Tall Story - Candy Gourlay [41]
And then, from nowhere, a hand reached up and plucked it from the sky and popped it into the basket, like a coin through a slot. And the Reds went wild, as if they had won the NBA Finals. And all I could do was stare with my mouth hanging open.
Because the helping hand in the sky? It belonged to Bernardo, beamed out of nowhere to the perfect spot by the goal.
22
Bernardo
It was habit, I guess.
How many times did I go through the set-up with Jabby? Jabby simply threw a high ball – he didn’t even need to aim – and I stepped towards the goal at the last moment to tip it into the basket.
So when the boy with hair like a toilet brush threw that high ball, it seemed the most natural thing in the world to step into the court and tip it in.
Andi came marching over, her face a knot of fury. The number on her bib was blue, not red like the toilet-brush boy’s, and I realized that I had helped her opponent score.
I wished that I had kept my hands in my pockets.
‘Holy Mother of God, what are you doing here?’
‘Sorry. Sorry. I came to look for you.’
‘How did you know where I was?’
I showed her the scrap of paper with the map, and she snatched it away from me and crumpled it into a ball.
‘I not know … I … I …’ I tried to explain that I had not realized it was the other team’s ball. That I had reached up without thinking. That it was a game I played all the time with Jabbar and … and … But my English came out slow and garbled and the look of impatience in Andi’s eyes turned into worry.
‘I told you not to do anything. Now I’m in deep trouble. I’m going to be GROUNDED for the rest of my life.’
Oh.
She wasn’t worried about the point. She was worried that Mama would find out. Whatever the word grounded meant, it wasn’t something to be pleased about.
The boy with the toilet-brush hair pushed in. His skin was the same colour as mine but he had a straight nose and light brown eyes. He came up to just below my shoulder.
‘That was so cool! Thanks, mate!’
Andi’s face was like thunder.
‘Sorry about that, Rocky. Bernardo didn’t mean to grab your shot.’
‘No, it’s fine!’ the boy said, shading his eyes as he peered up at me.
‘Goodbye,’ I said, turning around and wondering if I could find my way home without the map.
‘Wait!’ The toilet-brush boy looked at Andi, raising an eyebrow like he was expecting her to do something.
I bowed my head, afraid to say anything that might turn out to be wrong.
‘Rocky, this is my brother, Bernardo,’ Andi said.
My brother, Bernardo. I almost gasped, I was so surprised by the pleasure of hearing those words. I flashed a grateful look at Andi but she wasn’t looking at me.
‘He just arrived from the Philippines,’ Andi continued. ‘Bernardo, this is Rocky. He’s captain of the Souls. Our school team.’
My brother, Bernardo.
But Andi had wiped her face of all expression, wearing a blank mask like a shield. It was the same blank face that she had on when Mama had scolded her about the leak. My brother, Bernardo. Did the words mean anything at all to her? I bit my lip.
Rocky tugged one of the corkscrews on his head. ‘Holy Kareem, mate, you’re tall!’
I said the only thing that came to mind: ‘Kareem? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, MVP, Lakers, 1985.’
‘Right,’ Rocky said.
What was I thinking? Talk properly, Bernardo! ‘Pleased you meet me.’ I held out my hand. ‘My best friend nickname is Jabbar. After Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.’
Rocky took my hand and shook it. His eyes widened a little as my hand enveloped his.
‘Jabbar, huh? You guys like basketball?’
I smiled. ‘Michael Jordan is my biggest fan.’
Rocky blinked.
‘What Bernardo means is he is Michael Jordan’s biggest fan,’ Andi said. ‘Bernardo’s starting at Saint Sim’s tomorrow.’
Rocky lit up like a light bulb.
‘So.’ He grinned at me as if he was sharing a delicious secret. It was the whitest smile I’d ever seen. I glanced nervously