Page 130 of Waiting for Ru
“Hey, Jasim wouldn’t have put you in a team if he didn’t think you could do it.” Newt smiled at him.
“It’s good practice,” Paolo said. “It’s easy to get complacent about your roles on the field. Playing with and against those who do the unexpected is excellent training.”
Ru thought he already knew what Mike’s reaction would be. He’d use every opportunity to try and take him out. And if they’d been on the same side, Mike would never pass to him.
“Just do your best,” Jasim said. “We all know you’re not experienced. It doesn’t matter. You have great instincts.”
Ru wanted to hug him. Instead, he pushed to his feet. “Thank you for the opportunity, sir. And thank you for dinner. I think I better go to bed now.”
“What time do we want to play?” Joaquin asked.
“Ten,” Jasim said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Ru slipped away while they were still talking, anxiety churning his stomach. Mike wouldn’t be able to do much, would he, while everyone was watching?Not if I’m the better player.Ru gulped.I’m not.He had to be fast and meet aggression with aggression. As number Two, he was responsible for defending his team’s goal and for scoring goals. Twos rode all over the field, they never stopped moving. Of all the roles, it was the one Ru would have wanted.
I can do this!
I can’t do this.Ru felt as if every organ in his body had jumped into a different position. He still ached from the whack he’d been given by the mallet, though not enough to stop him playing. Mike had greeted the news that Ru was on the opposing side with a burst of laughter and a volley of insulting comments. Ru ignored everything Mike said. He was already worried, so anything Mike came out with was only going to make him feel worse.
Now Ru was on the way to the polo field riding Cheyenne, his nerves were jangling and he thought he might be sick. Not eating breakfast had been a good move, otherwise he’d have already had to throw himself off the horse to empty his stomach.
Poppy was beside him on Tia, leading four other ponies.
“You’ll be fine,” she said. “You’re on Joni on the second chukka and you know she goes off like a bomb. They won’t see you for dust.”
“Right.”
“Ru! Stop it. Attitude is everything. You can do this. Bloody wipe the floor with Mike, please, and you’ll make all of us happy. Well, most of us.”
“I’ll try.”
“More than try. Do it!”
He smiled.
Jasim talked to all of them before play started and Ru struggled to take in a word of it. Paolo and Seb were acting as umpires, all the other grooms and stable hands were gathered at the sides, the other ponies were ready for the next chukka and almost before Ru had time to take a breath, he was lined up with the other members of his team for the throw-in.
Marcelo managed to get the ball out and Ru raced up the field at his side. Mike tried to get the ball and Marcelo blasted it forward in Ru’s direction. Ru could feel others coming up at his back.Don’t miss it!The relief when his mallet made contact suddenly flicked a switch in his head. Hecoulddo this. He urged Cheyenne forward and hit the ball again. When he saw Jasim racing to intercept it, galloping facing backwards to follow the ball’s trajectory, Ru increased his speed to force a run off.
Jasim’s pony Dream slammed against Cheyenne but miraculously Ru held his line. When a moment later, he scored, he almost fell off in shock. His team mates yelled out his name, so did those on the side-lines, and Ru came back to the centre line to face the other way with his heart thumping.
That was the only goal he scored, but it was enough for Ru. He seemed to spend most of his time defending his goal and passing to Marcelo who scored three times. Jasim’s side won by one goal, but Mike hadn’t scored. Since he was the main offensive player for the other side, that wasn’t good and Mike knew it. His face was thunderous. A few times Ru had felt him coming for him, but Ru was a better rider and whichever horse he was on had responded so quickly that Ru managed to avoid any incidents.
On the way back to the stables, Jasim came up alongside him. “Well played.”
“Thank you. Did you—”
“Don’t ask that question. Do you think I’d ever let anyone win a runoff?”
“I was going to ask if you ate breakfast this morning.” Ru put as much indignation into his voice as he could.
“Liar.”
“I didn’t. I was too nervous.”
“Go and get something to eat now or you won’t have any energy.”
“After I’ve looked after the ponies.”
