Criminology in Africa

By Jayne Bauling

Ginelle is the captain of the Sandview D team and she is intent on winning, whatever it takes. But Ginelle s leadership style does not bring out the best in her team, and when talent scouts come to view their game, Ginelle is forced to re-evaluate what winning really means.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cover2Cover Books
• Release date: Mar 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781928346609

Jayne Bauling

Whilst Jayne was born in England she grew up in South Africa. After many years in Johannesburg and 17 women's fiction novels published in the UK, a move to White River, Mbombela in Mpumalanga, coincided with an exploration of new writing directions - youth fiction, short stories and poetry. Her YA novel E Eights won the 2009 Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa, Stepping Solo was awarded the 2011 Maskew Miller Longman literature award for novels in English, and Dreaming of Light won the 2012 Gold Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature. Her youth short story Dineo 658 MP won the 2009 MML silver medal, while This Ubuntu Thing was shortlisted for the inaugural Golden Baobab award. In 2011 she also won the inaugural African Writing flash fiction prize for Settling. Flight was shortlisted for the 2012 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Another youth novel Our Side of the Wall was shortlisted for the Sanlam Prize. Her adult short stories have appeared in The Bed Book of Short Stories (Modjaji Books), The Edge of Things (Dye Hard Press), African Pens 2011 (a collection judged by J M Coetzee and published by Jacana), the e-anthology Behind the Shadows, and (the stories An Inappropriate Woman and Witch and Bitch)in the People Opposing Women Abuse Breaking the Silence annual anthologies (Jacana). Rage and Misfortune, her retelling of the OT Samson story was published online by Ludic Press. Poetry: Symbiosis won SAFM's Express Yourself prize, Fist was placed 3rd in the 2008 POWA Women's Writing Project and published in Murmurs of the Girl in Me, while Unschooled was published in POWA's 2010 anthology Stories of the Othere(ed) Woman and The Ladies Take Tea in POWA's 2012 anthology Sisterhood. More poetry in ouroboros review, Markings, poetandgeek, Ons Klyntji, Litnet and the Lowvelder.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Ginelle stood watching some of the other Sandview D players taking shots at goal while they waited for Coach Ofeimun to come and start their soccer practice.

Her friend Elethu always gave one hundred percent. Next Jabsi took her turn, and then Asanda. They were both so talented, they easily put the ball past goalkeeper Muzi. The surprise was Pateka, the way she had Muzi diving the wrong way. As team captain, Ginelle felt proud of how Pateka’s kicking had improved.

Pateka turned and came running towards her, and Ginelle smiled, ready to tell her how pleased she was.

Ginelle, is it all right if I leave early today? Pateka asked.

Are you serious? With disappointment rising, Ginelle put her hands on her hips and gave Pateka her fiercest look.

Just this once, Ginelle, Pateka pleaded. We’ve got this big test tomorrow. I’m not one of those clever people. I need plenty of time to study.

Ginelle felt impatient. Like some school test is more important than us winning matches? We’re getting to the end of the season, with all these mega matches coming up, Surfway FC and those other clubs.

I’m sorry. Pateka sounded upset. It’s only for today’s practice. I won’t do it again.

Today, when we’re meant to work on our game plan for Saturday. Then Ginelle gave it up in disgust, shrugging her shoulders. Fine, go then. I don’t suppose you’ll be any great loss. That kick of yours just now was probably a fluke. Come on, Seagulls, let’s go.

She ran on to the practice pitch, joining the other girls and three boys who made up Sandview’s Under 17 D squad. Coach Ofeimun came striding over to them.

It was one of those clear but windy afternoons that made your nose run and your eyes water. Ginelle pretended not to notice when Pateka left the field halfway through the training session. Jirre, she would never understand players like Pateka. Didn’t they get how important soccer was? How important winning was?

Man, winning was totally the best feeling in the world, and she loved being left forward, or striker as she preferred to call it because that sounded more dramatic.

A good practice, Coach Ofeimun said in her cool Nigerian accent at the end of the session, when their shadows stretched long on the patchy grass.

Even without that fader Pateka, Ginelle agreed, staying behind on the field with the coach while the others jogged away.

Are you on that girl’s case again, Ms Davids? the coach drawled. Don’t think she’ll just take it forever. One of these fine days she is going to turn around and bite you back.

Ginelle pulled a face. If she was on Pateka’s case, it felt like the coach was always on hers these days. What was her problem? They were still winning, weren’t they, same as they’d been doing nearly all season?

It was tempting to say it out loud, but better to zip her lip, Ginelle decided. She admired the tall coach too much to want to get into an all-out argument with her. Like, she was only Nneka Ofeimun, once a top player in the Nigerian national women’s team until something bad had happened with her parents and her little girl had stopped speaking.

So she just said, We’re going to finish the season even better than we started, don’t you think, ma’am?

The coach laughed. "So much so, that the club bosses think we’re going to have to look at you switching leagues next season and making you into the top girls’ team in the Western Cape.

For a moment, Ginelle’s blood fizzed with excitement at the thought. Then she blew out a big breath.

If only we can get enough brilliant girl players to replace Kaya and Muzi and Grootman, she said.

Or turn enough reasonably good players into brilliant ones, the coach said, and Ginelle could hear how she looked forward to such a challenge. Yes, we’ll miss those boys, Kaya especially. He’s managing his asthma well, and he has improved a lot, especially as a free-kick taker.

Ja, he’s bending it lekker these days, hey? Ginelle agreed, pulling on her tracksuit top and zipping it up.

Actually, the bosses want a meeting with me and the other coaches tomorrow evening, the coach said. Would you be free to babysit Chioma?

There were just the coach and her daughter, so Ginelle and some other players who lived near the coach sometimes babysat.

Yes, ma’am.

Sharp. See you six o’clock tomorrow then.

Coach Ofeimun strolled off, still only wearing shorts and a thin vest, as if she didn’t feel the cold. Ginelle caught up with the rest of her team at the edge of the field.

Big news about next season, she told them as she picked up the hat with earflaps that she’d dropped earlier.

Hint, hint, Asanda mocked, winding a long scarf round her neck.

What, Ginelle? Elethu asked.

Guess? Ginelle teased.

C’mon, girl, tell us, Jabsi urged.

So she did, and at least some of them were as excited as she felt, but then Elethu said, But what will happen to our boys?

Dunno, Ginelle admitted, seeing Muzi looking worried. Maybe they’ll create an extra boys only team, or D will become an all-boys team and we’ll be the A girls.

Don’t worry about us, man, Kaya piped up. We’ll play ourselves up into C or B or even A, like Lunga did.

Ginelle grinned, liking his attitude. She could just imagine him doing it; he had become an excellent right midfielder. She wasn’t so sure about the other two.

The players started to go their separate ways, some heading home, and a few waiting for their boyfriends in the other teams.

Looks like A have finished, Ginelle said, seeing Elethu’s boyfriend Lunga coming towards them.

His two best friends were with him, so she decided to wait with Elethu; she always enjoyed sparring with Mondli Nkantsu, and lately she’d also started to notice how attractive he was.

Check you guys. Jabsi had hung around, but now she shouldered her