Soccer Queen
by Andrew ( anr )
Chapter 17

David woke, relieved to be in his own bed after spending last night on the floor. Swinging his legs out of bed, he felt the night gown settle round his ankles before he stood up.

*What an extraordinary day yesterday was* he thought. *Coach Everrett really surprised me with what she said. I hope that lawyer Mum's going to see today can help us.*

He was slow today; Gail was already in the bathroom when he got there. Sighing in resignation, he walked to the kitchen where he poured a bowl of corn flakes and made himself a cup of tea.

While he was eating, his mother opened the door and told him she had left a list of chores for him and Gail to complete that day. This caused him to feel rather put-upon, but he didn't object, realising that the faster he could complete the chores, the sooner he could go out to play.

"When you do the washing, Davina, remember to separate the whites from the colours," His mother kissed him goodbye and left for work.

When Gail finished in the bathroom, David dived in with a muttered "finally" as he passed her. Gail just stuck her tongue out at him and retreated to her room to change.

Finally washed and dressed, David returned to the kitchen to see Gail just finishing her breakfast. He picked up the list left for them by their mother, and brought it over to the table.

He and Gail became extremely depressed looking at the list - surely that would keep them busy all day They divided the chores between them and started.

David had drawn what he thought of as the short straw. He had to do the washing and vacuuming, while his sister did the dishes and the dusting as well as cleaning the windows.

Remembering his mothers' advice, he went through the basket, separating it into two piles, The whites he immediately stuffed in the washing machine and closed the door.

He turned the power on at the mains, then pressed the on button. Noticing the tray for soap powder, he opened it, wondering how much powder to use. The box contained a scoop, so he guessed that one scoopful would do.

The tray had three compartments, one labelled "Pre", one "Wash" and the other "Cond". Reckoning that these compartments were used for their stated purpose, he poured the powder in the "Wash" compartment. He was about to close the drawer when he saw the fabric conditioner as he put the powder away.

He poured some conditioner into the compartment marked "Cond" and closed the drawer. Then he tried to figure out how to start the machine.

He stood looking at the washing machine for a full five minutes, trying to work out how to operate it. It seemed easy enough, just turn the dial to the required temperature and choose the programme. However, he had no idea what settings were required.

He walked back into the kitchen where his sister was putting the last of the dishes away.

"Do you know what temperature to wash clothes in ?" he asked her.

"Dunno, but Mum says you should wash whites in hot water, and colours at a cooler temperature. Why not put it to the maximum for whites, and in the middle for colours ?"

David thought about that and returned to the utility room, where he followed his sisters advice. He looked at the programmes, and selected "Wash/Spin" then pressed start.

Finished with that for the moment, he returned to the kitchen to start on something else. He saw that Gail was dusting the furniture, so he got the Hoover out of the hall cupboard and started vacuuming the floor.

As he worked, he listened to the washing machine. When it stopped, he returned to the utility room and took the whites out of the washer and put them in the drier, replacing them with the colours.

Then he stopped and looked at the temperature control again. His sister had suggested something in the middle for colours, so he moved it to 60 degrees and hoped that was right. Pressing start again, he returned to the vacuuming, wondering if he would ever get out of the house that day.

While he was vacuuming the floor, his mind wandered to the times he had been out on dates with Jack. He thought about what he and Jack had done, and was deeply troubled. While he had enjoyed it immensely, he was aware of the cultural barriers to same-sex pairings.

*I'm either turning gay, or I'm starting to think like a girl. I don't know which is worse, but judging from the way I'm dressing, I think it is better to _be_ a girl rather than a poof or a nancy boy.*

****

Andrea McCall walked into the lawyers office at 11:25 and told the receptionist that she had an appointment with Mr Whiteman. The receptionist checked in her diary and told Andrea to wait while she called Mr. Whiteman.

After 5 minutes, she was shown into an office where a young man, who looked to be in his late twenties, sat behind the desk. He greeted her and introduced himself as Peter White- man. Asking her to sit, he asked her what the problem was.

Andrea outlined the accident, admitting that her husband had been drinking. She told him about the call she had received from the police, and what they had told her about the rods not being properly secured on the van.

"Do you have any further information about the company, Mrs. McCall ?"

"I'm sorry, the police told me that they would only give further information to my lawyer. I guess that's you if you want to take the case. Officer Hunter is the man to contact. He is on duty 9 to 5 Monday to Thursday and 5pm to 1am on Friday."

"Certainly, I'll see what I can find out for you. Can you tell me where I can contact you ?"

Giving Mr. Whiteman the number for HP and her home number, she thanked him and stood to leave. Telling him that she had to return to work, she shook his hand and left the office.

****

David and Gail took a break for lunch at midday. Looking in the fridge, they found the makings for a variety of different sandwiches, along with plenty of soft drinks. Settling down with their sandwiches, they discussed what they had been doing that morning.

"How come you get all the easy jobs ?" David complained.

Gail stuck her tongue out at her sister/brother and replied "''Cause I'm a good girl."

This caused David to react angrily. All morning he had been working hard on the washing and vacuuming, getting more and more frustrated. His sister sticking her tongue out at him was the last straw.

He jumped off the chair and raced round the table. Gail saw that she had pushed him too far, and leapt away from the table and raced out of the house.

Finally catching Gail at the end of their drive, David put her in a head-lock and dragged her back to the kitchen. He dragged her back to her side of the table and said in a sugary tone of voice

"You're going to do the rest of the vacuuming, aren't you ?"

Gail realised that David was truly pissed, and wouldn't take any more teasing. She also thought that it would be fair if she completed the vacuuming, and let him finish the dusting and clean the windows.

"OK, OK!" she cried. "Just let's finish our lunch in peace."

David thought about the tone of his sisters' reply, and realised that he shouldn't press any further. He released her, and just told her to remember. As he was walking back to his seat, Gail stuck her tongue out at his retreating back.

When all the chores had been finished, David and Gail decided that they could do with some exercise after spending all day in the house. Gail grabbed her skipping rope and they headed outside.

****

Throughout the day, Andrea wondered what would come of her conversation with the lawyer. As she answered phones and helped visitors, she caught herself thinking about the possibilities.

At 4pm, the phone rang again. Answering as usual, "Good afternoon, Hewlett Packard," she was delighted when the man on the other end asked to speak to her.

"This is Andrea McCall. How may I help you ?"

"Good afternoon, Mrs. McCall, this is Peter Whiteman. I've spent the afternoon searching for details about the company. I found that this is not without precedent. They have had many similar cases in the past where materials they were transporting were improperly secured. Your husband's is the most serious injury to have resulted from this lack of care.

"I don't think they would like to go to court. The precedents would be available to the judge, and would be likely to influence him on your behalf. Despite your husbands' drunkenness, I think they will want to settle out of court.

"However, we have to be prepared to take them to court, and that might be expensive. Do I have your approval to proceed ?"

"Certainly, Mr Whiteman. Do I need to sign anything ?"

"Not at this stage, Mrs. McCall. Your presence will be required later when the company starts making overtures. I'll just start the ball rolling by serving the company with a subpoena. You should hear from me again within two weeks."

"Thank you, Mr. Whiteman. You have lifted a great weight from my mind. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future."

"I anticipate a favourable result on this one. Thank you for your time. Goodbye, Mrs. McCall."

"Goodbye, Mr. Whiteman".

After replacing the phone, Andrea felt really happy. It now looked like something good would come from the tragedy that had hit the family. Time flew as she continued working in a very upbeat mood until quitting time arrived.

The drive home went as fast as it had the day before, and she was soon turning into her own drive. The delicious smells she remembered from the previous occasion she had come from work were missing.

Looking around the house, she noticed that it was noticeably cleaner, so apparently the children had completed their chores. All the washing appeared to have been done and the furniture had all been polished.

As she was wondering where they had gone, she heard the front door opening as David and Gail entered the house. Both looked up as they realised their mother was waiting for them. They both had a guilty look on their faces, realising they had not made the tea as they had the day before. Their mother just sighed and asked them what they wanted for tea.

Andrea started cooking tea and noticed the state of her children. She sent them both to clean up and have a shower - they were sweaty and dirty after hours playing football.

While they were eating, David mentioned that they hadn't visited their father that day. "I hope he recovers soon," he added.

"They're doing their best, David," his mother replied. Why don't we visit him after tea ? I think visiting is allowed after 7pm, so we should be able to see him for a while."

"That's a good idea" "Let's" both children spoke at once, which caused their mother to hold up her hands and say "One at a time. OK, we'll go when the dishes are cleared."

This started a flurry of activity as David and Gail ran to wash and dry the dishes. Their mother came in and helped them put the dishes away before sending them off to get ready to visit their father.

After going to the toilet and making up their faces, David and Gail grabbed their handbags as they walked to the door. Their mother was already in the car waiting for them, and they left for the hospital.

After a harrowing visit, they were ejected by the nurses at the end of visiting hours. As they were leaving, David asked the nurse what the chances of his father surviving were. The nurse assured them that everything that could be done for him was being done.

"His body has received a massive shock in the accident," she told them. "It will take time for everything to heal to the point where he can wake up. I assure you, though, that we are taking care of him to the best of our ability."

They left the hospital soon after that, but they were all too keyed up to return home immediately. A stop at the ice cream parlour in the shopping centre was agreed on by all as a good idea.

Letting the children make their own choice, Andrea decided that a double chocolate wafer would be perfect comfort food for herself. She paid for the ice cream and they sat down to relax and enjoy the treat.

While they were eating, Mrs. McCall related to the children what the lawyer had said. They were both pleased that he was hopeful of getting a large settlement for them. All three hoped it would teach the company to take better care when loading their trucks.

That night, as he lay in bed, David reflected on the events of the day. He realised that housework had to be done, so wasn't too angry about having to do it. He hoped Gail would share the tasks more equitably next time. After their fight, he thought it likely.

He also considered his thoughts about Jack earlier in the day. As he reflected on what he had decided, an image of Jack sprang up in his mind and he could feel himself getting excited. He really hoped that Jack would call soon.

Playing this afternoon after cleaning the house had been fun. He and Gail had played with a skipping rope until Samantha had come along, after which they had gone down to the park for a good kick-about with a football. They had just got home after that in time for their mother to make the tea.

Visiting with his father this evening had been painful as usual, but he loved his father too much to stay away. He hoped the nurse was right and he would wake up soon after he got over the shock.

Ice cream with his mother and sister had been a real treat, one he hoped would be repeated in the future. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, remembering the taste of ice cream.

More Soccer Queen Soon!