[b][/b]

Matthew stuck the third stick into his mouth. He smiled while doing this because I had always reminded him that smokers are liable to die young. Anyway, he got on with his story. “I was in the hospital bed for three months. It all started with one usual decision. It seemed initially like a good decision but it ended a ludicrous one. That tragic Sunday morning, I got a phone call from Jason. He told me a couple of friends had arranged to have a car race at a particular location. I was getting ready for Sunday service when this call came in. I wanted to know why it could not wait for the evening but Jason ended up convincing me why it had to hold that morning. It became a choice between playing the piano at the church and going for fun; I was the pianist for the church choir. I thought about the fun we would have and more about the fact that Sheila was going to be there too. I dropped the idea of Sunday service and went for the car key. That was the last time I felt the usual warmth of the house and my room for the next three months. The crash took the lives of three of my friends but I was lucky to have survived; even though sadly because I would have preferred dying along with Sheila and the other two. The accident left me in a condition that would have crippled me for the rest of my life. While being hospitalized and going through excruciating pains, I overheard the doctor telling my mother several times that I had very slim chances of using my limbs again. Anyway, the doctor had these private conversations with my mother without knowing that I was paying attention to their discussions.”

The smoke from his mouth engulfed the little space between us. “I wasn't told much but my mother’s gloomy face after each private discussion with the doctor during ward rounds revealed all the hidden messages. Those moods created a sordid atmosphere of despondency in that corner where I holed up seeking for answers. My body needed something positive but my mother and I weren't in the right frame of mind to provide the necessary vibes that could have provided that positivity. I noticed that my body and soul were collapsing in bits. Incidentally, it would take one visit by an unexpected relative to change everything- my maternal uncle walked into the hospital to see me. That was his first visit since the accident happened. I was glad to see him because he was an embodiment of wisdom and he had this solid sense of humour. He lived as if there were no problems in his life. You can understand why I felt relieved seeing him by my bedside. He was with us only for an hour but I smiled and giggled all through. When it was time for him to leave, he came by the bedside and said,

“That you made it till this day has shown that God is willing to give you a second chance. I do not want to know what the medical report said but I am sure that I have a fighter in you. Don't let whatever is willing to take those limbs to win. They are yours- fight to keep them. That reminds me. I got a new piano for you. They said it was the latest model and I can't wait for you to return home and give us some beautiful rendition”

Matthew was done with smoking and I was glad. He continued, “After uncle Dave left, I noticed this vigour and inner strength urging me to get up and walk out of the hospital with my two legs intact. Initially, I was resigned to whatever fate threw at me but after that remarkable visit, I felt a spark of life run through me. I got myself in attack mode and started pushing from all cylinders. My body and soul started working as a team, with recovery being the only thing on my mind; and gaining back what was taken from them. Even the doctor and my mother noticed the new changes. One Saturday morning, the whole ward went into a frenzy- I moved my limbs for the first time in three months. My mother sang and hummed under her breath all through the night. My recovery was astonishingly speedy and the physiotherapist confessed that he never saw anything like that. I was there for another three months before I finally walked out of the hospital with my legs and arms perfectly working all to the glory of God.”

He emptied the glass of beer on the table and concluded. “I got home and could only manage to wait for two weeks to get my new piano from Uncle Dave. It was then that Uncle Dave released the bombshell- there was never a piano. He told me that my recovery rate worried him. He saw that I was fading away and appeared ready to succumb to the fight. The piano which he already knew I loved playing became the bait to lure me back to the ring so I could fight like the warrior they all knew. It was at this point that I made that connection to the miracle that happened. That fightback was to recover so that I could have my new piano. That was the day I added uncle Dave to the list of people that I was going to be indebted to all my life. Sadly enough, he died a few years after this incident.”

REFLECTION
No one can ever be useless in life by helping people find their way. There are many sources through which one can receive or offer inspiration. In other words, you do not need money to inspire people. I was told by Matthew that he later got a piano from the physiotherapist who was astonished by his recovery; the trick by uncle Dave inspired him too. He bought the piano for him when he realized that his uncle couldn't do it.

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