The Twelth Player

Chapter 2

Today's practice was awful. After the last incident, the guys barely talked to me, and to top it off, I couldn't keep the ball where I wanted it. Everything was just falling apart.

Near the end of the session, the coach motioned to me. "Matti, to my office."

I sighed. That's it. This is where I get the boot.

Not wanting to drag it out, I started as soon as I stepped inside. "You don't have to sugarcoat it, coach. Yeah, I'm a screw-up, and yeah, I'm fired. Thanks for everything—or nothing, I guess."

The coach just stared at me for a moment. Then, slowly and calmly, he said, "Matti, I don't want to fire you. Yeah, you messed up—big time. But you've got more in you."

His words stopped me in my tracks. I didn't even know how to respond. I just stood there like an idiot.

"I've known you since you were a kid," he continued. "You've got talent, and deep down, a good heart. But you've got to stop focusing only on yourself. You're fighting for the team, for the whole town. And deep down, I think you know that—otherwise, you wouldn't have stepped in to help that cleaning lady yesterday."

I exhaled, looking away. I wasn't expecting this. The coach kept talking, his voice steady and thoughtful. "I want you to come with the team to the next away game. You can't play, but I want you there. Get to know the club, the people in it. Union isn't just about goals and wins—it's about the people. And I want to show you that, so you understand who you're really playing for."

"Yeah, okay, coach," I mumbled, still a bit stunned. Eventually, I managed a thank you.

A few days later, I was sitting on the bus headed to the away game. All the guys were talking and joking around, and me? I sat alone, staring out the window. It didn't bother me. I needed the quiet to sort through my thoughts.

Out of nowhere, Taro, our captain, slid into the seat next to me. Taro's the guy everyone respects—on the field and in town.

"Matti, I'm sorry we've been ignoring you at practice," he said.

I blinked, not believing what I just heard. "Wait—you're apologizing to me?"

He nodded. "We weren't fair last time. Yeah, you acted like an idiot, but everyone makes mistakes. What matters is learning from them." He paused for a moment, then added, "Union isn't just a football team. You'll figure that out soon enough."

We sat in silence for a bit before we started talking. Taro told me about when he first joined the club—new country, new language, no support system. "But Union took me in," he explained. "I got a chance, and I found a home here. This club means everything to people."

I listened, and for the first time, I started to realize that for Taro—and probably everyone else—being part of Union was about more than just the game.

It hit me hard. I'd never seen it like that. For me, it was always about playing, performing, being the best. But Taro's words made me think about it differently.

When we got to the stadium, Taro introduced me to a few of the fans who traveled to every match with the team. One guy, Jürgen, stood out the most—a friendly older guy. "You know," he said, "I lost my job right before retirement. I was in a bad place. Didn't know what I'd do. But the people at Union helped me out. I volunteered for a while, and then they hired me as a groundskeeper. And now? I'm here. This club always has people who'll back you up."

I was stunned at how much the club meant to these people. Everyone had a story, and Union was always a part of it—not just on the pitch, but in their lives.

It made me feel... weird. Maybe even guilty. For me, this had always been about winning and proving myself. But for them, it was so much more.

Thursday afternoon, I was heading home from work and practice when my phone rang. My brother. "What do you want?" I snapped.

"Hey, Matti, could you pick Katie up today?"

Katie's my hyperactive four-year-old niece. You can probably guess that after a long day, the last thing I wanted was to deal with her. "Why me?"

"Neither Monika nor I can make it. Work stuff. Just today, please," he said, practically begging.

I shook my head. "Fine. But just this once."

"Thanks, bro," he said, relieved. He knew I owed him. After all, he had my back when I got out of prison... yeah, I couldn't leave him hanging.

A few minutes later, I pulled up to the Union Kids Center, or whatever they call it. Another thing organized by the club. It's kind of a mix between a daycare and an after-school program — basically, they have staff watching over the kids when their parents can't.

Katie spotted me the second I walked in and yelled excitedly, "Matty!" She ran straight at me and wrapped herself around my legs.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here," I said with a smile, patting her head. "So, Katie, what've you been up to today?"

"Elina played with me!" she squealed. "She read me a story, and she's got a magic voice. She's so nice, Matty!"

Elina? Who's Elina? I wondered, but before I could ask, Katie grabbed my hand and dragged me along to meet her. And there she was — the cleaner I'd accidentally knocked over and the same one that idiot attacked later on. Turns out she's the one looking after the kids here.

Katie bounced with excitement. "Eli, this is my uncle Matty! He's a footballer!"

I stood there, feeling a bit awkward. Elina got up and looked at me. "Sir, um, are you... here for Katie?"

"Yeah, I'm here to pick up my niece, Katie Heiberg," I said, trying not to sound too gruff. "By the way, just call me Matti. We're on first-name terms here."

"Oh... okay... Matti," she replied, but she still seemed kind of nervous. That caught me off guard. Everyone in Parodista, at least young people, talks casually, but she acted like I was someone important. It felt like she was scared of me, and I had no idea why.

I tried making small talk because I wanted to know more about what happened last week. But she kept her answers short, like she'd rather disappear. Finally, I couldn't hold it in and asked, "Hey... that thing at the stadium... that guy who attacked you... what was that about?"

She was quiet for a moment. It was obvious she didn't want to talk about it. Then she just shrugged. "You don't need to worry about it, Matti. It's fine. It's over."

That didn't sit right with me. How could something like that just be "over"? Who knows what that guy would've done if I hadn't shown up. But I don't know her, so I can't really push it.

I watched as kids kept running up to her, shouting over each other. I expected her to lose her patience or snap at them, but she didn't. She stayed calm, smiling at each of them, handling it all effortlessly. When there weren't kids around, she'd sit and read a book or jot something down.

I couldn't figure her out. Everything around her was chaotic and loud, but she seemed to have this unshakable calm, like she was from another world. Even after what that guy did to her, she didn't seem broken or bitter. And me? I'd lose my temper over the smallest thing. How the hell does she stay so composed?

I took Katie home, but I couldn't stop thinking about Elina. There was something about her that didn't make sense to me. That calm of hers... it irritated me, but I couldn't help being drawn to it.