Football singularity

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[Date: 19/02/2020, Time: 09:15, Rakim's Crib – Kitchen]

May stood in a pair of house slippers at the marble island, slicing strawberries into neat fans while the espresso machine hissed behind her. Steam curled in the sunlight that spilled through the clerestory windows, gilding everything in a soft, winter glow. Rakim eased himself onto a barstool, bracing his crutches against the counter.

The reinforced brace on his ankle peeked beneath the cuff of his joggers, giving the feeling that he was wearing a ball and chain. For someone who has worked hard to improve his agility and balance, adjusting to this new feeling was unsettling. He imagined that this was how soldiers felt after a gunshot wound that left them either crippled or with a long stint in recovery.

Not that he likened himself to a career soldier, but he would bet that anyone who trains his body to peak condition would find it hard to adjust to a sudden injury. "You sure you don't want bacon?" she asked from the other side of the kitchen island as she lifted the portafilter to tamp the grounds.

He raised both hands in mock surrender. "Doctor's orders: lean protein, whole grains, minimal grease. I'm being a model patient today."

May snorted. "Since when does a Lamborghini pilot follow speed limits or doctor's orders?"

"Since the Lamborghini pilot can't actually press the accelerator," he countered, grin crooked. He watched her arrange Greek yoghurt, berries, and granola into two bowls, the practised motions oddly domestic. "Besides, I have to face the club physios in three hours. Can't show up smelling like a fry-up. Those doctors are like bloodhounds when it comes to players not following the team diet."

She slid a bowl toward him as he nodded in thanks and perched on the opposite stool. For a moment, they ate in companionable silence with neither breaking the moment. They could faintly hear the rhythmic sound of the Japanese Shishi Odoshi in the garden and Zeus, who was roaming about in the house.

"So," she started, chasing a berry around her bowl, "Tell me the part you skipped last night. You said you have a younger sister and a brother your age?"

Rakim dabbed a berry stain from his lip, as his movements came to a halt, almost as if his brain was short-circuiting. "Well, technically half-siblings, but in reality, just strangers. I didn't meet them at the New Year's party but later found out that he has two other kids."

"So, you haven't reached out or vice versa?" She hesitantly asked again, inwardly debating whether to open this particular can of worms.

"No, not really been up for chatting with them or even entertaining the thought," he said, rolling a blueberry along the rim of the bowl before flicking it into his mouth. "It's… complicated."

May arched a brow, pausing mid-slice. "Complicated, huh? I guess that's my cue to stop asking questions," she said, but the worry in her eyes told him she wanted to ask more.

They ate in each other's company as they continued to catch up with each other. May told him about her marketing communications exams she has coming up at the end of March. The clock on the wall slid from 09:30 to 10:25 unnoticed, as the morning light brightened to a silvery glare on the marble.

When May rose to rinse the bowls, Rakim wrestled himself off the stool and hobbled to the fridge. "Protein shake?" he offered, pulling out a bottle of almond milk concoction that the nutritionist had prepared a case for him.

"Pass," she said, shutting off the tap. "I still have nightmares about that stuff. Remember that stuff the hotel staff gave you during pre-season?"

He laughed. "How could I forget? Half the squad sprinted to the toilets."

May leaned against the counter, drying her hands on a dish towel. "Class starts at eleven-thirty. I'll need to head out in about forty minutes." She eyed his brace. "You good to shower and dress without re-spraining something?"

"I'll manage. Might paint the ceiling with water, but I'll manage." He glanced at the time—10:35. "Thanks again for being here, by the way."

"Nowhere else I'd rather be." She crossed to him, stood lightly on her tippy toes and placed a soft kiss on the corner of his right cheek. "Just don't give me another heart attack." He debated half-turning his head to capture her lips properly when (DING-DONG).

The doorbell chimed and quickly reverberated throughout the entire house's open-plan space. They exchanged surprised looks; Rakim wasn't expecting deliveries. Zeus's head shot up, ears perked, but quickly lost interest as he munched on his bone.

"I'll get it," May said, already moving toward the foyer as Rakim's burning gaze watched her leave towards the door. As May reached the frosted glass front door, the handle turned from the outside. Before she could react, the door eased inward, revealing a slender woman in a camel-coloured coat, rolling a graphite suitcase that looked heavier than she did.

There she stood in all her glory, the sun hitting her golden hair at just the right angle. "Oh, this is a surprise. Good morning, sweetheart!" Lisa Rex exclaimed as she stepped into the villa, pulling May into her embrace for a hug. "We've missed seeing you,"

"I've missed you guys, too," She responded, trying her best to breathe through the hug. "How was your flight? Rakim didn't say you were coming."

Lisa released May and rolled the suitcase over the threshold, her boots clicking on the polished concrete. "Flight was smooth despite it being the red eye, but I'm dying for a proper coffee."

May's smile warmed. "You're in luck, Rakim got a brand new commercial-grade espresso machine."

"Commercial grade?" Lisa's eyebrows lifted as she shrugged out of her coat, revealing a crisp white blouse beneath. "That's very unlike my son. He usually survives on whatever caffeine he can grab between training sessions."

May laughed as she led her inside and gestured toward the kitchen, where the gleaming machine dominated one corner of the marble countertop. "Good morning, mum," Rakim called out from the kitchen as he hobbled on his crutches towards her.

"Oh, how are you, honey? You can't believe how scared I was when I got the news of your assault," She exclaimed as she dropped her bag and skipped the last steps towards him. "The one time I don't watch your match live, and this happens."

She proceeded to check his body up and down, looking for any injuries except the obvious one on his leg. "I had your team send me the preliminary medical assessment, but are you hurt anywhere else?"

Rakim steadied himself on his crutches, letting his mother's familiar fussing wash over him. "I'm fine, Mum. Just the ankle. The rest is bruising that's already healing." He caught her hands gently, stilling her inspection. "Really. I'm okay."

Lisa's eyes searched his face, maternal instinct warring with the need to believe him. "Maybe it looked far worse on the footage I saw, though it didn't help that the commentators made baseless comments." She proceeded to force him to sit down on the couch and proceeded to remove his boot to check it for herself.

Rakim could only let her do as she pleased, as May excused herself to get ready for her class. "From the looks of it, some of the swelling went down, but I'm not a fan of the discolouration." Lisa's brow knotted as she turned his foot, studying the mottled skin above the brace. "Well, the physiotherapists will fuss, but mothers get first dibs."

"Mum, they'll do the same poking in about ninety minutes," he said, half-laughing, half-pleading. "And unlike you, they bring ice buckets, go grab a coffee or cappuccino, you've probably been travelling all night."

"Fine," she sighed, settling the boot back in place with practised gentleness as her worries seemed to have been relieved. "But you are keeping that foot elevated until we leave." She rose and folded her coat over the arm of the long sofa. "Now—coffee."

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To Be Continued...