THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Although Zachary was quite worried about his grandma's condition, he still forced himself to continue his targeted training. He couldn't afford to relax since he was determined to master the step-over skill before Rosenborg's next game against Juventus.

He'd already completed 99% of the mental conditioning and 97% of the physical training required to grasp the juju. So, if nothing unexpected transpired, he would be a proud bearer of a phenomenal defense-splitting dribbling technique in roughly three days.

That day, Zachary was busy in the gym working on strengthening his lower body under the guidance of Coach Bjørn Peters, his fitness trainer. Even though it was the second day off for the Rosenborg players to rest and recover from the match fatigue, he still gave his all during practice.

Lower body strength was necessary for footballers since most plays incorporated single-leg actions, stop-and-go movements, sharp turns, and explosive sprints. It was a must for pro players to hone their leg strength to perform these actions efficiently and explosively. Moreover, powerful and flexible legs were not easily susceptible to injuries, especially while performing high-risk moves like dribbling and slide-tackling.

During his previous life, Zachary had heard that Cristiano Ronaldo, a player who was the bearer of incredible side-stepping skills, used to wear ankle weights quite often in his earlier years. The aim was to strengthen his legs and make them powerful enough to perform the dribbling actions on the pitch without any strain. The habit had helped CR7 a lot, allowing him to avoid career-threatening injuries that had brought down many other incredible talents in football history.

Since Zachary understood all the benefits of whetting his lower body strength, he would, of course, follow the example of CR7. As a player who wanted to master the art of dribbling and push it to the highest level possible, he couldn't neglect his legs.

He was in high gear when he performed the lower body strengthening exercises that morning. Be it the squats, the lunges, the deadlifts, and the Bulgarian split squats — he went at them as if his life depended on it. As practice went on, he gradually forgot all his worries until his thoughts were only on what was before him. Due to his high immersion in the routines, he started sweating buckets. But he didn't dare stop until he completed all the repetitions required for the session.

"Don't sit down yet," Coach Bjørn Peters hollered, clapping his hands. "Let's go through a stretching routine before you rest."

"Aye, coach," Zachary replied after chugging down some water.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready."

"Okay, then," the fitness trainer said. "Let's begin with the upper body stretches. We'll gradually move to the shoulders, then the waist, and end with the lower body. Are you with me?"

"Yes, coach."

Coach Bjørn Peters then got into position and started demonstrating the routine. He performed the actions slowly, with the spirit of coaching his client. He was really a considerate fitness trainer.

Zachary only watched for a few seconds before also getting into action. He mirrored the coach's every motion, beginning with the neck stretches, then the arm swings, and so on.

He only relaxed after he went through all the repetitions. By then, he was again sweating buckets and out of breath.

"That marks the end of our session for today," Coach Bjorn Peters said, grinning. "I'm proud of your progress over the past three months."

"Thanks, coach," Zachary responded after chugging down more water.

"So," the coach said a bit hesitantly, "going by our initial agreement, we should be ending our coach-client relationship after today's session. I believe you've already met your goals as your agility and explosive speed attributes have improved significantly. So, what plans do you have? Do you want us to keep working together?"

"Yes, of course," Zachary responded immediately. "If it's okay, I'll renew your contract as my fitness trainer as soon as possible. What say you?"

"I'm happy to keep working with you," Coach Bjorn Peters replied with a smile while extending his hand. "Just send the contract to me when you're ready, and I'll immediately sign it."

"Great," Zachary said, taking his hand. "I'm looking forward to more training sessions with you, coach."

Coach Bjorn Peters beamed and settled down on one of the benches in the corner of the gym. The midday sunlight streamed through the window, giving a glossy tint to his face. "Since you've already achieved your initial goals," he said, "we'll have to change your fitness training plan for the next six months. We'll include more endurance and strengthening regimens to build your capacity to perform at a higher level for longer periods while also improving your resistance to injuries. What do you think?"

"That's a good plan." Zachary nodded, also settling down on the bench—besides the coach. "However, I feel that I should also continue honing my agility. I'm sure that I haven't reached my ceiling yet."

"Sure," the fitness trainer said. "I'm not suggesting that we remove agility routines from your training plan. I'm only saying that they won't be the main focus. We need to set another achievable goal and work towards it during the next few months."

"Bzzt Bzzzt! Bzzt Bzzzt..."

Zachary's ears picked up the vibration of his phone from a nearby bench before he could respond.

"Excuse me, coach," he said, standing up. "Sorry, I have to take this call as it might be important."

"Go ahead," Coach Bjorn Peters answered. "Our session is already over. So, you don't have to worry that I'll fault you for receiving a call in the middle of practice." He added in a joking manner.

Zachary beamed, shaking his head before stepping towards the other bench. He could feel his heart beating loud with anxiety as he scooped up the phone and glanced at the screen. As expected, the call was from Emily. But what had she learned when she visited his sick grandma in Lubumbashi? Was the old lady's condition stable? Zachary was uneasy as he pressed the accept button.

"Hello, Zachary," Emily's vibrant voice rang in his ear the next moment.

"Hello, Emily," he replied.

"I have already visited your grandma in the hospital," she said in French.

"How's she?" He replied in the same language.

"Although she is on Oxygen therapy, the doctors say she is stable for now. She even woke up once before sinking back into a coma."

"Thank God." Zachary relaxed a bit after hearing the bit of good news. "So, when will you start making arrangements to transfer her out of DR Congo?"

"I have already made a few arrangements," Emily said hesitantly. "However, there is one issue we need to sort out. Your aunt and uncle are by my side. They insist that one of them has to travel with your grandma to monitor her treatment in Europe."

"You mean Marie and Joseph?" Zachary queried, feeling his mood sink.

"Yes."

"People!"

Zachary had to do his utmost to push back the anger that was almost erupting out of his core. His uncle and aunt had fought for his grandma's farm immediately after her passing during his previous life. Without caring for his grandma's honor, they even chased him away from the place and discarded him on the street. So, he was sure that they would do the same if his grandma met misfortune in his new life. They were true-blue vultures in human skin as their greed would never allow them to value family bonds.

"Zachary, are you there?" Emily said, switching to English. She probably didn't want the French-speaking people near her to understand what she was saying.

"I'm still here, Emily," Zachary said.

"So, what do you think? Should I prepare travel documents for one of them?"

Zachary let out a breath. "I'm really sorry to say this. But, you know Emily! Even though they are her biological children, I really don't want them near my grandma. I would prefer that we ignore them and continue with our arrangements."

There were a few seconds of silence before Emily spoke once again. "Ignoring their requirements might be a bit difficult. As her biological children, they have a right to monitor their mother's treatment. Moreover, they can even make decisions regarding the course of her treatment. So, unless your grandma had previously left a written clarification stating that you're the sole person that can make crucial decisions regarding her life, we can't ignore their claims. Is there such a document?"

"No," Zachary said dejectedly. A bullet had ended his grandma's life much earlier during his previous life. Thus, there was no way for him to predict her changed life trajectory. He would never have imagined that she would develop a tumor in his new life. So, how could he have anticipated the document Emily required?

"If there's no clarification, we'll have to put up with them for now," Emily said. "It doesn't take a lot of effort on my side to prepare travel documents for one of them. You only have to turn a blind eye and choose one of them to travel with your grandma."

Zachary sighed, sinking onto the bench in the gym. He switched the phone to his other ear before saying: "Fine. Then, let's go with the lady - Marie Bemba. At least, she might be able to help out in taking care of the old lady."

"Noted," Emily replied, her tone relaxing. "She even wanted to talk to you. Should I give her the phone?"

"No!" Zachary replied hastily. "I can't entertain her at the moment. Just make up an excuse for me."

"Okay, fine," she said. "If the emergency medical visa application procedures proceed according to my expectations, we'll be able to move your grandma to Zurich the day after tomorrow. I'll keep you posted if there are any other developments. Just push yourself to focus on your training and leave everything else to me."

"Thanks a lot, Emily," Zachary said, his tone appreciative. "You're really a life-saver. I know I've said this many times, but I really appreciate your efforts."

"Don't mention it," Emily replied. "Just one more thing. Make sure you talk to your coach about the condition of your grandma. Tell him some of your plans and make sure that he understands that you might have to travel out of Norway often in the near future. I'll also give the Rosenborg management a call to clarify the situation when I travel back to Europe."

"Okay," Zachary said. "I'll talk to Coach Johansen later today."

"Good," Emily said. "I have to go now as I still have to handle your uncle and aunt this side. Stay strong, and take heart. You'll get through this."

"Thanks, Emily," Zachary replied. "Have a good day."

"You too."