A Girl Called Tegi Read Online Free PDF Page B

stitch had been put in the shorts, Tegi had pressed them and Gary was away with them in his hand. Dorothy had been asked to go with them to the football match of small boys, but she, being more interested in the bigger ones, had declined.
    Their mother and father had been invited out for the evening and Joe Kelly had come to fetch them in his car. Dorothy had cadged a lift and had gone with them.
    At the football ground the air was crackling with excitement. Hope that both sides would win was a living thing. Tegi saw one or two girls she knew. They were married now with small children of their own, and she waved to them before going to a centre seat where Gary would see her cheering him on.
    She was wearing a figure-hugging sweater in the bold stripes of the football colours and black jeans. Colin edged along the row of steps towards her between hordes of children and adults decorating the tiers of seats.
    ‘I’ve been to your home and there was no one in,’ he said, sitting down beside her.
    Tegi’s colour deepened guiltily. ‘Sorry, I forgot to tell you about Gary’s football match. I have to take him home afterwards and see that he goes to bed. The: rest of the family are out.’
    He said, ‘I can’t stay long. Mother isn’t very well.’
    Tegi bit her lip. Colin was an only son and his mother in her opinion, was over-possessive. Colin was too easy-going and let her put on him. The girl who married him would have to be strong-minded enough to triumph in the tug-of-war which would eventually ensue.
    She said, ‘You could have persuaded her to come with you. We could have gone back to the house afterwards for a coffee when Gary had gone to bed.’
    He laughed. ‘Can you imagine Mother among this lot?’
    Tegi bristled. ‘Why not? I’m here and so are a lot of our friends, yours and mine.’
    He coloured up to the roots of his ginger hair. ‘You k n ow Mother. It’s hardly her scene.’
    Tegi had to smile, picturing the small elegant figure of his mother exchanging her pastel cashmere sweater for one in bold football colours. Gradually the shuffling around her ceased and an excited buzz greeted the young players as they tripped , out on to the field. It was a perfect summer evening. Everyone was out to enjoy the game, but to Tegi it became more than that.
    She looked around during the interval at the young mothers coping with the demands of their offspring. Was this what she wanted—this world of cans of Coke and potato crisps? Surely there were other things to choose from?' Did the choice have to be so limited?
    Could she stand a life with Colin returning one day to this very football ground with several young ginger-haired aspiring players? Tegi wanted to run, but there was nowhere to run to.
    Colin left just before the end of the match, which came all too soon. Tegi picked up her woolly jacket, said her goodbyes to her friends and picked her way between anxious mothers gathering their children for home and bed.
    ‘We didn’t score,’ Gary said disgustedly.
    Tegi put her arm around him as they set out for home.
    ‘There’ll be other days,’ she told him consolingly. ‘In any case, you got in some pretty nifty footwork.’
    He gazed up at her with a delightful smile. ‘Do you really think so?’ he said.
    ‘I know so,’ she said, and hugged him.
    The big car slid alongside them. Tegi caught her breath at the picture they made, a dirt-spattered small boy and his sister sporting football colours for all to see.
    The thought occurred to her that had Tony Mastroni had been one hundred per cent British he would no doubt have been a rugger supporter, but what did she care? He was smiling as he flung open the car door.
    ‘Can I take you home?’ he asked politely.
    Tegi pulled herself together and spoke on breath regained.
    ‘I’m afraid we’re ... too grubby ... that is, Gary is. We’d mess up your car,’ she stammered, ignoring Gary’s tug at her sweater. ‘Thanks all the same.’
    Fiercely, Gary