Despite my best endeavours I could not
save the boy...
I
will never forget those small, innocent, terrified eyes, for the incident
haunts me to this very day. Despite my best endeavours I could not save that
boy.
It
was a bright, sunny day --- just the sort of day when I feel like leaving my
abode in the mountains for a hiking trip. I was geared and ready within half an
hour. The hiking trails were not far from my house, so I decided to take a
stroll. When I reached the trails I looked up at the enormous mountain peaks.
“Today,
I’ll touch the top, no matter what,” I said to myself.
Without
wasting a moment more, I started up the mountains. Knowing the technique for
hiking, I started off slow, saving up most of my stamina for the final sprint.
The trail got steeper as I climbed further. Gradually, I reached the point
where I could climb no further without clinging to anything.
I
was out of breath and my legs felt heavy and numb. I could feel my blood as it
left my heart and raced across my body. The trail showed no sign of ending any
time soon; and although I had climbed for more than an hour, any sign of the
summit seemed far.
“I’ll
never make it,” I thought breathing heavily, after I was sure I could go no
higher. Only two or three thousand metres up the trail, I would be all washed
out.
I
was about to relinquish, when I heard a faint cry. At first I perceived it to
be an animal, but after putting my ears to the sound, I could make out a voice.
Someone was asking for help. I followed the voice which seemed to be coming
from the edge over which I was busy balancing myself.
I climbed a little higher to reach the source
of the sound, and that was exactly what I found. A small boy clung to the
under-side of the cliff. He was struggling to keep his balance, for that is
what would save his life. Springing forward I grabbed his hands. He looked up,
his eyes filled with tears.
“Help
me!” he said. “I’m scared, mister!”
“Don’t
you worry, son. It’ll be alright.” I tried to calm him.”
Without
losing a second I tried to push him up, but my feet quivered to lose ground.
“My
mother must be looking for me,” he said between sobs, “I’m all she has left.”
His
frail form hanging from those cruel rocks brought tears to my eyes. I could
read in his eyes that he wasn’t lying. Knowing that I would not be able to hold
on for long, I began to shout for help. But the only answer I got was my own
echo. I knew full well that the nearest population was at the foot of the
mountains, and there wasn’t enough time for anybody to reach this tragic scene.
To
top it all off, I was badly sweating, and the moisture made my hands slippery.
The boy having realized the grasp was loosening, reached out to grab my arm,
but unfortunately he lost hold of my hand and before he could grab me with his
other hand, gravity got to him.
Mommmmm.......!!”.
The next moment, I helplessly saw him rolling down into the abyss below.
“Noooo.......!!”
I screamed.
After
a few seconds, I could see his small, lifeless body resting on the rocks below
me. I stood up. As I was walking away, I looked over my shoulder one last time
and I thought: “life isn’t fair.”
By
Umar Khan
Class
O’ Levels 2nd year
PakTurk
International Schools
Chak
Shahzad Campus
Islamabad
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