Zahra and her dad had just arrived in town a week ago. His company, Lindsay Designs, had been responsible for the production and design of the jerseys used in the tournament. Naturally, he was given a VIP ticket to the final.
Being a busy man, he sent his daughter Zahra in his place. She wasn't too keen on going at first, but she needed a break. A vacation. A chance to escape from everything that had happened in her life over the past few months.
Her dad had also taken her to the U.S. for a wedding—his brother Ken's. But the trip didn't feel like a celebration. To Zahra, it felt more like a prison sentence. Worse, she had lost her phone at the airport, along with all her contacts. She had felt stranded in a foreign place, isolated and disconnected from everything she knew.
The wedding? It was the farthest thing from her mind. It was just another reminder of the things she couldn't control, the mess she was still trying to find a way out of.
Zahra couldn't shake the thought of Michael. It had been months since they'd spoken. After the wedding, they had returned to Abuja, but the news she heard about Michael hit her like a ton of bricks.
He had left the school.
She never imagined she'd be in this position. She asked around, hoping for some kind of answer, and was told he had moved to Lagos.
She couldn't believe it.
Just like that.
Everything had shifted so quickly, leaving her heartbroken and lost.
She tried to reach out to George, but he wasn't at Hawkins either.
"How could this be happening to me?" she thought, feeling utterly defeated.
She did everything she could to get in touch with Michael, but nothing worked.
Every attempt to reach him fell apart.
Zahra had tried everything to find him. She scoured his socials, but quickly remembered he wasn't active online, only on WhatsApp.
She lost hope and, reluctantly, moved on with her life. The weight of everything felt like bad luck following her around. She pushed forward, convinced she'd never see him again.
That is, until she saw him—there.
On the pitch.
Her heart skipped a beat. What were the odds?
Michael was exactly as she remembered him —talented, focused, and just as good-looking as before. She couldn't believe her eyes.
She tried to rush to the dressing room to see him, but security wouldn't let her through. She had no choice but to wait, her excitement building.
When Michael scored the winning goal, her heart soared.
"That's my guy…" she yelled out, tears of joy threatening to spill.
After the match ended, Zahra waited for Michael outside with her driver. As soon as she saw him emerge from the building, she left the car and rushed towards him.
"Michael."
When their eyes met, tears immediately welled up in her eyes. She ran to him and embraced him tightly, crying on his Chelsea jersey.
"Michael, it's really you. I've missed you so much. I thought I'd never see your cute face again. You left me all alone… I was so confused. All those months, I slept with you in my thoughts. What happened? You were gone without a trace... like you disappeared…"
Michael, taken aback by her sudden outburst, gently pulled back. "Zahra?"
"Yes, yeah, it's me," she said, trying to calm herself, wiping the tears away.
Before Michael could say anything more, Olivia stepped forward from behind, her voice cutting through the moment.
"Michael, who's that? And why is she crying all over you?"
She had been in the car for a while and was starting to wonder what was holding him up. When she finally stepped out, she saw a tall, dark girl in a knitted dress, hugging and crying on his shoulders.
"What's going on?"
Michael slowly pulled Zahra away from him. He didn't know what to say. He was caught in an emotional whirlwind.
"She is… she is my…"
"Hi, I'm Zahra, Michael's girlfriend. We met back in school at the Capital. And you are?" Zahra interrupted him, her tone sharp.
"Emm… I don't understand what you mean but… last time I checked, he's my boyfriend. Unless…" Olivia replied, her voice filled with confusion and growing anxiety. Her heartbeat began to race as she looked toward Michael, searching his eyes for some sort of clarity.
"Michael, can you introduce us?" she asked.
He didn't know what to do. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine running into Zahra again, especially in this kind of situation. His mind raced as he searched for the right words, but finally, he found the courage.
"Zahra, this is Olivia, my girlfriend… Olivia, this is Zahra, my ex."
"Your what?" Zahra asked, her voice filled with disbelief and disappointment. "How could you? Just like that, you forgot about me and moved on. I spent sleepless nights thinking about you, day in and day out, and you… you... I just wish I hadn't met you today. At least then, I wouldn't have to live with this painful truth."
"I moved on? You say that like I left you or something. You're the one who ghosted me for months. I was worried sick, not knowing if you were dead or alive. I called, I texted, but you never replied, not even once. And here you are, playing the victim. Really? Just cut the crap already."
"You think I intentionally ghosted you all those months? I lost my contacts on my way to the airport. I tried to get a hold of you, but I couldn't. George wasn't around, and no one else at school knew you well enough. Your dad wasn't in town either. I had no way of contacting you. Hell, you're not even active on your socials. What was I supposed to do?"
"Look, Zahra, now's not the best time to talk about this. How about we have lunch sometime later… maybe tomorrow? We can straighten things out."
"Like a date?" Zahra asked.
"No, just two old friends catching up. We've got some things to sort out," he replied.
"Okay, tomorrow then. Can you give me your number? I don't want to lose it again."
He pulled out his phone, and they exchanged contacts.
"I'll call you," he said.
Michael gently grabbed Olivia's hand and opened the door.
"Let's go, Liv."
Olivia didn't say a word the entire time. She just stood quietly in the corner, watching the whole drama unfold.
"Michael, what was that?" she asked once they were outside.
"Don't worry, Liv. I'll explain everything later. For now, let's just get home safely. Alright?"
"Okay. Let's go. It's been a long day already; it doesn't need to drag on."
He grabbed her hands, squeezing them gently.
"You're my girl now, and that's not changing anytime soon."
She smiled softly, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace.
"Thanks babe. Driver, you can start the trip now."
It was just a few days before Christmas, popularly known as "detty December" in this part of the world, and everyone was gearing up for the biggest holiday of the year. The end of the year was rapidly approaching, with people and families making travel plans to spend time with extended relatives and loved ones.
During this time, supermarkets and malls saw their highest sales of the year. Everyone was out shopping, eager to look their best for the holidays.
At the right wing of Alice Garden Restaurant, Zahra and Michael sat together, enjoying a moment of peace amidst the pre-holiday rush.
Zahra smiled gratefully at the waitress as she placed the noodles in front of her. She used the moment to break the silence, thankful for the small distraction.
"Thank you," Zahra said, trying to mask the unease she felt. She glanced at Michael, who was still focused on his phone, his fingers typing away on the screen.
She cleared her throat, determined to get the conversation going. "So, Michael... I guess we have a lot to talk about."
Michael glanced up from his phone, a small frown on his face.
"Yeah, we do," he replied, his voice quiet. He put his phone down, finally giving her his full attention.
Zahra hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath.
"I just want to say I never meant to hurt you. I thought about you a lot. And not being able to reach you... it hurt. I thought maybe you moved on and forgot about me. And I didn't know how to handle that."
Michael's expression softened, and he shifted in his seat, his gaze steady.
"Zahra, I never wanted to leave you hanging. But you disappeared on me too. I didn't know what happened to you, and when I finally moved on, I had to. It wasn't easy for me either."
The words hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken feelings.
"Finally, Zahra sighed with relief. "I'm starving. Wow! Smells lovely. I hope it's as good as it looks, because I don't know what I'm going to do if it isn't," she said playfully, glancing at Michael.
The waitress smiled at her and then turned to Michael.
"If that will be all, sir?"
Zahra immediately shifted her gaze towards Michael, waiting for his response.
"I'm good, thank you. Just get me a chilled bottle of water," he replied, still distracted.
"Okay," the waitress said before leaving to fetch the order.
A minute later, she returned with the bottle of Nirvana Drinking Water. Zahra watched Michael, noticing how slowly he chugged the water.
"I still can't believe you're not having any of the delicious meals on the menu."
"I had breakfast at home. My mom made sure I ate something before I left, especially after yesterday's big match. Plus, I don't really fancy Chinese food. I'd rather have some good Nigerian Jollof."
"You haven't changed one bit. Just like our first date… Oh, shit! I shouldn't have said that. My bad."
"It's cool. It's in the past now."
She sat still, silent for a few seconds, not moving an inch.
"Michael, you know I still have feelings for you. Not a single day has passed without me thinking of you." She set her chopsticks down and gently took his hands in hers. "I know it was hard for you, but it wasn't easy for me either. I had to go to the same places we went to as a couple, while all you had to do was forget I existed. I was constantly reminded of you. At school, my favorite restaurant, training... Everywhere and everyone reminded me of you. I don't understand why you'd think I'd… forget you so easily. Our first kiss, it was…"
"Just stop already. I don't want to get reminded of the whole charade you put up all those times. I'm trying to stop myself from saying hurtful words to you. Cause I loved you Zee. I really did but you just shoved me in the corner like I was no one."
"Do you mind if I explain? It's what we're here for after all."
"Alright, go ahead."
"Enough, Zee. I don't need to be reminded of all the mess you put me through. I'm doing my best to hold back from saying things I'll regret. Because the truth is, I loved you. I really did. But you treated me like I was nothing, like I didn't even matter."
"Do you mind if I explain? That's why we're here, right?"
"Fine, go ahead. I'm listening."