Golden Hawks – Episode 1: The Beginning

Golden Hawks – Episode 1: The Beginning

The afternoon sun cast long shadows on the schoolyard as Perfect Iloh and his friends, Darwin Iroughene and Nosa, sat under the mango tree near the football pitch. Their voices were filled with excitement, their hands moving wildly as they discussed their favorite topic—football.

“Did you see Ronaldo’s goal last night?” Perfect asked, his eyes shining. “That bicycle kick was insane!”

Darwin nodded enthusiastically. “That man is not normal! The way he jumped, it was like he was flying.”

Nosa laughed. “Even our school’s best striker can’t dream of scoring like that.”

They all chuckled, but then Darwin’s face turned serious. He looked at his friends for a moment before speaking.

“What if we make our own team?” he asked.

Perfect raised an eyebrow. “Our own team?”

“Yes,” Darwin said. “A real football team. We’re always playing, always talking about the greats. Why don’t we start something?”

Nosa leaned back against the tree, thinking. “It sounds good, but do you think we can really do it?”

Darwin sighed. “I don’t know… but what if we try? It may be good.”

The idea lingered in Perfect’s mind even after they left school that day. When he got home, he was greeted by his parents, Ifeoma and Joseph, and his older sister, Amanda.

“How was school?” his mother asked.

“Fine,” Perfect said with a small smile before heading to his room.

Inside, he pulled out his diary and sat at his small wooden desk. He took a deep breath and wrote in bold letters:

GOLDEN HAWKS

Beneath the name, he started listing the players he wanted in the team:

Perfect Iloh – Striker

Darwin Iroughene – Midfielder

Nosa – Defender

Femi – Goalkeeper

Uche – Winger

Sadiq – Midfielder

Emmanuel – Defender

Chinedu – Forward

Kelvin – Winger

Ayo – Defender

Michael – Midfielder

He stared at the names, feeling a surge of excitement. But then, doubt crept in. What if it never worked? What if they never got the chance?

With a heavy heart, he tore the page from his diary and crumpled it.

Years Later…

Now older, Perfect was no longer a schoolboy dreaming about football. He was a Bolt driver, picking up passengers to make a living. Life had moved on, and so had he—until one fateful evening.

A ride request came in. The location: Victory Academy Secondary School.

Perfect arrived and waited near the gate. Moments later, a young boy ran towards the car, still dressed in his football kit. He opened the door, breathing heavily.

“Good evening, sir,” the boy said.

“Evening,” Perfect replied, glancing at him through the mirror. “You play football?”

The boy grinned. “Yes! I scored two goals today.”

Perfect smiled faintly. The energy, the excitement—it reminded him of himself years ago.

As they drove, the boy kept talking about football, about his dream of playing professionally. Perfect listened, feeling something awaken inside him.

When they reached the stadium, the boy grabbed his bag, but before stepping out, he turned back.

“Sir,” he said. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What’s that?”

The boy pulled out a small notebook and handed it to Perfect. “Can you write something for me?”

Perfect hesitated, then took the book. He opened to a fresh page and, without thinking, wrote:

PROJECT GOLDEN HAWKS IS BACK.

The boy beamed. “Thank you, sir.”

As Perfect watched him disappear into the stadium, his heart pounded. The dream he had buried so long ago was knocking again.

Maybe, just maybe, the Golden Hawks weren’t finished yet.

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