CHAPTER ONE

RACHEL POV

The evening sky was cloudy and the scent of wind and dirt engulfed the atmosphere. The thought of rain is almost impossible to overlook. The cool breeze from the north leaves little imagination that the upcoming rain will be too heavy. The traffic on the street was so severe that the traffic light did little in controlling it.

Even though the smell of rain was as thick as an inflamed cigarette in the atmosphere, it still could not stop my excitement of the day. I have always been a football fan and today's game is a boost to my morale. After every hectic day at school, the best way to relieve stress is to find your way to a nearby football viewing center and forget what you'd gone through during the day. I might have been a little bit of the book type- not a nerd, but I find football life on its own rather than just a game; being a 400level Nursing student at Lagos State University didn't stop me from loving football. I'd always wanted to be a professional footballer but my parents were so keen on me being a Nurse, marrying a good man, having kids, and maybe taking good care of my in-laws.

Since resuming school, lectures have been energy-draining, stressful, and less fun but watching soccer is another part of my life that made the day a better one. World-cup qualifiers started months ago and since then, I haven't felt much pressure from studying. Apart from the fun from watching the game, I've found a new hobby over the month - watching the African-American footballer. The first time I saw this guy on the screen, I was mesmerized. How could a god be in human form? His hair is always cropped short even though the curly dark and shinning hair find its way to reach his nape. His pouty lips ooze sexiness and his muscles look soft but also bring out his masculinity. His eyes remind me of Thor. I wonder how I would tell my parents that a god has been in my dreams instead of my books- I know for a fact that they will surely strangle me.

I walked alongside Mary, my best and only close friend. Mary has been my friend since our freshman days. I was on my way to one of the gazebos one day when a not too far girl of an average height came to ask me for the Nursing department, I almost burst into laughter because we all had our orientation the first week on campus which is somehow surprising how someone could ask that kind of question. I later realized she came to school after orientation because she was sick and was hospitalized for weeks. Since then, we've been almost inseparable. I was just a simple girl from Ekiti but she showed me a lot and helped me understand the complicated life of Lagos.

She must have noticed a lop-sided smile on my face because she abruptly stopped walking and faced me.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why did you stop walking?" I asked, curious to know what exactly was going on in that small head of hers.

"A penny for your thought. Tell me why you have that smile on your face" arms in akimbo, expecting what I have in mind.

"I just reached a conclusion, Mary, I want to marry a footballer or become one" I told her. She burst into a peal of annoying laughter and I almost felt like a fool but I was too determined to be fazed by that and I don't think anything can make me change my mind.

"Football? Are you crazy? Even if you want to be a professional footballer, you think your strict parents will allow you?" she scoffed.

Even though what she said reduced my morale from a hundred to zero, she still forced a smile on my face.

"You know I had that half-caste player on my mind all through the qualifying matches" I must have sounded crazy because she burst into another round of laughter.

"You mean Aderemi John? Are you dreaming? You know you can never meet him. It's better to finish our council exam, graduate, get a good job in a good hospital, and get married" she said as a matter of fact. I know she's right but the truth hurt like a fresh wound that's been dressed with iodine solution. She noticed I wasn't too happy with her advice. She moved closer and held my face in her palm.

"You know I always support you but this guy is way out of your reach. He's maybe 24?" she tried to continue but I interrupted her;

"He's 24 and I'm 21, age is just a number. It's not a big deal when love is involved" suddenly an idea popped into my head.

"Mary, what if I see this guy? What if he sees me and it's love at first sight? What if he asks me to marry him?" I couldn't keep the excitement from my voice.

"Rach, it's just what if but if it happens, I would grant you a wish" she muttered. We both laughed but I felt a little bit uneasy. As much as I want to meet the man of my dreams, I couldn't erase the fact that he's not in my league, and meeting him is almost impossible. She held my hand, a sign that we need to continue walking. The thick scent of rain was still impossible to ignore and a few drops had started falling. My parents aren't poor but I wasn't born with a silver spoon like Mary. She had always wanted to be a nurse since when she was a little girl and when she got the admission, it was like a dream come true for her.

Holding her hand and entering the hostel gate, I made a silent prayer to God in my mind to make me meet him but the question that crept into my mind and I found no answer for was-Will he like a simple girl like me when he has a sophisticated and pretty girlfriend?