Lost Voice of the Grand Final Read Free Page A

honeymoon, and can’t play.

Chapter 8
Bird of the Year Wedding
    I flash my ID at the gate.
    â€˜Hi Ben, I’ve found the Voice of the Coach.’
    Ben was thrilled. ‘Where was it?’
    I’m not quite sure how to tell Ben this news.
    â€˜In one way, the Coach’s Voice wasn’t lost.’
    â€˜What do you mean,’ said Ben. ‘Carrot couldn’t even croak. Are you trying to tell me, that he’s learnt sign language?’
    Carrot the Parrot always had used sign language with his players. Some signs were very clear. And a few were a bit rude.
    My mind-reading skills had been no use on this job. I must pay credit to the Hens, especially the French chick Clues.
    They told me about the Runner.
    â€˜During a match, the Coach gives instructions to the players, via his Runner. The Runner goes and tells the player what to do. The Runner is called the Coach’s Voice. And he’s been around all the time. He never was lost. The Runner was at the Grand Final. He is the Coach’s Voice.’
    Ben is silent at the end of the phone, so I keep going.
    â€˜So although the Coach had a sore throat and couldn’t talk, he still had a voice in the Runner. Of course, Coach also uses sign language!’
    Ben asked me the question I was hoping he’d forget.
    â€˜But what about the Wedding?
    How can Carrot MC the wedding? He can’t have a Runner there.’
    I didn’t tell my agent Ben, exactly what the bride had said to me about Carrot not being able to talk at HER wedding. That would have been rude.
    Beak and the Bride have made other arrangements. ME! Well, I can read minds and I knew they were going to invite me to MC their wedding, so I offered. No charge.
    They said I had such a great voice, especially after Lesson 101 from the Voice Coach online.
    That birdseed wedding cake was memorable. And so were the speeches, especially Beak’s to his Bride.
    And who do they get to captain the Birds in the re-match? Well, that’s another story.