The Legends (32 page)

“Of course I can believe it,” Brian replied. “Especially if you set your mind to it. And when you start playing I will help you and I’m sure Charlie will as well.”

“Oh Bri…Bri…” she said happily squeezing his arm. “That would be great.”

On the pitch the whistle blew for half time and Brian’s friends in the bleachers came down to stretch their legs. After giving Charlie a congratulatory salute they wandered over to where Brian and Libby were sitting.

“So what are the two of you plotting?” Chad asked.

“Nothing,” Libby replied simply.

“Libby?” Maeve asked making a funny face as if she were accusing her friend of telling a fib, which found Libby giggling in spite of herself.

“I am going to play soccer too,” she announced proudly. “And I was just telling Brian all about it.”

“She’s in training,” Brian stated. “And when she is ready to start playing we are all going to help her.”

Chad looked dubiously at Libby and Brian but then Kate stepped in as she usually did and explained, “Actually Libby is training with Daddy five evening a week with a long session on Sundays, and since he used to play with the Dublin Bohemians, he knows what he is doing.”

“Hey that’s great,” Siobhán said, “pretty soon you could be playing with Charlie.”

“Right,” Chad said sarcastically.

“Or even with Chad,” Maeve said even more sarcastically obviously striking a nerve with Chad whose lips tightened into an angry glare.

“Enough” Kate said quietly. “I think it is great that Libby wants to play and we should support her rather than starting an argument.”

Chad was not quite through, however, and he snarled at Maeve, “The only reason, Miss know-it-all that I am playing with the juniors is that there are too many strikers on the senior team. If I had told the coach I was a midfielder, like Brian here did, I would be playing on the senior team. Isn’t that right Brian?”

Chad stared at Brian daring him to contradict what he had said.

Brian knew that Chad’s statement was a bit of a stretch but the last thing he wanted to do was make a scene by telling the total truth so he tried to think of another way. The pause had become a bit uncomfortable when Brian finally answered, “Well Coach Mac did say you had some excellent skills and I’m sure if any of the strikers were not able to play, you would be the first one called up.”

“There you have it,” Chad said triumphantly, apparently deciding that in some way Brian supported his own justification for the demotion. “Anyway, since the juniors aren’t going to make it out of the group stages, I will probably be brought into the squad regardless.”

In truth, Brian thought that life would be a lot easier if that actually happened. If Chad was actually as good as he thought he was maybe the juniors would have won more often, but Brian had learned to accept Chad as he was. Having him on the bench for the senior side was undoubtedly better than listening to him moan and groan about how he was being mistreated.

Meanwhile the second half was just about ready to start but rather than going back up into the bleachers the whole group decided to stay with Brian, Libby and Gráinne. Predictably the second half was like the first and the score would have been much worse if Coach Gunne had allowed the starters to play for more than fifteen minutes of the second half. Brian could not help but be impressed by the play of the senior girl’s front line because once a chance presented itself, Maria Mendoza, Sheila Connolly and Charlie of course, seldom missed. If a few of his own teammates could concentrate on finishing the way the girls did, his team would be even better.

After the match ended and Coach Gunne had finished meeting with his team for some final words, Charlie ran over to where her friends were standing near the corner of the pitch.

“So lads,” she said flushed with the excitement of the match. “What do you think?”

“Were you playing out there?” Maeve asked with a shocked look on her face.

Libby quickly replied, “Of course she was, silly, and she was brilliant, wasn’t she Brian?”

Charlie looked at Brian eagerly anticipating his approval and he did not disappoint, although he self-consciously directed his response to Libby, “Yes, absolutely brilliant. The boys should have a winger as good as Charlie.”

Excerpt from the local Newspaper

Drogheda News
: The surprise soccer success of the year, the St. Killians Reds cruised into the quarterfinals of the provincial U-18, League Championship with a convincing 3-1 victory over Tallaght Central High School. Once again, the man of the match was Brian O’Sullivan who effortlessly controlled the middle of the pitch and directed the offence with precision passing seldom seen at secondary school level. In truth, the result flatters the Tallaght School because St. Killians were unable to finish several clear chances.

This caused Coach Harry McElhatton a great deal of concern as he told this reporter, “We were lucky today because Tallaght did not generate a great deal of offence. At this level of the competition you have to take your chances. As I told the boys, after the match in the final rounds of the league the defenses become tougher and every half-chance is important. We cannot afford to waste them like we did today. I can assure you we will be working on finishing.”

Billy Hagerty, Kevin Buckley and John Thornton scored for St. Killians; the later on a thundering header from an O’Sullivan corner kick. Sean Carroll scored for Tallaght.

In the girl’s U-18 quarter finals, St. Killians drew two all but dropped a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out to Marian Girl’s School of Bray. Charlotte Pembroke and Sheila Connolly scored for St. Killians while Maggie Ryan and Maria Totti scored for Marian.

Pamela Byrne joined her colleagues Ailish Callaghan and John McVee in the staff room at St. Killian Junior/Senior High School for lunch. As usual several other regulars would undoubtedly join the three, as the group of long time teachers were, without question, creatures of habit.

“Rough day?” Ailish asked as Pamela collapsed into the seat.

Pamela replied, “Not so bad but long. I have parent-teacher conferences this evening and you know how they tend to drag on.”

“One of the great joys of being a class tutor,” John remarked, “meeting with less than enthusiastic parents many of whom would rather not be there. I remember one mother saying that she didn’t know why she was even there at all because once her darling son set foot in the school, he was our responsibility, not hers.”

Ailish responded, “Now John, you know that is definitely the exception. Most parents want the best for their children and are seriously interested in their children’s education.”

“Fortunately,” John agreed. “Anyway, it usually comes down to the children. You can tell by the way they respond whether their parents are likely to be interested and involved. So what are your urchins like this year?” he asked Pamela.

“Well this year isn’t so bad at all,” Pamela said. “My first year tutor class is really quite good and if they continue to develop they could be among the best classes I ever had.”

“They’d never replace your babies!” John answered in feigned shock.

“Well they do have a way to go but you never know,” Pamela replied. “Anyway, I am kind of looking forward to meeting Brian O’Sullivan’s parents again. I had a nice chat with his mother Evelyn some time back and I have little doubt that she is not only interested but also very involved in Brian’s education. And his father taught me Irish history at UCD, although I doubt that he remembers.”

“Oh yes, Brian O’Sullivan,” Ailish said, “that would be our aspiring young soccer superstar. I must say he is certainly putting St. Killians on the sporting map. We have been in the newspapers more in the past three months than we have been in the past three years.”

“And my husband says that he is an even better hurler. You know my Paddy, those Cork fellows and their Gaelic sports.” Allison Baker said announcing her arrival. “So we’ll probably have the newspaper reporters camped out here all year.”

“I hope that doesn’t annoy our esteemed leader, Brian Freeman. You know how he likes the spotlight.” John said with a smile.

The group was joined by Kathleen Cameron who caught the last few remarks and asked, “So how is young Mr. O’Sullivan performing as a student?”

“Well, I have no complaints,” Pamela replied. “He is always very attentive in class and his homework is always letter perfect. When I asked him about that he said that his parents make him study for two hours every school night. If he has finished his work or doesn’t have any work, they dream up things for him to do or find him books to read. Can you imagine that…two hours…a night? I’m not sure young Brian is thrilled with that but there is no doubt that he is prepared for class. The only thing is that he is very quiet. But then every once and a while he comes out with amazing insights. John, you have him for religion, don’t you?”

“I do,” John replied, “Same thing, very attentive, very well prepared but getting him to participate is like pulling hen’s teeth. I think he is still a bit self-conscious but he will probably grow out of that. You know the type, not a peep when they are in first year but you can’t shut them up five years later.”

“According to Harry McElhatton,” Kathleen added, “he is not shy on the soccer pitch. A natural leader was the expression used.”

“I suppose he is comfortable on the soccer pitch, but not quite so comfortable in the classroom,” Pamela suggested.

“Speaking of young Mr. O’Sullivan and soccer, I was looking out the window during lunch break the other day and I saw him out on the fields,” Ailish remarked. “And you know what he was doing?”

“Training no doubt, or running with that massive beast of his,” John quipped.

“You mean Gráinne,” Pamela stated. “She is wonderful. An absolute angel. One of these days I’m going to get a wolfhound of my own.”

“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,” Ailish said with mock severity staring at John McVee…

“Well you did ask,” he interjected meekly.

“As I was saying, I saw Brian out on the field kicking a soccer ball with Libby O’Donnell. I stood there for five minutes with my mouth wide open. She isn’t exactly an athlete as you well know, but he was so patient it was unbelievable. No matter how bad her aim he chased the ball down and kicked it back to her. They were laughing and having great fun the whole time.”

“Libby O’Donnell,” Pamela said. “Another of my lassies although I think Brian knew her from grade school. Whatever else about Brian; everyone seems to think he is nice. You know how the girls are about fellows and I’m sure we all hear descriptions from time to time, but the universal description for Brian is: ‘he is so nice.’“

“You know,” Kathleen added, “a few of the girls seem to think he is cute as well. Something about those big blue eyes and his dimples.”

“Cute and nice,” Ailish summarized, “a deadly combination and long may it continue.”

“Don’t forget, no trouble in the classroom,” Pamela added.

John McVee interjected, “Speaking of Libby O’Donnell, she isn’t sick or anything is she. She seems to be losing weight.”

“Typical John McVee,” Ailish replied shaking her head. “Here the poor girl loses some weight, which is undoubtedly a good idea for her, and you think she is sick. Although it might not occur to someone of your build, some people actually want to lose weight.”

“Actually, I know a bit about that,” Allison Baker’s sister Ciara Baker stated as she sat down. “According to her sister Kate, Libby is in training with her father and they are walking or running every evening with a long walk on Sunday afternoons.”

“Training for what?” John asked.

“Playing soccer of course,” Ciara replied. “Sure isn’t the whole place going soccer mad?”

As Pamela left the staff room heading for her first afternoon class she couldn’t help but smile thinking about the lunchtime conversation. She had been teaching at St. Killians for nearly twenty-five years, literally since it opened, but she had no doubt that in the years to come the current school year would be among the most memorable and the current first year students would be equally distinctive. For a school that was vaguely aware that some male students played soccer, it had indeed become soccer mad, and that was unquestionably the result of the arrival of Brian O’Sullivan. Even Libby O’Donnell, God love her, caught the bug. But the girl’s team was also flying high, thanks to another first year pupil, Charlotte Pembroke.

Charlotte was among Pamela’s history students and it was easy to see why she was so popular among her classmates. Charlotte had a slender athletic build but was quite attractive with stylishly cut short black hair, pale skin with just a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheekbones and dark blue eyes that always seemed to twinkle. Despite this, and perhaps because she was a bit of a tomboy, Pamela doubted that Charlotte realized how attractive she really was. The young woman also displayed a great sense of humor, much of which was directed at herself and she seemed to get on well with everyone. She did have a cross to bear and that was her brother Chad, also in first year, and he was another kettle of fish altogether.

Chad was a remarkably good-looking boy, and unlike his sister, he obviously knew it. He was tall and thin with grey eyes and long blonde hair that he tended as carefully as any girl. Because of his good looks, a number of the other first year students, and a few older students as well, seemed to swoon in his presence, which did nothing to undermine his ego. As a result rather than being himself, he seemed to be putting on a show when he interacted with his fellow students.

Chad established himself as the leader of several lads who appreciated that he attracted the girl’s attention, but Pamela doubted that he had any real friends. That was unfortunate because on the few occasions she spoke with the boy, when he was not among his mates, she found him pleasant and respectful. Although he feigned superiority and indifference she could almost see that Chad longed for the type of friendships his sister enjoyed; he just didn’t understand how to go about it. Pamela would often see Chad hanging around a group of very popular students that included Charlotte, Kate and Libby O’Donnell, and a couple of others—remarkably including Brian O’Sullivan. The group seemed to tolerate his presence, but only just barely. Still, it would have been easy for Chad to ignore the group and if he didn’t see something he liked…. then again a couple of the girls were very attractive.