Chapter 2

 

Alexis opened the envelope with care, and playfully peeked inside.

“Come on, open it!” Ronnie urged, laughing. “I’ve told you it’s not a big deal. Just a little nothing for your birthday.”

“But my birthday has long since passed,” she teased.

“Your birthday was a week ago. It’s not my fault you didn’t come home earlier, being so busy that you don’t even have time to celebrate your own birthday!”

Inside the living room, Veronic was sitting in an armchair, propped up on all sides with cushions, but the wheelchair was also nearby. She was having a good day. She felt strong enough to even go for a short walk in the morning, for which she was accompanied by her dad.

Her illness was progressing much more slowly than normal. This may have been to do with the dedicated and thorough massages with which her sister had been insistently torturing her for many years. Although Alexis had recently become a university student and now only came home at weekends, their relationship was just as close-knit as before, despite meeting less often. Sometimes it even happened during the week that if Alex couldn’t come, Ronnie would order a taxi and would go to see her sister in her student lodgings. At other times, Alexis would drop into the family home to say a quick hello to her dad, greet her mum if she was in, and then she would already be on her way upstairs to Veronic’s room. She folded out the medical mat, put healing oils on her hands and began to knead Veronic’s meagre little body, putting straight into practice what she had freshly mastered at the human kinesiology lectures at the medical university. Ronnie didn’t specifically ask her to do this, but she didn’t protest either. She knew her sister was doing this as a sign of affection and gentle care, so she had appreciated it from the very start. And then, as Alex got more and more skilled, the treatments had become more and more professional, and in time they both realised with amazement that the massage did yield results. The illness wasn’t completely irreversible or curable, but with the right treatment, muscular dystrophy could significantly be decelerated. The palpable outcome was that Ronnie had a lot more better days, and much less worse ones. So Alex didn’t let herself be talked out of the treatments, and continued the sessions with perseverance and enthusiasm – since this was what they jokingly called the massage. The past week had indeed been unusual as due to Alexis’ busy schedule they hadn’t seen each other for a full week. Of course, she knew that her younger sister’s reproach was not to be taken seriously, and that she would never hold it against her that she wasn’t spending enough time with her – even if she had a reason for it. They knew each other too well, and their sisterly love was too strong to get upset about issues like that. Also, since Ronnie had turned 17, and became a student of St. Andrew’s, she had become much busier as well. Regarding her illness, they had made it possible for her to only attend school twice a week, and the rest of the time she was to spend at home, studying. But even that had brought a big change into her old life when, as a private student, she had hardly ever left her house and had no friends. She was a kind and intelligent young girl. Knowing her pleasant nature, Alex never doubted for a moment that as soon as Ronnie was with people, they would come to like her, and she would find friends. Elisabeth Woodville was against the plan that Veronic should attend a school outside their home. She might have given in to her mother’s pressure, but Alex remained very determined about the issue. Since she could see that Ronnie also liked the idea, she openly opposed her mother, and wasn’t going to stop until Ronnie was enrolled at St. Andrew’s. Thanks to the new company and the massages, she began to blossom, and although she hadn’t been sad before either, since she began to regularly spend time out, a new era had started in her life. She had her hair cut short like a tomboy, which gave a new charm to her childlike face. Only the close relationship between the sisters had remained unshaken.

She looked at her sister naughtily, and slowly pulled two tickets out of the yellow envelope. She twisted them around her fingers for a while, then looked at Ronnie with amazement.

“Football tickets? To the Bradford match? For me?”

“For you and Nick, of course. Or don’t you like football anymore? If I remember correctly, you also played for a while, didn’t you?”

Ronnie looked at her in expectation, eyebrows up. At first Alexis didn’t even know how to respond. Yes, she still liked football, but she hadn’t attended a match for… who knew how long. Recently she had been much too busy for things like that. And Dominic belonged to the group of a few young men who were not in the slightest bit thrilled about football, so whenever they organised something together, it never came up as an option. Her own short, but all the more eventful high school football career now remained in the back of her mind as a blurred memory, and she made sure never to bring it up again.

Now, looking at the tickets she heaved a deep sigh, then pulled a smile.

“When was that, sis? It may never have been true.”

“I can very much remember it still. It was only four years ago,” she noted, sounding smart.

“What was four years ago?” enquired James Woodville, who had just stepped into the living room with a newspaper in his hand.

He kissed Ronnie on the forehead, then stepped up to Alex and held his cheek to her for a kiss.

“We were saying,” she started, “that Alex also played football at high school.”

“Good heavens!” James said, lifting his eyes to the sky. “Don’t even remind me! How could you not find a decent female sport?”

“And what would that be, do you think? Embroidery or crocheting?”

Alex glanced at her father haughtily, and he returned her gaze while furrowing his brow, but wasn’t really able to force seriousness into his voice.

“Female bloody football! You don’t want to start over, do you?”

“No dad, don’t work yourself up,” she laughed a bit more permissively.

“Why are you talking about it, then?”

“Ronnie has given me football tickets for my birthday,” she said waving the tickets in the air.

“Now, that’s something. To which match?”

“Bradford Stadium. The Champions’ League qualifier.”

James’ eyes began to glitter. Although he was primarily enthused by polo and cricket, he also enjoyed high-quality football. And Bradford was one of the top teams in the English Premier League, and what was more, they had even won the previous year’s league championship.

“Who are they playing?”

“Dortmund.”

“I’ll come with you if you want it,” he said, blinking at her.

“No, dad!” Ronnie interrupted with her unusual vehemence. “Alex is going with Dominic. Or the gift will be taken back.”

He lifted his hands in defence, and left the room laughing.

“All right, all right. Don’t bite my head off.”

When he had left, Ronnie continued somewhat more gently.

“You’d better get used to Bradford Stadium anyway, because unless I’m mistaken, you’ll be there quite frequently in the future.”

“Yes, but only on professional grounds. Only due to the physiotherapy course.”

“Same difference,” Ronnie agreed. “Besides, these are very special tickets, Alex.”

“Are they?” she turned to face her sister playfully. “And what kind are they?”

“Well… unique ones. Have a closer look!”

Alex took the tickets into her hands once again, and studied them more thoroughly. Now she could also see that they were not just for the row directly behind the teams’ benches, but they were valid even for the VIP lounge.

“What the heck, Ronnie! You must be out of your mind! Didn’t you say you were giving me just a little nothing? These must have cost you a fortune. You really shouldn’t have…”

“Come off it! You’re only 21 once. This is something special, Alex. We have to celebrate it! I hope you are happy,” she said with excitement, studying her sister’s face eagerly.

Alex ran to her, sat down next to her and hugged her.

“Of course I am. How can you ask that? But if you surprise me with such expensive presents, what can I give you for your birthday? Are you perhaps pining for a pony in secret?”

“Stop it!” she said shaking her head indignantly.

Alex kissed her cheek, then put her head on her younger sister’s thin shoulder. Ronnie lovingly stroked her long hair, which still had its brilliant auburn shade, but now instead of the natural waves of the high school madcap, it was all straightened carefully. She was past 21, and had become quite an attractive young woman. Her dressing style was still on the sporty, casual side: her favourite pieces were jeans and simple T-shirts. Of course, she paid more attention to her thick hair now than before, and lately she had begun to use makeup. With her full lips, her open and happy smile, slim build and picturesque, reddish crown of hair she often attracted people’s attention without having to do anything special to gain it.

She was about 19 when a middle-aged, well-dressed stranger addressed her in a fast food restaurant, and stuck a business card into her hand. He said he was an agent working in the beauty industry. He saw a lot of potential in Alex and predicted an auspicious modelling career for her; she just had to call him on the phone. She gazed at...