Adaeze

72

"I have a brother but unfortunately he is the American stereotype that you probably thought of when you realized I was American. He's a...work in progress." I stated after Akin asked me if I had siblings.
"And I should just expect you to be different?"
"He is." Adaeze stated.
I appreciated her constant fight for me. Her brother is really skeptical but I guess I get it. We probably don't look that good in the media to other countries.
We don't even look that good in the media here.

"Adaeze told me you play football. That's cool." I stated.
"You watch?" he asked.
"Yea, man. All the time. It's my favorite sport after basketball."
"Really? Who's your favorite team?"
I'm getting him. It really was that easy.
"The Chiefs." I stated. Hopefully his isn't some rival team that makes him hate me more.
"I'm sorry?" he questioned.

I felt Adaeze look at me too. I looked back at her and she was confused. I looked back at Akin.

"The...Chiefs?" I repeated. "Is yours like the 49ers or something?" I snickered awkwardly.
"What are you saying?" he asked me.
I looked back at Adaeze.

"Does he not like the Chiefs?" I whispered to her.
"Who is that?" she whispered back.
I scoffed, thinking she was joking.
She's being dead serious.

"The Chiefs. They're red and white?" I tried to explain.

But while I was explaining, I realized something.

"Holy shit..." I began.

"Soccer!" I stated.
They both stared at me.
"You're talking about soccer! Oh my fucking god..." I covered my face with my hands and just rested there in embarrassment.

I felt Adaeze begin to rub my back as I sat there in despair.

I'm stupid. So stupid. Just stupid. Dumb as fuck. He'll hate me forever. He'll want me dead. He'll remember this moment for the rest of his life. I've made everything worse. I blew it.

"He is just a bit confused." Adaeze told him.
I groaned and laid my face in my arms on the desk.
"Okay...well I have to go. I came home to change and get ready to go to the field. We were going to play a match."
"Okay." Adaeze replied while I wallowed in self hate and pity.
"You should come back home soon." he told her.
"Akin..." she sighed.
"I am just saying. You can find a nice man here. They are all around."
"Okayyyy, goodbye." she cut him short.
"Bye."
The call ended.

I groaned loudly.
Adaeze kept rubbing my back. "The chiefs?"
"THEY'RE AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL TEAM!" I yelled and sat up. "I ASKED A MAN FROM NIGERIA IF HE LIKED AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL TEA-..."
I put my head back down with my hands in my hair in anguish.

He has every right to hate Americans. Stupid fucking group of people. Why are we fucking dumb? So fucking dumb. Talking to an African man about AMERICAN football like some kind of fucking idiot. Fucking dumbass. What the fuck?

"Ah, so that's what you meant..." Adaeze realized.
I laid my face on the table.
"It's okay, baby. I forget football means something else to you. Even though it is very stupid. Football means ball with the foot. Ball you play with foot. What is soccer?" she mocked.
"I don't know, we're fucking dumb." I whined.
She kissed my head. "It's okay. My parents like you."

Ignorant fucking American.
I should be put down like a sick dog.

Alright I'm being dramatic. Except I'm not. Kill me.

~

I showed up to the skate park after a nap I took to relieve my stress.

Like usual, Dylan and Tristan were already there. I walked over to them with my board while they were sitting down.

"Wooooaahhh, Mr. CEO. What's with the cut?" Dylan joked.
"I had to meet Adaeze's parents. Didn't want to look homeless." I explained.
"How did it go?" Tristan asked.
"It was fine. I talked to them for like an hour and a half. Went well. I laughed at their jokes, they laughed at mine. They were nice. She has her dad's sarcasm and her mom's face. Her mom called me handsome. It was cool." I stated.
They nodded.
"Until I met her brother..." I added.
"Oh shit." said Dylan.
"What happened?" asked Tristan.
"We started talking about football. And I confused them because...I told them my favorite team was the Chiefs..."
"Dude..." said Tristan.
"I KNOW!" I sat down next to him.
"I don't get it." said Dylan.

We both looked at him.

"The Chiefs. He said his favorite team was the Chiefs. The Kansas City Chiefs. In America." said Tristan. "He told that to a Nigerian man..."
We watched it click for Dylan. "Ohhhhhhh..."
We both nodded.
"See that's so like an arrogant fucking American. That's fucking embarrassing, dude." Dylan stated.
"Shut up, bitch!" I told him.

"What happened after?" Tristan asked.
"Nothing. He just said he had to go and then they hung up."
"Damn."
"It was embarrassing as fuck, dude. Like I knew that! I knew they called soccer football. Everyone but us does. I think I just forgot because of how fucking nervous I was. She told me he hated Americans. So I was stressing out."
"And you probably did not make it better." Tristan stated. "Now he thinks we're even more stupid than he thought."
Dylan laughed.
"Thanks, Tris." I said sarcastically.
"No problem."

"But at least her parents like me." I stated.
"How do you know?" Dylan asked.
"She told me. I don't think she would lie. She didn't say her brother liked me so..."
"Then yea she's probably being honest." Tristan stated.
"Yea..."

I laid down and just stared at the sky.

"What do her parents do?"
"I don't remember, I just know they're geniuses." I answered.
"Right."