THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Zachary let out a breath of relief as he embraced the sense of tranquility that washed over him when he settled in the back seat of the bus. He immediately fished out his phone from one of his trouser pockets and dialed Coach Damata's number.

However, even after trying time and time again, the call could not go through. The coach was probably in a place with poor network coverage, or he'd simply switched off his phone.

"Damn!"

Not knowing his grandma's condition was the most agonizing torment for him. His stress levels were through the roof as he couldn't stomach the fact that he was all the way in Europe, living comfortably like a monarch, while his only guardian was lying on a hospital bed somewhere in DR Congo, fighting for her life.

He felt even more remorseful after recalling how he'd repeatedly put off visiting his grandma during the previous few months. She'd continuously implored him on the phone to find some time to travel back home. However, he would always cite his training as the perfect excuse without considering her feelings. He hadn't even journeyed back for Christmas during the offseason.

"What to do?"

Chaotic thoughts whirled through Zachary's mind, which was already weighed down by regret. He couldn't help but consider if he should up and board the first flight available back to his homeland. However, after a few more seconds of deliberation, he pushed the notion out of his mind.

A flight from Værnes to Lubumbashi would take more than twelve hours. If he decided to travel, he wouldn't be available on the phone for the entire duration of the journey. Thus, he wouldn't be able to organize his grandma's treatment remotely if there was an emergency.

"Maybe, I should consult Emily if I don't hear from Coach Damata by the time I reach my apartment."

Zachary's eyes glittered with expectation. Emily, his agent, was a very resourceful person. She could easily simplify even the most complicated of situations since she had connections all around the globe. Thus, she might be the only person who could help him untangle the problematic situation in the quickest way possible.

"She might really be able to help."

A wave of relaxation washed over him after making the resolution. He forced all his apprehensions to the back of his mind before leaning back in his seat and dozing off.

He was totally spent since he didn't even sleep a wink the previous night due to worry. So, he slumbered like a log in his seat without even the slightest understanding of what was around him. He only managed to wake up after a while when one of his teammates tapped his shoulder. But by then, the bus had already pulled up into the parking lot at Lerkendal.

"Guys, welcome back home!" Zachary heard Coach Johansen's voice reverberate across the bus after waking up. "I congratulate all of you upon winning our Europa League round of thirty-two fixture against Fiorentina."

The players responded to the coach with clangorous chanting and clapping. They even started singing a victory slogan until the coach raised one of his arms and requested them to quieten down.

"As I was saying," the coach continued, "Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you upon defeating Fiorentina. We can all stand tall and proud as we managed to eliminate a team that can be considered quite powerful on the European stage. However, we shouldn't allow ourselves to relax since the tournament is far from over." The coach's voice had already turned solemn.

"Two weeks from now, we'll be going back to Italy to face off against Juventus in the Europa League's round of sixteen. As every one of you should already know, the Italian team is one of the undisputable footballing powerhouses in Europe. If we don't make ample preparations, we won't stand a chance against them."

"So, I implore each and every one of you to do your best in the next fourteen days. For the rest of today and tomorrow, you can stay home and rest to recover from the post-match fatigue. However, I expect you to be back on the training ground on Sunday afternoon. I won't tolerate any absentees or latecomers. Are we together?"

"Yes, coach."

"Good." Coach Johansen nodded. "That's everything I wished to communicate. Enjoy the rest of your day." He added before alighting from the bus.

-----

After saying his brief goodbyes to his teammates and coaches, Zachary jumped into his R8 GT, which he'd previously left in the parking lot at Lerkendal. Before long, he raced out of the stadium gate and was soon on his way to his apartment in Stjørdalsveien.

Traffic that afternoon was light, and there were no unforeseen factors to delay him on the roads. Thus, he completed the entire journey from the stadium to his apartment in less than twenty minutes. Soon, he parked his vehicle in front of his apartment building before ascending the stairs to his residence on the sixth floor.

"Bzzt Bzzzt! Bzzt Bzzzt..."

Suddenly, his phone, which had been quiet the entire morning, started vibrating from inside one of his pockets. He immediately fished it out with all the haste he could master before glancing at the screen.

The next moment, he couldn't help but smile with relief as the call was from Coach Damata. But even though he was impatient to find out about his grandma's condition, he still decided to first enter his apartment before accepting the call.

"Hello, Coach Damata," Zachary spoke into the phone while stepping into his living room. "Your phone hasn't been available for the past twelve hours. What happened?"

"I'm sorry, Zach," Coach Damata responded. "The network kept going on and off yesterday night. So, maybe that's why you couldn't reach my phone."

"Okay! So, what's the status? Are the results of the tests out?"

"Yes," Coach Damata responded. "They've just released the results of the imaging tests a few minutes back, and it's bad news."

"What did they find?" Zachary hurriedly asked as he fought down the dread. "What could be wrong with my grandma?"

"They say that it's a tumor in her brain," Coach Damata answered with an audible sigh.

"A tumor!?"

Zachary felt like his whole world was turning upside down. The fear and anxiety pressed closer, in tune with the terror rising inside him. He couldn't help but tremble as a sensation of powerlessness overwhelmed him.

From his little biological knowledge, he understood that a tumor in the brain was a very life-threatening condition. Very few patients could survive after being diagnosed with such a terrible ailment. It was almost like a death sentence.

"Is it cancerous?" He hurriedly asked after recalling some more information about tumors.

"Ahh!" Coach Damata stammered a little as if he didn't know the answer to the question. "Zachary! I think you should talk to the doctor to find out more about the specific condition of your grandma. He's here with me, and I'm passing the phone to him."

"Hello, Zachary," another deep and raspy voice soon sounded from the phone speakers. "I'm Mathias Mathembo, and I'm the doctor handling your grandma's case."

"Hello, doctor," Zachary responded. "So, can you give me the details about my grandma's situation?"

"Well," the doctor said after clearing his voice. "When we put your grandma through imaging tests today morning, we discovered an abnormal area in her brain that should be a tumor. However, what we haven't determined as of yet is whether the tumor is cancerous."

"For that, we would have to conduct a more specific test called a biopsy to determine whether the mass of abnormal cells in her brain is benign, premalignant, or even malignant."

"So, is this biopsy test for the brain life-threatening?"

"Since biopsies are less invasive procedures, the risks to a patient are almost insignificant," the doctor replied. "Your grandma won't be in any life-threatening situation when we're carrying out the procedure."

"Since you have assured me that there are no risks, you can go ahead and do the test," Zachary said. "Can you give me an estimate of how long I need to wait for the results?"

"Four days," the doctor answered.

"That long!" Zachary exclaimed.

"You need to understand that we'll have to carry out several tests on the sample obtained through the biopsy before we can come up with a diagnosis," the doctor said. "We can't afford to make any mistakes in cases like this. So, that's why we need the four days."

"I understand," Zachary intoned. "Go ahead and carry out the test. The old gentleman with you will clear the bills. Otherwise, thanks for all your efforts, doctor."

"You're welcome."

After ending the conversation with the doctor, Zachary exchanged a few more words with Coach Damata before hanging up the call. He then dialed Emily's number and explained his grandma's situation to her. He even told her about the biopsy test that the doctor had just mentioned.

"I'm sorry to hear that your grandma is ill," Emily said after listening to his account. "But, worry not. I, as your agent, will do my best to support you through the situation."

"Thanks, Emily," Zachary said. "So, what's the way forward? Should I ask for permission from the club management so that I can travel back to DR Congo?"

"I implore you not to do that, Zachary," Emily said from the other end of the line. "I understand that you're anxious. But, before we get the results from the biopsy test, you can't make any rash decisions. We need to handle the situation calmly."

"Okay, I understand."

"This is my suggestion," Emily continued. "In your stead, I'll head to Lubumbashi with a doctor who can assess your grandma's situation. If we find that her situation is very life-threatening, we can even consider transferring her to European countries with first-class medical facilities for treatment. You can then link up with her there instead of traveling back to Congo."

"That's a good plan," Zachary responded. "But, when can you get time to travel to Lubumbashi?"

"If there are available tickets for sale, I'll travel today," Emily responded. "Just send me the contact information of one of your people in Lubumbashi that can act as my guide when I arrive there."

"Thanks a lot, Emily," Zachary responded. "You're a life-saver, and I owe you big this time around."