Page 21 of Rebound
I’m making space in my flat for the medal. Congratulations, Patrick.
Eight. Tough shit, kid
Patrick
There are expectations when you win a medal at a big sporting event. Like spending few days in Delhi, meeting with the Prime Minister and President, posing like assholes with our medals and talking to every journalist who said we’d never make it. The media likes rubbing in the fact that we only won bronze, but I very kindly remind them they don’t have a single sporting medal to their name so they should shut the fuck up. The Indian Hockey Association PR person didn’t like me saying that, but he knew better than to try and correct me every time.
Just when I think I’m done socialising and can get to my baby mama, another set of meetings are tossed my way. When Tamara told me about the baby, I called Parth and accepted the coaching gig. It gives me a reason to be in Chennai and even if I don’t know what this relationship is going to be like, I’m in the same city if she needs me. And Elias offered me his guest bedroom so I have somewhere to stay.
I met with the League of Hockey Tournament officials to sign papers and get all the information about the Tamil Nadu Thunder. The rules and regulations are similar to what I’ve followed my entire hockey career, but I sit quietly as they lecture me about the tournament and requirements for eligibility.
Then I’m on the first flight home, to Bangalore.
Every time Tamara and I talked in the last few days, I’ve almost brought up that I’m moving to her city. I know better than to have this conversation on the phone; she can hang up on me and never answer my call again. If I show up in person, she has no excuse. She’s fiercely independent and doesn’t need me hanging around through this pregnancy. What she doesn’t realise is I want to be there. I haven’t said the words to her in years, but she’s always been my girl. Even with the animosity and tension between us, and the time we’ve spent apart. Tamara Chandy is mine.
I’d love to remind her of that.
Tamara
Will you be here early September for the first trimester scan?
Me
I plan to be there by tomorrow.
Tamara
Finished fake smiling, huh?
You’ve been keeping track.
Tamara
Your face is all over the internet, every escape attempt has been foiled
You can admit you like seeing my face. I won’t tell anyone.
Tamara
I really hope this baby doesn’t inherit your ego. There isn’t enough room inside me.
Hope there’s enough room for me in there, Lotus.
They’re going to be unbelievably good looking, that much I can tell you.
Tamara
You’re ridiculous. I’ll let you know what day our appointment is.
Chuckling, I send her a thumbs up and toss my phone onto my bed. Two suitcases are stuffed with all my clothes and necessities. The rest of the apartment is sparse to begin with. There’s a bed, couch, a large flat screen TV, kitchen cupboards full of random things and not much else. Being a professional athlete who travels all over the world means I barely spend much time here. I still paid the rent for the next six months, in case things in Chennai don’t go as planned and I need to hide somewhere.
My phone buzzes again and I smile as I reach for it, expecting it to be Tamara, but it’s Dominic. I sigh dramatically and then walk out of the bedroom as I answer the call.
“Dom.”
“You didn’t forget your session, did you?”
“I’m a busy guy.”
