Melody caressed the cold, smooth steel with both hands, tears in her eyes. Dr Morris smiled at her, equally moved. Melody had been her patient for twenty years since that fateful day when she suffered the accident that would throw her to a wheelchair. It was hard, so hard at the beginning when they both realised the only thing left to do was to amputate her both legs that had been smashed by that heavy mass of iron, wires, broken glass and burnt rubber. Melody would never again be able to compete and being forced to give up her dreams of ever taking part in the Olympics was as strong a psychological amputation as that of her both legs. She wouldn’t have been able to keep her sanity if it weren’t for Dr Martha Morris’ dedicated and patient team. “Well, at least now you can dream of the Paralympics.” she finally told her patient with a grin. “I told you not to give up.” Melody touched her prosthetic legs again. All still felt like a dream. But the operation was a huge success and Melody knew she would be able to walk again. It was like a rebirth, after years of negativity, despair and hopelessness. “Would you like to get up and try to walk a bit? I’ll help you.” Melody stared at her doctor, anxiety in her eyes. She had not walked for twenty years, she wondered if she could still do it. Would she still remember how to? “It will be weird at the beginning but with training you’ll manage.” Dr Morris seemed to guess her fears. “Come, let’s get you give your first steps again.” The doctor held Melody’s left arm and gently encouraged her to walk. At first her legs seemed like they didn’t want to obey her mind. They had been cut by the mid thighs. Melody forced herself hard and, after a long while, her right leg finally slightly moved forward. She bursted into tears. “Very good, very good, Melody. See? You still remember and you will walk again, I promise you.” Dr Morris was weeping too. Melody hugged her tightly, that older lady wasn’t just a doctor, she had become a best friend. “I will never be able to thank you enough, Martha. You have given me a new life. Please accept lunch at my place this Sunday. My parents are organising a little celebration of my new legs, my new life. You must accept, pretty please.” “It will be my pleasure.” the doctor agreed. ————— It was just a little get together with some relatives and a couple of close friends. Melody always liked to keep it simple. Her nieces and nephews ran around the house all excited with Aunty Melody’s new legs. “Aunt Melody, can we touch your new legs? Can you really walk again now?” they would ask, eyes wide open with curiosity as they saw those two long, slim cylinders hooked to her mid thighs. “Walk? Soon she will be running faster than all of you together.” Melody’s twin brother Thomas teased them. For twenty years he had not forgiven himself. Since the accident he had not drank a single drop of alcohol either. “It should be me walking with those prosthetics, Melody.” he told her when the children walked away to play in the backyard. “Tom, please stop it. Please forgive yourself like I did forgive you. Today we are celebrating my new legs, my new life.” He smiled and bowed his had. It’s always so much harder to forgive oneself than to forgive other people. They both hugged each other as he helped her give a few more slow steps into the dining room. Thomas was the one who had paid for Melody’s operation. He had worked hard for that and had promised his sister he wouldn’t give up until he got enough to pay for her prosthetics. Thank goodness the odds were in his favour and his sports clothing business had flourished. But he had to work really hard to save all the money needed. “I’m so proud of you, Melody.” he said with a sad smile. “Your will power saved us both from insanity.” “Our will power, Tom. I’m very proud of you too.” They both looked at the table where everybody else was already sitting at, staring at them. Dr Morris was sitting next to Melody’s mother, holding her hand. The elderly lady had feared that the twins’ relationship would sour but the truth was that Melody and Thomas had bonded like nobody ever expected. Melody refused to blame him and Thomas refused to give up on her. He’d give her new legs even if it was the last thing he would do in his life. There were some moments of silence that not even the noisy children dared break. Thomas helped his sister sit and a few moments later, cheer came back to the dining room as they prepared to celebrate.