One of the reasons why 26-year-old Jean Schwartz fell in love with 30-year-old Ken Rutherford is his energetic eyes.
On the first date, she felt that this handsome and tall former football player had something special besides his handsome appearance and sociability. From his eyes, she saw the burning light.
Joan is surprised that so many people know him-especially those who are eager to thank him for various reasons. He always volunteered to drive for charity or help his friends out of trouble.
Qin is a consultant in a management training company, and her work experience tells her to find someone worth having. The deeper the relationship with Ken, the more she felt that he was generous, warm and honest, and soon fell in love. Ken is also fascinated by this beautiful, strong girl with red and yellow hair and full of wisdom.
Ken's job is to provide small loans to small businesses that may make a difference. The privately funded relief organization, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), is the only source of these loans and is willing to be employed by this institution.
Just one year after they met, Ken left his hometown of Boulder, Colorado, to work as a loan officer in the war-torn African country Somalia.
"It's not a bad thing that he's going for six months." While packing, Chin thought, "Love takes time. After all, we've only known each other for a year. What am I worried about when I take this opportunity to organize things? "
Maybe the above thoughts are just Chin's self-consolation, but in fact she still doesn't want to go.
"It's a terrible place." Joan still said with some worry.
"Nothing, Jane." Ken said.
"But they killed Americans, and they don't need our help!"
"The warlords don't want us to go, but those who need loans to buy animals to support their families are waiting for us."
"Yiyi, what should I do, Ken? I need you too. "
A boy's unique reassuring smile flitted across his face. "But I also need you, Joan. I'll be back soon. "
"Aren't you afraid?" She asked as they embraced.
"I'm needed there." Ken replied.
Chin saw that Ken had made up his mind, so she didn't want to stop him again. As she slammed his suitcase, she comforted herself: "He will come back and we will be together. Why am I in such a hurry? "
They were reluctant to part at the airport and said goodbye with tears in their eyes. "I love you, Ken." Chin whispered.
I love you too. He answered softly. Then he turned and disappeared on the ramp leading to the airport.
When I first arrived in Somalia, Ken was satisfied with the progress in his work, but his mind was full of thoughts about Qin. In February, 65438, he proposed to her by phone at the IRC base in Kenya, and she readily agreed. "We will meet again in two months." He thought.
The next day, Ken and his assistant Mohhand squeezed into a land patrol car and sat in the front seat next to the driver. His Somali adjutant Abdullah, several other IRC leaders and several applicants for lime mine sat in the back row. They are marching towards this country. There are rumors that there are mines in these areas, so they walk along a path that tourists often take. In order to make way for a group of goats, the car slowed down and turned into a rutted valley. Suddenly, the car suddenly shook and stopped, and the dust covered it.
The explosive force of the mine was so great that the heavy patrol car was lifted to the sky. When landing, a pit nearly half a meter deep was smashed on the road. A powerful explosion washed shrapnel into the car, cut Ken's hips and thighs, and cut off his left foot from his ankle. Mohand's foot was crushed, and the driver miraculously escaped injury.
12 17 at 7: 30 in the evening, at Geneva airport, Switzerland, Chin walked uneasily. She thought wearily, if we can survive this time, we can survive everything.
After examining Ken, Dr. David Hahn said bluntly, "This is a badly damaged foot," said the plastic surgeon. "If you can save, that's lucky. Even so, you may not be able to walk on it in your life. " It was 65438+February 23rd, just one week after the accident.
Ken was stunned by the doctor's prediction. After the doctor left, he looked at Chin. "I know we promised each other," he said, fighting back tears, "but you don't have to marry me."
"We will get married," Chin said firmly. "I don't want to hear you say those discouraging words again. Do you want me to marry a coward? "
"Coward? Me? " He's a little angry. "Well, not only are we going to get married, but I'm going to walk arm in arm through the corridor of the church-no wheelchair, no crutches, nothing."
"Oh, really?" Chin said, "Then what makes you think you can do it?"
"With the determination just now." Ken replied.
They looked at each other in tears. "What have I done to deserve your love?" Ken asked.
"Who says you deserve my love?" She retorted.
Ken smiled and held the piano in his arms. At this happy moment, he got rid of his troubles.
In the next six days, Dr. Hahn and another plastic surgeon performed four operations on Ken, almost recreating his left foot. Bone fragments were removed or reset, and tiny shrapnel was carefully taken out to repair the torn ligament and transplant the abdominal muscles and thigh skin.
Ken kept encouraging himself to get through all this. He always reminds himself of a proverb about his Rutherford family: two choices are unacceptable-giving up and complaining. Ken has little strength to sit up in bed, but he does pull-ups with a barbell on his head. He doubled the amount of physical therapy prescribed by the doctor. He has been suffering constantly, but on the surface he has always been optimistic.
It was Joan who first discovered the bad things. For several weeks, she has been sleeping in a small bed next to him and taking care of him without interruption. But whenever she is late, he will make a hullabaloo about. If he needs something, even at the bedside, he will let her get it. I know, she comforted herself that Ken is not only difficult for me, but also for himself-he is trying to exceed his limit. Nevertheless, she stayed alone for several hours to refresh herself. She doesn't know how much longer she can stand it.
Since the last operation on February 28th, 65438, Ken devoted himself to his efforts to return to normal life and kept lifting weights until he felt that his muscles seemed to swell up and the intravenous tubes were pulled out one by one.
The doctor is still not sure about his left foot-although the muscle tissue began to heal, it could not contract as expected. At the position of his four toes, all the bones merged into a hard ball. But this is his foot! "I have to walk to the altar of the wedding with my feet," Ken kept telling himself. He hobbled along the hospital corridor with the help of a walker. "I have to do this for the piano."
It was a sunny day. Ken sat in a wheelchair, tried to turn the wheel several times, and then pushed it forward with his muscular and powerful arms. He felt very happy when he came out of the hospital. Now he wants to see what this wheelchair can do. It was February, and Ken and A Cheng watched a basketball game, which was his first time to go out since the accident.
After the game, Qin went to bring the parked car and left it at the top of the mountain. When Chin tilted her car to the stadium, she suddenly saw Ken's wheelchair rushing down the hill at a dangerous speed. Then, she saw a wheel traveling, the wheelchair turning and Ken flying out of the chair.
People came to help, but Ken groaned and tried to climb back into the wheelchair alone. Joan almost dragged him into the car, stuffed him into the front row of the car, threw the wheelchair into the car, jumped into the cab and roared away.
"Well done, Ken, great!" She cried and said, "I've had enough! Why should I take care of you instead of yourself and do such a deadly thing? "
"Wheelchairs ... are useless," Ken said. "That's it."
"What? That's ridiculous ... "Chin slammed on the brakes and punched Ken in the chest. "I don't want to marry you as a widow under the age of 30. I don't want to! "
He tried to stop her, but he could not help crying. "Jean, forgive me, I was so selfish. I just don't want you to marry a ... "
Chin covered her lips with her finger: "No, don't ..."
"... a basket case! "He said," I can't stand it! I will definitely walk! "
"You can, Ken," she said, "but even if you can't, it doesn't matter to me. Don't you see, I'd rather you just sit in a wheelchair than fly out of it. " She paused, then said, "You must slow down and know your limit-and mine."
"You mean you will marry me even if I can't cross the aisle of the church?"
Ken. '
"Really?" He asked.
"Nonsense."
In the next few months, Ken lightened his pressure and took care of his future bride. He controlled his training plan within the scope of the doctor's advice and slowly and steadily improved. His right leg is fitted with a temporary prosthesis, and his swollen left foot is wearing huge support shoes specially designed, but he is not without trouble.
"Your foot is infected, Ken." One morning, Dr. Hahn announced.
Ken grew a red dot on the back of his left foot, and then it swelled up, and the knife edge expanded and bled.
"What does this mean?" Ken asked.
"This means that we must remove the infected part," said the doctor. "You are scheduled to have an operation in the morning."
Two or three hours after the operation, Ken breathed calmly and stood beside him with his chin. Suddenly, he saw Dr. Hahn laughing. "I had to take out a lot of things," Hahn said. "You left another big hole in your foot, but fortunately, the bone is not infected." The doctor went on to explain that if the bone was infected, the foot would probably be cut off.
Nine months after the mine accident, Chin walked down the aisle of the church arm in arm with her father. Ken smiled and waited at the altar-he was standing.
His left foot is not swollen yet, painfully wrapped in a big boot, and his right leg is still supported by a temporary prosthesis, but his dream day has finally arrived. Ken and Qin exchanged vows in front of 250 family members and friends from all over the world.
"Unlike most newlyweds, this couple put their love to the test before the wedding," said the priest. "They successfully survived the difficulties and performed well." After the priest announced that they were husband and wife, Ken rolled up his chin arm and took the first step down the steps. He trembled and gasped, trying to rebalance his body, and then he slowly-proudly-held his bride across the church corridor.