CHAPTER 13Ikhaya labantwana
The house of the children
Big John shakes hands with me as if with an old friend. Then he looks me over and says, in an aside to me, “Over there, in that box, you’ll find some spare kit and boots – pick out what you need and be quick about it!”
While I get changed, he tells the others: “I only have half an hour – so no nonsense! I want to see you playing as a team. Two teams, two rounds of fifteen minutes. Give the new guy a place in midfield. It doesn’t matter which side …” He nods at the young coach who hurries to give the players their positions. He puts me in one of the groups, and then blows the whistle for the kick-off.
For the first five minutes I feel very clumsy. I haven’t had time for a warm up, as the others have. And how many months is it, since
