Chapter 1
Mbaye, a boy whose name means “Ruler”, lived in rural Senegal with his farmer father and housewife mother. Despite his young age, Mbaye had to help his father cultivate crops due to the absence of any schools nearby. It was a challenging task as they often faced droughts that lasted for months. However, Mbaye’s father taught him to persevere and fight against all odds to survive. Every day, Mbaye had to walk two miles under the scorching sun to fetch water from the village and irrigate the fertile lands.
On his way back from his father’s farmland, the heat became unbearable. Despite drinking an entire gallon of water, he continued to sweat profusely. Seeking relief, he rested under a coconut tree and dozed off. Suddenly, he was jolted awake by the sound of a nearly-dried coconut falling. Curious, he picked it up and found it hollow and light. He hoped it was ripe and filled with coconut water, but he couldn’t be sure. Eventually, the heat subsided, and he continued his journey home with the coconut in tow.
After a short while, he grew weary of lugging the coconut and opted to place it on the ground and give it a good kick. At that moment, he continued to kick it back to his village. From that day on, he became enamored with the game of football. He would kick the coconut back and forth between his village and the plantation, making his long journey enjoyable.
