All Calvin ever wanted was to be a normal boy and do normal things. When he discovers that he has the ability to fly, maybe he is meant for more, he thinks, but the life we live is never the one that we plan to have.
Now struggling to come to terms with his mother's terminal illness and haunted by a series of disturbing dreams, he must put aside his fear and go on a journey together with a mythical creature in order to save her life.
All Calvin ever wanted was to be a normal boy and do normal things. When he discovers that he has the ability to fly, maybe he is meant for more, he thinks, but the life we live is never the one that we plan to have.
Now struggling to come to terms with his mother's terminal illness and haunted by a series of disturbing dreams, he must put aside his fear and go on a journey together with a mythical creature in order to save her life.
Andrew
To My Brave Patient,
Sometimes we have been too formal in our greetings. This is expected because I am the doctor and you are the patient, but on a more personal note my name is Andrew. If this finds its way to you it means that I have left the medical fraternity, be it temporarily to pursue other interests. I have worked as a doctor for just over ten years now. Sometimes it feels like one hundred and ten years, at other times it feels like ten days, but overall when I look back on everything I have to say the experience has been altogether rewarding even though there have been a few personally trying times. There is no greater adrenalin rush than being in the midst of a crisis and fighting to save a life, conversely there is no greater stress that I have felt in any other situation. The sense of relief is overwhelming when you ultimately save that life, but alternatively the disappointment is tremendous if that soul is lost.Â
Someone once told me that when you make the decision to become a doctor, it shouldnât be something that you think about and reason out sensibly, it is something that you feel deep within your spirit, a deeper and greater calling that has been placed upon your life because ultimately it will be others who place their lives into your hands. I didnât believe that then, but I believe it now. There are only a few things more difficult in the world than telling someone that they are going to die and Iâm sure one of them is being the person left behind to deal with it all after laying them to rest. Having said that, the most difficult is surely hearing the words, âyour life is coming to an endâ, and then going through that process.Â
I see them almost every day, those who have lost the fight, those who are going to lose the fight and those left behind to pick up the pieces, a husband, a wife, a daughter, a son, a mother, a father. It haunts you but how much more haunted are those facing the end.Â
The scenarios are not always so dire. I have seen those who have won the fight facing insurmountable obstacles. How have they done that? I am a man of science, everything in my life is evidence based, I place great emphasis on what can be proven but I also believe that God is the ultimate Scientist, Mathematician and Engineer. I have seen things that cannot be explained by science. Maybe a miracle is an act of science that our small minds cannot explain, but perhaps God could. I hope so; at least then there will be some meaning to everything that has taken place.Â
I have seen newborns smack adversity in the face, I have seen patients beat cancer, I have seen geriatrics with dementia develop clarity and I have seen someone knocking on deathâs door walk out of the hospital. Yes, I have seen many miracles but I have seen nothing as unique as your story. Â
I had become disillusioned with my time here but your narrative has changed that. How far you have come is a miracle. Your strength in adversity has inspired me to search for a deeper meaning to life and a deeper purpose for my own. Your courage reminds me how never to lose hope.
This is my letter to you. I hope by some miracle you will understand how much my perspective on life has changed because of your own.
The Champion is a fantasy fiction novel written by author Wayne Rajah. The protagonist of this story is a twelve-year-old boy named Calvin with a superpower that allows him to fly. Calvinâs mother, Miss Khumalo is diagnosed with a terminal illness. When he finds out that his mother is suffering, Calvin uses his superpower and the help of his mentor, Athwall, and decides to take his mother on a mythical journey in an attempt to save her life.
The story begins with Calvin waking up after seeing a dreadful nightmare. As we proceed further into the story, we realize that Calvin is haunted by a series of these disturbing nightmares and they have become a constant in his life.Â
âThe room shakes! Oscillates! Now a frenzy of seismic activity and an earthquake! It feels like the tremor is inside my head! My head hurts! My head always hurts! My body hurts! A flash of light in the distance, lightning! And then a thunderous roar! My skull splits open, the hemispheres of my brain part. My body was violently shaken, side to side, side to side! The earthquake continues!â
Usually, after the nightmares, Calvin puts on his cape and flies out of the window of his room into the night sky. He enjoys flying high in the darkness of the night when the rest of the world is asleep. He recalls the vivid nightmares and often wonders if they could possibly be true. But, the cold breeze helps him calm down and he uses this time to observe the world below him by admiring the countryside, the Crown River, and the moon that he addresses as Cynthia.Â
Calvinâs ancient protector, Athwall - who has lived a thousand years - is Calvinâs only friend and protector. According to Athwall, Calvin is the Chosen one and someday Athwall will reveal the special task that only Calvin can perform.Â
âI start to fly, out of my control! Hurtling into the sinister abyss, not knowing where I am going or in what direction, just hurtling on ahead. There is space out there even if I cannot see it. What speed! Immense speed! My heart flutters, races!"
Calvin has looked at his mother as a hardworking and active woman who is always on her feet. But when he notices that lately, his mother has been looking weak and exhausted, he starts worrying. Until one day, his mother faints on the ground and he finds out that his mother only has a little time to survive. Will Calvin be able to save his mother? Will he complete the task that Athwall has set out for him?
This story is a journey of a young boy trying his best to save his mother from dying by seeking help from his mentor, Athwall. The story discusses all the struggles that Calvin, Athwall, and Miss Khumalo go through and the difficult choices that they need to make on this journey. This involves crossing treacherous paths and fighting tremendous monsters on the way to their destination. When they finally reach their destination, the story takes an unexpected twist.
âAthwall says that he will reveal everything to me in a good time. He tells me that I am special, that I am the Chosen. For now, Iâm just trying to enjoy everything. Who else in this world can say they can fly? Athwall says it only happens once every hundred years. My ancient protector has lived long enough to see them all, over a thousand years. He says that there is always a special task for the Chosen.âÂ
The book started off on a good note and got me hooked into the storyline. The reason I found it interesting was that the story started with a letter that was addressed by a doctor to his patient. Personally, I love reading stories that have letter communications between the characters. However, I was quickly disappointed when the letters never made an appearance after the first chapter. I found the book needlessly long and felt like it could have dropped a few pages, especially the graphic description of the recurring nightmares. I also felt like the long journey was invalidated by the surprise reveal at the end which left me a tad bit disappointed. I was a little confused with the turn of events and I had to go through the entire story again in my head to understand what just happened.
The story is well-written by Wayne Rajah, the message that the author is trying to share is noble. As a pediatrician, he has created a fictional story about parents and children that he sees on a daily basis. He is inspired by the struggles and sacrifices that are made by both parents and children and has captured this in an entirely fictional universe of his creation.
âLetting go takes courage. Their story is one of true struggle, courage, strength and overcoming adversity.â