Raiko is a Bosnian refugee. In this extract he remembers his first
day at school in Australia, when he met his best mate, Jay.
"This is Raiko Stenkovic", Mr Martin the
Principal had explained at Assembly that morning, pronouncing the name
correctly. Stenkovich. "Raiko and his mother have come to live
in Wilsonvale from a place overseas called Bosnia." Mr Martin then
talked about Bosnia Herzegovina and Yugoslavia and the war that had ripped
so many lives apart. But no one really took in the history lesson because
all eyes were on the new, lanky kid with a funny name from a far-away place
with an even funnier name.
"Stenkovich?" Raiko remembered being tugged at
by a small hand during lunchtime that day. "Weird name, ay. What are we
gunna call ya?"
"Raiko. That's what you gunna call me."
Raiko had learned some English at school in Yugoslavia, but this Australian
accent was not so easy to get his tongue around.
"I know that", replied the small boy. "I'm talkin' nicknames." He stared at Raiko for a moment, searching for a
name. "Itchy? Nah, not the itchy type." Jay eyed Raiko up and
down. "Stenko? Stinko? Stinkabit? I know!" He gave a big
white-teeth grin and shouted to some other kids. "This is Stinky, you
guys."
"I'm Jay, by the way", he continued. "Jay
King. But you can me Joe, if you like. Joking. Get it?" When
Raiko stared blankly back, Jay shrugged his shoulders and continued talking
rapidly. Raiko heard the machine-gun gabble. He saw the grinning face, and
the hand poking out at him, and he suddenly realised that the boy was
offering friendship. This caught Raiko by surprise. He hadn't known
friendship for a long time, chased out of his life as it had been by fear
and hate. He stared down at the hand.
"You gunna shake it or what?" Jay cocked his
head sideways. Raiko reached out at once, embarrassed by his own delay.
"Don't play basketball by any chance, brud?" Jay added, inspecting
Raiko's hand.
"A little", Raiko replied. He'd actually played
a lot.
"Terminal! You're on my team. We need a few wins.
What else?"
"What do you mean, what else?"
"What else do ya play? What sort of sport,
sport?"
"I run - um, how do you say? - the far
distance."
"Aw yeah. Hey Jammo", Jay shouted to a tall boy
in the crowd. "Bit of comp here, mate." Then he turned back to Raiko, whispering. "Don't worry, he's hopeless. You'll deck him easy,
speshly with me as your PT."
"PT?" Raiko asked. "What is this PT?"
"Personal Trainer! Gotta have a Personal Trainer.
And lucky for you I just happen to be available at this point in time."
He slapped Raiko on the back. "Yeah and what else?"
"Football, er soccer."
"Did I hear soccer?" Jay's eyes brightened. Of
course Raiko played soccer, what Balkan boy didn't? It was in his blood. His
father had played at national level, and had spent every spare moment
kicking a ball with Raiko, until - Raiko closed his eyes and gritted his
teeth.
"Yes. I play some of the soccer."
"Woh!", Jay shouted to everyone this time.
"He says he plays some of the soccer", mimicking the new
boy's accent in a way that made Raiko himself laugh. "You can be on my
team", Jay added
"Let me guess.", Raiko grinned. "You need
a few wins, huh?" It was his turn to laugh at Jay.
"You said it bro." Jay stuck up his hand for a
high five. "Wait'll old Greggo hears. He'll do a heart restart."
By now many of the kids had moved closer and were
standing around Raiko. One of them had a soccer ball. He flicked it at Raiko.
"Let's see what he can do", the boy smirked, sending the ball
straight at Raiko's head.
Raiko reacted instinctively. He dipped slightly, caught
the ball on his head and sent it high into the air. Several times he bounced
the ball on his head, then on his shoulders, then his knees, and finally let
it fall to his feet. For a few minutes he toyed with the ball, effortlessly
bouncing it from one foot to the other, onto his knees, chest, head, never
letting it touch the ground. Once he kicked it right over his head, catching
it on his back foot. Then he flicked the ball up and caught it on his
forehead, balancing it there for what seemed ages. Finally, when he'd had
enough, Raiko kicked the ball back to its owner. Suddenly he was surrounded
by clapping and cheering. Jay was slapping him on the back, shouting to
everyone as he did so.
"Not bad ay? And the good news is, he's on my
team."
*
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