The day I met my hero

The day I first saw my favorite hero

We loved him from the word go. Any film of his drew us, along with millions of his fans.

Standing tall at six feet, four inches, he was every girl’s dream hero. The press called him “ridiculously handsome” with sharp features and dark hair.

We read as much as possible about him. He was brainy too. It was rare for anyone to win accolades both in academics and sports, later in acting, as he did.

The double role he played won the hearts of millions, and it was first of its kind. He was dynamic and adventurous. Yes, it was none other than Christopher Reeve, the man behind the Superman.

The day he was injured while riding a horse, was a sad day for me.
It was only when I saw him, wheel chair bound, in Washington D.C. I finally accepted the unbelievable.

It happened without prior warning of any kind. As our family came out of the museum of the pianos, we saw Christopher Reeve and his family, at the pub. Looking at him I was amazed at the rapid change, which time and illness brought on an impressive man and an excellent actor. We couldn’t talk to him for more than two minutes as he depended on mechanical devices for life support. Though he was a shadow of his former self, there was an odd, old charm still clinging to his face and person.

Christopher Reeve was still a draw. He made good use of his money and fame. The fact that he worked with  “save the Children” project and helped terminally ill children heartened us.

Some remain heroes for different reasons, till the end, for some.

Word count: 288

Day's winner in 300 word flash fiction.