Antoine Griezmann and Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, two men who took their buses, traveling throughout a village in Japan. This was the time they spent few breathe prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia.
For Griezmann and Ben Youssef, nothing was better than relaxing in somewhere before joining an immediate fly tomorrow.
"Je ne regretterai jamais la décision. C'est une expérience stupéfiante." (I will never regret the decision. It is an amazing experience.)
Ben Youssef stated to Griezmann about it, as they crossed into a paddy field. They covered themselves by sunglasses, to protect them from being noticed by locals. It worked pretty well for them as it helped to fend them. Some people riding by bicycle to even kids began to suspicious over two men, but in the end, they could not get enough notice.
Griezmann, as usual, laughed.
Fakhreddine Ben Youssef then made some statements again: "Croyez-vous que nous devrions aller ailleurs avant le fait de voler en Russie ? Il est grand de goûter un peu d'air là." (Do you think we should go somewhere else before flying to Russia? It is great to taste some air there.)
Griezmann replied: "Ce serait votre décision. Mais à mon opinion, nous ne devrions pas être en retard." (That would be your decision. But in my opinion, we should not be late.)
Fakhreddine, a Tunisian international, has only played in one big tournament, the 2013 African Cup. Now, being selected for the World Cup highlighted his opportunity, when he was shadowed by some internationals like Youssef Msakni and Ahmed Akaïchi. However, he held a low regard of the current team's coach, Nabil Maâloul, due to his poor career with Kuwaiti team.
To speak about the World Cup, having featured four Arab teams, he felt neither of them would be able to pass through. He also showed a deep disappointment that Algeria could not go to the World Cup, citing Algeria is the impression of every Arab countries since their 1982 World Cup.
Antoine side, he felt his duty with France would be more pressuring because on his team included Kylian Mbappé, top star in 2016 U-19 Euro, or those like Paul Pogba, Nabil Fekir to N'Golo Kanté. He kept mentioning to Fakhreddine that nothing to be wary and Tunisia would go through, as he claimed England was not too strong.
They walked out and when they felt it was too much to speak, they sat in a bar and took some coffees. On behest of their run, they saw someone walking into somewhere and they just looked on.
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A cemetery.
Ben Youssef and Griezmann realized a group of kids going into there, they must have been there a bit earlier, but their feeling was still struck on. Ben Youssef wondered what was happening there:
"Croyez-vous qu'ils viennent au cimetière à cause de quelque chose ? Je crois qu'ils ont des chagrins." (Do you think they come to the cemetery because of something? I think they are having sorrows.)
"Je ne sais pas, Ben Youssef. Mais je suppose que nous devrions leur demander pourquoi." (I don't know, Ben Youssef. But I guess we should ask them why.)
They decided to pay money as well as giving the shop's owner a private gift. After they left, the old man began to feel weird because they looked like someone elsewhere.
However, Griezmann was aware that Fakhreddine Ben Youssef isn't popular like him, so he suggested Ben Youssef to put down his sunglasses, believing that he is immune with Griezmann's popularity. Although there was a bit difficult, eventually, Ben Youssef accepted to give up his sunglasses. They walked to the cemetery where they saw a group of five people.
They were both someone who visited their friends' grave. They had not understood what occurred in the past of course, but they never thought about it. When they were looking for something, suddenly, Fakhreddine and Griezmann (with sunglasses) approached to them.
But Fakhreddine's face surely made everyone got scared. He is tall, but looks like a delinquent when he looked down to them. The man tall 1m89 was standing on them like a wall …
"あなたは誰ですか、あなたは何をしていますか？ここですか？" (Who are you and what are you doing … here?)
The first person to realize Fakhreddine was a girl. She got a full scare when seeing Fakhreddine standing like a wall. Fakhreddine was totally un-prepared for such scenario and thus it gave him a relatively bad image. He tried to solve, but of course, Japanese learning English or French are quite few than expected. He could not speak English properly, since Tunisian education system has been very French from the beginning.
Griezmann, on the other side, has some advantages for learning English. So he tried to persuade both:
"Alright, calm, calm! He is not a bad guy! He is just asking, why do you feel so stressful?"
But they were totally reckoned with their appearance. Griezmann with sunglasses covered his eyes totally denied his popularity in an aspect. He felt it would be the only way, but looked how Fakhreddine behave, it would only get the matter worse. The better was, to make it simple, Antoine Griezmann decided to ask:
"Kids, we are just wondering, why are you so upset when it comes to cemetery? I just saw …"
"Our dead friend?" The girl responded.
"Okay, I … just wanna have some small question: why was that?"
"It was a long story … we played a game, and then when our friend's character died, she also followed with her character to the other world …"
Her cold voice gave confusion to already annoying Fakhreddine Ben Youssef and hiding face Antoine Griezmann. She didn't show much opinion but she harbored her feeling that Fakhreddine Ben Youssef and Griezmann in sunglasses didn't respect their privacy. But judging their appearance, she guessed they are foreigners.
Everything was so surprising indeed. But Ben Youssef's incapability to speak English forced Griezmann to take some:
"So, what was the game like?"
"A game known as 'Union'. It was the past, of course because no one played anymore following her death. Is this enough sirs?"
"Well, I think we come because you guys still hold some disputes. I guess you are blaming someone over her death."
"I don't. But it is too much, of course …"
"Rivalry."
"Yup …"
Fakhreddine didn't like this, he showed his discontent over Griezmann, claiming that if Griezmann could speak English, why did he request Fakhreddine to make contact. Antoine reminded that it was Fakhreddine's request, not him. Tunisian international and French international were having some disputes. They could not settle everything out for a bit.
But …
Griezmann, in a determined decision, spoke out:
"Maybe … hey kids, I wonder if you do want to open the TV or not, but I share my condolence. I hope there will be no one died by heart attack after playing game, anymore."
Fakhreddine was a bit surprised to see the confidence of Griezmann, but citing Griezmann had worn sunglasses to cover his face, it was the best thing they could do. Then, he gave a photo and showed to them.
"I also have a similar story. I used to see the death of my friend based on similar cause. I will never forgive myself for her death, too, and I think poorly of that moment."
Griezmann told some hidden story he had tried to hide in the past, especially during the time he was cheering to France in Euro 2000, and how did it affect him on his future path. He was clever by trying to use "future path" instead of talking as player to deny his appearance.
It was quiet in some and very much thrilling. But Fakhreddine doesn't speak English, so he could not understand overall. He thought it was ugly enough to stay in a cemetery, especially ghost … freaky enough for him. In the past, Fakhreddine's friend, Anja, was also very scared of ghost. He remembered an old story when he watched an anime series with Anja when she got scared of what's going on. He felt a bit pathetic.
Aftermath, Griezmann expressed:
"I know you may have some hard time, but we have to go. I hope you shall do the best. I also have my reason to continue my career."
"Okay …" she responded: "But I don't know you also have that too. Anyway, who … are you?"
Griezmann and Ben Youssef, hearing them, they just took something. Ben Youssef used French instead:
"Nous prendrons notre boule dans le stade." (We will take our ball into the stadium.)
And two of them walked away. Leaving the cemetery, Griezmann and Ben Youssef didn't even bother looking back. Meanwhile, those kids became nervous of who had just come to them, but they would have to remember the person on Griezmann's photo. A beautiful blonde girl, pretty much just age 10. This must have a traumatic thing for them to remember, and they felt that, from what they saw, her friend's soul could now have something to cheer from far sky.
Overall, they would have a lot of time to think about …
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#####
Two weeks later …
Volgograd, Russia
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"And now … is the national anthem of Tunisia!"
From the stadium, a man, wearing number 8, appeared on the field. As usual, those kids watching TV realized …
"ねえ、私は彼を知っている！ 私は墓地で彼を見た...彼はそこにいますか？" (Hey, I know him! I saw him in the cemetery … he is there?)
"حماة الحمى يا حماة الحمى
هلموا هلموا لمجد الزمن
لقد صرخت في عروقنا الدماء
نموت نموت ويحيا الوطن
إذا الشعب يوما أراد الحياة
فلا بدّ أن يستجيب القدر
ولا بد لليل أن ينجلي
ولا بد للقيد أن ينكسر
حماة الحمى يا حماة الحمى
هلموا هلموا لمجد الزمن
لقد صرخت في عروقنا الدماء
نموت نموت ويحيا الوطن"
(O defenders of the Homeland!
Rally around to the glory of our time!
The blood surges in our veins,
We die for the sake of our land.
When the people will to live,
Destiny must surely respond.
Oppression shall then vanish.
Fetters are certain to break.
O defenders of the Homeland!
Rally around to the glory of our time!
The blood surges in our veins,
We die for the sake of our land.)
It was …
"ねえ！ 黄色い髪の背の高い男...久しぶりの朝日さんの墓地を訪れた墓地に！" (Hey! The tall guy with yellow hair … in the cemetery when we were visiting grave of late Asahi-san!)
So …
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On behest of the flying Tunisian flag, a tall, handsome and fearsome man, appeared with the number 8. He sang his country's anthem, Defenders of the Homeland, with his full spirits. Standing with him alongside also included Ferjani Sassi, Wahbi Khazri, Dylan Bronn, Anice Badri, Ali Maâloul, …
But it was him!
Fakhreddine Ben Youssef! Ben Youssef, having listened from Griezmann's story, he realized how it happened. It was a bit for him to understand, and he could now learn to forgive it.
"Tunisia! Tunisia!" Fans yelled when his team would face England, their first opponent. But the story of the late girl and how the tragedy fueled their dream, must have indicated Ben Youssef to remember, nothing is over. Of course, his shirt also added "Fakhreddine" to distinguish with "Syam" of Syam Ben Youssef, who also stood with him.
That was a fruitful experience and he wished to know what could have expected from it again. He liked to know about it in the future.
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Meanwhile, as usual, the spirit of a girl named Asahi looked on. She was happy now … as the match, began!