The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3124 by Angharad Copyright© 2017 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.

How is it that mornings arrive before I’m ready to wake up? It’s a bit like the old question of wage slaves, why is there so much month left at the end of the money? For just a moment I lay there wondering why I felt so tired and why my eyes felt like they’d been stepped on. Then I remembered, Danielle’s day of triumph at Wembley and my sudden realisations of what that could entail.

The FA had cobbled together a résumé for her briefly stating that she had played for her school, St Claire’s; had been spotted by a Portsmouth scout who recruited her for Portsmouth Ladies and from there, she’d been seen by an FA school’s scout who recruited her for England School’s – girl’s team. She’d played for them and impressed the England Ladies coach who’d invited her to train with the adults despite her being only fourteen and she had done so well, they played her as a substitute in a ladies match and she scored a goal, since when she’d been included in the squad and was loved by all the women who were in awe of her precocious talents.

I glanced down the drive, it was barely six o’clock, I’d had about three and half hours sleep. It was dark though the sky was lightening and I staggered into the shower and tried to wake myself up. It was half past as I made my way downstairs and switched on the kettle. A cuppa seems to help me think and the way my brain felt, it could do with all the help I could get.

With some luck, the tabloids would just take what they had been given and print it alongside a few photos of the match, the one they would all have is of her overhead bicycle kick. If she hadn’t shown off with that, I suspect she’d have been viewed as a precocious talent. After the kick, they’d have reappraised from a good player to a potentially great player. That would create some degree of celebrity, I just hoped we could keep her grounded and that it would all blow over quietly. With a bit of luck something elsewhere would distract them, like China declaring war on the US, or Tony Blair standing as an MP to challenge for the leadership of the Labour party. I wonder if I could find his phone number?

On balance, Tony Blair would probably capture more column space than a five minute wonder like World War III, especially in the tabloids, which would be my major worry.

As the kettle boiled I filled Tom’s coffee machine and switched it on. A fresh pot of tea made I popped some bread in the toaster while it brewed. Two minutes later I was buttering the toast and then eating it with my cuppa. If any press turned up at the house, I’d stay home and work as much as I could online. Thank goodness for scanners and other gadgets, mine is part of the inkjet printer and while its function as a copier is very good, the link to my computer from the scanner doesn’t always work. But the office one does, which is probably more important.

Tom came downstairs and I poured him a coffee. “Whit f’ are ye daein’ up?” Did Yoda ever speak with a Scottish accent?

I explained and he shook his head. “When are they gang tae leave ye alone? It’s no a big deal ony mair, sae why can’t they jest leave ye in peace?”

“No idea, but it may be because they see us as different.”

“But ye’re no. Ye’re jest lovely young women and she’s jest a bairn.”

“I know, but because it happened in the public domain they’ll feel an entitlement to expose her if they ever get wind of it. Given the way the Russians gave Trump the Hillary files and then stirred things up with Wiggins and the prescription drugs thing, who’s to say that they won’t dig and find things about Danni somewhere on line and hand them to the Russian football authorities to attack the FA over their defeat?”

“I thocht ye said thae Russians ken’t aboot Danielle’s history?”

“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t sleep very much last night.”

After I booted up the computer we looked at various newspaper sites and none so far had done more than praise her for her courage, her flair and her skills while bemoaning the lack of a similar player in the England men’s side. As we read the various reports of the match and saw that picture in all of them, they only seemed to report what the FA gave them. Unfortunately, they named the school, but as it was half term, I’d remind Sister Maria to beware strange people walking about, especially after school restarted.

I had another cuppa and Tom told me to stay ‘hame thae day,’ as my family needed me more than the university. I wasn’t going to argue and I’d already made that decision. He ate his breakfast, some microwaved kippers which stank the kitchen out, then he took Kiki for her walk before he went off to work. It’s astonishing that he’s twice my age and has twice my energy.

At eight o’clock my eyes were gently closing when Trish came down and demanded to know why I was up so early as she’d hoped for a cwtch. I sent her back up to dress and started to get her breakfast ready then had to rush to the loo as four mugs of tea and the stress of the day sought egress via my excretory system.
No sooner had I left the cloakroom than the phone rang. I picked it up hesitantly and stayed quiet. “Cathy, are you there?” it was Henry.

“Sorry, I was just swallowing some tea.”

“Oh, okay. Right I’ve spoken to this agent chappy about Danielle and he’s going to be in touch sometime today or tomorrow, once he’s signed her up he’ll protect her from the media and negotiate fees and so on. If any of the big clubs try to contact you before he does, refer them to him and he’ll act as your agent on a pre contract basis. He’s already agreed to represent Danni after he watched the televised coverage.”

“Okay, I’m a bit worried about her history coming out.”

“Don’t, the FA said they were behind her one hundred per cent and after that goal, probably a hundred and ten percent.”

“But that won’t stop them trying to dig up stuff from her past or trying to stir it up now, at the school or elsewhere. You know what it’s like, they’re like sharks that scent blood.”

“I do indeed. Refer them to your agent and warn the school.”

“I’ve sent the headmistress an email.”

“Well done. I have to go.”

“Henry, what was it you wanted to discuss with me the other day?”

“The other day? Which day was that?”

“When you came down here, you asked to speak to me in my study and then didn’t.”

“Did I? I can’t remember, Cathy. If I do, I’ll give you a call.”

Here endeth the lesson, which is, with Henry seize the moment and you might actually discover what he’s on about.