Pursuing a Promise

By Cristian. English 6.

Pursuing a Promise:

It was a cold winter at night, Saleem was sent to the nearest hospital after suffering an accident during his football game, Saleem had dislocated his knee, ironically right after scoring the wining touchdown for his team.

“ Look at his left knee!. I am not sure it’s either broken or dislocated!. We need a doctor! Someone call an ambulance!.” Coach Achiron knew it was a very serious injury, he also knew this could easily end Saleem’s career. In pain and agony Saleem was screaming, not being able to speak. His mind, in all the unspoken thoughts he had at that moment, Saleem passed out. The next morning Saleem woke up, still feeling the effects of the morphine, the first person he saw standing right next to him was his mother. Feeing his son’s pain Saleem’s mother kneel to the floor and lean her head on his son’s shoulder. “My son, you had me so worried. I don’t know what would happened to my heart if I ever see you suffer like that again. I felt so useless, I couldn’t do anything to help you. I’m sorry.” His mother was truly worried, it seemed that there was nothing anybody, not even her own son could say to make her sorrow go away. In a soft voice Saleem’s mother found the will to ask her son a question she thought she never had to ask his son. “ Saleem, I know that you are a fighter and that you never give up on what you want. I am very proud of you for that, but for once you have to think of your physical well being and live your pride behind. Please don’t insist on going back to football after this.” Immediately after his mother paused, Saleem turn his eyes to her, “Dear mother, no pain in the world would make me stop doing what I love to do the most. After dad die, I made a promise to myself I will never let a hit bring me down to my knees, but if I ever hit the floor so hard that knock my breath out, I will still get up back on my feet. Mother I know dad is looking down on us from up above, I will never do anything to give him the impression that I’m weak. For his name and in his honor I will come back and keep doing what I used to do with him every long afternoon of my childhood.” Saleem paused, reach for a glass of water and he began explaining to his mother.

“Mother can’t you see, dad introduced me to this great sport, I hold too many memories playing football. Every time I make a play or score a touchdown it brings me back to him, even if it’s for a few seconds, it’s all worth it. I wouldn’t change that for all the wealth in the world. I will not let dad down.” Saleem’s true passion was football, a game that reminded him of his father and brought the good all times back. Saleem could not wait to get out of the hospital to begin his recuperation training. The doctors tolled him it will take at least six months to take the cast out. They told him that there is no telling of what can happen if he receives another hit on that left knee or even if the knee will support the pressure that the sport demands from mostly running and jumping. For Saleem what the doctors were telling him were just mean less words for he had already made a decision that was always clear in his head. Determine to comeback, deep in his heart he knew it wasn’t over for him. Saleem just wanted one last game in the memory of his father. Something he always wanted to do but never thought of doing so soon. Without saying one word Saleem looked at the doctors, slowly shook his head, looked up and made his way out of the hospital. “Mother if it’s okay with you I rather walk home, I have to be alone, I have a lot of things in my head.” Saleem’s mother quickly answer. “But Saleem, you have a cast on, you just got out of the hospital, what are you thinking?” Immediately his mother that Saleem needed some time alone, so she decided to give him some space. On his way home Saleem began to think of what can he do to recover faster. He decided that the best thing for him to do was to begin training as soon as possible and put all his time and energy to his purpose. His training took place on the old garage behind his house that him and his dad turned into a workout gym. The gym itself was left intact after Saleem’s father die, it was like somehow Saleem still felt his father’s presence at all times when he was inside the gym. The feeling just encouraged him to work harder and gave him a sense of security that he was doing the right thing. During the first month of training Saleem’s mother would stand next to the door making sure his son had everything needed to make his training a little easier. At the same time Saleem’s mother felt something was not right with her son.