Race // marco reus

xiii.

Marco Reus. What was the definition of this man? one thing he for sure was that he was charming. even when he wasn't at all trying, everything about him was charming. The way he dribbled the ball when he played, the way the sweat ran down his sideburns, the way he huffed and puffed when he was getting tired. I could watch him play football all day long.

Shocked was an understatement if we were to describe how I felt when I got here and I saw him in the open courtyard playing football with the children. My stomach did all sorts of twist and turns and the feeling felt so good. It was unnatural, it being that I've never felt it before.

our eyes locked when one of the children, Alex ran over and grabbed my hand shaking it furiously, demanding that I play with them. The crooked smirk appeared on his lips as his eyes landed on me. He along with the rest of the children kept calling me to play.

I had no choice but to accept and I had to try to fight the awfully large grin that was spreading like wild fire upon my lips. I didn't want to express my feelings in front of my father or any of the camera men that were supposed to follow Marco. wouldn't want them to take the wrong picture and have it sent back to his homeland and embarrass him.

The football game was brief yet tiring. Marco and I were on separate teams. I wasn't awful at football but I wasn't a professional either. I poked the ball away from Marco a few times sending it up to one of my teammates but then Marco would return back with the ball embarrassing me with his footwork and step overs and the kids would roar in oohs and ahhs every time he did some trick on me. At the end I got him, I dribble the ball threw his legs nutmegging him and send the ball to Alex who scored the winning goal for us.

"nice game." Marco pulled my hands into his own shaking it.

"Thanks." I smiled at him.

"Can we uh talk?"

"Right now?" I asked.

"Yeah." He nodded his head.

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I thought we were just going to walk around the perimeter of the orphanage, but we found ourselves farther than that and not only that but it had gotten dark outside. Which meant Marco's agent was probably pulling what's left of his hair out looking for marco. And my father probably ratted me out to my mother who is most likely ripping out her own flesh of hair. But I didn't care, I needed to let Marco know everything.

"so your just going to marry him?" Marco asked.

"I don't know. I don't feel engaged to him, but my clock is ticking and I'm still living with my parents. I really need to get on with my life and grow up and just settle down, get serious with life." I answered.

"do you-" he paused. "do you love him?"

"no." I answered quickly. "I used to have feelings for him, yes, but love? probably on a family level because we've been friends for so long."

"ok." He nodded. "so let me just get this straight. You aren't engaged to him?"

"do you see a ring on my finger?" I asked. "but to be honest I'll probably just end up with him at the end."

"oh" he stopped walking. I stopped walking as well. The kampala lights sparkled across his face and I now realized where we were. We were on Mango Hill.

"what if he's not the only option for you?" Marco face me.

"What if he is?"

"he's not." Marco said. "You are such a smart, funny girl. Any guy would be lucky to be with you. I'm even lucky to be talking to you right now. god, Adisa you have no idea how crazy you drive me. It's unreal. You are so kirabika bulungi, yes I spent so much time remembering that word so I could tell you how I truly feel. you make me so desperate and I don't know what this feeling is and I'm still learning it for myself."

"marco..what are you trying to say?" I was taken back. I've never had a guy spill his guts out for me. maybe in Europe girls were used to this but certainly not in Africa.

"this is what I'm trying to say." He took a step closer to me. I didn't know what to do so I took a step back and he stepped closer and I continued moving back until he finally caught up to me grabbing my waist. I didn't know what he wanted until his lips were on mine.

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If you forgotten

kirabika bulungi = beautiful