If you enjoyed yesterday’s Rowing Mother Stereotype, thought you might enjoy another. Willing to bet you’ll spot her this weekend.
This is the first year that Lisa’s had to go up to Nat Schools on her own. For some reason Tony didn’t seem that keen to come. Frankly she’s finding the whole thing much better without him. It’s so much easier to concentrate on the rowing when she doesn’t have to explain every last thing to him, though last year he seemed more interested in that silly woman serving the teas in the school’s marquee – the one who thought that a tight skirt and strappy sandals were suitable attire for a rowing event, and who giggled every time someone mentioned the cox. What Tony saw in her she couldn’t imagine.
Anyway, this year Jack is in the J17 four and she has high hopes for him. She’s furious that he was left out of the first eight, but what can she do? She’s already told the coach who ought to be in the crew and where their starts are going wrong, but you’d almost think he was avoiding her. Every time she approaches him to offer some advice, he seems to vanish on some important errand.
Tony says that Lisa’s obsessed, but as far as she’s concerned she just takes a healthy interest. She only gave up rowing herself because her back was playing up, and at least she knows what she’s talking about. Let’s face it, most of the parents are totally clueless, and the coaches aren’t much better.
Jack isn’t helping, either. He’s refusing to speak to her since she challenged one of the umpires during the heats. He even muttered something about switching to rugby next term but he wouldn’t do that. Would he?
She can’t help noticing that he’s been hanging around the marquee of one of the smart girls’ schools over the other side. He claims he was just admiring their Empachers (another thing that made that silly woman giggle), but Lisa has her doubts, especially since she found a packet of condoms and a cigarette lighter at the bottom of his kit bag. She’s sure they belonged to someone else, but she’s starting to wonder about his attitude.
When he comes in fifth, Lisa has to go and have a little cry in the loos. It’s not so much the losing as the fact that he didn’t seem that bothered.
Still, there’s always Henley to look forward to. At least everyone takes the rowing seriously there.
