David sat at the small wooden dining table, his heart pounding. His mother and father sat across from him, their faces unreadable. His younger sister, Ife, leaned against the wall, listening in silence.
Tade, the scout, sat beside David, his hands clasped together. He had already explained everything—the academy, the opportunity, the future that awaited David if he accepted.
Now, silence filled the room.
David's mother, a strong-willed woman with tired eyes, finally spoke. "So, you want to take my son away?"
Tade shook his head. "Not take. Give him a chance. A future in football."
David's father, a quiet but firm man, leaned back in his chair. "And what if he fails?"
David clenched his fists. "I won't fail."
His mother turned to him sharply. "You think it's that easy? Football is not a guarantee. What if this academy uses you and throws you away? What if you get injured? What will you do then?"
David had expected these questions. He had spent all night thinking about them.
"I'll still finish school," he said. "The academy has education programs too. I won't stop learning."
His father sighed. "And if football doesn't work out?"
David met his gaze. "Then I'll find another way. But I have to try."
His mother shook her head. "You're only 14. Too young to make such decisions."
"But that's when great players start!" David pleaded. "Okocha, Mikel, Osimhen—none of them waited!"
His mother didn't look convinced.
Tade leaned forward. "Ma, sir, I understand your fears. But your son is special. He has a gift, something that can't be ignored. If he stays here, playing on dusty fields, he won't get the chance he deserves."
David's father rubbed his beard. "And where is this academy?"
Tade hesitated. "It's in Abuja."
His mother's eyes widened. "Abuja? You want to take him that far?"
David held his breath.
His father exhaled slowly. "When would he leave?"
Tade answered carefully. "There's a trial camp next week. If he passes, he'll join the academy full-time."
David's mother shook her head again. "I don't like this."
His father turned to her. "But can we really hold him back?"
Silence.
Finally, she spoke. "If he goes, he must promise one thing."
David sat up straight. "Anything."
She pointed a finger at him. "No matter what happens, you will not forget your family. You will not forget where you come from."
David swallowed hard, nodding. "Never."
His mother sighed, then turned away, as if she couldn't bear to look at him.
His father nodded. "Then go."
David felt his chest tighten. This was it.
His dream had just begun.