Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for the worse and it started to pour with rain. As we walked, I thought of the Duke of Edinburgh expedition I undertook when I was a teenager. I remember how we always used to sing the song “Everywhere we go” as we hiked. To cheer us up I began singing, as I thought, tunefully but to my dismay, Ray and Susan did not agree and laughed at my voice. So, instead of singing we talked about journeys of our past and other experiences we remembered.
However, our first challenge was to get to a bridge but, with the weather conditions worsening, it left us cold, damp and tired. To our great bewilderment the ford prior to the bridge had become very deep. The only way we could cross was to swim. We dipped our feet slowly into the freezing water. It was at least ten metres long and quite deep. I could hardly touch the bottom so I swam quickly so as to avoid being in the cold for too long. We had to cling to our backpacks as they contained our key necessities for life. Thankfully I had not packed my hair straighteners! There we were, three desperate, bedraggled office workers shivering with cold and drenched to the skin. Our bags were laden with water spurting out from all sides. My hair was left frizzy and matted and how I was now in desperate need for my hair straighteners! Ray and I snuggled together for warmth and all of a sudden the unexpected happened. I had always thought of him as a kind man who had always been there for me but it was at that moment that I realised that there was something very special between us. We stared into each others eyes, our heads gradually moving closer together until our lips met. It was a very magical moment and changed the whole trip for me and had it not been for Ray, I would not have had the will to go on and would probably have turned back and given up. We were suffering from hunger and dehydration so we decided to attempt our lunch. All our possessions including our lunch were soggy after the swim. We enjoyed our mushy bread sodden with muddy water as if it were the best meal of our life. Amazing how anything would have tasted like sweet nectar at that moment.
Our next obstacle was a wood. It was only a matter of trudging through the wood, however, given the recent weather conditions and the evening looming it was not as easy as it may have appeared. We heard sounds of bats and owls creating an eerie atmosphere. Susan was petrified and so ran, as fast as she could to get out of there. We shouted to stop and slow down but she clearly could not hear as she ran into the distance. Ray and I followed carefully behind looking everywhere to find her. Eventually we heard her scream; I was taken aback and clung to Ray for safety. Susan had fallen into a ditch with no obvious way out. How could we save her?
Thankfully Ray had a clever suggestion to use our spare clothes to make a line to pull her up. We threw down the line and allowed Susan to grab the other end. Ray and I used all our might to rescue Susan. After a joint struggle Susan was pulled out from the ditch. We felt damp, muddy and exhausted. The thought of sitting at a warm desk now seemed somewhat appealing.
After she had recovered we made our way out of the wood and agreed to set up camp for the night earlier than planned. Despite the shortened journey my feet resembled a rasher of bacon and were blistered, battered and bruised. In addition, our backs were suffering from the weight of the backpacks along with our legs. More over, my hair looked atrocious awful but for the first time in my life I could not have cared less.
We enjoyed our delicious meal over a stove and hot coffee to end the eventful day. Our day had left us fatigued and shattered so we retired early to bed. I learned a lot over that weekend not just about walking but also about relationships and the necessities of life. I was pleased to build my relationships on with my friends and enjoyed very much their company. Now I know that I would never be able to climb Mount Everest or walk anywhere further than to the next village. However, I know I am dependable in an emergency as is Ray.
The once hated office seemed a luxury compared to the shattering and traumatic day we had. I realised that all the things I thought “essential” items have no longer any relevance in my life. Although I struggled to survive with my static and frizzy hair I soon released the “essentials” to life are in fact friends and people. After all, thanks to Ray I got through the day overcoming my need for hair straighteners and other necessities.
I now know the importance of hair straighteners; they have no significance in my life, so much so that I am getting rid of them! People will have to accept my naturally frizzy hair. If they cannot accept my hair then they cannot accept me. I have learned to accept people for who they are as they will me.
