"Mom, do you know how Jamal, Latisha, and Jerrell are doing?" Maxi asked curiously about his cousins. He only saw them a few special days each year, and they were his only relatives.
He didn't know any relatives from his father's side, and his mother only had her sister and grandparents, who had passed away a few years ago. Because of this, Maxi had just his mother, father, three cousins, and his uncle and aunt as family. He held them all very dear to his heart, thinking of them as brothers and sisters rather than just cousins.
"Jamal is having a lot of fun playing football in Fulda. He said he scores many goals and will be better than you. As for Latisha and Jerrell, they're only five and three years old, so not much has changed since the last time you saw them," his mother replied.
Maxi and his parents were currently driving on the Autobahn, which is famous for its no-speed-limit regulations. This is only partly true, though, as there are often speed limits in certain areas and construction zones. Most of the time, however, the Autobahn does have no speed limit.
Many people think this is irresponsible and dangerous, but it's actually quite the opposite; the Autobahn has very few accidents. One reason for this is the rules, such as overtaking only from the left lanes and requiring slower cars to stay in the right lanes.
Another reason is the heightened caution that many drivers have when on the Autobahn, along with several other factors.
This is what Maxi read while driving to Fulda, which is located near Frankfurt. The journey took about three and a half hours.
When Maxi saw the familiar houses and streets, his excitement grew. He loved visiting his family.
He soon spotted the house he had been looking for, recognizing more and more landmarks along the way.
As soon as the car arrived in the driveway, Maxi immediately opened the door and ran to the front door.
Shortly after the car door opened, the door of the house swung wide.
Three little kids rushed out, and all four of them hugged each other tightly.
The adults smiled at this heartwarming scene—two from the car and two in the house.
Sophie and Carlos calmly stepped out of their car, smiling as they walked into the house, while the four kids dashed up the stairs, excitedly chatting with one another.
Carlos and Sophie greeted Caroline and Daniel with smiles and settled in with some cake and coffee while they chatted.
Suddenly, Sophie noticed that her sister seemed deep in thought. Concerned, she asked, "Is everything okay, Caroline? You seem a little distracted."
Hearing her sister's concern, Caroline smiled and replied, "Yes, everything is even better than good. I got offered a position in the Erasmus research program."
"That's great!" Sophie exclaimed excitedly.
"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Carlos asked with a smile.
"We'll need to move to Southampton in England for four months," Daniel said, looking concerned.
"Are you worried about the kids?" Sophie asked, knowing her sister well.
Caroline nodded.
"Don't worry. They're very sociable kids. They'll love their time in Southampton. I know you well enough to guess that you probably haven't even asked them about it. If you talk with them enough, they probably won't care," Sophie said, trying to reassure her sister.
"You're probably right," Caroline agreed thoughtfully.
"I'll bring the kids downstairs," Daniel said, standing up.
"I'll come with you," Carlos offered, joining him.
They soon reached the upstairs room and saw the little kids playing together.
"The only time they aren't fighting is when they're with Maxi," Daniel said with a smile, watching his kids play happily.
"Maxi is also happiest with them, besides Isa. She's his only friend," Carlos added with a sigh.
"Don't worry about him. He's a good boy. Speaking of which, you're still too stubborn to contact your father, aren't you?" Daniel said, shaking his head. He knew Carlos's situation well.
"He can contact me through his connections. Even if I used some smugglers, he could easily find my information. He's probably just angry at me for not being able to be his successor. I probably meant nothing to him—just the son of a one-night stand. Even my mom didn't want me and gave me to him," Carlos sighed.
"Want a cigarette after bringing the kids down?" Daniel asked, trying to comfort Carlos. He understood the pain of Carlos's childhood. Carlos wanted or needed his father to reach out to him; that would prove his father cared. He suspected that Carlos's rebellious thoughts made him believe his father hated him, but the lack of contact was undeniable proof.
"Kids, we have something important to tell you," Daniel said as he entered the room.
"But we're playing FIFA!" Jamal exclaimed, controller in hand.
"We can pause it and play afterwards," Maxi said, stopping the game.
Latisha and Jerrell didn't mind; they were enjoying watching Jamal and Maxi play.
"One day, I'll be in FIFA!" Jamal declared as they headed downstairs.
"I'll be on the cover of FIFA," Maxi said as they walked into the living room, where the adults were already gathered.
Jamal was a little stunned by Maxi's ambition, but he admired it. That was one of the things he most appreciated about Maxi: his determination to be the best.
Once in the living room, Caroline immediately told her three kids about her research opportunity in Southampton. Their reactions surprised her.
"I don't care. I just want Maxi to visit us!" Jamal said, the first to respond. He was only in his first year of elementary school, didn't have any close friends, and didn't mind going to England for four months. His only concern was spending time with Maxi, his cousin and best friend.
The other two just nodded; they weren't even in school yet and didn't care.
Caroline was overjoyed.
The kids continued to play FIFA afterward while Caroline called the university, and Sophie accompanied her.
The two dads were outside, sharing a smoke.
When the family of three drove back to Munich again Maxi asked his parents something he wanted to ask the whole time.
"Will we be able to visit Jamal and the others often?"
Maxi was full of concern and Sophie knew that.
"Yes. Besides that, it will only be four months.", Sophie tried to reassure her kid.
Maxi was relieved. He feared that the relationship with his cousins could be broken off if they didn't meet anymore.
Maxi shook his head, not wanting to think about that anymore. He tried to think of something better and he soon found something.
As they drove, Maxi's thoughts raced.
"One day, I'll be in FIFA," he whispered to himself, picturing his name on the cover. What would it take to make that dream a reality? He needed to practice more.