Tall Story by Candy Gourlay Read Free Book Online Page A

backpack.
    ‘What?’
    Jabbar cleared his throat, as if he was going to make an announcement over the public address system. ‘My friend, I have gathered you here today to celebrate a momentous occasion.’ He extracted a Mountain Men shirt just like his, holding it out to me delicately, like some kind of sacred offering.
    ‘What?’ I stared at it.
    ‘A gift, Nardo. It’s a gift.’ Jabbar pushed the shirt into my hands. ‘A Mountain Men shirt. An official invitation to join the most amazing basketball team on this side of the South China Sea, with the most amazing team captain on this earth. Me.’
    I couldn’t speak. My Adam’s apple suddenly felt like the size of a basketball. ‘I … thanks, Jabby.’
    ‘You’re welcome.’ He looked around the stadium, pleased with himself. ‘Isn’t this great?’
    ‘Jabs …’ I stared at the shirt. Jabby must have had it made specially. Maybe by Timbuktu, who had to make all my clothes because nothing in the shops fitted me.
    ‘Come on, Nards, try it on!’
    I frowned. ‘Jabby, I can’t join the Mountain Men. It would be a disaster. Look at me. I’m so clumsy. I can’t even run …’
    ‘And that’s not all.’ Jabby was not listening. ‘You know the Arena’s supposed to recruit local teams for the big opening?’
    I nodded.
    ‘We’re it!’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘The Mountain Men. They picked us!’
    ‘Wow, congratulations!’ I should have been jumping up and down at our good fortune but I was still trying to process his invitation. I loved basketball. But I would be a complete embarrassment to the Mountain Men. I would be a joke. How could Jabby even consider …?
    ‘And guess what the other team is called.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘The Giant Killers.’
    ‘
The Giant Killers?
’
    I stiffened.
    ‘They requested to play us specially. Nardo, people will be coming from miles around to watch us play.’ Jabby grinned. ‘And the Arena said they would give us a share of ticket receipts. We’re going to be rich!’
    I understood now. ‘You mean, they will be coming for miles to see the Giant Killers try to slay a real
giant
.’
    ‘No, that’s not it.’ Jabby’s brown skin paled. ‘Wait, you don’t understand.’
    I whirled around and headed blindly for the tunnel.
    ‘Nardo!’
    I stopped and threw the shirt back at him. It lay like a puddle at his feet.
    ‘You just needed me for ticket sales. You don’t need a player, you need a
sideshow
. You only want me as the team
freak
.’
    And Jabby said nothing.
    So I knew it was true.

14
Andi
    I hope Mum realizes how awesome I’ve been about the whole brother business. I couldn’t imagine any of the kids at my school being so relaxed about suddenly acquiring a sibling. Go ahead, World, bring on the long-lost relatives.
    For the first time since the day Mum told me we were moving house, I was feeling buoyant. Saint Sim’s had a basketball team and the basketball team was recruiting. I had my own room and lived in a proper-sized house instead of a rabbit hutch. My brother was finally coming home. Everything was good.
    I practically skipped up the steps to our front door.
    Mum should be relieved to hear she didn’t need to feel guilty about the basketball any more. I glanced at the time on my mobile. It was four o’clock. Mum would be home. She shouldn’t have to leave for work for a couple of hours yet. She wouldn’t be leaving until six and Dad should be back soon from the day shift. Which was a reversal. Two weeks before, Mumwas doing the day shift and Dad the night shift. They barely overlapped some weeks. It amazed me that they could still remember each other’s names.
    ‘I’m home, Mum!’ I yelled as I pushed through into the hall. Mum had hung a butterfly mobile that Auntie Sofia had sent years ago near the stairs. Nice. I hummed as I made my way up to my room.
    ‘Mum!’ Maybe she’d decided to wash the ceilings as well, or polish the grass in the garden – she was in that kind of