Zachary was able to keep his promise to set off at exactly noon with Kristin from their apartment building. The two of them took a taxi and made it to Værnes Airport only forty minutes later since the traffic on the roads was less boisterous on Sunday afternoons.
From Værnes, they traveled on a Norwegian Air flight as business-class passengers to Bergen. Kristin was especially quiet that day and often seemed lost in her own thoughts. She was not her usual charming and fun self. Consequently, the trip was dull from Zachary's perspective. So, he focused on getting a few minutes of sleep in — and only managed to emerge from slumberland when the plane was touching down on the runway at Bergen Airport.
"So, where are we headed from here?" Zachary asked Kristin as soon as they walked out of the airport's sliding doors with suitcases in tow.
"The Fjellsiden neighborhood," Kristin replied in a flat voice without slowing her step. "It's about twenty kilometers from here." She added and continued pulling her suitcase, moving away from the sliding doors. She didn't bother to pause and hear him out.
"Will we be traveling by taxi, or will we be taking a bus?" Zachary probed, trying his best to ignite a conversation between them.
"Someone will be picking us up," she replied crisply once more. "We're going to meet them in one of the parking spaces. Just follow me."
"Okay, then," Zachary said, matching her step. Within a few minutes, they descended to a lower floor on an escalator. Kristin continued to be quiet and off-handish throughout their short trek to the parking space. She kept on giving brief answers to Zachary's questions without putting any effort into maintaining the flow of conversation between them.
After a couple more minutes of walking in almost total silence, Zachary couldn't stand the stiff atmosphere between them any longer. It had inexplicably devolved into something dull and awkward. So, he decided to find out what was going on with his traveling companion. He sorely missed the usual easy-going banter between them.
"Is something wrong?" He probed, giving her a sideways glance as they finally started marching through the spaces reserved for parking at the airport. "Why are you so quiet today?"
"I'm just a little tired," Kristin replied, quickening her pace. "I'm not in the mood for talking right now. But I'll be fine once I get some rest. Please don't mind me."
"Oh, all right," Zachary said, wondering whether she was mad at him for rescheduling their morning trip to later in the day. But after some deliberation, he doubted that was the case since she had seemed fine when he'd talked to her on the phone earlier that day. She'd seemed to be in quite a good mood towards the end of the phone call. So, he was totally at a loss to explain what was wrong with her. Perhaps, she was indeed tired, as she'd said.
"It seems my grandpa is very eager to meet you," Zachary heard Kristin say as he was still mulling over the cause of her unusual mood.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because he didn't send the driver," Kristin replied, a soft smile outlining her face for the first time since they began their trip. "Instead, he came to pick us up, himself. That's him over there talking with the guy dressed in a white jacket, next to a black SUV. He's wearing a sun hat and a Khaki shirt." She added, pointing towards the distance.
"Maybe, he was missing you, and that's why he made the trip," Zachary said, looking up—ahead to follow the direction of her finger. He immediately noticed that it was indeed Mr. Martin Stein standing a couple of dozen meters away — just next to an M-Class Mercedes Benz. He was deeply immersed in conversation with a short, stocky guy and didn't even notice their approach.
"Grandpa," Kristin shouted, spreading out her arms for a hug as soon as they reached his position.
"Kristin, you've finally arrived," Mr. Martin Stein said, smiling. He returned her bear hug. "How is my beautiful granddaughter doing today?"
"Fine, but just tired," Kristin replied, still in her grandpa's embrace. She seemed to have returned to her usual cheerful mood.
"That's good," Mr. Stein said and finally turned his gaze towards Zachary. "I'm very excited to be in the presence of the most dazzling star in the Tippeligaen for the month of May. It has been a long time Zachary. How have you been?"
"I'm doing well," Zachary replied, grinning. "It's quite fun playing at the professional stage, especially for Rosenborg. I'm grateful to you for bringing me to Norway."
"No need to be so formal and serious, Zachary," Mr. Stein said, waving his arm about him in a dismissive gesture. "I'm glad you're happy at Rosenborg. But, you should continue working hard and make sure you don't relax. If you stay focused on what is important, I'm sure that you'll be among the best footballers playing in Europe in just a few years."
"Thank you for your advice," Zachary said humbly. "I'll try my best to meet your expectations."
"That great then," Mr. Stein said, finally pushing Kristin away from his embrace. "Ever since I first saw you play in Lubumbashi, I've had great confidence in your raw talent. I'm sure that the sky is your limit."
"Ahem, ahem," it was then that the stocky middle-aged, with broad shoulders and a square chin, gave a light cough, drawing everyone's attention.
"Oh my," Mr. Stein said, face-palming. "Where are my manners? I even forgot to introduce my friend here." He added, patting the stocky man beside him on the shoulder.
"This is Fredrik Helge," Mr. Stein continued. "He is one of my closest partners in the scouting world and sports agency business. Kristin, I'm sure you recall him from when the two of you met a couple of years back in Trondheim."
"I think I do remember him," Kristin said, taking a few steps forward and extending her hand towards Fredrik. "Good afternoon, sir!"
"Good afternoon to you too, Kristin," Mr. Fredrick returned the greeting and shook her hand. "You've grown a lot taller since the last time we met. Are you still chasing your dream of becoming a professional scout?"
"I'm trying to," Kristin replied perfunctorily. "But things are not all plain-sailing. I'm starting to realize it's easier to make a living as an agent rather than a professional scout. So, I'm thinking of pursuing both careers simultaneously."
"That's a good idea," Mr. Helge observed. "You can be both a scout and an agent at the same time. That would even increase your effectiveness, given the current state of the sports industry. It requires versatility on the part of those involved."
"That's the idea," Kristin said, nodding and stepping back.
"Zachary!" Mr. Stein chimed in. "If you need any help with anything sports-related, you should consider seeking Fredrik out. He knows the Scandinavian sports industry quite well. He'll be able to aid you in solving almost any concern in the football industry."
"Oh," Zachary said, nodding and turning towards the stocky middle-aged man. "How are you doing, sir?" He greeted, extending a hand to the other party.
"I'm terrific," Mr. Fredrik Helge replied in a cheerful tone and took Zachary's hand for a firm handshake. "Your reputation precedes you, Zachary. It's a great pleasure to meet you."
"Are you a Rosenborg fan?" Zachary inquired after seeing how passionate he was in his greeting.
Mr. Helge chuckled on hearing that. "Sorry," he said, still smiling. "I grew up in Drammen. So, even though I enjoy watching you play for Rosenborg, I'm still a hardcore fan of Strømsgodset Toppfotball."
"Then, I guess you'll enjoy our match right after the break since we'll be facing your team, Strømsgodset," Zachary remarked.
"Yep," Mr. Helge said, nodding. "I even intend to watch it live at Lerkendal. And, this time around, we'll defeat you since our team has been on form since the start of the season."
"Is that so?" Mr. Stein chimed in before Zachary could give a response. "Don't be too sure about that. Rosenborg's current squad is very versatile — to the point that it can even compete on the European stage. So, you can forget about any chances of winning."
"Have you forgotten that we're the current table leaders?"
"That doesn't mean anything since you're only a single point ahead of Rosenborg. You'll lose the top position after the next fixture."
"Gentlemen," Kristin chipped in before the two men could continue bickering. "I think we should first head home before the two of you continue the discussion. Some of us are quite tired after our journey."
"Oh," Mr. Stein said, smiling sheepishly. "Please, go ahead and put your suitcases into the boot so we can head home. Zachary! That's a massive suitcase! How long do you plan on staying in Bergen?"
"I'm only here for a single night," Zachary replied, pulling his suitcase towards the back of the vehicle. "I prepared this much luggage because I'm heading back to Congo directly from here tomorrow."
"That explains everything," Mr. Stein remarked. "But why head back in the middle of the season? Why not wait until the end of the season so that you can return home for the Christmas break?"
"I'm feeling a little homesick," Zachary replied, lifting his case and placing it into the boot of the Mercedes. "I haven't been back even once ever since I arrived here in Norway."
"Well, that's understandable," Mr. Stein commented, adjusting his sun hat. "Fredrik, we have to part ways for now since I've got to take these kids home. I suggest we link up on Wednesday to continue discussing business?"
"That suits me best," Mr. Helge replied. "By then, I'll have sorted out things on my side."
"That's perfect." He extended a hand to the stocky man. "See you on Wednesday, then."
"Okay." Mr. Helge smiled, taking the proffered hand.
"Zachary! Kristin, it was nice meeting you," he said right after. "And Zachary, please do get in touch if you need help with anything sports-related. Here is my card." He added, handing out a business card to him.
"Sure," Zachary replied, taking the card and shoving it into his shirt pocket. "In case I need anything, I'll let you know. It was nice meeting you." He also extended a hand to the stocky man for another handshake.
"The pleasure is all mine," Fredrik said. "Hopefully, we'll meet again soon."
After Fredrick departed, the three of them got into the vehicle. Mr. Stein navigated it out of the airport parking space and eased it slowly onto the highway. Soon, they were well on their way to the Fjellsiden neighborhood of Bergen in the comfort of Mr. Stein's luxurious M-Class Mercedes.
