‘Yeah, I guess,’ I mumble. I’ve seen some of the articles, calling her rude, and a bully, pointing out her ‘attitude’. It doesn’t sound like Maya, but I don’t know her these days. ‘I just wish that she didn’t have to behere. Things are hard enough without dredging up our past.’
Aisha looks at me curiously. ‘Would that be so bad?’
‘What kind of a question is that? Of course it would be bad.’ It alreadyisbad. Being around Maya makes me act like someone I don’t even recognise. A past version of myself who was quick to anger and apparently even quicker to run away.
‘I just think that it might be nice to resolve whatever issues the two of you have and put it all in the past,’ Aisha says.
Aisha sounds way too reasonable, so I just shake my head. ‘Enough about Maya. Let’s talk about something else.’
‘OK. How’s the job hunt going?’ Aisha asks.
I make a face. It had been on the back burner since getting the assistant coach position, but I’d have to get out there again soon.
‘You’ll find something,’ Aisha says encouragingly. But that’s what she and Thea have been saying ever since I quit my job, and I’ve still got nothing. Because the problem isn’t that Ican’tfind a job, it’s that I can’t find the right one.
Aisha’s lucky – she has two jobs that she loves: teaching, and art on the side. Even Thea, who grumbles about how hard she has to study, is still clearly passionate about becoming a lawyer. She might complain about her legal assistant job and all her co-workers, but I know she loves it all the same.
‘You’re still doing those catering jobs on the side, right? You remember my friend, Jana? She catered Khushi’s wedding a couple of months ago? She’s looking for servers. It pays pretty well.’
I only vaguely remember her, but I could definitely use the money. ‘Give me her info, I’ll get in touch.’
With Aisha’s lunch break almost over, I offer to walk her back to her school. But then my phone buzzes with a call from Jen, and she waves me off, telling me that she’ll see me at home later.
‘Hey, Jen, what’s up?’ I ask.
‘Dina, hey. I meant to call you last night, but it was late, and I thought maybe it wasn’t such a good idea,’ Jen says.
‘Is everything OK?’ Jen’s serious tone makes a little tendril of worry burrow into my stomach.
‘They will be. There was a little emergency with my family last night,’ Jen says.
‘Is everyone OK?’ I ask, finding myself stopping in my tracks.
‘My mum had to have an emergency surgery, so I had to drive to Manchester last night.’
‘God, I’m sorry, Jen, that must have been scary,’ I say, my mind reeling back to when Baba was ill. There were so many nights spent in hospital rooms waiting and worrying. I can almost see the cold, clinical hallways, feel the sense of panic and helplessness. I don’t envy Jen right now.
‘Yeah, yeah, it was. But I went to see her this morning. She’s already doing a lot better. I’ll probably have to stay here for a couple of days, just to make sure that she’s recovering OK.’
‘So, do you want me to … cancel practice this week?’ But even as I ask this, I can sense what Jen actually wants from me. We may have only reconnected a few weeks ago, but I can already read the tone of her voice.
‘Is there any way that you can – I know it’s a lot to ask – but if you could hold the fort without me?’ Jen asks tentatively. ‘I know that they’re a lot to handle sometimes, but you know I think that you’re the perfect person for this job.’
‘Yeah … yeah, of course I can hold the fort, I’ve got this, you don’t have to worry. You just deal with whatever you need to.’
Jen sighs with audible relief. ‘Thank you, Dina. Seriously. You don’t even realise how much of a lifesaver you are.’
I find myself smiling, even though my tendril of worry has slowly grown into the size of a boulder, and it’s weighing me down.
‘I’m happy to do it, Jen.’
As I hang up the phone, my smile falters. I’m not sure what I’ve just signed myself up for.
It’s not long until I find out, though. With Jen out of the picture, the team is even less enthused about training.
‘If Jen isn’t here, why dowehave to be?’ Sara asks. ‘I mean, she’s our coach. You’re just like the assistant or whatever.’
‘Well, with her gone, I’m the coach,’ I say, trying to sound as authoritative as I can. ‘And, Jade, didn’t Jen tell you to make sure you’ve got your hair up when you come to practice?’
