Part 1
Canada
The Playoffs
1
Jude
Iclapped my hand over my mouth, stifling a yawn as the taxi rumbled over the road leading into downtown Calgary. Intercontinental travel was tiring, even with a first-class plane ticket, and my whole body was aching after being trapped in one place for so long.
Laying my head back against the seat, I closed my eyes. The fact that I was here at all, halfway around the world, when my Fulham FC teammates were back in England and fighting to stay out of the relegation zone in the Premier League, felt like a fever dream.
But it was real.
I flexed my leg experimentally. No pain.
I could’ve played.
One game, one miscalculated tackle, and that was it. I was officially out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. As if sitting on the sidelines for the past five weeks hadn’t been enough, on Tuesday, I’d received a call from my agent, Rory. He’d informed me that I was one of the names listed as available for transfer when the transfer window opened up, and I needed to be prepared to be sold to another team. Which team that would be, I had no idea. All I knew was that Fulham were lookingto replace several players, and my fear was that with my being out of action for so long, I would be forgotten. It wasn’t even a given that I’d be transferred to another team in the same league.
Opening my eyes, I forced myself to take in the scenery outside the window. A small, reluctant smile tugged at my lips as I took in the sun glinting on the glass and metal of the city buildings. Despite my professional worries, one good thing had come out of my forced stint on the sidelines. I was here in Canada, about to surprise my older brother with a visit.
Brayden was an NHL hockey player for the Calgary Bobcats, and I was finally going to get to see him in action in person for the first time since he’d started playing for the NHL. I watched replays of his games online, but it wasn’t the same as being there in the stadium and seeing it happen in real time. It was difficult with us both being professional athletes and living in separate countries, so I was going to make the most of it while I was here.
As it was a spur-of-the-moment decision and I wanted it to be a surprise, I’d asked my agent to book me into any central hotel with availability. Plus, my brother was busy with the playoffs, and I didn’t want to put any added pressure on him by giving him an uninvited house guest to entertain.
When the taxi had dropped me off and I’d checked into my room, I pulled out my phone to send a quick text to my brother.
Me:
What are you up to? I hope you’re celebrating your win. One step closer to the final!
Brayden finally replied when I was in the bathroom of my suite, clouds of steam billowing around me as I carefully dragged a razor across my jaw, a towel wrapped around my waist.
Brayden:
Jude! Yeah, I’m celebrating with some of the guys at a festival
Finishing up my shave, I patted my face dry and rinsed the razor under the tap. After drying my hands, I replied to Brayden.
Me:
What festival?
Brayden:
Calgary Feastival. It’s a food festival crossed with a music festival
Me:
Sounds fun. Enjoy the celebrations
Navigating to my internet browser, I pulled up the information for the festival, a smile spreading across my face.
Time to surprise my big brother.
Being anonymous at a place like the Calgary Feastival was a novel experience. Hordes of people congregated in Prince’s Island Park, moving between the plethora of food stalls, fairground rides, and the two music stages. If I were back at home, I’d be constantly checking for eyes on me, always on edge for the moment my peace was disrupted by a fan. It didn’t always happen, and I wasn’t one of the most famous faces in the Premier League by any means, but I’d never quite been able to shake the feeling of paranoia I had whenever I attended a big event.
