Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: The Long Walk

"That's a fucking bullshit decision, and you know it!"

"Zee! Yima! Leave it!" Sibisi grabs the back of my shirt, keeping me from getting any closer to the blind as fuck referee.

The ref steps back, holds the yellow over his head, points at my chest and writes the number in his book.

"Number eleven!"

The card comes up on the big screen with my name under it, the announcer reads it out, and the whole ground whistles at once. Then, somewhere in the north stand, over a two-beat drum, it starts.

iSando! iSando!

Same song they sing when I win it in the air. They don't care which one it is.

"Fuck that!"

"Walk. Just walk, Zee." Sibisi turns me by the shoulder and marches me back to our own half.

Behind the goal our supporters are pressed up against the fencing, vuvuzelas going, shouting my name to get my attention, but I don't look in any direction other than straight ahead at the grass.

This match is kak.

Well, the boys are playing great — all but me. I've been giving the ball away, going through people late, and overall being more of a liability than a help to my team.

I may as well get myself sent off and do the boys a favour.

Going through somebody properly sounds fan-fucking-tastic, seeing as I've been seething for an entire week now and needing to take it out on someone.

A red card? It's what they expect. It's what they've expected since a boy out of a coal town with no football in it walked in here and they decided what he was. What's the point in proving them wrong?