Even after leaving pro-tennis tour, Arthur Ashe played regularly and stayed remarkably fit. So, it was a staggering blow when friends heard of his first heart attack in 1979 at the age of 36. He went for a bypass surgery and another one in 1983. Recovery was particularly slow and he was given a few extra units of blood as a boost. 5 years later his right hand went limp and the hospital discovered that he had Aids due to the previous blood transfer.
For 3 1/2 years, Arthur kept his illness to himself, his wife and a few close friends. He revealed his sickness in April 1992 only when he learned that a newspaper was going to print a story about his condition. Despite being weak from his illness, Arthur continued helping children, working to give haven to Haitian refugees, fighting racial injustices and battling AIDS.
He received letters from his fans the world over, one of which conveyed: "Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease?" To this Arthur Ashe replied:
"The world over, 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals and I won it. When I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'. And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?
'Death does not frighten me,' he told a close friend later on. 'If I asked Why me?about my troubles, then I would have to ask also Why Me? about my blessings. Why my winning Wimbledon? Why my marrying a beautiful gifted woman? Why having a wonderful child?'
Arthur would have only liked to see his daughter, Camera, grow up, go to dances, enter university and marry all the things that his own mother didn't live to see him do. In 1991, he walked with his daughter hand in hand around the grounds of Wimbledon's All England Club. 'I just wanted her to see where Daddy played, he said because he knew that he might not be back. On 5th Feb 1993, Aurthur checked into the hospital and the next day, he died.
Two days before he died, Arthur Ashe finished his last book, Days of Grace.
The final chapter was done in a letter dedicated to his daughter Camera:
'Do not be angry with me if I am not there in person, alive and well when you need me. I would have like nothing more. Just remember, when you feel sick at heart and weary of life, or when you stumble and fall and you do not know if you can get up again..think of me. I will always be watching and smiling and cheering you on.'
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dedicating this story to RK..
