THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME



Zachary spent the following day in a relaxed mood. He woke up late, at 8:30 AM, went through his morning yoga routine, washed up, and then enjoyed a splendid African breakfast at the hotel's restaurant. Then, with Lorenzo as his shadow, he spent the rest of the morning touring the city of Abidjan before linking up with Eric Bailly, his former teammate, toward noon.

The two of them enjoyed a drink together before readily deciding to utilize their noon hours for their number one passion. They returned to the Abidjan-M'pouto training complex and joined the ASEC Mimosas players for a light football session.

There was no intensity whatsoever in the game they played. As such, Zachary and Bailly both let loose and had the time of their lives while taking turns to play for their respective sides on the training ground.

Whether it was elegant sombreros, flashy nutmegs, elastico dribbles, or step-overs and feints, the two players were not shy to execute them on the training ground. Their exceptional skills that showcased their status as professional footballers based in Europe were on full display, and they wowed all the ASEC Mimosas players that afternoon.

Zachary, on his part, also found a lot of pleasure from playing the game. He had long gotten used to professional-level football and had almost forgotten the beauty of playing football just for fun. Of recent, the game had started becoming 'simply work' to him, and he just regarded football as just a chore he had to do to earn money. But that afternoon, after enjoying that light football session with the ASEC Mimosas players, that feeling of simply playing to relax on the football field returned to him.

By the time the session ended, his mood was lighter, and it was as if he had just taken a week-long vacation. He felt pretty stress-free, without any signs of fatigue that were usually obvious in players who had traveled thousands of miles and played two back-to-back international games within a short window of four days.

But of course, he knew that the marvelous feeling was just an illusion born out of a relaxing light football session. He understood that he still had to take strict measures to recover from post-match fatigue before returning to tip-top shape. He had to ensure he regained full match fitness before playing Juventus' game against Empoli, which happened to be only five days away.

As the clock hands around Abidjan were about to point to the 2:00 PM mark, Zachary said his goodbyes to the ASEC Mimosas players and parted with Eric Bailly. He returned to his hotel room and enjoyed a late lunch before spending the rest of the afternoon asleep in his room.

In the evening, Zachary woke up feeling even more refreshed. After washing up, he headed to Hôtel Ivoire's restaurant, where he linked up with his biological mom, who happened to be in Ivory Coast.

Céleste Kouame, the lady who was Zachary's biological mom, was as graceful as he remembered. She had long braided black hair that hung rich and black about her shoulders, and her stature was tall and elegant. Her pretty smile also seemed genuine as she enjoyed dinner with Zachary. Anyone could tell that she was really having a great time.

Zachary, on his part, still didn't know how to deal with the affection from his biological mother. He remained polite and only replied to her queries with short and precise responses. As such, an awkward atmosphere hung about their table until they finished their dinner at around 8:00 PM.

While departing from the restaurant, she asked whether Zachary could find some time in the near future to visit his maternal grandparents, who were long-time residents of Yamoussoukro, the capital city of Ivory Coast. Zachary didn't agree, as that was too much of a hustle for him. He simply gave some random excuses of being busy with football training and matches before parting with his biological mom.

While returning to his room, Zachary bumped into Kristin, his personal assistant, in the hotel lobby. She had had a busy past few days helping Zachary complete all the miscellaneous things he had assigned her. Whether it was finalizing the citizenship paperwork for Zachary, finding out the prices for mansions for sale in Abidjan, or signing for match bonuses from the Ivorian Football Federation, she worked tirelessly to complete all the tasks with remarkable professionalism.

On seeing her, Zachary's eyes lit up, and he immediately walked toward her. He greeted her and then pulled her to a nearby bar area to ask about the progress of some tasks he had assigned her.

"So, did you make any progress with searching for suitable houses in Abidjan?" Zachary asked. As a citizen of Ivory Coast, he, of course, had to get himself an address in the country. Accordingly, he had already started looking for a house to purchase.

Kristin smiled on hearing Zachary's question. "I contacted a few real estate brokers, who showed me a few presentable houses in good neighborhoods around Abidjan. They are in price ranges of 400K to 1.8 million Euros. If you wish, we can look at them before we depart tomorrow."

"Those prices are a bit too expensive," Zachary remarked. He wasn't looking for something too extravagant, especially since he would not spend many days in Ivory Coast in the future. He just hoped to buy a presentable house in the range of less than 150,000 Euros, which would only act as his residence during those few days when he would be in Ivory Coast to play games for the national team.

"Aren't there cheaper options?" He asked Kristin.

"There are those options with an asking price of less than 200,000 Euros," Kristin answered. "But from what I have learned, they are in neighborhoods where your security cannot be guaranteed."

"Oh!" Zachary narrowed his eyes and sighed. "Okay, then. So be it. Compile a list of suitable houses and send it to me. Send the information with pictures, so I can decide which one to purchase."

"Don't you wish to inspect the houses yourself before the purchase?" Kristin asked. "You must understand that what is portrayed in the pictures can vary greatly from what's on the ground."

"Don't worry about all that," Zachary said with a smile. "I trust your judgment. Just recommend a few suitable ones to me, and I will choose from those. End of story."

"Okay," Kristin said, inhaling deeply. "I will do my best to find the best houses for you. Thanks for putting your trust in me."

Zachary nodded in acknowledgment. He then made some more small talk with Kristin and especially asked about her granddad - Mr. Stein, the scout who brought him to Europe. After learning that the aged scout was okay, he wished Kristin goodnight and returned to his hotel room for the night.

Minutes later, after lying in bed, he thought about his first trip to Ivory Coast. He had performed remarkably and scored twice during his first two games for Ivory Coast. He had also not shied away from bonding with teammates and was thus confident that he had left a good impression on them. He felt that his expedition was a success, and all that was left was for him to set off for the trip back to Turin, where he would continue his club career.