Football singularity

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[Date: 13/03/2020 | Time: 09:14 AM | Location: Rakim's Villa – Hahnwald, Cologne]

The scent of maple syrup lingered faintly in the open-concept kitchen. Outside, the bamboo trees rustled in the breeze beyond the glass walls, but inside, everything felt still. Rakim sat barefoot at the long granite island, flipping idly through his phone. He wore a white sleeveless undershirt and loose grey joggers, his hair still damp from the shower, and was wrapped in a Pikachu durag.

May was across from him, hunched slightly over her plate of almond pancakes and strawberries, a chipped blue university mug steaming beside her. She picked at her food before setting the fork down and sighing. "They moved all my classes online. Full remote. Until Easter break... maybe longer."

Rakim looked up. "That serious, huh? Have there been any COVID cases in your classes?"

She nodded, twisting her lips. "Yeah. One of our visiting lecturers tested positive. They didn't tell us who, but... it spooked everyone. My end-of-the-year presentation was moved to Zoom, and exams are online now too."

He leaned back slightly, concern flitting across his face. "That serious, huh? But I guess it's not so bad for you since most of the practical work in your marketing course is you doing research to present it, no?"

May nodded, propping her chin on one hand. "Yeah, that part's manageable. But I quite liked the face-to-face part of the presentation as it allowed me to pivot if I felt like something wasn't landing. Plus, don't get me started on how I'll miss my daily dose of espresso and freshly baked mohnschnecke."

Rakim smiled faintly. "Surprised that someone considered a fitness influencer would eat something as sugary as mohnschneckens."

May rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. "Fitness and Lifestyle influencer, emphasis on lifestyle, plus I work hard to look this good, a pastry here and now to keep me sane is a small trade off. Plus, you need that extra kick when you're in workshops. May rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips."

She swirled a strawberry through the syrup on her plate, then added more quietly, "Reece's pretty upset too. He had visits lined up for four different schools—LSU, Georgia Tech, Oregon, Florida, and UCLA. All cancelled."

Rakim raised his eyebrows. "Damn, I knew that he was having a monster of a senior year, but he must have been balling to get schorly offers from that many D1 offers."

"Yeah, he is ranked in the top ten prospects out of high school in the nation and first in the state," May responded with a proud smile on her face, as their sibling relationship had grown stronger over the years. It had started a jealousy at the sibling relationship both Emma and Jenna had with their younger brothers, but it bloomed naturally as they became their others' cheerleaders in life.

"Well, when you light up IMG Academy for two years in a row and manage to break state records, these things were bound to happen," Rakim replied before proceeding to pull up a video the latter had sent into their friend group chat.

The video showcased Reece spinning out of the pocket in the state final after the opposing blitz had collapsed it. Despite slipping away from the immediate danger, one of the Defensive tackles was quick to lock on to him. The guy quickly closed the distance, head down, ready to spear him, but Reece merely palmed him in the helmet, side-stepping before letting loose a cannonball of a throw.

"Whoooo," The exclamation from the video resounded as Bennet, who had cut across from his man, rose into the air, grabbing the ball out of the air. "Yeah, we definitely have to watch him play in college if he makes it to state," Rakim commented, feeling his blood pumping all over again, even though he had seen that play before.

May smiled wistfully, watching the replay from across the island. "Reece says he still wants to commit soon, maybe next week. The coaches have been FaceTiming and sending him virtual campus tours, but it's not the same, you know?" She twisted her fork between her fingers. "I know he's smart, but... this is a massive decision. Choosing where to live, who to train under—for the next three years, possibly longer."

Rakim set his phone down and rubbed his thumb along the rim of his glass. "He'll land on his feet. All these schools are great, and it's not like he can't transfer. Just tell him to pick a school he wouldn't mind living at"

May nodded, but her gaze dropped to her mug. "Yeah… I guess." She paused for a long beat, then added, "Evely, I mean Mum is, worried about him leaving for a far away school, only thinking about football without considering his education, plus there's the thing with my Dad."

Rakim tilted his head slightly, sensing the shift in her tone. "What thing?"

Her fingers hovered above her plate, then dropped into her lap as she leaned back. "Reece said he's been acting weird lately—Dad, I mean. Glued to the TV, obsessing over the markets. Keeps watching Bloomberg and flipping between CNBC and Fox Business like something huge is about to happen."

Rakim arched a brow. "That's not that new for him, though, right?"

"No, but this feels different. Mum says he's barely sleeping. He started working from home even before the firm told them to. Reece caught him just… staring at his phone like he was about to pass out."

Rakim frowned, sliding his phone aside. "You think it's financial trouble?"

May gave a tired shrug. "I don't know. Would he tell me even if it was? We haven't spoken in months. Not since Christmas—" she cut herself off, then shook her head and pushed her plate forward, no longer hungry. "Let's just forget about it and focus on what we will do with ourselves during this lockdown."

Rakim reached across the island and gently brushed her wrist to comfort her, but didn't bring the topic back up again. "Well, it's been a while since we have streamed together. We could use this chance to create content. I've kinda been neglecting my social a little and wouldn't mind helping you more with your work."

May looked up at him, some of the tension in her shoulders finally loosening. "Yeah… I'd like that. It's been forever since we did video or I schooled you in Madden. We could even do a cooking one, dancing, skits, let me jot some of these ideas down."

Smiling at her excited face, Rakim merely nodded at some of her suggestions and quickly shot down some of the more dangerous ones. He wanted her to be happy, but there is no way he would let anyone apply makeup on him for fun. If he has to suffer through that, he should at least be getting paid for it, like when he shoots an ad for a sponsor.

Just then, his phone buzzed where it lay beside his plate, lighting up with a message in the team group chat from Florian Wirtz:"Turn on Sky Sports News. Right now. 🔥"

Without much thought, he called out to his entertainment system. "Jane, turn on Sky Sports News," he shouted. Following his command, the LED lights around the entertainment system lit up in green colours as the 100-inch mounted Ultra HD TV sprang to life.

On the screen, a well-dressed man looking to be in his late fifties, sitting behind the FA press podium. "In light of the recent COVID-19 health concerns, effective immediately, all English elite football will be suspended until further notice."

The broadcast cut to footage of empty stadiums, sweeping drone shots of iconic arenas now frozen in time—Old Trafford, Anfield, the Emirates—all eerily silent in the morning mist. The Sky Sports ticker scrolled across the bottom with bold red text confirming the news: Premier League, EFL, FA Women's Super League and Championship suspended.

Rakim blinked, absorbing the words in silence. He wasn't really surprised, though, given what had happened to them a day ago. However, the reality of the lockdown started to settle in as he realised that he would once again have to go through the pandemic, hopefully he would survive it this time.

May exhaled softly from across the island, brining him out of his thoughst. "Damn…"

The studio cut back to the press conference. The FA official continued, "We understand the impact this will have on fans, players, and clubs. However, with the growing threat posed by COVID-19, this is a necessary step. The decision follows extensive consultation with government health officials, clubs, and representatives from across all tiers of English football."

Rakim reached for the remote and muted the sound. "So that's it," he said flatly. "All English leagues… shut down. Just like that."

May looked over at him, concern furrowing her brow. "Do you think Germany will follow?"

He didn't answer immediately. He just stared at the screen, the silence now filled with the faint rustling of trees from the villa garden. He reached again for his phone and opened the official DFB Twitter to check for any updates. Seconds later, after refreshing twice, a new post appeared, quite long at that, but after speed reading, it pretty much said the same as the FA.

DFB suspends all football activities in Germany across all levels until further notice. This Includes The Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga, and all youth leagues. "After consultation with the Federal Ministry of Health and in light of the escalating spread of COVID-19 across Germany, all matches in professional and amateur leagues are suspended. The health of players, staff, and fans is our highest priority…"

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To Be Continued...