THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Holidays I

Zachary woke up a bit late in the morning after the Aalesunds game. He suffered from post-match fatigue and wished he could lie in bed all day without caring about anything in the world.

He reached out his hand and took his phone from the bedside table. When he turned it on to check the time, he was surprised to learn that it was already past eleven in the morning. For the first time since arriving in Norway, she broke her routine and woke up late due to exhaustion.

The night before, they left the Color Line Stadium in lesund when the time had already shown at 21:00 because the match against Aalesunds Fotballklubb had ended a few minutes after 20:00. The journey home by bus took more than five hours. They only managed to arrive at Lerkendal almost three in the morning. Although Zachary had played less than thirty minutes in the game, he still felt the dog was tired from the long drive and slept late at night. He didn't want to do anything that day.

He felt like he was drunk and longed to release his spirit from his body—only to let his soul go wherever the soul went to become Zen. Then he did not need to feel the burden of exhaustion he had accumulated from the previous day's activities.

However, he knew he could not give in to the temptation to close his eyes and enter dreamland once more. He understands that he must urgently undergo a post-match recovery routine so he can prepare for Rosenborg's next game on Wednesday.

So, he forced himself to get out of bed and reluctantly started doing the necessary things. He understood that he would have to expend a lot of sweat, effort, and determination if he needed to improve his skills quickly. He cannot just rely on the system.

So, she went through a post-match yoga routine to stretch her aching muscles, take a cold shower, and then smash a fancy breakfast in minutes. A few moments later, he took a shower and sat on the sofa to relax. He had recovered to a certain extent and regained the energy to face the day. But he was at a loss as to what to do over the next few hours.

Coach Johansen has given all players participating in the mandatory free-day match on Sunday. He insisted that each player take a day off to rest and only return to training the following Monday. So, Zachary didn't need to go to the gym or the gym that day. But since he was used to practicing all the time, he couldn't decide—how to use his mandatory free time.

Bzzt Bzz! Bzzt Bzz!

His phone shook at a nearby table as he was still thinking about his dilemma. He picked it up and looked at the screen. It was Marta Romano, her former classmate, who called. He let it continue to tremble, hoping that the caller on the other end would get the impression that he was not there at the moment. He didn't want to deal with Marta, especially with the fatigue he fought that morning. Nevertheless, Marta did not stop calling until she— was forced to pick up the phone for the third time.

"Hello, Marta," Zachary spoke on the phone, leaning against the sofa and crossing his legs on the table. "During time not to meet," he added.

"Hello, Zachary," Marta's voice, dyed in an Italian accent, was heard from across the phone. "Yes, it's been a few months since we connected. So, can we meet, maybe at City Syd? And don't try to reject me by claiming that you have training. I know for a fact that the players are training. given a day off after playing an away game."

Zachary could only smile wryly. "Well then, let's go to City Syd for coffee" he said. If she had to be honest with herself, she would admit that she wanted to meet Marta once again.

They have been acquainted ever since they joined the Trndelag International School for their upper secondary education. He even taught her whenever she found difficulties in some subjects. However, things begin to run south and awkwardly between them when Marta's disposition, especially when around her, changes unexpectedly.

The year before, right after the Riga Cup, Marta was so advanced with him, trying to express her feelings. Zachary is of course tempted by his seduction because somehow it feels good to be pursued by a beautiful and charming girl who is also relaxed.

But whenever Zachary was about to take that final step, there was always a voice in his head, preventing him from complicating his relationship with the girl. It was similar to the inner voice he always heard—when he was going to do something wrong during his youth.

At one time, he almost secretly stole a spoonful of sugar from his grandmother's stash, but the voice appeared and made him desperate to continue the deed. He had experienced a similar situation when he was thinking of becoming familiar with Marta.

Moreover, he was not too somersaulted for her that he would ignore her basic instincts. So, he makes a distance between them and tries to maintain the relationship just as a friend. But Marta was not affected by Zachary's behavior at the time. Instead, he stepped up his efforts to tease her. Zachary felt a little uncomfortable back then—that he immediately started avoiding her. But he still misses his company.

"Zach, are you still there?" Martha asked, her voice slightly raised.

"Yes, of course," Zachary replied, recalling his thoughts. For a moment there, he lost himself in the not so good past. "What time do we need to connect?" He asked after a while.

"Say 14:30" answered Martha. "Is that okay on your side?"

"Then it's good" said Marta excitedly. "See you in thirty minutes, then."

Thirty minutes later, the two of them sat opposite each other in one of the coffee shops in City Syd. They sit in silence for a while, not trying to break the ice.

"Do you want to have something," a waiter came to their table and asked.

"Coffee would be nice," Zachary replied, leaning his head and smiling at the waiter. She thanked him for his timely interuption to break the awkward moment.

"Is there anything to eat?" The waiter asked, smiling back.

"I'll order a sour cream coffee cake. Also, add some pieces of smoked meat. Thank you." Thank you."

"And what will you eat, miss?" He asked, turning towards Marta on the other side of the table.

"Just like she experienced," Marta replied, giving her a brief smile.

"OK, your order will come in a minute or two," replied the waiter before leaving.

As soon as the maids left, the same awkward silence from before descended on their table once again. The silent atmosphere around their table at that moment was too tense.

"How are you?" Zachary said, wanting to stop that awkward moment.

"Just like always," answered Marta, a smile that seemed forced rather than natural, adorning her face. But her brown eyes matching her black hair made her look even prettier. "And you?" He asked after a while.

"I'm fine," Zachary replied, hoping more than anything to make the atmosphere between them less awkward. "I'm playing for the senior team. I guess I'm in the middle of the road to fulfilling some of my dreams."

Martha smiled more naturally that time. "I'm watching your game on TV with my sister. It was an incredible performance that you did— out there against Aalesunds. Your two goals are incredible. They even become a sensation on social media." He sighed and then smiled.

"Oh," said Zachary, at first confused what to say to avenge all that praise. But he seemed to recall his manners moments later and added: "Thank you. I just try to do my best in the game, and everything works."

When they start talking about football, the conversation starts to flow more naturally. For a while, the two discussed Rosenborg, Tippeligaen, the Norwegian Football Cup, and even the upcoming Europa League. Moments later, the waiter brought their order, and they ate while continuing their discussion. That way, half an hour passed in an instant, and they seemed to have covered everything they could about the latest news in football. The awkward atmosphere returned to the table once more.

"By the way," said Marta, breaking the awkwardness of the moment. "I want to meet you to tell you something." He had a melancholy atmosphere about him like he was about to deliver bad news.

"Oh." Zachary furrowed his brows, wondering what Marta wanted to talk about. Inevitably she wonders if she would suggest that they try dating first and then nurture their feelings together at a later stage.

"That's not what you're thinking" Marta said hurriedly, as if reading her thoughts. "I just wanted to meet you to say goodbye. I'll leave Trondheim soon. I'll be gone tomorrow, forever." He added, breathing.