Dear Eric,
Yours,
Li Hua
“Every cloud has a silver lining.” It drives me crazy when Mom says nonsense (废话) like that.
I’d barely had time to arrange myself in the passenger seat, my foot already blown up like a balloon when she came out with it, exactly like I knew she would. First, she patted my leg. Then she just couldn’t help herself, “Every cloud has a silver lining, you know, sweetheart.” “Mom, I appreciate the thought, but I’m not ready to look on the bright side of this.” We hadn’t even left the school parking lot yet.
On the farthest side of the field, I could see my teammates doing sprint training, Coach Zito striding back toward them. He’d mercifully helped me to the car in silence. Unlike Mom, he knew when it was best to say nothing.
As Mom started the engine, I imagined my teammates cooling down without me while they listened to Coach Zito’s pep talk. And next Thursday, they would go to practice without me, and the Thursday after that. When I had fallen and twisted my ankle, I’d cried from the pain, but I was crying out of self-pity in the car. Hours and hours of training， and then this. I told myself there was a glimmer (微光) of hope that everything would turn out okay, and that I’d make it to the track meet next month, but I knew it was just that: a glimmer. The tears fell hot and fast. Mom gave me a weak smile. “It’ll be okay, Casey.“ I suspected this was another version of the silver lining thing, but I felt so miserable that I let it pass.
We finally arrived at the hospital. Doctor Van gently moved my ankle around a bit before carefully lowering it. I nervously asked how long it would be before I could run. “Four weeks maybe, possibly five, “he replied. “And even then, you’ll need to take it easy for a while. Is that possible?” he asked with a smile.
I couldn’t answer.
One month later, I made my appearance on the field.
| A．Five weeks meant little chance for me to the track meet. Looking down at my swollen foot, I wept bitter tears, knowing my last glimmer of hope was fading. As usual, Mom patted me on the shoulder and said with a smile, “sweetheart, every cloud...”“No...”I interrupted her impatiently. Life seemed dull and meaningless, but touched by Mom’s great help, I regained my confidence and was back on my feet. Amazingly, I began to practice running soon. |
| B．I was lying calmly on the bed. Seeing my mother come into the ward (病房)，I greeted her with a smile. When she asked what happened, I told her I was not going to play sports anymore. After hearing my words about the accident, she was quite surprised how I could still remain so optimistic. I patted my mom on the shoulder and comfort her. In my view, it is a great opportunity to have a good rest and rethink about my future life. |
| C．I saw my doctor carrying the medical bag and waiting for me. He explained, “I came here to see my patient. “The delighted man warmly welcomed me, asking me whether I conducted a thorough examination and suggested appropriate following-up care. I thanked him with gratitude. Before he left, my mother came, asking,” How did you know to come to see my son? I didn’t call!” |
| D．All my teammates were absolutely astonished at my quick recovery, not believing their eyes. “OH, boy! What a miracle!” My coach Zito looked at me in disbelief. To tell them everything was okay, I kicked, jumped and ran in front of them. Seeing this, they all burst out laughing. Later, I went to practice with them and participated in the track meet. From then on, whenever I encountered difficulties, Mom’s encouraging words “Every cloud has a silver lining” always rang in my ears. |
