There was this boy named Chike, Everybody in the neighborhood knew him, not because he was a loud boy, but because he had this big dream that followed him everywhere, If you saw Chike, you saw football, A Ball under his arm, ball under his leg, ball in his head , the boy lived football.
His mother used to say,
"Chike, if you like no read book, just make sure that ball pays one day o!"
And Chike would laugh,
"Mummy no worry, I go buy you house for Lekki one day."
Chike’s best friend, Sola, was the quiet artist-type, The one who drew on the back of his school notes and always had headphones on, while Chike was busy kicking football round the compound, Sola sat under the mango tree sketching everything around him.
They were complete opposites, but they moved together like bread and akara.
One sunny afternoon, something happened that changed everything.
A talent scout visiting Chike’s school saw him play during inter-house sports, The man kept nodding and writing in one small jotter, after the match, he walked to Chike:
"Young man, how old are you?"
"I am Sixteen, sir." Chike replied.
"You play well, Very well, I would like you to come try out with Golden Eagles Academy." The Scout said to him.
Chike’s heart jumped like a car hitting pothole, "Yes sir! Sir I go come! I go come, sir!"
Everybody heard the news, neighbors started saying things like,
"Ehn that Chike boy? That one sabi ball well!"
Even his mother was smiling more than usual.
Meanwhile, Sola was proud too , but quiet about it, He felt something, he couldn’t explain it ... Happiness… but also fear, Like when you are happy for someone but scared of losing them to life.
Chike trained every day, in the rain and in the sun , He would run laps around the field while Sola sat and watched him, sketching him in motion.
Chike got into the academy.
He left the neighborhood, moved to their training camp, and life started moving fast, new boots, new jerseys, new people, new dreams.
Calls home became shorter.
"Guy how far?" Sola would ask,
"Bro everything dey okay. Training hard, i go call you back!"
But the call-back never came.
Months passed, The neighborhood missed him, Sola missed him the most.
Then one day, Chike came home for a verry short break, and everybody gathered around him as if he was some celeb, Alot of Kids were screaming his name, even mothers were smiling proudly, even the area chairman shook his hand.
Sola then walked up to him, trying not to look too emotional.
"Star boy." he smiled.
Chike grinned,
"Artist boy. I dey see your drawings for your status, You don improve o."
But the conversation felt stiff, Like space had grown between them.
Then few weeks later, the news came.
During a match against another academy, Chike twisted his knee. Doctors said it was serious, too serious.
No more academy, No more training, No more football.
Just like that , the dream collapsed.
Chike came back home quietly, No celebration, No crowd..... Just silence.
He stopped going out, He stayed inside every day, Curtains closed, door locked.
The same boy who once believed the world was in his palm now couldn’t look at his own shadow.
One evening, Sola had enough, He marched into Chike’s house and pushed his way into his room.
"Guy, stand up."
Chike didn’t look up.
"Leave me, Sola, I don’t have anything again."
"No be only you don lose something before, But see, life no end for where your dream spoil, If one door close, you go build window, If window spoil, we go break wall enter!"
Chike looked at him for the first time in weeks, His eyes heavy.
Sola continued,
"You think I no dey fear too? Every day I dey draw, I dey fear say nobody go recognize me, But guy we move, we continue, because if life throw us inside gutter, we surely go climb out."
Silence.
Then Chike laughed, a bit at first, then a full hearted one.
"Guy you too talk."
"Na why God keep me here , to worry your life." Sola rolled his eyes.
Slowly, Chike began stepping outside again, Not to play but to coach kids on the field.
He shouted instructions, demonstrated moves, helped them build discipline.
He found purpose again, but in a different form.
Meanwhile, Sola kept drawing and eventually got invited to a Lagos art showcase, He was scared to go, but Chike held his shoulder:
"If you no go now, I go drag you go myself."
At the exhibition, as people admired Sola’s drawings, Chike stood beside him, smiling proudly.
One man stopped at a canvas , it was a drawing of Chike running with the ball, sunlight hitting his face, The title read:
“Where Dreams Still Live.”
Chike looked at Sola.
"This one na me?"
"Always." Sola said.
They didn’t become rich overnight, They didn’t blow, But life balanced itself.
Highs, lows, then highs again, because sometimes, dream doesn’t just die, it just changes shape.
Image Is Generated With Meta AI
