THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
First Training Session As a Pro I

At exactly 8:00 a.m., Zachary locked the door of his apartment and began to climb down the stairs. He was no longer tired after enjoying a lavish breakfast consisting of yogurt, whole wheat bread, cream rice, canned fruit, and juice.

He took his food seriously. He always made sure to stick to a diet that leaned towards energy-rich foods for breakfast. The sugars and starches in food are converted into glucose, which provides energy for intensive exercise. Thanks to his eating habits and physical conditioning potions, he could always train longer than most of his peers. That was one of the main reasons why he improved so much faster than friends his age.

Zachary ran down the stairs—and reached the lobby on the ground floor in no time. However, before he could open the door and exit the building, he saw a familiar figure standing near the mailbox on one side of the lobby. That's Kristin Stein, probably sorting through her letter. He noticed her as soon as he set his eyes on her.

"Good morning, neighbor," she said, waving at him. He emphasized the last word—neighbor.

"Good morning, Miss Kristin," Zachary replied to her greeting, half-heartedly waving at her.

"Why call me Miss?" Kristin raised one eyebrow. "Your calling me makes me look like your boss." She's pouting.

Zachary smiled, choosing to ignore his comments. "You have a lot of letters" he asked, pointing at most of the envelopes in his left hand.

"It's an academic document from my old school" Kristin replied, the corner of her mouth forming a smile. "I'll use it to apply to university next week."

He furrowed his brows like he was trying to remember something. "That reminds me. You must have completed your secondary education. Aren't you going to apply to university soon? The deadline is almost nearing mid-April." He punched, locked eyes with Zachary.

"No," Zachary replied, shaking his head gently. "I will dedicate this year to my football career. I was inundated with a busy training schedule. I can't take time for anything else. I would only apply for university education after my career took off. " He added, sounds a little defensive. She didn't want to be considered Kristin as someone who didn't like school.

What he did not mention, however, was that he would probably not be in Norway for three years. That is the minimum period required to complete the undergraduate program. So, he better wait until settling down somewhere that he would definitely spend a long time. Only then would he comfortably apply for university education.

"Oh," Kristin said, nodding as if understanding her worries. "But you could think of taking a short language course in the meantime. As a soccer player, you need to learn several international languages. That is if you want to join a team in non-English or non-French countries. There are German, Spanish, and Italian courses in NTNU. You can think of taking one of them starting next semester." He suggested.

"I'll think about it," Zachary replied indifferently. He glanced at his watch and noticed that it was eight o'clock past six minutes. The bus leaves in four minutes. "I have to rush to Lerkendal for practice now. Let's chase another time." Zachary.

"OK okay." Kristin smiled, giving him a seductive look. "Follow your practice, Mr. Superstar. But don't forget that you promised to take us to the quarter-finals of the Europa League. I'll support You—as your big fan, of course." He said, throwing it out with his hands.

Zachary smiled wryly, finding himself at a loss for words. He did not promise to help Rosenborg reach the Europa League quarter-finals. To the best of his knowledge, they had yet to conclude the conversation. But he didn't try to disprove Kristin's mistakes. It would take more time already limited and delay his departure to Lerkendal. If he misses the next bus, he will have to wait 20 minutes until another bus departs from Stjordalsveien—location of his apartment. So, he said goodbye to Kristin and rushed out of the building like the wind.

He slowed down as he reached the road to prevent himself from slipping on the partially frozen ground. He glanced over and realized that the morning had brought a strand of white coating in contrast to the blue sky. They drift lazily in the breeze with no purpose or purpose. The good news is that there are no signs of a gray mixture in it, which means there may not be any rain on the day.

Zachary is happy that he doesn't have to train in rainy weather. He tightened the scarf around his neck and threw the Nike Brasilia sports bag over his shoulder—and kept running towards the bus stop. In just a few minutes, he arrived when a light green ATB bus stopped in front of a group of passengers standing recklessly in front of the bus stop.

Zachary first glanced at the Digital Information Display Unit in the shade to double-check if the bus would travel through Lerkendal before following the others into the vehicle. He swiped his bus card on the automatic fare collecting machine at the door and then found himself sitting next to the window. He then put his sports bag on his lap and put on his headphones as the bus started moving.

As he drove across the well-preserved Trondheim road, he immersed his mind to listen to Enya's music and see buildings passing by. To him, there was something about listening to the beautiful tones and melodies that calmed his soul. He let his head sway gently with rhythm, and slowly, he let the music seep into his mind.

He feels happy and free.

He eventually began his journey as a professional footballer at one of Norway's top clubs. There was a pleasure he had never felt before knowing that he would achieve his previous life dream of playing in Europe. Zachary leaned against the bus seat and let happiness seep into his bones.

However, when he had just walked a few steps away from the bus station, he heard someone calling him. He took off his headphones and turned around only to notice that another Rosenborg player had been walking behind him all along.

Zachary had seen him before at one or two of the Rosenborg training sessions he had previously attended. He has distinctive Caucasian features with a straight nose but slightly upward and thin lips. His dark brown hair styled into a style similar to the lighter version of the funky Mohawk gave him a playful atmosphere that radiated from his personality.

"Hello" said someone else. "I'm Nicki Nielsen. I moved to this club in January. It seems you are also a player here." He reached out his hand to greet. "It's nice to meet you" he added with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you too" Zachary replied as he shook his hand. "I'm Zachary Bemba. I joined the club just three days ago, to be exact. I just graduated from the academy." Inevitably he notices some tattoos on Nicki Nielson's fingers. Zachary couldn't help but wonder why he was also using a crowded bus rather than his car because he looked like a stylish and haughty person.

"Oh, so you're a graduate of the academy" Nicki said with a grin. The two started walking together towards the stadium gate. "It looks like I saw you during a couple of practice sessions in February. Why did you just join the club?"

"Well," said Zachary, trying to sort out what kind of information he should reveal to his new teammate. "Negotiation for my contract took longer than expected. However, I was still allowed to train with the club before sealing the deal since I graduated from the local academy."

"I think congratulations are in order" Nicki said with a laugh. "How old are you, by the way?"

"Eighteen," Zachary answered briefly.

"Geez!" nicki exclaimed, leaning her head slightly and examining it. "You're only eighteen. Then you must be very talented to join a senior club at such a young age."

"I tried" Zachary replied as they entered the tunnel into the dressing room. "So, which club did you come from before joining Rosenborg?" He asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Villarreal," replied Nicki.

Zachary dared to swear that he detected a hint of annoyance in his tone. So, he skillfully changed the topic once again. "And what number are you playing?"

"Interesting," replied Nicki with a grin. "I am number nine in body and soul. How's yours?"

"Middle line," Zachary replied, a gentle smile adorning his face. "Middle, more specifically," he said.

"Hahaha," Nicki laughed out loud, embracing Zachary's shoulder. "It's a good thing we don't have to compete for the same number. So, we can 'really' be good friends."

"I also think so," Zachary nodded, glancing at his watch. It's 8:40 in the morning. "But, can we talk later on the field? Right now, I have to go to logistics to pick up some supplies for the month. If I don't leave now, I will definitely be late for training."

"OK, see you later, man," said Nicki, removing her arm from Zachary's shoulder. "But better fast. The trainers usually come ten minutes before the start of training."

"Okay," replied Zakaria. "I'll be on the pitch in 10 minutes. See you there." He waved before rushing towards the logistics department.

Three minutes later, Zachary took his gear consisting of a set of training jerseys, boots, shin guards, ankle guards, and some ointments from the logistics. He rushed to his locker and stored up supplies before dressing up and heading to the training ground. He was finally ready for his first training session as a Rosenborg player.