A NEW BEGINNING

 

Writing Challenge: Starting Over

 

 

Starting over is not always optional, Sometimes it is necessary! It is necessary to put behind the sufferings of the past and go for a new beginning. Similar was the case with Rebecca Brown. She had to start over her life and it was not an option, it was more of a necessity! So here goes the story of a 24 year old athlete who had to start over because her fate had brought her on the verge of life where she had no option but to start her life all over again!!

The story starts with a 14 year old energetic youth as she crosses the red ribbon to a great applause of the audience! In the very first row to cheer her were her parents, Her 17 year old brother and 8 years old younger sister.. The pride they felt in Becky (Rebecca) could be seen in their eyes as the race she had just one was not just a ordinary one but it was the one to make her eligible to finally compete in the national sports being held that year! After winning that race her hopes soared high with finally winning the title of being a national champion when the incident to completely change her life happened! One day, she was standing at the rooftop of her academy enjoying the cold breeze on her face after training the whole day long. As the wind played wonderfully across her face she imagined being presented with the title of national champion, an imagination which often occupied her head as the days to the final race came nearer! As a gentle smile spreaded on her face at the very thought she heard two of her fellows’ voices coming nearer all the time!! As she stood up to see the wide sky one last time before leaving both those fellows came struggling into view laughing and joking they accidentally pushed Becky from the low walled rooftop and she fell down, down and down until she could see or feel no more!!
When finally Becky opened her eyes she couldn’t tell whether it had been a second or hours since everything was dissolved into nothingness! She saw her mother sitting in the other corner of her room with her back to Becky silently praying! She tried to sit up but she couldn’t! She grunted loudly enough for her mother to hear her who came running towards her daughter as tears of gratitude filled her eyes! She asked her mother the full details of incident and still how many days till the race were left? Her mother, with tears in her eyes told her that the race had already taken place that day and also she might not be able to move now as her lower part of body was paralysed. All her dreams of ever being the national champion were shattered into nothingness in that single moment and she could do nothing but weep about it!! Days passed by and many of her friends and family came and tried to encourage her, give her hopes but to no use. She was completely dejected and nothing anyone said made her feel any better.. And though doctors told her that she can walk if she tried but she had been so dejected with her life that she just didn’t want to try anymore. She felt very sad whenever she saw her siblings looking at her like she would never be healthy again. Her once a sprinting life had come to a sudden halt and stopped there for 6 months now.. She had nothing to do except wallow in self despair. Her mother was very also very upset due to her pitiable condition and had also started being ill.. Her Blood pressure had started to remain high continuously and her cholesterol had also been high for few weeks now. One day when Becky woke up she found her younger sister sitting next to her bed instead of her mother. Upon asking she told Becky that nothing had happened and she was merely upset because she had a headache.. Upon insisting she told her between sobs that their mother have had a heart attack that morning and she’s still in CCU.. Upon hearing that, Becky didn’t wish anything but to run and see her mother that very instant. She made a worthy attempt to stand up and finally managed it with the help of her sister but she could not move more than a step or two. But the adrenaline started rushing in her body as it used to do in her athletic days and made her to reach her mother with the help of a nurse with baby steps in her room. She felt that day that she had to start over and her mother’s life depended on it! If she hadn’t taken those baby steps that day she might not have been able to celebrate the gold medal she had won in Olympics today!!