Face (18 page)

There was applause from the fans and the team members embraced one another.

Mr Hewitt said, ‘Well done, everyone, I'm proud of each one of you.'

Martin was a little disappointed but looked to the future. ‘Yeah, well done – and we still got the freestyle winners to be announced, so watch this space.'

Martin's mother was clapping her hands frantically and shouting, ‘Yes, yes!'

And his father was muttering, ‘That's my boy, that's my boy.'

‘In second place,' the manager announced, ‘we have Saint Katherine's.'

The Saint Katherine's fans cheered and there was
more applause.

‘And I am delighted to announce that in first place we have Compton Park.'

Compton Park fans cheered loudly and blew whistles, while the gymnasts hugged each other in celebration. It took a couple of minutes before the crowd settled down, then the manager continued. ‘Now, as you know, we had a separate competition for freestyle.' The gym fell silent once more. ‘And this special prize goes to the team that impressed the judges with the most original display of gymnastics.'

Eyes looked towards Martin. Martin was confident they would win this section: no other team had captured the audience as Eastmorelands had.

‘This section has no runners-up, just one outright winner. But first, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, I'm afraid that I have some bad news. Unfortunately Eastmorelands have been disqualified from this part of the competition.'

There was an almighty sigh that echoed through the gym. The shock waves were palpable. The manager continued, ‘The judges have declared that their display was not appropriate, and that in their minds it was a performance of pop music dance and not a display of gymnastics.'

Martin raised his hands in disbelief, and the team members gasped. A disapproving roar came out from the crowd and the loudspeaker called for order.

‘It gives me great pleasure to announce that the winner of the freestyle competition is Kirton High.'

Polite applause came from the spectators but Martin could not contain himself.

‘They were crap,' he said, turning to his team mates. ‘Listen to the people, everyone knows they were crap.'

Although Mr Hewitt sympathised with Martin, he felt that his language was a little too strong. ‘Calm down, Martin, you may not like the judges' decision but that's no way to talk about your fellow competitors.'

‘But, sir,' Martin fumed, ‘we were the best, everyone knows that. We rocked the people, we got them moving. It's obvious that we were the most original.'

‘You have to respect the judges' decision. I know you were good, you know you were good. Let's just say that you were a little bit ahead of your time.'

‘Can't we do something, sir? Can't we make a complaint?' Martin shouted, as he threw his towel down on the ground. ‘It ain't fair. Kirton High weren't that good, anyone could do what they done.'

Mr Hewitt picked up the towel and handed it to Martin. ‘Calm down, Martin, no one's ever changed a judge's decision by complaining.'

‘But we were the best, sir.'

‘The best are not always the winners,' Mr Hewitt replied, touching Martin on his shoulder.

‘Thank you for coming to our wonderful sports
centre,' the manager announced. ‘We are open from nine to nine, seven days a week. And don't forget next year, when we will proudly present the second Newham Gymnastics Winter Friendlies. Goodbye, everyone.'

As soon as people began to disperse Martin began to talk to his team-mates. ‘I'm sorry, it's my fault. Maybe I should have worked out something a bit more normal. I made us do all that work just to get disqualified.'

But his team-mates let him know that they were fully behind his ideas. One boy in the team said, ‘We were the originals, we had it going – we wouldn't have done it any other way.'

Then the Jamaican sistas came down to see Martin. Marica tried to imitate some of Martin's dance moves.

‘You should have won that, man. You should have won everything.'

‘Yeah, yu bad,' said Naz.

Anthony appeared. ‘Hey, man. I am pleased to announce that you are the winner of the business. Who's Kirton High? I saw better gymnastics in hospital.'

‘Did you see what they done to us?' Martin said in reply. ‘It's not fair, man.'

Martin's parents had also come down to see him. Although his father was unhappy with the judges' decision he was more surprised by Martin's new friends,
who seemed to him to speak another language. He looked around in vain to see if he could see Matthew or Mark. The sistas and others in the gym tried not to stare at Anthony but most found they just couldn't help looking. Anthony by his very nature, by his loudness, not his face, was attracting lots of attention.

‘Them judges need to be born again. They got no taste, they don't know quality and they got no rhythm,' said Anthony to Martin.

‘You're the best, son,' his father said.

Martin looked at his mother, who simply added, 'You were great.'

Mr Hewitt produced bottles of mineral water from his sports bag and everyone drank it as if it were champagne.

‘To our captain,' said Mr Hewitt, raising his bottle. ‘And to our team,' he said, raising his bottle once more.

‘And to all the funky dudes,' said Anthony.

Martin saw a group of girls leaving the gym. He recognised some of them as Natalie's friends from school. Then he saw Natalie walking towards him. He looked at her and then turned his back on her and spoke to those around him. ‘Let's get out of here,' he said, picking up his bag and turning towards the athletes' exit.

Just then there was a shout. ‘Mr Hewitt, oh Mr Hewitt! Any chance of that photo now?'

There was a moment of tension. The whole team knew Martin didn't want his photo taken. Everybody just looked at everyone else, then everyone looked at Martin. Mr Hewitt looked uncomfortable and sounded nervous. ‘I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you, Martin. The
Echo
wanted a picture of the team. The team didn't want to do it without you, and I told the photographer that you're the boss.'

Martin looked at the photographer, then he looked back at Natalie, who was now standing still and watching. ‘No problem,' he said.

‘Right, we'll do it here,' said the photographer.

The team gathered together around Martin and the photographer began to click away. Martin's smile was at the centre of every flash and his parents loved it. As the last picture was being taken Martin pointed his finger at the photographer and said, ‘Get a move on will you, I'm in a hurry. I can't just hang around modelling, you know. I've got to go to drama school today and tomorrow I'm dancing and making movies.'

Everybody laughed but none of them except Natalie knew what Martin really meant. Natalie got the message. She turned and walked away.

As the team, Martin's parents, the Jamaican sistas, and Anthony walked towards the exit, Anthony said to Martin, ‘You should have won that. Don't you feel bad? Don't you feel cheated?'

‘I feel cheated but deep down I don't feel bad.'

‘I would, man,' Anthony said. ‘I'd be angry. I'd be making loads of noise if I were you.'

‘Well,' Martin replied, ‘I feel sorry for my team but I don't feel sorry for myself.'

Then Martin stopped. He looked Anthony in the eye and said, ‘It's not the winning that matters, or even the taking part. For me, it's the being here. Today I'm the winner.'

You have to look beyond the face

To see the person true,

Deep down within my inner space

I am the same as you;

I've counted since that fire burnt

The many lessons I have learnt.

You have to talk to me and not

The skin that holds me in,

I took the wisdom that I got

To make sure that I win;

I'm counting weaker folk than me

Who look but truly cannot see.

I've seen compassion from the blind

Who think with open eyes,

It's those that judge me quick you'll find

Are those that are unwise;

Why judge the face that I have on

Just value my opinion.

Friends will come and friends will go

Now I need friends that feel,

My friends have changed so much and so

I make sure they are real;

I took the ride and paid the price,

I can't afford to do that twice.

I came to here from ignorance

I cannot call it bliss,

And now I know the importance

Of loving me like this;

To leave behind that backward state

Of judging looks is very great.

I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful

This minor fact I know,

I tell you it's incredible

Near death has made me grow;

Look at me, smile, you are now seeing

A great thing called a human being.

First published in Great Britain in 1999
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 36 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QY

This electronic edition published in 1999 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Copyright © Text Benjamin Zephaniah 1999
Copyright © ‘Faceless' Benjamin Zephaniah 1999

The moral right of the author has been asserted
A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the
British Library

eISBN 978 1 4088 2542 6

All rights reserved
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