Chapter 19: Chapter 19

OPEN BRAWL

In the 69th minute, there was a space for Jason some yards away from the goal post. All he needed to do was to move closer as fast as possible in order to hit the ball at an angle beyond the keeper's reach.

But the goalie fell flat on his face. He appeared lifeless!Jason couldn't tell whether or not it was a trick.

'What if he is not pretending and needs to be saved from actual danger?' he thought to himself. So Jason kicked the ball out of play and hurried to help keep the man alive.

For reasons best known to them though, the players from Milverton FC were very hostile. They shoved him aside and shielded their teammate. Notwithstanding, Jason's hunch was correct. The man happened to be in dire need of medical attention!

The fans gave the goalkeeper a standing ovation while he was being taken off the pitch on a stretcher. After that, a quick substitution was made and the game continued.

Another player attacked Jason from behind just before stepping into the box. It was a clear contact. Still, he tried to maintain his balance. He raised his left and right feet over the ball in three quick successions before shifting to the right. Then, after dribbling past a defender, the man fouled him intentionally. This time, he fell to the ground!

The referee who witnessed everything blew his whistle. A free-kick was given. Jason had to take the set piece as a result of the substitution. He took three big steps backwards trying to figure out a way to score.

All of a sudden, it was as if he was dreaming, thoughts of Ariana rushed through his mind, despite only meeting her once! But the referee blew his whistle and he was dragged back to reality.

When he hit the ball at last, it moved extremely fast and flew past the goal post, it went straight to Ariana whose undivided attention was on Jason. The shot was so powerful that it broke her arm!

After some minutes, Robbo was given a signal by one of his men in the stands. He found out that the young woman whose hand was fractured was none else but his fiancee! He became outraged.

The veteran footballer jogged towards Jason and punched him on the face. Jack, who was a Lordham defender, quickly hurried towards Robbo and kicked him on the groin. Thereafter, players hurried to help their teammates.

An open brawl ensued and the match was suspended!

Two days later, Lordham players were back in training.

"You did really well back there." one of Jason's teammates complimented him after he scored an impressive goal. "You must work really hard."

"I think it's just beginner's luck," he replied.

"You've only been here for a month and you are fast becoming something of a legend."

"You meant to say villain, didn't you?" Jason didn't find his comment amusing.

"Not at all! Your coming has renewed the rivalry between Lordham FC and Milverton. Can't you see that?"

"My former club thinks I'm a womanizer and a traitor." Jason looked at him. "And half the people in this city want to beat me up in the name of football! So tell me, how does the supposed renewed rivalry make things better for me or anybody?"

"Firstly, you got the woman, didn't you? And you are still playing in one of the biggest clubs in the world." Jason's teammate smiled at him. "Secondly, you have gotten a cult following so quickly. My son literally adores you. He will be celebrating his birthday later tonight. It'd be great to have you around."

"I don't think…"

"Please, he made me swear to invite you." The man looked straight into Jason's eyes. "Don't take my word for it. Just come over briefly and let him tell you how much faith he has in you."

"Very well then. I won't miss it for anything in the world," Jason said with a smile on his face. "Just so you know, it inspires me a great deal to have to share the same pitch as you. I'm confident you've got my back."

"The feeling is mutual. I'll see you later, hero!"

Jason was not expecting the invitation. He walked to his closest buddy in the club, Jack. "Why can't you just do the stretches with a shirt on?"

"Well, that's because of the satisfaction derived from seeing my muscles flex."

"Gosh! You are so full of yourself!"

"Am I? This is all for the ladies, man." Jack touched his chest. "I entertain them from a distance when playing on the pitch. But they also need some candy when we are really close."

"Jeez, do you ever think of something else?"

"Yeah, I do. But that aside. There's a place we should visit later. It is so out of this world, bruv!"

"I don't think that will be possible tonight. Matteo has invited me to his kid's party."

"Matteo! He's like the baddest person in the world. Do you hang out with him now? Isn't he the leader of the clique of exalted big boys doing their best to avoid us?"