Luke and I have been best friends since we were in the first grade.
We did everything together.
We played basketball and rode our bikes.
We went swimming together in the summer.
Sometimes I would even sleep over at Luke's house.
But last year, something really terrible happened to Luke.
One day, he was riding his bicycle to the park.
He was riding really fast because he was late for his baseball game.
So, when Luke came to the big road, he couldn't stop.
Luke went right out into the middle of the road.
There was a car coming, and the driver couldn't stop either.
The car ran right into my friend Luke.
The ambulance had to come and take Luke to the hospital.
Luke was really sick and he had to stay in the hospital for three months.
Finally, after waiting for one month, I was allowed to visit him in the hospital.
I was so excited I asked my mom if I could buy Luke a present.
I thought he would like a new soccer ball.
Then my mom told me the bad news.
"Luke cannot use a soccer ball now.
Because of his accident, Luke cannot walk," she said.
"What do you mean?" I cried.
"If Luke can't walk, then how can he play with me?
Who will I play basketball with?" I said to my mother.
Then I began to cry.
"You can still play with Luke," my mother said.
"I can't play with him," I replied.
"How can he play if he can't walk?"
For many days, I didn't go to the hospital to see Luke.
I became very lonely and sad.
I tried to play basketball, but it wasn't any fun.
I went swimming, but it was boring.
Then I thought of Luke.
I realized that Luke must be even sadder and more bored than I.
So finally, one Saturday morning, I went to visit Luke in the hospital.
I arrived at the hospital, and slowly I walked toward his door.
But I was really scared.
I had never talked to a person who had been hurt in an accident.
What would I say to him?
Maybe he would not want to be friends with me.
Maybe he'd be mean and angry.
When I knocked, I heard a familiar voice say, "Who's there?"
"It's Richard," I responded.
I opened his door, and there he was, sitting in a wheelchair.
I didn't know what to say to him, and I wanted to run away.
"Watch this!" he shouted.
"I can make my wheelchair go on two wheels.
Do you want to see?"
"Sure," I replied quietly.
Soon Luke and I were racing up and down the halls at the hospital.
Then the nurse got mad and told us to stop, so we played with Luke's new video game.
We had lots of fun that day.
I learned that Luke was the same friend I had always had.
I felt a little ashamed that I didn't visit him earlier, but I was glad I went to the hospital that day.
When Luke came out of the hospital, he wanted to do all the old things we used to do.
He wanted to play basketball, and he wanted to play baseball.
At first he couldn't do any of these things, so sometimes Luke would get angry, and sometimes he would be sad.
But slowly, Luke learned how to play without his legs.
He learned to play basketball by using a special sports wheelchair.
He learned how to swim without using his legs.
Today, with help from his family and friends, Luke can usually do whatever he wants.
Of course, Luke has changed a bit since his accident, but he is still a great person.
And he is definitely still my friend.