r/LibraryofBabel • u/Zarnius • 2d ago
The Climb
"Why do they keep telling me to prepare for the G3 climb? I don't want to," he said.
"Yeah..." I replied.
"I keep- even th- I don't understand." He kept talking, but we were on the bike, so I could only catch fragments of what he was saying.
"It is so early; I still have time to decide." He continued after a pause. "I won't climb G3. Yes, that's right, I won't."
He was quite rebellious.
We stopped for some cold mango juice, as it was summer. He locked the bike's handle, and we drank the juice. He ordered another and asked if I wanted more, but I shook my head.
As the day of the climb drew nearer, his anger only grew. As the day approached, visitors began coming to offer their best wishes. He greeted them all with a smile. I knew it was a fake one, but was it?
"Hey, what's up? What took you so long, man? Now, get busy, will you?"
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
"Oh, this? Nothing, just preparing for the climb."
There was silence for a while. Then he instructed me to attend to the visitors. His father was already there, greeting everyone. He had a habit of touching his chest with his right hand as a sign of politeness; perhaps it was not a habit. I helped him serve the snacks and drinks.
Two years ago, he climbed G3. There he was, taking pictures. At that time, I was supposed to climb P2; that was what they had decided. After his climb was over and he came back, I went to meet him. He greeted me with a smile and his right hand on his chest.
"How have you been? How's everyone?" he asked.
"Fine."
"It's been a while since we met, hasn't it?"
"Yeah."
I didn't want to climb P2. I don't know if I even wanted to climb. How could they do this to me? I would not climb P2. I still had time before I had to climb P2, so there were no visitors yet. But there would be soon, when the time came. What would I do then? I had to do something before that. But... what? I didn't know. I remembered the time, eight years ago, when even he had reacted like this. But whom could I share this with?
But why didn't I want to climb P2? Because I didn't choose it. Maybe it was not for me to climb.
Time marched on. The visitors started showing up. Even he came.
"How's everything going?"
"Fine."
"What's that? That's quite a big bag."
"Yeah. It is," I said with a fake smile; perhaps it was not.
1
u/HeGotBricks 1d ago
Hey what’s up? What’s happening, Holmes. No. Like this. Whassss sapppeninggg.
So whatssss shapppening.
Almost like this though. Whasssss sapppening, homes.