2002 School Magazine

original works . .

Faith Everyone applauded as lake stepped up to shake the Principal's hand. However, unlike all the other awards lake had received before, accepting his First XVjersey on assembly meant the most. It was a tradition that had developed over the Years at Shore School: the First XV Rugby Team were presented with theirjerseys on the assembly before the first match. For lake and the other Grade 125 in the team, this season meant more than any other Everyone knew how important the first game of the season was, especially this Year because they were playing Joeys 1st Joseph's Collegej. the best rugby school in Sydney, too often their conquerors in premiership-deciding matches in the changing room before the game, the coach came and spoke to Jake. 'This is the big one Jake, I am relying on You today Do us proud, son!" As the First XV ran out through the tunnel onto the field for the last game of a long Saturday of football. there was a huge roar from the crowd. The atmosphere was amazing! The referee blew his whistle to indicate the start of the game. The first half flew by with lake scoring two tries and kicking three penalties. At the half time break. Shore were ahead by ten points After a short talk with the coach. they ran back out for the second half. Again, the referee blew his whistle to start the second half. The ball was kicked straight to Jake; he went for a long run, weaving through the defence. He was running hard and didn't see the defender coming from the side. He picked Jake up and flipped him 50 he landed straight on his head. lakejust lay there, knocked-out , COLD. The team physio ran out and supported Jake's neck until the ambulance arrived When he woke, he was lying In a hospital bed with his parents by his side. A doctor walked into the room and said he had the results from the x-rays. "lake, You have damaged Your spine and also cracked a few of Your lower vertebrae which may affect the movement in Your legs. But don't rush to any conclusions because with treatment, the situation will improve. " lake's mum burst into tears and his dad tried to comfort her. Jake didn't want to believe what the doctor had just told him. How could this happen? Nothing had ever gone wrong in his life before. Why now, in his most important Year of school? From that Saturday afternoon onwards, lake was in that hospital bed. The visits from his family, his girlfriend, Katie and his friends from school didn't make any of the lonely days and nights worthwhile In the first few weeks that Jake was In hospital, Katie visited him quite a few times. Each time she walked through the door, Jake said the same thing. "Oh, come to see the cripple have You? Just go home, I know you don't want to be here. Plus there is not much point anyway. " Even when lake's friends from football come after practice he said, "God, why did You have to come in THOSE clothes. Just stop trying to rub in what I can't have. Get lost!" lake spent about six months in hospital. He rarely went to rehabilitation sessions and if he did go. he never put any effort in After a long six months, lake was sent home with his parents Once he was home, there were even more visitors than there were at the hospital. Jake's mum always put on a happy face for the visitors though Jake knew she cried every night, when he could hear her. Being home frustrated lake even more than being in hospital, because he was in a familiar environment but couldn't do the things he used to be able to do. He became very frustrated. depressed and angry. He didn't go to any more rehabilitation sessions and stopped doing his exercises. He staved in his room all day. everyday, not even trying to make things work. No mater what his parents tried to do to lit his spirits; he just pushed them further and further away. He continued to treat visitors the same way, telling them to "Get lost" and "Leave the cripple alone. " Katie's visits were the worst because it just reminded him of all he had lost. She was always talking about the formal, but lake didn't care anymore. "But the formal is coming up, Jake, I don't want to go with anyone else. We have been planning it all Yea r. " On Saturday evening, a few weeks later, the doorbell rang and lake's mum answered it. She opened the door to find Katie standing there in an elegant red formal dress, with her hair and make-up done beautifully. She was holding lake's buttonhole in her hand. Jake's mum said, " don't know what's wrong. He has been in his room all day. " Katie ran upstairs to find lake sitting at his desk with a bottle of his dad's alcohol in one hand and painkillers in the other Katie said, "Why aren't You dressed? The special Iimo is waiting outside. Are You coming or what?" lake turned around to face her, tears came to his eyes. There she stood in her beautiful dress, a girl any guy would be proud to seen with. She wasn't giving up on him "Yeah right, Katie. I'm sure You want to be seen with a freak!" "But that is not who You are. "

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