Miki and the Soccer Ball

By Malla Duncan

Miki and his friend Louie are preparing for the big soccer match against the Guguletu team. They’ve been promised new team outfits and soccer boots if they win. Miki is given a new soccer ball to replace the old one and promises to take great care of it. However, Granny Noo is preparing a pudding for a wedding. This is always a bad combination of events for Miki. The fate that befalls the soccer ball is almost unbelievable, definitely indescribable. Things become so serious that neighbour Mr Mokwe nearly dies, the wedding is cancelled, and a hairdresser finds herself with an unusual new customer. There is only one thing Miki can do to save everything – and that is to win the match.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Malla Duncan
• Release date: Nov 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9780987005281

Malla Duncan

Malla Duncan lives in Cape Town and writes across a variety of genres from 'women-in-jeopardy' to romantic adventure, children's fantasy and humorous books for African children. Her suspense novels are fast-paced, contemporary full-length stand-alone reads which introduce ordinary, flawed women characters caught in extraordinary circumstances.

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MIKI and the SOCCER BALL

(Book III of the Miki series)

by

Malla Duncan

A fun, family story for African and all children aged 8 to 80.

Copyright Malla Duncan 2012

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All people and events described in this story are purely the imagination of the author and bear no relation to persons or events in reality. Please respect the hard work of this author and do not copy or resell this book.

Acknowledgements:

Cover Design: Nandi Appleby – Cape Town, South Africa

Email: [e-mail]

Website: http://nandiappleby.com

Title font by: Fonts of Afrika

http://www.slingsbymaps/fontsofafrika

Editing: Roz Isaac – Vancouver, Canada

[e-mail]

MIKI and the SOCCER BALL

Chapter 1

A wedding was being planned.

Miki crept to the front door.

The last thing an 11-year old boy wanted to talk about was the size of a bouquet. Especially when there was an important soccer practice waiting.

Miki’s mother, Grace Mavuya, was locked in argument with her mother and Miki’s brother, Sepo, who was to be the groom. Granny Noo was insisting on preparing her famous Magic Mousse pudding for the reception.

As Miki slipped out, a shoe was flung violently into the passage. Granny Noo often threw a shoe if she couldn’t get her own way. She was that kind of person.

In fact, Miki thought as he hurried down the road, his family could be very difficult at times.

Miki and his family lived in Khayelitsha in Cape Town. His mother had struggled to keep the family going after his father died when he was four. She had taken in all sorts of extra work to ensure that Sepo and Miki would get a good education. Sepo was now a telephone technician and wore gold-rimmed glasses to affirm this status. And Mrs Mavuya was studying in the evenings. At the end of the year, she hoped to qualify in business management.

A little overwhelmed by all this educational fervour, Miki liked to keep his head down and concentrate on improving his sporting talent. He was hoping to be selected for the soccer team to play the Guguletu team next week. The thought made his breath catch and he began to run towards the field where the rest of the team were waiting.

His best friend, Louie, was at the gate to greet him.

‘You’ll never guess who’s here.’

Louie had very large white teeth – and when he grinned it was like a camera flash. You had to blink.

‘Who?’ asked Miki.

‘Mr Moosa.’

Miki’s eyes rounded. ‘The guy who promised to sponsor our team’s equipment if he was impressed by our play?’

‘Yes. Good as his word. He’s here.’

‘We’ll have to play our best,’ said Miki nervously. ‘We need new shorts and tracksuits. Not to mention boots and a decent ball.’

The ball had been a bone of contention from the beginning. It was old, scratched and dented. It was also beginning to sprout hairs which everybody knew was a bad sign.

‘You just better kick straight this afternoon,’ Louie said darkly. ‘He looks pretty miserable to me. If we make any mistakes we’re out.’

Miki