The Steps of Courage and Wellness
Keep the faith tightly hold on, Things will surely get better….
Morning walk is a very familiar, common word that all of us are aware of. Most of the thoughts are stuck with this one point, a morning walk is good for health. If someone tells you that a small walk of a few steps in the morning can change someone’s life, nobody will believe it. But it happens, many have seen it happening.
It is a beautiful morning, and the breeze is fresh and cool. John helps Ginni, her elder sister to come out of the car. He held her hand, and support her with one hand around her waist so that she could climb three stairs at the entrance of the park. She notices lots of people in the park as she enters, John urges her to enter even when she is hesitant.
Approximately 15 to 16-year-old Ginni is wearing a blue gown. She is very bulky she is too young to carry this much weight. She is wearing a tight cap on her head resembling a swimming cap. John motivates her for a walk. Ginni refused to walk after one step but John insisted. After two more steps, she sits on the bench nearest to her. Few people are curiously observing them. The boy brings different flowers from the flower beds, for her; she is happy with the flowers. Both sit there on the bench, talking, playing with flowers and spending time. Before leaving the park, John assists her up on the swing and pushes the swing hard, she goes up and came down with the swing, shouting and enjoying herself like a small kid. When she comes down and finds it difficult to hold, John comes running and holds her hands. She was safe and back on her feet.
The next day both came at the same time. He tells her to walk, she obeys for some time and stops at one place.
John - Ginni, walk more
Ginni - Five steps are more than enough; I am in so much pain.
John - But if you don’t walk, it will become a permanent pain.
Ginni- Hamm
Ginni tries to take a few more steps.
For the next few months, this was the routine of Ginni and John. He will make her walk every day. Ginni tries, and when she fails, she becomes frustrated and sometimes yells at John. John doesn’t react to her anger. He does the same exercise each day. After two weeks, Ginni replaces her green cap with a fashionable hat, routine remains the same. Daily exercise improved Gini’s number of steps. Every day John will help her enjoy the swing, up and down before leaving the park as a reward for her walk.
This park is huge and well-maintained. This park is the lifeblood of the city’s affluent neighbourhoods. It has so many flower beds, swings, a fountain, a kid’s play area, and carefully maintained tracks for walking and running. There are ample benches for people to sit and relax. Many people are very regular here with walk and exercise. Few people were interested to know more about Ginni but she was blunt to stop this kind of intrusion in her life. Brother and sister were happy in their world and people from the park also maintained a friendly hello hi -type relationship. Ginni and John developed acquaintances at the park. But nobody could know the reason for her head cap or her health issues.
The few steps taken by Ginni were progressing into many steps. Her brother was a sweet boy who bore all her tantrums. With every month she was getting her strength back, her skin was improving and her weight was disappearing.
John was consistent with his efforts, every day he was counting her steps and soon counting steps changed into counting the minutes of her walk. Soon he was counting the rounds she took on the track.
After six months, Ginni was having a brisk walk of 50 minutes, all alone with no support. She had stopped wearing a hat. She has small hair, like boys. People shared their praise for her efforts but she hardly talked about it, on every praise she will smile and look at her brother to say dear bro, it is all because of your faith and hard work. John was bringing a book to spend his time there.
One day a little girl Nayasa was brought to the park by his father and mother. She was in a wheelchair and was not willing to come into the park.
Her parents had lots of friends in the park who were regular visitors of this park, it was visible on their visit. While completing her daily routine Ginni looked at this girl Nayasa, who was nearly 10 years old. She had a plaster on her left hand and a bandage on her head. She was in a pink frock and was bare feet. She got beautiful long hair. Nayasa looked around the park with eyes like an angry bird. Then she just lowered her neck and behaved as if she is not interested in anything in this park.
Her mother and father were trying that she should get up from her chair and with support should try to walk. But she refused and on too much cajoling, she bit the hand of her father. Ginni saw it.
Ginni overheard the people talking about how Nayasa met with an accident. One of her legs was operated on. She had to stay in the hospital for over a month, and still, she did not recover completely.
Every day, Nyasa’s mother and father will try to get her up and take a step. But the girl refused to listen. She was not willing to try. It was 7 or 8 days but not a single step she could take. Her parents were very sad. Ginni noticed her mother wiping her tears occasionally.
15 days passed but that girl did not take a step. One day her parents brought a nurse with them. Very carefully, the nurse put her hands around Nayasa’s waist and with the assistance of her parents Nurse brought her on her feet. It made Nayasa so angry that she hit the nurse with her head. The nurse was not ready for this and she fell on her back, in all this Nayasa also fell on her face with a thud.
Park came to a standstill; people ran towards her. Her nose was bleeding, and she was on the grass crying loudly, it was more sorrow than physical pain in her cry. Her other was also crying and trying to bring her back on chair but she glued herself to the ground and refused to get up. Ginni could not ignore this,
Nayasa: I don’t want to come here, take me back to my room, I will not walk ever, don’t push me, please please, for God’s sake leave me alone
Her mother and father were trying to get her up, Nayasa was holding grass in her hands as if these were ropes, she was not moving an inch.
Her cries melted the hearts of many. That day Ginni couldn’t stop herself. Ginni took large steps and stood too close to her head.
Ginni: “Hello, Nayasa how are you?
It was the weirdest question to be asked in that situation and at that particular time, Nayasa looked out of her tangled hair and opened one eye only to see who is this stupid person. Looking at Ginni she took a few seconds to disappear in her long hair again, still lying on her face.
Ginni: Will you try with me? (Ginni offers her hand to Nayasa)
Nayasa- (in anger): No, go way
Ginni bends and sits on her knees, she is face-to-face with Nayasa
Ginni- I can’t go away, (she softly touched Nayasa’s shoulder)
Nayasa pushed herself away, but strangely she was not angry
Nayasa- who are you? (without looking up)
Ginni: I am the one who was in the same wheelchair a few months ago.
John looked up from his book. He is listening to this conversation.
Nayasa removed the hair from her face, opened both her eyes and looked at Ginni
Ginni: Yes, true, a few months back I used this chair, it was mine.
Now other people who were around also became curious to hear this conversation, as it was the first time Ginni had talked about herself or done something else except her walk and a fun ride on the slide.
Nayasa is looking at her with doubt and shock.
Ginni: I was also sick for a long time. I know how it feels to be in the hospital, believe me, I understand this pain.
Nayasa: why ?
Ginni: I had something in my head, it was giving me lots of pain. I had to leave my school and then I landed in the hospital for a surgery.
Ginni did not notice; the people in the park were secretly coming closer to hear this conversation. Nayasa is still lying on the ground, she allowed her mom to clean his nose and face
Nayasa- then?
Ginni: First you get up and sit on the chair, my knee is paining.
To the shock of everyone, she agreed readily and stretched her arm to her father, he happily lifted her in his arms and made her sit in the chair.
Ginni was quick enough to take the chair away from the crowd, she didn’t want Nayasa to become angry again. Nobody objected.
Ginni sat on the grass near the knees of Nayasa. Ginni is cleaning her clothes of grass and dust. John is observing both. Nayasa’s parents sat on a bench nearby, people went back to their routine.
Ginni: After my surgery, I was kept on a heavy dose of steroids to speed up the healing process. These steroids made me heavy; I gained too much weight. It happened so fast; I could not understand. It gave me skin infections; My stomach used to burn; and many other complications. I had pain in my joints; lifting a finger was painful. To walk becomes a dream.
Ginni: I lost all hope; my classmates and friends were promoted to the next class and I was spending my days in a wheelchair. I did not leave my home for more than a year. I hated to look into the mirror, I became so fat and it was not easy to get clothes for me.
Nayasa - You are not fat!
Ginni laugh…
Ginni - Not now, 6 months back. My mom used to take me to the washroom and even for a bath.
Nayasa opened her mouth in shock.
Ginni: Yes, true, I never wanted to come out of my room, but my brother, (she hints towards John).
Nayasa looks in that direction and sees John; they both exchange a smile.
Ginni: He never lost hope in me. He brought me here in this park
Ginni- I behaved the same as you doing now. I was angry about why it happened to me. I also bit John one day
Nayasa laughed and felt embarrassed. Both shared the laugh
Ginni: I was unhappy coming here, I had so much pain in my joints that I refused to walk, not even a single step.
Ginni: But John brought me here every day. On the first day I took one step; five steps next week. It happened; it was slow but it happened.
Ginni: It has been six months since I started coming here daily; now I take a brisk walk for 50 minutes and can do my exercise too. I love this park. It all happened because John never lost hope in me. I was as broken and sad as you are today.
Ginni brought her phone out of her pocket, she showed her picture where she was obese and in a wheelchair. Nayasa is crying now. Ginni hugged her. There was no need to say anything.
Ginni - there is always a better day ahead; give it a try.
Ginni is combing Nayasa’s long hair with her fingers.
Ginni: Please don’t cry; I never meant to hurt you.
Nayasa: I am not crying, sorry I misbehaved.
Ginni- you never misbehaved with me, but yes there are few with whom you were not good.
Nayasa looked at her parents and towards Nurse too.
Nayasa: Yes, I know.
Nayasa’s parents came towards them. Nayasa hold the hands of her dad and mom, they stood near her silently.
Nayasa: sorry (slowly)
It was not required now, not from a sweet girl like Nayasa.
Ginni also smiles and gets up to walk away.
Nayasa: Will you not take my hand as your brother held your?
Ginni laughed loudly, it was her first laugh in six months in this park.
Ginni: Oh! off course Nayasa, why not
She holds the hands of Nayasa, pulls her up, and then keeps one arm around her back. Nayasa’s feet touched the grass. Nayasa’s face showed she was in extreme pain, but there was no sign of refusal now. John gets up and turns in another direction to hide his emotions and tears. Nayasa’s parents are very happy. Ginni is taking Nayasa a few steps away and then bringing her back.
People are clapping around them. Morning walks can be so pleasant and happy — who could have thought?
Soon after this day, Ginni joins her school back. John also got busy with his life. Park and people missed them. She and John had left a story behind to share and people can see the same story of courage repeating itself in Nayasa. Every day she is creating her story and taking small steps of courage towards life and happiness.
Life is in moments, small activities like morning walks can change someone’s life. Morning walk is a source only, real power is the faith which we keep or choose to keep in life. Life responds to this faith and one’s efforts. Hope now everyone will agree that morning walks are very good for health and can change someone’s life too.
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