6# The Courage
Days after James got drunk in Jonathan’s tattoo shop, he was there again. Sitting on the sofa. Jonathan stared at him, asked, “You’re not drunk again, don’t you?”
“Of cause I’m not! I’m will not drink again anymore…!” James fired. He had been experience the bad feelings of being a drunken.
Jonathan asked for confirmation. James was going to have a tattoo on himself.
“Are you serious, Jim?”
James nodded, “I won’t be afraid anymore…”
“Very good, boy… You’re the last customer in my shop.” Jonathan geared up. Wore the gloves and covered himself with the mask.
“The world has no end… You need to take a look by yourself to prove that it’s true.”
James went back to his house.
He stood in front of the mirror. Looking at the tattoo drawn by Jonathan on his right chest.
A star.
A symbol gave by Jonathan to him, to send his courage to James. Courage needed for James to face the reality, and the world.
“Dad, I’m going out for a haircut”
“Alright…” James’s father was reading the newspaper and did not bother much about him. But when he noticed, he realised that James had turned out to be more optimistic from his voice.
James stopped in front of the altar. Showed his mother the courage sealed in the tattoo on his chest.
He did not have hair cut for a long period because he was parted away with the social. Now he looked totally fresh and energetic with his short hair look.
He called Anne out. To the field where they used to play together with when they were young.
“Jim… What’s the manner?”
Anne looked anxious. She did not know the reason why James called her out. As far as she knew, James would not even meet her anymore.
James was even more nervous.
He swallowed his saliva, took a deep breath…
“I want to show you my leg after the operation.”
Anne was stunned to hear that from James himself.
“A man… cannot live within the sympathy from a women that he likes…”
Deep inside, James understood that if he remained strong, everything would be fine. If he was strong enough, then he was able to forget to pain of losing his right leg.
To be strong, like Jonathan himself.
James sat aside, untied his prosthetic. He put it on the ground. Lightly he punched at his right chest, where his tattoo was, as to gain the courage from himself.
He stood up, pulled up the trousers at the right. And revealed his leg after the operation, to Anne.
“You…” Anne looked at his leg.
“Your foot was joined…” She said. “Ro… Rotation?”
“Is this operation called as Rotation?” Anne asked.
James was surprised that Anne, a little girl would know such a complicated term for the operation. It’s impossible for her to know it since it was not even taught in the school.
“How would you know that?” James asked back.
Anne looked down, shy.
“I’m sorry… I had read some articles before about Rotation.”
James was so touched. He had never expected that Anne had done so many things for him. She sent him schoolwork to his doorstep when he hided himself in his room. She sent him the form so that he could continue his high school by mailing. She even sent him the graduation certificate. But James had never appreciated every single thing that Anne did to him.
And Anne even did survey for operations. Because she knew that James would not survive without sports. And Rotation was the only choice for him to stay with sport. So that James would wear the prosthetic easily. Thus enable him to get involved in sport activities.
Therefore James’s operation was under Anne’s prediction. Even though she did not help him directly in this case. But she did something regarding the operation – She knew that Rotation was a must for James.
James’s heart began to cry. He was so regret for all the things he had done, and all the hurting words he had said to Anne. The girl that he likes…
“I’m sorry…”
James picked up the pieces from the floor, in his room. He joined back the torn paper, which he wrote, “ I want to run faster than anyone else!” With the sticker he used, he stuck back the paper on the wall again.
He sat on the wheelchair Jon-1 gave by Jonathan, and stared at the paper on the wall.
“Very good!”
Jonathan had gone to the US to continue his work as a tattoo artist over there.
Anne became the manager of the wheelchair basketball team, which James joined.
Brian’s condition was getting worse. He could not sit on the wheelchair anymore, but lying on the bed at all times. What left were just his hands to move, and his facial expressions.
As a person who had supported James before, James always makes his visit to Brian’s place. Gave him some magazine about Basketball. Showing him the tape that he had recorded for wheelchair basketball competitions…
At least James could still play “passing” basketball to Brian. So that Brian could still feel, the feelings of holding a basketball.
Before Brian died, James accompanied him until the last second he had.
A few years after, James was spotted and selected to represent his country. He was invited to join the national wheelchair basketball team.
Finally he had stepped on the path where Jonathan been. And everything that Brian said was always in his mind.
“If life is so short, then just make it more happening, and fight with it…”
End
“Of cause I’m not! I’m will not drink again anymore…!” James fired. He had been experience the bad feelings of being a drunken.
Jonathan asked for confirmation. James was going to have a tattoo on himself.
“Are you serious, Jim?”
James nodded, “I won’t be afraid anymore…”
“Very good, boy… You’re the last customer in my shop.” Jonathan geared up. Wore the gloves and covered himself with the mask.
“The world has no end… You need to take a look by yourself to prove that it’s true.”
James went back to his house.
He stood in front of the mirror. Looking at the tattoo drawn by Jonathan on his right chest.
A star.
A symbol gave by Jonathan to him, to send his courage to James. Courage needed for James to face the reality, and the world.
“Dad, I’m going out for a haircut”
“Alright…” James’s father was reading the newspaper and did not bother much about him. But when he noticed, he realised that James had turned out to be more optimistic from his voice.
James stopped in front of the altar. Showed his mother the courage sealed in the tattoo on his chest.
He did not have hair cut for a long period because he was parted away with the social. Now he looked totally fresh and energetic with his short hair look.
He called Anne out. To the field where they used to play together with when they were young.
“Jim… What’s the manner?”
Anne looked anxious. She did not know the reason why James called her out. As far as she knew, James would not even meet her anymore.
James was even more nervous.
He swallowed his saliva, took a deep breath…
“I want to show you my leg after the operation.”
Anne was stunned to hear that from James himself.
“A man… cannot live within the sympathy from a women that he likes…”
Deep inside, James understood that if he remained strong, everything would be fine. If he was strong enough, then he was able to forget to pain of losing his right leg.
To be strong, like Jonathan himself.
James sat aside, untied his prosthetic. He put it on the ground. Lightly he punched at his right chest, where his tattoo was, as to gain the courage from himself.
He stood up, pulled up the trousers at the right. And revealed his leg after the operation, to Anne.
“You…” Anne looked at his leg.
“Your foot was joined…” She said. “Ro… Rotation?”
“Is this operation called as Rotation?” Anne asked.
James was surprised that Anne, a little girl would know such a complicated term for the operation. It’s impossible for her to know it since it was not even taught in the school.
“How would you know that?” James asked back.
Anne looked down, shy.
“I’m sorry… I had read some articles before about Rotation.”
James was so touched. He had never expected that Anne had done so many things for him. She sent him schoolwork to his doorstep when he hided himself in his room. She sent him the form so that he could continue his high school by mailing. She even sent him the graduation certificate. But James had never appreciated every single thing that Anne did to him.
And Anne even did survey for operations. Because she knew that James would not survive without sports. And Rotation was the only choice for him to stay with sport. So that James would wear the prosthetic easily. Thus enable him to get involved in sport activities.
Therefore James’s operation was under Anne’s prediction. Even though she did not help him directly in this case. But she did something regarding the operation – She knew that Rotation was a must for James.
James’s heart began to cry. He was so regret for all the things he had done, and all the hurting words he had said to Anne. The girl that he likes…
“I’m sorry…”
James picked up the pieces from the floor, in his room. He joined back the torn paper, which he wrote, “ I want to run faster than anyone else!” With the sticker he used, he stuck back the paper on the wall again.
He sat on the wheelchair Jon-1 gave by Jonathan, and stared at the paper on the wall.
“Very good!”
Jonathan had gone to the US to continue his work as a tattoo artist over there.
Anne became the manager of the wheelchair basketball team, which James joined.
Brian’s condition was getting worse. He could not sit on the wheelchair anymore, but lying on the bed at all times. What left were just his hands to move, and his facial expressions.
As a person who had supported James before, James always makes his visit to Brian’s place. Gave him some magazine about Basketball. Showing him the tape that he had recorded for wheelchair basketball competitions…
At least James could still play “passing” basketball to Brian. So that Brian could still feel, the feelings of holding a basketball.
Before Brian died, James accompanied him until the last second he had.
A few years after, James was spotted and selected to represent his country. He was invited to join the national wheelchair basketball team.
Finally he had stepped on the path where Jonathan been. And everything that Brian said was always in his mind.
“If life is so short, then just make it more happening, and fight with it…”
End
posted by Mike at 15:38
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