Parallels

• Ruqaya Doureihi, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2015

Going only forward, not back. ‘Just a few more steps’, I forced myself to climb higher and higher through the jagged terrain. I had almost reached the summit and I could see it getting closer with each step. My body fatigued, I found myself on the verge of giving up. This was my trial, and what a mammoth one it was. Once more, I stuck my trekking pole into a wedge of a jagged rock to steady myself. I found myself in a rhythm, pulling it out again only to stick it in another place. I did this over, and over for hours. Stick, pull, stick, pull. To complete the climb, it was important I developed a tempo to hike in rhythm with.
I looked up, suddenly noticing a majestic eagle perched on the tip of a rock, and I was pleasantly surprised to see other signs of life nearby. It swiftly sprang up off its mount and drifted freely down the side of the mountain in the direction of the stream I had passed earlier. I could still recall the pleasure of bathing in its cool, gushing waters, as it eased my aching muscles.
As I wedged my pole into the next crevice of rock, I suddenly heard a creak and an ear-piercing snap! The ground beneath my feet began to give way as rocks crumbled. Looking down in sheer horror: “not my pole!”... the tip of it had snapped clean off. Almost losing my footing, I clutched onto a shard of protruding rock, and pulled myself to a safer platform. Breathless. The thinning air at this altitude made it even harder to breathe. I was forced to take a brief but crucial moment to reflect, as I gazed at the markers I had left behind me. My bones felt brittle, my muscles, weakened. I had left the comfort of home, my family and my closest friends to complete this journey. My contemplations, however, made me realise that my struggles had remarkable parallels with that of others close to me: a friend, an aunt and my grandfather; all of whom left their mark on my life. They battled a raging illness, which robbed them of their happiness, and ultimately their lives. I recall their complaints of the frailty of their bones, shortness of breath, fatigue and hopelessness.
Just like them, the option of giving up was all too real. The same way my markers will remain to guide those who trek the same path, those loved ones leave legacies which help guide those who come after them. They were the real champions. If ever I needed motivation to continue, this would be it.
With this reaffirmation, I resumed my climb, only this time with more spring, knowing that I was closer to seeing my expedition through to its end. However, it was no longer just about the final destination. It was about the journey and sacrifices made to get there, and the lives touched along the way.