Page 56 of Autumn at the Oak Leaf Café
‘He’s a clown. Just forget about him.’
‘It’s … it’s nothing like that. It’s just the nerve of the man.’
‘Don’t worry. He won’t get that car park, and he won’t get the café either. If it helps, I’ll call up the local medical professionals association. They might have some clout with the council. And if that doesn’t work, we can contact the local MP. Somehow or other, we’ll kick Snide and Company right out of town.’
‘Thanks. I appreciate it.’
‘Come on, I think it’s time for the team pep talk.’
Madeline wiped her eyes, trying to look normal as they went back to the pavilion, where the rest of the team had gathered. Ruby, her hair freshly snow-white with silver streaks running through it, gave Madeline a thumbs up.
‘Right, statistically, we’re screwed,’ Ruby’s dad said. ‘They’ve won more games than us this season, we haven’t beaten them in three years, and we only have nine players. Potentially ten, but I’m not yet sure if the umpires will allow Donald’s dog to take the field. But, going by the simple odds, we might as well just hand over the trophy right now.’ He grinned. ‘But that’s not going to happen, is it?’
‘No!’ the team shouted in unison, Madeline just a little out of time, but raising a fist for emphasis.
‘Good. You know me. I work with numbers, so as far as I’m concerned, we’re going to lose. But the rest of you, you work with heart. And what are we going to do?’
‘Smash them!’ everyone shouted, except for Madeline, who chimed in with a sturdy, ‘Win!’
Ruby’s dad had lost the coin toss, and the other team chose to bat first. Madeline was sent out to the boundary edge to field, and was pleased to stay out of much of the action. The only time a ball came sailing towards her, accompanied by frantic shouts of ‘Catch it! Catch it!’ it ended up flying far over her head and landing in the field beyond. Feeling obliged, she began to pick her way through stinging nettles in a vain attempt to retrieve it, but Darren came running over with a smile on his face and told her that one was for the cows.
Once a replacement ball had been discovered, the game continued, and by the end of the innings, the opposition had amassed a challenging total.
‘Right,’ Ruby’s dad said in the team huddle before the players went out to bat. ‘We’ve somehow got to chase down a hundred and ninety. Who remembers the best score we’ve chased this year?’
‘A hundred and fifty-five,’ one man said.
‘And who remembers the last time we chased a total as big as this?’
‘1985?’ someone quipped, to nervous laughter.
Ruby’s dad didn’t laugh. ‘2004,’ he said. ‘So statistically, the odds are not in our favour. How are we going to overcome that?’
There were shrugs, a few mutters of ‘Try harder?’ and a couple of nervous laughs.
Madeline, feeling buoyed by not having dropped any catches or having made any obvious mistakes, stuck up a hand.
‘Er, Mary, yes?’
‘Madeline.’
‘Madeline, sorry. How do you think we’re going to win this?’
‘If we win, there’s a free coffee for everyone at the Oak Leaf Café in Sycamore Park this afternoon.’
There were a few murmurs of approval.
‘Plus a fresh slice of treacle tart!’ Ruby shouted.
‘I haven’t made any!’ Madeline whispered to her as a series of cheers went up.
‘We’ll buy some from the supermarket,’ Ruby whispered back, as someone else shouted, ‘With cream?’
‘Cream, whipped cream, clotted cream, or ice cream!’ Ruby shouted.
‘All of it?’ asked Ivy the huge spin bowler, a hopeful look on her face.
‘Only if we win!’ Ruby shouted.
