Having been born in Brazil made Huberto play football since the moment he started walking and being the son of a football coach wasn't of much help. Though his mother was the one who introduced him to this sport, she never forced it on him, maybe that's why he enjoyed every moment of playing it. His love for football was immaculate. He was made the captain of his school football team and retained that position for years. It had been long decided that, like his mother, he would make a career out of his love for the sport and become a professional player.
During his sophomore year of high school, the bus he was travelling in on their way to a match overturned and all the students aboard were severely injured. When he woke up in the hospital, the doctors told him that his left leg was badly damaged and cannot be fully recovered so he has to walk with a support for the rest of his life.
His dream was shattered, 'how was he supposed to become a football player when he can't even walk without a cane?' Though it was sorrowful for such a tragedy to strike him, he didn't want to lose hope. The thought that the outcome of the accident could have been worse made him look at life from a different perspective. The realization that life is short rammed into him and he decided to live each day with as much happiness as possible.
When the cast on his leg was removed and Huberto was given a clearance from his doctors to travel, his parents took him on a trip to Italy to take his mind off things. No matter how much assurance he gave them, his parents understood his pain more than anyone could. To Huberto who was still ruminating about various career options he could pursue with his condition, this trip gave him the answer.
He was mesmerized by Rome's architecture. Walking around the city, he came across various piazzas and he spent a great deal of time admiring the works of it's architects; the beautiful fountains and the symmetrical pathways drew him in. Finally came the time for St. Peter's Square, and Huberto was awestruck by the efforts of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Michelangelo. From the moment of setting his foot in the square and exiting St. Peter's Basilica, everything he saw blew his mind; the sculptures, the paintings, the architecture.
Like the way these sculptors gave the stones they used a new meaning, the same way they gave Huberto a new life. How they perfectly captured the emotions and intricate details and transferred them to mere stones was far beyond his comprehension.
The idea of transforming a plain and not so useful object, which people don't pay much heed to, into something so beautiful, valuable and attractive gave him chills. He could feel the same excitement, he once felt, coursing through his veins again and decided once and for all, what he wanted to do in his life.
On their way back home, he told his parents that he wants to study architecture and sculpting. They were taken aback by his sudden declaration but when they saw the old flames reignited in his eyes, they knew they had their son back and couldn't be happier about it.
After coming back to Boa Vista, Huberto spent most of his time reading about various sculptors and architects. And if he wasn't reading, he was visiting museums to get a first hand experience of the sculptures. He studied hard to improve his grades, something he didn't really care as much about before.
He applied for 'Politecnico Di Milano', one of the best university in Italy, to study architecture. Though there are many universities in Brazil, he wanted to study in Italy, the place that gave his life a new meaning. His parents completely understood their son's interest and never once objected to his decision.
He got accepted into his dream university and was all set to move into a territory which was completely foreign to him, his excitement beat his fear as he landed in Italy. His plan was to learn sculpting along with getting a degree in architecture, so he enrolled himself in the best institute he could find near his university.
Life in college went more smoothly than he anticipated, given his already extroverted nature along with his new found optimism towards life, it's not news that he befriended people easily. During his stay in Italy, Huberto visited as many places as he could to learn about different styles of architecture and sculptures. In his fourth year, he wanted to visit Greece and experience their culture, something he has seen only in textbooks. He wanted to visit the various temples spread across Athens, especially 'The Parthenon' he heard so much about.
So, a month after spending his birthday with his friends, he packed his bags and took a ferry to Athens to learn more about it, not knowing that he was going to learn much more than what he had anticipated.
HOSEOK AS HUBERTO