‘Mum come and watch the footy with me. It’s the semi-final.’
‘Sorry luv but I’m watching a movie with your dad.’
‘Dad won’t watch it with me, will he.’
‘No luv, you know he reckons it’s not footy unless the ball is round. Anyway, he is not feeling too hot today.’
Mum walked out of the room and I settled onto the couch. The game between the Lions and the Giants at the Gabba would be a close call and I always liked to have someone watch with me.
The Lions didn’t start too well.
‘Mum it’s so depressing. I reckon I could get a game with the Lions today. They won’t be making the finals this year the way they’re playing’.
‘Just wait till the end Dan and stop interrupting. Dad and I are watching the movie.’
I reckoned Toby Green could beat them on his own the way Hipwood was missing marks. Two Lions players missed goals and I reckoned their game was just about over.
‘Mum can I have some ice cream? I need something to cheer me up.’
‘Ok luv but I know what you’re like with ice cream. Just save some for your father.’
Wow, my favourite coffee flavour but I wish they would leave out the nuts. I reckon they just put lots of nuts in to save on ice cream. I’ll just have one more spoon and put it back in the freezer. I don’t like it as much when it starts to melt anyway.
‘Hey Mum, the Lions are doing better. Only ten points behind at the first break. Maybe they can turn it around.’
I started to hope a bit and had some more ice cream.
‘Mum it’s the third quarter and the Giants are way in front.’
I’m so pissed off now I can’t bear to watch. Thirty-four to fifty-six and the Giant fans are going off their rocker. I don’t know what happened to the idea that the Lions always won at The Gabba.
‘Mum it’s thirty-six to eighty now. I’m going to have some more ice cream. I am so depressed.’
‘Well don’t have too much. Remember your father likes it as well.’
‘OK mum’.
‘Hey mum. The Lions have kicked three in a row. You should come and watch.’
‘You just enjoy it luv and stop shouting. They can’t hear you, you know’.
‘Ok mum but Loman and Charlie just kicked goals. I reckon I’m going to have a little more ice cream to celebrate.’
Gee I’ve eaten a lot but I just love the coffee flavour and how smooth it is. I just let it melt in my mouth and spit out the nuts. I’ll put it back in the freezer until next goal, I decided.
‘Bugger mum. Now the Lions are way behind again. I think I’ll switch it off.’
‘Don’t be silly Dan. It’s only a game. It must finish soon.’
‘Third quarter mum. Now Charlies got a goal and Zorko and Loman did as well. You should watch it mum.’
Bugger. The ice cream’s all gone. Just a few nuts in the bottom. Mum always said I was greedy but I needed something to get me through a game like this.
‘Hey Mum now its ninety-three to the Lions and the Giants have a hundred and only four minutes to go.’
The stress was wearing me out. It must have been wild at The Gabba.
‘Big Jo has kicked two Mum and we’ve won. Would you believe it? You should hear the crowd mum. The Lions mob are all singing the song but the Giant’s crowd are pretty quiet. I bet they thought they had it won.’
‘You need to watch some real footy’. Dad had appeared and didn’t look too sick. It didn’t take him long to see the empty ice cream container.
‘I was looking forward to some ice cream and I see you’ve eaten the lot.’
‘Sorry dad;’ I said, ‘but the game was really exciting.’
‘Forget the game. You were greedy at ten but by thirty-two I thought you might have learned a bit of restraint. Now get in your car and duck down to Woolies and get me another Connoisseur Café Grand, and this time keep your greedy mitts off it.’
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