Awkward

/298/

-EPISODE 10.

\•\~
back.

Kavi WRESTLED me down to the itchy grass and the ball rolled away. I grappled him with all my strength as we tumbled and tumbled but I was no match for my ten year old brother.

"Don't get the ball like that! That's a foul!" he screeched.

I pressed my nails hard on his hands so he would let go.
"Fighting is a foul!" I said. "Ref? Ref??"

"I'm the ref!"
We had totally forgotten about the ball.

"MUUUUM!!! KAVI IS FIGHTING—"

He jumped off me and patted the grass off his shorts. That always worked. Kavi was so afraid of Mum.
"Stop calling Mum, you baby!" He threw some grass in my eye.

I wiped it out and said, "You're just the baby because I'm better than yo—"

~/•/
now.

/TV/

"There is NOBODY better than Kavi Turner right now!! What a first half it is turning out to be!"

"Three goals in twenty-one minutes. Three-zero in Saalfeld's favour. Three in the net for TWENTY-NINE Turner against FC Zoeport!!"

"They just can't stop him!"

All four of us family people are on our feet, viciously applauding his beautiful third as he leaps in joy on TV, pointing right into the camera, at me, at us. His first game in the starting lineup - three goals for him - and none of us look prouder than his own father right now. With my phone, I sneak a quick photo at the clapping man. His cheeks are shining in the dim light. This one is to keep.

~/•/

"The ball is now passed to Turner on the left wing. He could potentially already be in a dangerous place to his opponents; they'd want to narrow his options."

"Turner passes, gets it back. Passes."

"Some good passing by Saalfeld, their opponents can't even get a touch of the ball."

"Zoeport losing shape, Saalfeld pressing forward and the ball is returned to Turner."

"There is a man marking him but Turner decides to take him on. Yes. Fantastic dribbling."

"Will Turner pass? No not yet. He has options though. Speeding up the play, he's past one defender, two, can he get past a third— yes he CAN! Turner cuts away from the sidelines and he is in a danger zone!"

"The opposition penalty area is full of opposition but can he score??— WELL WELL! That's CLASS! Defenders FLOORED, TURNER HAS ONLY THE KEEPER BETWEEN HIM AND THE NET!!!"

The keeper runs off his line to snatch the ball, but as Kavi leaves even him in the dust, the man grabs Kavi's boot and trips him, and slams him - on the grass.

The stadium crowd boos and howls curses as the ref blows his whistle and runs to the penalty spot.

"Kavi Turner has been FOULED by Benedict Johan! The referee has ruled a PENALTY for AS Saalfeld and there is no doubt that TWENTY-NINE Turner will be the man to send it home!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"When he gets up."

Kavi spends an eternity on the floor and at first it's just 'oh, that's football for you', but then I start to get a little worried when the opposing goalkeeper, Benedict whats-his-face-who-hurt-my-brother gets up but Kavi doesn't. A few teammates crowd around Kavi and the ref holds on to the ball to clear the area.