~𝗠𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿~

1

saturday, march 7th, 2011

it was a leisurely weekend in london when a small family appeared on the doorstep of a house. it consisted of a father, a mother, and a small boy, holding a football and a large smile.

"bukayo, your best behaviour, understand?" the mother warned.

"Yes mum," sighed the 10 year old, and held the football in his hands tight. If all went well, he'd be playing with his best mate in the back garden again.

They waited for a few moments before the door was opened.

A small girl, about the same height as Bukayo was behind the door.

"Hello Aunty, hello Uncle," she greeted. Then she saw the boy.

"Kayo!" she cheered. "Mum said you weren't coming."

"I said that because you were misbehaving. Go back inside."

Another woman appeared as the girl ran away.

"Hello Aunty," greeted Bukayo.

"Eiiii my son! Look at how you are growing!"

Ophelia, the girl's mother, looked to the parents. "Ah! Yemi? Is that you? How are you, my brother?"

Yemi, Bukayo's father smiled. "We are fine oh, by the grace of God."
"Indeed. And how are you, my sister?"

"I am fine, God has blessed us!"

"Very true. Well, don't stand there! Please, come in!"

Everyone made their way to the living room where the girl from earlier was waiting.

"Fia, d'you wanna play? I brought the ball," said Bukayo, holding it up and smiling.

"You found it?"
The boy nodded and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah it, erm, went to the neighbours. My brother had to get it."

Afya was about to answer but looked confused. "Where's your brother?" she asked, referring to Bukayo's older brother named Yomi.

"Mum dropped him off at Watford. He's got a game today."

The girl nodded in understanding and smiled back. They rushed to the backyard.

"Ah, look at those children. Very soon they will grow taller than us," Ophelia sighed. "So, what can I get you?"

---

Meanwhile, Bukayo and Afya were busy in their game of football outside, and the odds were certainly not in Afya's favour.

"Goallll!" yelled Bukayo, as he ran around Afya tauntingly. "Another goal to Saka, the living legend! The GOAT!"

"You look like a goat," grumbled Afya under her breath.

"Oh yeah?" asked Bukayo. "Well... Well, I'm a better football player than you, so there! You're just jealous!"

He stuck his tongue out in defiance.

"I can sing!" retorted Afya. "Remember last Sunday we were meant to sing praises and you sang and Pastor Ben told you to sit down?"

It did indeed happen, the rest of the children wondering what was happening as Bukayo sat and watched the Children's Service singing This Little Light of Mine and Prayer is the Key.

"Well, at least I'm not scared of the dark!"

"You were the one scared of the dark! You held my hand in the power cut!"

And so they went back and forth until they ran out of things to say and started laughing.

"This is stupid," said Afya, giggling. "I'm like jollof rice? Really?"

"You said my head was shaped like fufu?!"

The ten year old girl laughed again. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

Bukayo nodded. "Me too. Come on, let's sit down."

He lay on the grass on his back, staring up into the sky, hands behind his back and smiling.

"What are you doing?" asked Afya.

"What does it look like? Sunbathing, of course."

"I think you've got enough sun on you," his friend sniggered, to which she earned a venomous look.

"Shut up."

He patted the space next to him. "Care to join, my lady?"

Afya snorted, rolling her eyes, but assumed the same position as him.

"Please, we all know that Sabrina's your lady."

"No,she's not," Bukayo retorted, his face squirming at the sight. "Why would you even think that?"

"You wrote a letter to her in Year 1 saying you loved her, remember? On Valentine's Day?"

"That wasn't for her, it was for you. She stole off me and kept it."

Bukayo muttered this under his breath but luckily Afya did not hear.

There was silence for a moment before one decided to break it.

"D'you know how famous I wanna be?" Afya asked suddenly, completely changing the topic.

"Huh?"

"In the future," she explained. "You know, when I make my millions more than you."

"I'm literally going to be a professional footballer - I'm gonna be rich."

Afya rolled her eyes but smiled. "Whatever," she giggled. "I just want there to be a Wikipedia page about me. So when you put in just my name, I come up."

Bukayo smiled widely at his friend, proud of her aspirations. "I'll search you up then, everyday," he promised. "One day I'll see you there."

"And one day I'll see you too, Kayo. The best football player in history. Scores 100 goals a game for Arsenal! Gets paid a millions pounds an hour!"

Bukayo laughed. "I won't score 100 goals a game, silly. But I'll at least try to score one."

"That's the spirit!" Afya joked. "You just keep going. Maybe you'll even get your own MatchAttax with your face on it!"

The boy sat up for a minute and thought about how amazing that would feel. To see the things he idolized as a kid to have his face on it.

"True," he replied. "Can't wait to see my handsome face on those cards!"

"Oh, please."

Bukayo smiled and slightly turned to face his best friend better, who was still lying down. "And when you go on tour I'll come with you."

"Really?"

Bukayo nodded enthusiastically. "If you watch all my matches. And you have to wear a Saka shirt!"

"Deal," said Afya automatically, sitting up so she could shake his hand.

He received it, and the promise was solidified.

"Now what?" the girl asked, looking back to her house.

"I've got an idea," said her friend, with a wicked gleam in his eye. "Last one back to the house has to pay for the other one's Mr Whippy."

At the mention of potential free ice-cream, both friends raced back to the house as quick as they could.

It was fair to say that nothing could stop this dynamic duo - except from reality.