114. And the phone rang ... (4/4)

'I'll drive you!' I say to my son.

He looks pleadingly at his dad.

'Why not dad?'

'Because I want a word with your coaches.'

'Oh no! Mum, please!'

'Please what? I think we will understand each other. Life in a rugby school is not just about rugby. It is also about literature and general knowledge and the arts and ...'

'STOP! I get it.' He turns to his dad.

'Your mum is right. And she needs to meet the coaches too, it is not just men's business you know.'

'Exactly!' 

After all I am not going to stop being involved in my son's education just when it is starting to get a little easier ... and fun. I had a very interesting conversation with this man over the phone and I want to meet him. I also need to meet the other coach as I wonder if he is into books too.

These men might be able to do the unmanageable, the very thing where every one who has tried so far has failed: turning my son into a well-read, studious, easy-to-steer young man. To turn this wild unruly kid into a gentleman.

The minute the car is parked and the engine is off, he gets all his gear from the boot and heads off into the distance ... 

'See you there!' He shouts. I wonder where 'where' is. Maybe the side of the pitch? Maybe home at the weekend?

I make my way towards the stairs that lead to the boarding house where the staff has a small office. As I am on the bottom step, two men, huge and frankly menacing-looking are staring down at me.

'Good afternoon, Mrs ...?'

I stop. I hesitate to give my name. There must be some important form I have forgotten. Are they going to tell me off because my son is not by my side (where is he?) or maybe because my son has not started on War and Peace yet? What about if they start asking me questions about Tolstoy? 

Luckily they just want a couple of forms signed and as they are not shouting I relax a little. I sign everywhere and tick YES in every single box.

Full boarding: YES

Weekend boarding: YES

Full training package: YES

YES, YES, YES to a very tiring week with lots of school work and lots of physical training sessions. Boxes might say: flexibility session for ballet dancers, I'd tick YES or rowing practice on lake 5km from school again YES. My son needs a challenge. I understand that. I am an open-mined mum. 

'Would you like to come and see the boys train?'

I have to tick YES here too and prove my interest is real and not fake. So I head to the side of the (YES, muddy and YES, freezing) pitch and Mr The-Other-Coach takes this opportunity to tell me about my son. I have my phone in my bag and if needed I have a note pad and a pen to take notes.

And off he goes: about the importance of studies and school work and about having a clear vision of the future, as it is a highly competitive field and bla bla bla ... Gosh! He sounds just like me! Good, I can take break from all this and be the doting mama baking cakes and flashing the credit card under his nose as a very efficient modern carrot.

Does my poor baby boy know what he has got himself into? That these folks could be worse than his mum? More nagging? He moves on to rugby specific matters:

'It's just that coming from a small club and ending up here is quite a step up. He'll have to push himself. Take the lead. Pull the thread. Seize the moment ... '

I think he is getting a bit carried away now and I am beginning to relax and switch off, but then, cherry on the cake, he blurts out:

'He's all right! He just needs to open his chakras!'