Waiting For Sarah Read Online Free

school. You were a good student.”
    â€œWhat can I do ... in this?” he burst out angrily.
    â€œMany people have wheelchairs, Mike. They manage. They cope. They get on with their lives. You still have your good mind. And your arms and shoulders. There are many worse off than you.”
    â€œWorse off! You mean like
no
arms as well as
no
legsand
no
family? Hah!” He was in a furious temper.
    â€œYou could get rid of the wheelchair and walk if you wanted. Dr. Ryan says ... ”
    But he wasn’t listening. He was too angry. Norma was beginning to think she’d moved too soon; he wasn’t ready yet to join the world. But she couldn’t go back now.
    â€œMike! You’ve just got to stop beating up on yourself.” She pulled over a chair and sat facing him. “Your mother is gone,” she said firmly. “And your dad. And Becky. And there’s
nothing
anyone can do to bring them back. One thing I do know and it’s this: they would want you to be happy. You’re here and you’re alive. And they would want you to go to school. Once you’re back you’ll find everyone is on your side ...”
    â€œForget it!” Without another word, he spun his wheelchair, rudely turning his back on his aunt, and pushed himself angrily away.
    The weeks and months went by. By now he had missed the whole of grade eleven. With the next school year approaching, one year after the accident that had claimed the lives of his family, his aunt became persistent. And so did Robbie.
    â€œGive it a try, Mike, okay?” said Robbie. “The kids at Carleton are pretty good. They’re gonna be on your side. They’ll be real happy to see you back, man, honest!”
    Finally he gave in. Boredom temporarily overcame fear and bitterness; that was the reason. Another reason was the offer of credit for the missed year.Unusual and extenuating circumstances, the school called it, which meant he could, if he wished, stay with his class, pick up a few of the missed grade eleven units and graduate on schedule. That was the clincher. Not that he cared about graduating — he cared about nothing — but his Aunt Norma cared. Except for Robbie she was the only one who did care. Robbie and Norma had stuck with him, visiting hospital and Rehab every day, even when he’d given them the silent treatment, even when he’d yelled and sworn at them, even when he’d thrown their gifts to the floor; he owed it to his aunt. She was a true friend, not like some of the so-called friends of his dead parents who had made one visit or had sent one Get Well card and then nothing. A few of the other family friends had continued to visit and bring gifts but soon stopped when he had nothing to say to them. It had been much easier to feign sleep when visitors came. Aunt Norma, on the other hand, had turned out to be a source of strength. She was really something else. And so was Robbie. He didn’t know what he would have done without them.

8 ... despised them all
    He returned reluctantly to Carleton High in September, over a year since his accident. He did it only to please his aunt.
    He was alone. Robbie had wanted to be there, but Mike said no; he had to do it by himself. Full of purpose, he pushed his chair towards the main entrance. But then he stopped. There were steps. He’d forgotten about the steps. How was he going to get up that formidable obstacle and in the front door? He looked up at the school motto above the entrance as if the answer he needed was to be found there:
ad summum
, “To the Heights.” The building was old and lacking ramps. He looked at the steps again. There was no way he could get his chair up to the entrance. Annoyance turned to anger. Damned school! Was there a way around the back?
    â€œYou take one side and I’ll take the other.”
    It was Robbie with another boy and they were grasping his chair and carrying him up the steps. Mike kept