Chapter 7: A Memory To Forget

Dane’s POV

 

While walking back to campus, Dane and Oscar ran into Dane’s ex-girlfriend, Sympathy.

 

The sight of her immediately took him back to their first meeting years earlier, back when he was far more energetic and carefree, because his parents and sibling died – crushing his spirit with every memory tearing his mind apart.

She was an African exchange student who had arrived at Holloway Community College in Dane’s second year as a student, right after he

Had enrolled in the college soccer team, playing as the team’s leading right-back defender and showcasing his defensive talents while keeping goals at a minimum throughout majority of their matches.

Dane and Sympathy had met on the first day of the new semester when Dane was casually walking by her in the campus yard.. she had just happened to be on the phone talking to her mom at that instance. Dane, being the Curious George that he was, couldn’t help himself, and stopped in his tracks – turning back to question her about her Origins.

Dane; giving a hand gesture…

“Can I have a word with you when you’re finished with your phone call?”

 

Sympathy, being the curious, welcoming, open minded foreigner she was; smiled, then gestured back… “Sure.”

 

“Mom, I have to go na… No Ma, something just dey come up na… Ma wetin you dey talk now na? It’s not like that now… Okay Ma, I will call you

Back later… I love you too… Bye.” She then pressed the power button and covered her face.

Dane reached out for a handshake, She reached back after staring at his hand for a good second.

“Hi, my name is Dane, this is my territory and I’ve never seen this beautiful face anywhere here before. I would be delighted to know how a beautiful African girl such as yourself ended up

All the way in an American college. Do you speak staandard English?”

“Well… Nice to meet you too, Dane. Yes, I do speak standard English.”

 

“My apologies. Miss?” He ask while still hold on to her hand

“Sympathy, you can call me Sympathy. I’m an exchange student, from Nigeria. I know that is not all that you stopped here for. I know about all you horny American “Men”, so tell me… What are you doing wasting your time with an outsider like myself?

 

“Actually, I’m a member of the soccer team here, and like I said. This is my territory, so I checked most of the new faces I see around here.” He a explains while looking around as if he owns the place. “I was wondering if you could be my tutor, and teach your language to me sometime.”

He stared at her a little bit, while she stared back at him and looked around the campus…

“I have to get to class. It was nice chatting with you, Dane.”

“So you’re just gonna leave me hanging like that?”

Sympathy turned around and continued walking backwards with a handful of books hugged onto her abdomen while she said with a raised voice.

 

“You are a soccer player, you’ve got better things to do than to add another girl to your list of heartbreaks!”

She then smiled and turned back around.

 

“I guess they were right about African girls, they do take an arm and a leg.” Said before he smiled and turned around heading back in the opposite direction.

 

Later that day, he was on his way to his lecture toom, being late as always, he stopped by the lecture room doorway; frozen as if he was the

First person to enter the lecture room that day. A voice recited a lesson while he stood there staring.

 

“= (1/n) * sum((actual value – predicted value)^2). At first glance, the equation may appear complicated, but it is actually quite straightforward, let’s break it down. The variable n represents the total number of data points in a dataset. The symbol yᵢ represents the actual observed value, while ŷᵢ represents the value predicted by a machine learning model. The expression inside-“

“Dane Hamilton!” The professor cut the reader short  to address Dane’s frozen gaze. “What is your reason for being late today again Sir?” Dane was standing at the entrance of the lecture room staring as if he had seen a beautiful ghost. “Well, Mr. Hamilton?”

 

“I’m sorry, Professor Gregory, it won’t happen again.”

 

“Yeah, that’s what you say every day. Have your seat. Carry-on, Miss Chisom.”

 

Sympathy lowers her head slightly and continues with her presentation.

 

“As I was saying. The expression inside the parentheses calculates the difference between the actual value, and the predicted value.

This difference is called the error. Next-“

 

Dane sat inside the lecture room that entire time not hearing a single word that was being explained by Sympathy, utterly mesmerized

By her professionalism and her undetoured courage.

“Dane! Dane! Man are you even listening to a single word I’m saying?”

“Oh! Oscar.. sorry man. What, what were you saying?” Dane asked after realizing he was zoned out remember that he missed all that Oscar was talking to him about.

 

“I said, there’s your African chick heading in our

Direction!” said Oscar

“Let’s go, I just remembered that I had something to do back home.” Dane responded in a low tone

 

“What, man are you on shrooms or something? I thought you used to dig that chick bruh. What the fuck happened dawg? Broski, you gotta tell me what’s going on man, a nigguh

Need to be kept in the loop!” Oscar desperately urged

“Yeah, some other time. Let’s go.” Said Dane

“Whatever you say man. You’re the boss.” Oscar then agreed

Back at the hospital, Daniel and Rebecca were having a subtle evening. Jane arrives at Daniel’s room and immediately realizes Rebecca, whom she had been wondering where she had been all afternoon, had not been at lectures – nor practice that day because she was busy spending time with Daniel.

“Why weren’t you at lectures, or training today Rebecca, and what the hell are you doing here with Daniel?” Jane asked while noticeably upset

“I went by your house to look for you and you weren’t there, so I thought you must have been here, so I came here, but only found Daniel.

I’ve just been here chilling since then.” Rebecca replied

 

“Yeah babe, we’ve just been having a few laughs while we waited for you.” Daniel added in Rebecca’s defense

“Ugh! I have a cellphone Rebecca, you could have called or texted.” She then turned around and headed back through the door stomping her feet.

“Jae- ah! Damn, that hurts.” Daniel squirmed as he tried to get up

 

Rebecca followed behind her fearing that she might be thinking that something was up between her and Daniel.

“Jane!” Rebecca shouted

 

“What!? You missed training and you know how much we need you!” Shouted Jane

“What? I thought that- I thought that we didn’t have training today with all that was going on. I know you have a bad thigh” Rebecca added

“You think I care about what one stupid nurse says?” shouted Jane

 

In that same moment, the nurse walked around the hallway corner, overhearing their argument, catching Jane by surprise.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-“ Jane immediately said while bursting into tears before covering her mouth and storming out of the hospital.