No Name

Chapter 14

She watches Nemo going further in the airport flying to France and thinks "She is gonna have so much fun. I am so so proud of her.". Watching her and helping her make her suitcase earlier felt unreal. She told her the rules and hugged each other and now she is watching her leave. She is passing the first control, she turns around waves to them and disappears. The dark haired woman waited a bit. Open her mouth, close it, turn around to her mom.

-Well let's go.

Back at home it feels empty, her room is empty. Jenni feels idle, unpurposed. She is walking around in circles in the living room doing absolutely nothing.

-Mija, sit down for me. You know that Nemo is a big girl and a good kid. So what are you stressing about ? Are you stressing about something ?

-I just. It's the first time since she is living with me that she is gonna be so far away. What if she has a nightmare, what if something happens to her ?

-Jenni, your daughter is sixteen not five. She knows how to take care of herself. If she needs you she has a phone and if something happens the french staff has your number too. So stop worrying and prepare your suitcase before Lola arrives to take you. You are gonna be in Ibiza and relax. Now go, I love you.

In France I have a bit of a well anxious moment, what if I don't know anyone. I reminded myself that it's stupid I know a lot of them actually, I "played" with some of them and against the others. I know them all, and with "if" we could put Paris in a bottle. Finally getting out of the departures era I look around and spot a middle aged man holding a cardboard with Nemo written on it. I approach him and when he sees me he smiles and comes my way. He introduces himself and takes my bag. The man, Mark is one of the driver who is working with the men's team and when he was asked if he could exceptionally pick up a young female player he agreed, he explain to me that he is a big football fan and that if I could take a picture with him it would make him really happy I accepted in exchange for his number since he is the boss the professional drivers company, Mark is a really good driver and he really likes to talk a lot. He told me that with his job he had the chance to meet a lot of famous people, like Daniel Craig, Jean Dujardin, Angelina Jolie, Messi and others. I told him that I wasn't a star, he looked at me in the rearview mirror.

- Yet. You aren't a star yet. You know I think women's football one day will reunite more people and might reconcile some late football fans to the game who in their rightful opinion has gone in a way which is too much extra, too much money and too much ego. I hope and pray that the women's game keeps growing but doesn't reach this eccentricity, I wish that it will stay human. Ah! We are here. I hope you have a good camp and one day when we meet again I'll get a signed jersey. He finishes with a wink and leaves. I grab my things and walk into the facility, in Clairefontaine.

Grace is the first person I see and the first to greet me. She introduces me to the Cascarino's twins, who I technically already know. I am the youngest on the team with Sandy who is just a year older than me, we are gonna room together for camp. Sandy is in PSG, she is a real speedy on the pitch and a pretty funny person too. Oh and she is almost as tall as me, which isn't that tall to be honest.

-Jenni, stop looking at your phone. The taxi is here.

-Yeah, I'm just worried Nemo hasn't answered me. She is supposed to have arrived already and she hasn't messaged me yet.

-Okay, Mamà bear. Let's go in the car and not worry before it's night okay ? She must be reunited with her teammates and forgotten a bit about you. She will send you a message when she will be in a more quiet place.

-Thank you. Lola even if you're mocking me. Stop it, it's not funny, when you are gonna have kids on your own you will understand and I will be the one laughing.