THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

After spending a day of enjoyable time visiting Mr. Stein in the exclusive neighborhood of Fjellsiden, Zachary finally set off for DR Congo with Kristin on the following morning.

As he gazed out of the airplane window, watching the neat city of Bergen fade away, he couldn't help but feel his life was like a dream — a pretty amazing one at that.

It hadn't even been three years since his initial arrival in Norway as an academy player. Even before turning nineteen, he'd already established himself on the Rosenborg senior team as a consistent member of the starting lineup.

His football skills were already eons better than they'd been at his peak during his previous life — thanks to the system. He was even on the list of potential top scorers in the Tippeligaen just from his wildly successful debut month.

"Look at this," Kristin suddenly said from the seat beside him, holding out her smartphone towards him. She had returned to her cheery self after a day's rest. "It says here that you're the favorite to win the 'Best Player' award for May. The only other serious competitors for the honor are Nicki Nielsen, your teammate, Stefan Johansen, a Str?msgodset midfielder, and Frode Johnsen from Odds BK. Though, I'm pretty sure you'll come out on top since none of them come close to matching your form these past few matches. So, I guess congratulations are in order."

"Is that so?" Zachary said, leaning closer to Kristin to look at the phone screen. Indeed, he could see a headline listing him and a few others as the best performing players for the first half of the football season in Norway. The article also mentioned he was one of the three Rosenborg players included in the Tippeligaen team of the month. However, it also stated that the list was only provisional and was subject to changes after the meeting of the voting committee. So, it was basically gossip with nothing confirmed.

"That's quite a long list," he said, withdrawing his gaze from the phone screen. "I don't think it's a sure deal that I'll receive the honor. If I recall correctly, Stefan Johansen, the guy from Str?msgodset, seems to have some crazy stats, especially when considering the number of assists he has. So, it will solely depend on the voting committee. And you know how those people can be."

"Well," Kristin said, withdrawing her phone. "At least the press has already accepted you as the best player for May. The leaders, coaches, players, and officials of the Tippeligaen will probably follow suit and do the same soon."

"All we can do is wait for the official announcement," Zachary said, shaking his head. "There is no need for speculation. But that aside, what are your plans when we arrive in Lubumbashi? Do you want me to host you, or should we check you into a hotel?"

"One of my grandpa's associates has already booked me a hotel room in Lubumbashi," Kristin replied. "So, there's no need for you to become my host."

"That's convenient, I guess," Zachary said, inclining his head to give her a brief glance. He couldn't help but think that perhaps the saying 'to get over someone, you should get under someone' had some truth to it.

After getting intimate with Camilla, he was no longer the least bit uncomfortable in Kristin's presence. The raging emotions he had previously felt every time he laid eyes on her had disappeared as if they had never existed in the first place.

"Is there something off about my face?" Kristin queried after noticing his gaze. "Why're you looking at me so intently?"

Zachary sighed deeply. "I was just admiring your pretty face and thinking to myself: it would be nice to host her in Lubumbashi," he said jokingly. "What a letdown to find out you already have arrangements."

Kristin reacted immediately, inclining her head to give Zachary a daunting 'are you serious?' look. She seemed genuinely shocked by his attempt at humor.

"So, do you want me to be your host or not?" Zachary asked, scratching his chin, hoping to dispel the awkward atmosphere between them.

"Forget it," Kristin muttered in a barely audible voice as she finally turned away. "What if your girlfriend finds out? I don't want to be enemies with someone I don't even know personally."

"What?" Zachary exclaimed, giving her his full attention once more.

"I said forget it," Kristin said, a soft smile then playing on her face. "From my previous experience, hotels are the safest places for foreigners in Lubumbashi. Maybe, you should also consider checking into a hotel. You're now basically a foreigner in Congo since you've spent more than two years away from the place."

"That is a big no for me," Zachary said, shaking his head. "If I sleep in a hotel, I'll miss my grandma's cooking. I'll only be spending tonight in a hotel because we'll be arriving in Lubumbashi late. After that, I'll head home and spend some quality time there. That's my plan."

"Well, suit yourself," Kristin muttered, leaning back into her seat and suppressing a yawn. "I'm starting to feel tired. I need a few hours of sleep. Please don't wake me in the next couple of hours."

"Sweet dreams, then," Zachary said, nodding.

**** ****

Zachary and Kristin exited the plane with their hand luggage in tow after it landed at Lubumbashi International Airport at eleven on the night of the same day. When they stepped out into the open, the warm tropical breeze, blowing gently across the airport tarmac, immediately assaulted them, refreshing their numb senses, despite the hour being so late.

Zachary looked up at the blanket of stars that stretched to infinity — then at the numerous aircraft spread out across the blacktop of the airport. He finally rested his gaze on the terminal leading to the arrivals hallway. He couldn't help but smile. The feeling of being back home was blissful.

However, he didn't dilly-dally immersing himself in the sensation. He moved quickly, together with Kristin, to collect their luggage and finish the necessary procedures at the airport. A few minutes later, the two of them were already rushing to the immigration offices.

Two male officials stood in the booth, which served as the immigration control office, looking tired since it was already late in the night. They didn't give Zachary a hard time as he was a very 'understanding' client and knew how things worked in DRC. Without batting an eyelid, he tipped the officials to motivate them to work on him pronto.

After receiving the bribes, the immigration officials seemed to have experienced an energy refill. Their lethargic looks quickly disappeared.

A moment later, they were all smiles as they helped him complete his paperwork and processed Kristin's temporary visa.

"Here you go, sir," one of the officials said, handing Zachary his travel documentation after a few minutes. "And here you go, beautiful madam," he added, turning to Kristin and bowing slightly at the waist. "Please, enjoy your stay in Lubumbashi."

"Thank you, sir," Kristin replied, smiling and receiving her visa.

"You're welcome," the official said, smiling back. "Is there anything else you need help with, sir, madam?"

"Well," Zachary said, smiling at the official. "Could you maybe direct us to where we can hire a taxi cab?"

"Oh, that's easy," the official said, tone humble. "When you are just heading out of the airport exit, you'll see the taxis for hire in the parking space on your left. You can't miss them since the drivers will all swarm towards you the moment you walk out of the exit."

"Okay, thanks a lot for your help," Zachary said, shaking the hands of the two officials, one after the other. Since he was pleased with their efficiency, he, of course, gifted them a few more Euros. They were ecstatic and thanked him emphatically as they pocketed the money.

"That was quick," Kristin commented just after they'd departed from the immigration control office. The two of them were towing their suitcases, headed for the airport exit. "The last time I was here with my grandpa," she continued, "We spent more than four hours going through the procedures."

"Well," Zachary said, inclining his head to smile at her. "Money moves everything here in DRC. If you can gift the person working on your case a few dollars, he'll be more efficient in handling your case."

"You gave them money!" Kristin exclaimed, raising a brow. "When was that? How come I didn't notice?"

"That's the idea," Zachary said, grinning. "No one is supposed to notice."

Kristin sighed, giving Zachary a sideways glance as they trekked through the airport hallway. "But isn't that like illegal?" She whispered.

"Well, no one cares?" Zachary said. "This isn't Norway. Moreover, they didn't ask for bribes. It was solely my decision to tip them so as to encourage them to work on us faster. It's like how you go to a hotel and tip a waitress after she has given you good service."