Renaldo (98 page)

There were tears streaming down the face of the large figure standing in

the shadows of the assembly hall when the lights went up. What Astor Gordero

had just witnessed was one of the most stirring moments of his life. These fine

young men, the cream of the nation, idols one and all. To hear them sing the

anthem with such passion and pride, that was worth waiting a lifetime for!

The agent sought out his client at the end of the gathering.

“Renaldo, I was wondering if we might have a few moments alone. Can

you grab your friend, Vida, as well? There is something I wish to discuss with

him in your presence. It shouldn’t take too long. Go and get your friend and I

will meet you both in your room.”

Renaldo dutifully set out to find Ramon. Less than five minutes later,

they found Gordero sitting on the edge of Renaldo’s bed.

“I could not sit on that tiny piece of wood they call a chair. I don’t think

I would have fit into that thing even as a newborn. Come in, come in. This is

your room after all, Renaldo.”

The client was always shy initially in the presence of his enormous agent,

but Astor Gordero possessed the ability to make the rookie open up and start

talking after a few minutes. Ramon Vida had never needed any prompting to

say what was on his mind.

“Hey, Señor Gordero, baby, nice to see you, man. Renaldo says that you

wanted to see me. So, you want us to go on tour with Symca and open for her?

I knew we were good tonight, but, man . . .”

The agent laughed aloud at the audacity of the street urchin.

“No, no, Ramon, as much as I enjoyed your performance tonight, I have

a feeling that your future lies in areas other than the music industry, which

is precisely why I wanted to have a chat with the two of you together. I have

cleared my visit here with manager Suarez, so he is aware of what I am about

to tell you both.”

Gordero motioned for the two men to be seated before he revealed his

startling news.

“Now, it seems from recent performances that the two of you complement

each other very nicely in the center of a football pitch. You enjoy playing with

each other, am I correct so far?”

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JAMES McCREATH

“Ya, I like the kid, he’s OK. Give me some time and I can teach him lots

of things, both on and off the field.” The former Boca player opened his mouth,

stuck out his tongue, and waggled it disgustingly in Gordero’s direction.

“Yes, yes, I am sure that you could, Ramon. But besides that, it seems that

you very well may get the chance to keep playing together after the tournament

ends. In England!” The effervescent Vida instantly became stone-faced in

disbelief.

“What the fuck are you talking about, man? I never met anyone from

England in my entire life,” Vida shot back when the scope of the visitor’s

statement had finally registered.

“But I have, Ramon, and the people I have met want you and Renaldo

to play first division football for them this season in England. For substantial

remuneration, I might add.”

As was his habit, The Fat Man paused to let his tiding have the maximum

effect before revealing further information.

“Ramon, I have here your release papers from the Boca Juniors Football

Club. They were signed by the club president Señor Dominico yesterday. You

are now the proud possession of the Newton’s Prefects Football Club. In other

words, you will play for me next season.”

The Newton’s Prefects majority owner and chairman handed his new

acquisition the legal documents. He could tell that Vida was having trouble

comprehending the magnitude of the message.

All the better to baffle the crude ruffian and get him under my thumb right from

the start,
Gordero thought.

“As you prefer to deal with financial matters yourself, Ramon, I am in a

position to negotiate with you directly. Here is the signed offer from the Canary

Wharf Football Club in London, England. I have an identical one for Renaldo

right here as well. The term of the contract is for two years. The team pays for

all your lodging, transportation, and sundry expenses . . .”

The speaker could see a flash of anger in his new center forward’s eyes as

Ramon Vida interrupted his speech.

“That’s it? Just room and board and a few bus tickets? What kind of

fucking offer is that? Boca would have paid me big dollars to play for them as

their World Cup star striker. I am not going anywhere for a few bus tokens and

all the roast beef I can eat!”

“I concur with you fully, Ramon,” Gordero nodded in sympathy. “How

much do you think you could have gotten from Boca for your services after the

World Cup?”

“I don’t know, man, big money! Maybe one hundred thousand American

dollars per year!”

“One hundred thousand is not bad, my young friend. Not bad at all for

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RENALDO

a second stringer from Argentina. But you are a star, Ramon. A starter for the

greatest team this nation has ever assembled! And tomorrow, you will both be

World Champions! World Champions receive their just rewards. The English

are aware of your great worth, and they have signed contracts paying you both

almost one million American dollars per year!”

The silence in Renaldo’s small room was deafening. Both the young

gentlemen could not believe the figure that they had just heard. Renaldo shook

his head to clear his thoughts, but as usual, Ramon asked for clarification.

“Oh, man, you gotta be bullshitting us! Nobody pays that kind of money

for two unknown punks from Buenos Aires. Try to come up with a better story

next time before you waste your energy.”

Vida started for the door. With surprising strength and accuracy, Gordero

flung the contract at him. The new Prefect striker caught the document as it

bounced off his forearm.

“Read the contract for yourself, Ramon. These people are noblemen, Peers

of the Realm. Lord Reginald Russell and his daughter, the very lovely, Lady

Mallory. They will pay you four hundred thousand pounds sterling apiece to

play for them in London. It is all true, for even I would have trouble making

up such a story.”

Vida poured over the papers, trying to find the figures to verify The Fat

Man’s words. Gordero continued to reassure both his young charges.

“They want the two of you to be the saviors of English football. They are

distraught that their team didn’t qualify for this tournament, and they will

stop at no expense to see that it never happens again. They expect you to infuse

some style and skill into their home game. For that, they will pay handsomely,

even exorbitantly!”

The two players looked at each other, still not fully grasping the coming

change in their lives.

“Now, Ramon, I would like to discuss this matter in private with Renaldo,

so if you could take your transfer papers and the contract to your room, I will

be available in say, half an hour, to go over any questions that you might have.

So please, excuse us now, and I will be at your door in thirty minutes. What is

your room number?”

Renaldo had not reacted verbally to the information his agent had

disclosed during the first part of their meeting. Gordero could see that his

player was in a state of disbelief, so he motioned for the boy to come and sit at

his side on the bed once Vida had left them alone.

“So, my young superstar, and at the price the English are willing to pay for

your services, you certainly rank in the superstar category. What thoughts are

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JAMES McCREATH

going through your fertile mind right now? You remember that I did mention

the possibility of playing abroad when we talked in Rosario, do you not?”

The boy nodded mutely.

“Well, your strong showing against Peru upped your value considerably.

These people like what you and Vida do together. I am serious that they are

expecting the two of you to have a positive impact on English football. These

are not people who throw compliments, or their money, around frivolously.

They believe in you, and what they think you can do for them.”

Gordero was trying to gauge his client’s silent reaction. There was doubt in

the boy’s eyes, but nothing to indicate that his answer would be an unequivocal

‘no.’ The Fat Man pressed on.

“There are also several personal matters that you should be aware of.

Firstly, with respect to your mother, I met with Señora Florencia personally

yesterday afternoon, and I am pleased to report that under certain conditions,

she will give your adventure to Europe her blessing. Those conditions include

your being enrolled in a legitimate medical school in London, so that you can

continue your studies while you are abroad. This matter has been discussed

with the English, and it was determined that they have the connections to

arrange such a request.”

Renaldo’s eyes were wide with amazement, the latter piece of news

seemingly more of a surprise than the former.

“Your mother realizes that she is beyond being able to control your destiny,

but she wants to make sure that you have an education to fall back on once you

‘grow up and stop playing that vile game,’ as she puts it. Her immediate desire

is to become more involved in the operation of your family business concerns.

Also, I assume you are aware that she continues to see my assistant Herr Stoltz

in a nonbusiness capacity. Your mother seems to be a very happy woman at this

point in time, Renaldo, and from her perspective, now is as good a time as any

for you to leave the nest and spread your wings!”

There were now visible signs of relief etched on the player’s face, but still

no verbal response. Gordero continued his soliloquy.

“This really is the chance of a lifetime for you, my son. You are a hero

in your native country, no matter what the outcome of tomorrow’s game. But

there is a much larger venue out there. A golden ring that only a very few get

the chance to grasp. It is yours for the taking, Renaldo. I will handle all your

affairs both here at home and on the international front. You won’t have to

worry about a thing.”

The lawyer was certain that this young man had a firmer grasp on the

situation than his counterpart that had just left the meeting. The De Seta boy

was no fool, but money alone would not be enough to make him accept the

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RENALDO

English offer. There had to be a combination of positive factors that would all

add up to a convincing, inviting scenario.

“I am certain that Vida will accept the offer and travel to England, so

if you decide to go, you will have your friend with you. The important thing

is that the two of you have just started to scratch the surface of what you can

achieve on the football pitch. You have only really played together at your

present positions for a handful of games and practices. But even a blind man

can see the magic the two of you create. Your play together will only get better,

and the English can see that!”

There was a glimmer of acknowledgment now on number seventeen’s

countenance, which gave the agent hope. The boy could not deny the fact that

he and Vida were soul-mates on the field as well as off it. Now was the time to

use his trump card.

“Also, let me make it clear that I am fully cognizant of the fact that a

strong bond has been formed between yourself and a certain lady client of

mine. This does not displease me at all, for life in the glare of the spotlight

is difficult at the best of times. In my experience, I have found that kindred

spirits always reach an understanding as to how best to deal with fame and

fortune. That is why I put the two of you together in the first place. I knew

that you could help each other, inspire each other to greater heights. Simone’s

concerts and feature performances have never been better since she has been

corresponding with you. There is a certain ‘passion’ to her work that had been

missing previously. Dare I suggest that you might have had something to do

with that infusion of spirit? No more so than the effect that her support has

had on your football performance, I suppose.”

Renaldo could feel the flush of embarrassment that his agent’s words were

causing. There was no denying their truth. It was just a matter of dealing

with that truth and hearing it spoken aloud that caused the boy discomfort.

The Fat Man would not let his advantage slip, and he continued on with some

revelations that the young player had not thought of previously.

“You see, my young friend, the two of you have been good for each

other over the past few months. But should we win the world championship

tomorrow, Symca’s stock will rise as sharply as your own. She will be singing our

national anthem prior to the opening kickoff. The largest television audience

ever assembled will hear her every note. The exposure will be tremendous,

and if the universe unfolds as it should, the young lady will be swamped with