Go Ned Go!

by Javed Rezayee

Once in a lifetime, a stranger may assume the form of an angel and do something so extraordinary that you cannot find the words to thank them. Instead, you must reach into yourself to discover the depths of your strength to express your gratitude with an action. “Go Ned Go!” takes the reader along on the narrator’s grueling twenty-six mile physical and mental journey. A journey he undertakes to thank the benefactor who has rescued his shattered soul and given him a new life. On this journey, what the narrator learns goes far beyond the ecstasy of a promise fulfilled.

24 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 15, 2019

Reviews

[Martine Kalaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story is timely and encapsulates the dichotomy of pressure and gratitude that so many immigrants experience in America. I ran the entire marathon with Javed and felt the heaviness he carried to finish the race as a way to appreciate Ned. Ned not only saved Javed's life but he saved his family's life. Javed takes us on a 26 mile physical race while bringing us back in time to run the emotional race of escaping Kabul. How does one see-saw between the regret of leaving a home you once knew but no longer safe and the excitement of being in a new country with great opportunities and obstacles?

Javed is a brilliant writer who develops elaborate metaphors. His knack for creating suspense with a mere placement of a verb here or an adjective there is superb. His sentences are purposeful and somewhat lyrical. Although the message can be heavy, it's one that anyone can process. Read it when you get a chance!