everything there was to know about soccer. All the big players, all the legendary games. She could answer any soccer question Jasper threw at her.
‘When was the first World Cup and where was it held?’ Jasper tapped the ball back to Lil.
‘Uruguay in 1930. Only thirteen nations competed, but now there are over one hundred and forty.’ Lil held the ball between both feet and, jumping into the air, flicked it to Jasper.
‘When and against who did the Matildas play their first A-international match?’ Jasper headed the ball back to Lil.
Lil easily cushioned the ball with her chest before letting it drop to her foot. She dribbled forward. ‘1979 against New Zealand.’
Jasper finally thought of a question she wouldn’t be able to answer. ‘Which soccer player was born in Belfast and was known as the “fifth Beatle” because of his hairdo?’
‘George Best. He was signed up by Manchester United and played his first game when he was fifteen. He’s one of soccer’s first superstars because of all the money he earned.’
Jasper ducked to avoid being accidentally smacked in the head. Lil had this way of waving her hands around when she spoke, especially when she got excited.
‘You’re good. How come you know so much about soccer?’ he asked.
Lil laughed and passed the ball to him. ‘I have a big brother who plays in the state team. He and his mates used to talk about soccer all the time and I guess it just sank in.’
‘The state team?’ Jasper stopped dribbling the ball and caught it under his shoe. It wasn’t quite Beckham, but getting tips from a state player was almost the next best thing. ‘Maybe we could train with him sometimes?’
‘When he’s here.’ Lil stopped. ‘He goes to boarding school so we only see each other during the holidays, and that’s only if he’s not away playing somewhere.’
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‘The state team?’ Jasper said dreamily.
Lil leant down and scooped up the ball. ‘Yeah, but don’t get too excited. I don’t want him to get a fat head about it.’
They crossed the road to Jasper’s house, but his head was so full of everything Lil had said that, when he opened the front gate for her, it wasn’t until whole seconds had passed that he realised what he had done.
Nannu!
Jasper’s face became gooed with horror as Lil made her way down the driveway.
Suddenly, everything around him turned into a kind of slow motion film. It was like Lil was moving underwater. Slowly she turned her head back to look at him.
‘Are you all right, Jasper?’
Lil’s words made everything snap back to normal speed and Jasper knew there was only one thing he could do.
‘Watch out!’
With lightning speed, Lil turned to face whatever was behind her that had freaked Jasper out. She was just in time to see a soccer ball come swinging around the corner of the house, heading straight for her.
Without hesitating, Lil stepped towards the ball, steadied her stance and booted it back around the house.
His grandad gave his verdict. ‘Good shot! Right on target.’
But Jasper wasn’t listening. He was still seeing images in his head of the ambulance pulling up beside his new friend, who was bleeding and unconscious, hanging on the coat-tails of death after being whacked by a soccer ball.
‘Who’s that?’ Lil tossed her own ball from one hand to the other.
Jasper couldn’t answer. He was too busy with his images of the medical emergency.
‘Jasper?’
Jasper managed to get his brain to make his mouth move and say something. ‘How did you do that? It took me weeks to get used to that happening.’
‘Habit, I guess. Whenever a ball comes towards me, I have this instinct to kick it. When I wasn’t practising with friends or my brother, I was kicking a soccer ball by myself against the side of our house. Used to drive Mum crazy.’
‘And now?’ Jasper’s heart rate was slowing to a steady half-panic.
‘The new house has got an even better wall. So Dad and I bought her an iPod for her birthday and now she doesn’t hear a thing.’
Nannu appeared with Ronaldinho. They stopped when they saw they had company.
‘Now I see why you didn’t come round back to say hello. You were too busy out here showing off your skills to your friend.’
‘Nannu, this is Lil. And she’s the one who kicked the ball.’
Jasper could tell his grandad was impressed.
‘Ah, the chemistry girl.’ He looked at Lil. ‘You’re good.’
‘Thanks,’ she said, letting loose a wide, beaming smile. ‘Jasper tells me you were a real soccer legend when you played. Coached the A team, played with some of the best and even met famous players like Maradona and Pele.’
Nannu tried to act embarrassed but he was enjoying all the attention.
‘What were they like?’
Nannu’s chest ballooned out proudly. ‘They were great players and are great men. Two of the finest.’ He smiled. ‘It’s nice to meet you, Lil. If only I could get Jasper to bring home more friends like you, I’d be organising the team for the next World Cup.’
Lil smiled. ‘Sure. Just got to make sure I finish my homework first.’
‘And she has a sense of humour.’ Nannu grinned. ‘I like her.’
‘And you must be Ronaldinho.’ Lil crouched down and held one hand out to the fluffy Maltese terrier. ‘Named after the famous Brazilian striker. Nice to meet you.’
Ronaldinho crept slowly forward and put his head out for a pat.
Lil laughed. ‘And I bet you wouldn’t mind a rub on your belly?’
Ronaldinho instantly rolled over on his back and Lil began rubbing. ‘Knew you’d like it.’
Jasper frowned. Ronaldinho was usually very fussy about meeting new people and hardly ever came out to say hello to anyone. Even Diego or Nippy when they came round.
‘Lil’s come to train with us.’
‘I couldn’t be happier,’ Nannu said. ‘And she’s brought her own ball.’
‘I don’t go many places without it.’
Grandad smiled warmly. ‘Perfect. With soccer, you have to make the ball your best friend.’
Ronaldinho whined, reminding Jasper that, when it came to best friends, there was him first and then the soccer ball.
‘Otherwise you’ll never master the noble game.’ He turned and started walking towards the back yard. ‘Come with me.’
Jasper went round the back of the house with Lil and Nannu, happy that he wasn’t going to have to call an ambulance or explain to Lil’s parents why his grandfather had plugged their daughter with a soccer ball. Up until now, his afternoon ritual with Nannu had seemed very normal to him. He made a note to himself to double check what was normal before he brought any more new friends to his home.
JOHNNY SAYS:
Some kids in Africa play with no shoes, no soccer fields and sometimes no ball! But they play with more passion than a lot of kids who have it all laid on. I’ve seen little kids playing three a side with an empty Coke bottle because that’s all they had. Attitude is far more important than fancy gear.
‘You have got to be kidding.’
Jasper got out of the car and stared in disbelief at the sight of Badger Mackenzie standing by a soccer goal being fussed over by a woman with a large powder puff. There was a TV crew pointing a camera and a boom at him, while another bunch of people were asking him questions and fawning all over him as if he was a world famous soccer star.
Or the boss’s son.
The Eastville Kings were sponsored by the local TV station and Badger’s dad was the boss.
Noggin pulled up on his pushbike and stopped next to Jasper.
‘Looks like Badger’s in for a bit of fame.’
‘I hope that woman brought tons of makeup,’ Jasper groaned. ‘Because it’s going to take a lot of work to make Badger look any good.’
The two sniggered into their chests as Jasper’s mum handed over his sports bag. ‘I seem to remember we had a deal about what we said about people, Jasper. What was that, I wonder?’
Jasper shuffled his feet in the car park gravel. ‘If I can’t say nice things about someone then it’s better not to say anything at all.’
‘That was it.’ She kissed him on the head. ‘Have fun out there, you two. I’ll be watching from the stall.’
She slammed the boot with a croaking thud and moved off with a box of cupcakes and lamingtons she was going to sell to raise money for the club.
Jasper slumped against Bessie. It was annoying that Badger was a show-off who seemed to have everything, but that wasn’t what was bothering him most. Badger could have all the TV cameras and attention he wanted.
No matter how much Jasper tried to put it out of his mind, it just didn’t feel right that his dad wasn’t at the game.
He and Noggin watched as a man in tight leather pants with a purple spiked hairdo began preening Badger’s clothes and hair.
‘I think your mum’s deal only applies if the person has more intelligence than a flea,’ Noggin whispered.
The two of them waited until Jasper’s mum was far enough away then cracked up laughing. It made Jasper feel a little better.
Diego walked up with his bag flung over his shoulder and leant on the car next to Jasper. ‘Do you think being a show-off comes naturally to Badger or does he have to practise to be that good?’
Noggin eyed Badger. ‘Since Badger’s not smart enough to learn anything I guess it must come naturally.’
The three laughed until they saw Coach Wallace and Lil arrive on the field. Noggin jumped on his bike. ‘We better get going.’
Jasper and Diego waited for Noggin to chain his bike up before they hurried over to where the rest of the team were gathering.
‘What’s going on over there?’ Lil asked Jasper.
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‘That’s Badger Mackenzie from the Eastville Kings. His dad’s TV station sponsors them.’
Tricky took off his sunglasses and adjusted his hair in their reflection. ‘They’ll want to talk to me then. TV is a slave to good looks.’
‘So that counts you out.’ Diego shoved Tricky in the shoulder.
‘You can guarantee they won’t come near you. One look at your face and the camera’ll break.’ Tricky returned the shove and the two collapsed into a wrestling tussle.
‘Are they going to interview us as well?’ Lil hadn’t been on TV before but she was willing to give it a try.
‘Not unless we suddenly sprout a couple of rich and important parents.’ Nippy dropped the bag of shirts beside her.
‘You got any?’ Josie asked.
‘Not me,’ Lil shrugged.
As they began putting on their shin pads and boots, Jasper looked around. ‘Are your parents here?’
‘Nah. Mum’s not really into it and Dad’s busy.’ Lil said it like it was no big deal.
‘Would you like them to be here?’
‘Yeah, sure. Dad’s really into me playing though. The first thing he did when we moved here was get in touch with Coach Wallace to ask if I could join up.’ She finished lacing her boots. ‘Where’s your grandfather?’
‘At home. Since Nanna died five years ago, he doesn’t go out very much. I tell him all about the game later.’
‘But he loves soccer.’
‘I know. It’s just one of the many weird things about my family.’
‘Right then.’ Coach Wallace stood over Diego and Tricky, who were still wrestling, and waited until they had stood up and brushed themselves down.
‘I thought it was soccer we were playing.’
‘Sorry, Coach.’ Diego and Tricky did their best not to laugh while the coach began the warm-up.
When he thought they were ready, he handed out the shirts.
‘Angus, Nippy, Jasper …’
Angus held his up like he was holding a hundred-year-old pair of underpants. ‘These shirts are almost as old as me.’
Noggin took a sniff. ‘And as smelly.’
‘At least they don’t smell as bad as your sense of humour,’ Angus retorted.
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