T.J. and the Hat-trick by Theo Walcott Read Free Book Online Page A

like.’
    ‘Hey, Rodrigo!’ Rafi said. ‘You’re speaking English!’
    ‘He’s speaking football, you mean,’ laughed TJ. ‘But that should be good enough for us.’
    At the end of break they were all called into assembly. ‘We have a very special visitor today,’ Mr Burrows announced. TJ noticed that the head teacher had combed his hair and Mrs Logan had put on a lot of extra make-up. ‘Let me introduce Mr Jones.’
    Most of the kids in the hall muttered: ‘Who?’ But when they saw Marshall they gradually realized who he was and everyone began to clap – even the little ones in Reception who just liked making a noise.
    ‘I see that you all, er . . . know . . . er . . . Mr Jones,’ Mr Burrows said. He was looking very uncomfortable. ‘He has very kindly offered to come back to our school next week and talk to your classes about the life of a . . . er . . . footballer. Is that right, Mr Jones?’
    ‘I’ll be very happy to do that. But call me Marshall, please. And I was thinking, maybe I could give the children a little help with their football skills?’
    The hall went silent. Mr Burrows turned red. He looked at Mrs Logan, but she was smiling a sickly smile at Marshall.
    ‘Oh, er, but of course,’ Mr Burrows said in a strangled voice. ‘Thank you very much.’
    ‘And your school team?’ enquired Marshall. ‘You have a school team?’
    Mr Burrows gulped. Mr Wood was trying not to smile.
    ‘School team,’ Mr Burrows stammered. ‘Yes . . . yes . . . of course we do.’
    Mr Burrows sank back into his chair, exhausted, as the whole school applauded Marshall Jones.

C HAPTER 14
    IT WAS SATURDAY morning. TJ and Joey were waiting outside the school gates when a car pulled up and Miss Berry climbed out, smiling.
    Mr Coggins heaved himself out of the passenger seat. ‘It’s not in my job description, this isn’t,’ he grumbled, looking up at the grey sky and the drizzle that was falling from it.
    ‘It’s
so
kind of you, Mr Coggins,’ Miss Berry said, smiling sweetly at him and taking his arm. ‘I really don’t know how the school would run without you.’
    ‘A whole lot better, probably,’ Jamie whispered in TJ’s ear. ‘Is this it then? There’s not many of us.’
    It was true. Tulsi had arrived, and Rafi and Rob. Rodrigo stood nearby with his mum and dad. Then there was Joey and Miss Berry and Mr Wood, but that was it.
    ‘My mum and dad
are
coming,’ TJ told Jamie. ‘But they were still in bed when me and Joey left.’
    ‘My brother Matt’s coming too,’ Jamie grinned. ‘And he’ll be fed up if your sister doesn’t turn up.’
    They all walked across the playground and stood gazing at the field. It was a horrible mess, and suddenly it looked terribly big.
    ‘OK,’ Mr Wood said. ‘The first thing to do is to fill in that hole that used to be a pond. Just wait here a moment.’
    He went out to the street and a few moments later drove in through the gates and straight across the playground. He opened the back of his car and took out two wheelbarrows and an armful of spades.
    ‘That’ll be where the centre circle is,’ TJ said, looking at the hole.
    ‘It’s a very
big
hole,’ said Tulsi doubtfully.
    ‘And a very big pile of earth to put in it,’ Rafi said, staring at the heap behind the empty pond. It was covered with straggling weeds and bits of rock and rotting logs.
    ‘They made the hole with a digger,’ Jamie said. ‘This was meant to be a wildlife mini-hill. The logs and rocks are homes for insects and stuff.’
    ‘Habitats,’ said Rob. ‘We’d better move them to the edge carefully.’
    Mr Wood and Miss Berry heaved the black plastic liner out of the hole and handed out spades and gloves. Rob and Jamie moved the logs and rocks. There was nothing under them but a few woodlice. Then they all started to dig. They worked hard for half an hour and then TJ stopped and straightened up. His back hurt and he was sweating. ‘It’s hard, isn’t it?’