a pike, straddle the bars, swing back, unlock my legs and do a backward flip into a dismount. Not today. Now I was so weak and shaky just to stand before them. Prior to the accident, I could do a back extension on a balance beam, a backward roll that ends up in a handstand position. Not today. I struggled to just stand upright today. This personal weakness was such a foreign and frustrating feeling for me. The swelling had gone down a little in my left hand and arm, but it was still painful to use it. The therapists fastened a belt around my waist that had two straps, one coming out from either side for someone to support me. I remembered using a belt like this for a very different purpose, for training to do a run of handsprings on a floor mat in gymnastics. I was in the belt and my spotters, one on each side, traveled with me as they helped propel my moves. Not today. This time, my trainers followed on each side to help me take a step on my own. The belt gave me assurance that I wouldn’t fall, …show more content…
On the fifth day of my hospital stay, Romeo came to visit me. I was both sad and glad to see him. I didn’t want him to see me like I was because I didn’t even want to be in the moment in the first place. I was so happy to see him though, as a remnant of my former life before the ordeal, and just because I really missed him. I could tell he was shocked to see me all broken, not at all resembling his lovely co-star. He quickly regained his wit and tried to cheer me up by mockingly saying that although our director did a good job on my part, it wasn’t the same without me. He alluded to the fact that she was very much his elder and how the romantic scenes were not at all the same. He followed with a grin and a flirting wink I had not seen in a while. I appreciated his words, his demeanor, and especially the fact that he seemed to forgive me for hurting