BLACK CAT.✔

Chapter Thirty-Six

Neither Becky nor Linc turned up for the game. Rob was beside himself. What if it was his fault? Her father sounded angry.

He sucked in a breath and watched Carl stop a goal. Rob clapped from the sideline. "Well done, Carl! Good work!" Carl beamed at him so Rob waved him forward with his hand. "Step off the line! Come forward a bit and get ready again." Carl nodded and did as Rob told him. They were losing but not doing a bad job for their first game. He just hoped the boys wouldn't be too down about it.

Rob went home after the game and sat in front of the T.V. He couldn't concentrate on the show.

Becky worked Sundays. He'd talk to her then. Wait in the car until she finished her shift and take her somewhere they could talk openly.

The thought of the look on her face when she saw him at the door of her house wouldn't leave his head. She was shocked. Scared maybe. It'd been pretty dark but still her eyes had been like an animal caught in headlights.

Her father was a maniac. No wonder she looked scared. Rob wondered what her home life was like. He thought of Becky accusing him of looking at her as if she were scum. Is that why she'd said it? Because of where she lived and her father. Did she think people thought of her like that? Is that why she acted as she did? That sort of environment would probably make the best person in the world feel low.

"Rob!"

He jerked his head up. His mother was standing in front of him. "I've been talking to you for five minutes. What's going on?"

"Ah...nothing, Mum. I was just watching the T.V."

Sheila Jarvis smirked. "Rob. I know you think I'm a fluffy old woman but I'm your mother. I know you better than anyone does. There's something wrong. You can't hide it from me especially when your legs jerking up and down like a jack hammer."

Rob twisted his mouth in a grimace. He looked up at his mother and thought, his home life compared to Becky Bridgestone's, were miles apart. He was so lucky. He stood up, gave his mother a hug, and kissed the top of her head. "I don't think you're a fluffy old woman. I love you." He went to walk away but she stopped him.

"Uh, uh. No you don't. Sit down and talk to me."

He sighed and sat back down. She wasn't going to give up. She'd never been that sort of mother. Rob knew his parents had wanted more children but medical issues had prevented it. She would have been an awesome mum to three or four kids. He sighed as he looked up at her. "I'm worried about a girl and her brother at school."

"Is this the same girl you had a fight with?" Sheila studied her son's face. He'd had girl troubles before but she didn't think this was the same so she held back with the questions knowing he'd tell her what he needed her to know and, down the track she'd get the whole story.

Rob nodded. "Her mother died in a car accident about a year ago and her little brother got hurt." He ran his hand over the top of his head and continued, "He's in the team I'm training. I've been putting in some extra time with him. He has problems with one of his legs because of the accident. I don't think they come from a very good home. I think Becky's shouldering all the responsibility looking after her brother." He shrugged and said, "She's a nice girl. I'd like to help her but I don't know how." He chuckled at the thought of Becky as he added, "I'm pretty sure she's not the sort of girl who'd take the offer of help without a fight. She's pretty tough."

Sheila nodded in thought and asked, "So what have you been doing so far?"

Rob went on to tell his mother about the pool work and Linc's physio exercises. How he was incorporating them into the rest of the team's training and Becky's help in the pool. When he was finished, his mother was beaming at him.

"Rob." She touched his face. "You're doing everything you can already. I'm so proud of you." She cocked her head and screwed up her mouth. "Unless there's more to the story than you've said."

There was no hiding anything from his mother. Rob grinned. "I think there's something not right with their home life. I have no proof but I've just got a feeling."

Sheila touched her son's face again. "Rob. You're a smart boy. My guess is you're probably right but you can't do anything to change that unless they ask you for help." She gripped his hand. "My advice is to keep doing what you're doing. Win their trust. I'm sure it will come out eventually." Sheila sighed. "But, honey, if this ends up being something too big for you to handle please don't think it's your place."

She shook her head to stress the point before saying, "There is lots of help out there for people in trouble. You know that more than anyone does with your father doing what he does for a living. I don't want this to interfere in your life."

Sheila smiled and squeezed his hand again as she added, "I know you're not the sort of person to walk away when someone needs you but you don't have to shoulder the burden of someone else's problems alone. I'm always here for you and so is your father so please ask us for help if it comes to that." Sheila kissed him on the cheek and murmured, "Promise me."

"I promise, Mum." Rob smiled as she straightened and said, "Thanks... you fluffy old woman."

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

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