When we arrived at our emotional finish line in Lukla, we decided to stop at the Internet café just long enough to send out our pre-written blogs. Since Bree hadn’t written anything, she decided to go with Dendee to see what she could find out about a helicopter. When they came back an hour later, Bree rushed in breathlessly saying, “There’s a helicopter to Jiri today, but not tomorrow, so we have to catch this one if we’re doing it. And it leaves soon.”
“How much does it cost, Bree?” Mom asked, fearing practical considerations might curtail her excitement.
I kept my fingers crossed until I heard Bree say, “Only sixty US dollars each.” Taking a helicopter to Jiri and a bus back to Kathmandu would be cheaper than flying by airplane to Kathmandu directly. It was a sealed deal; I’d actually get to ride in a helicopter.
Skipping along on my way to the airstrip, I said, “You know what, you guys? I think this whole thing might be a ‘sihpromatum’.”
“A what now? Why are you always inventing words?” Ammon said.
“A sihpromatum. Sip. Row. May. Tum. It means a curse that turns into a blessing, sort of a blessing in disguise. Think about it. There’s no word that means that, and there should be. So I made one up, and I like it.”
“Okay, but how do you figure that this is a siprowatchamacallit?” Bree said.
“The whole ‘Maoists demanding bribes’ thing isn’t all that bad, ‘cause now we get to go in a helicopter,” I said. “You just never know how things are going to turn out. What looks like bad news in the beginning often creates something positive that you couldn’t foresee. I’ll have to remember that.”
“I’ve been in a helicopter before, you know,” Steph boasted when we sat down in the square box that served as a waiting room. “They’re really fun.”
It felt like we sat anxiously in the waiting area for the helicopter to arrive forever. Uniformed men kept coming up to us to say, “Maybe only fifteen minutes.” “It comes at 11:00 a.m.” “Only wait thirty minutes.” “Just ten more minutes now.” When it finally arrived, we saw through the window that it was a cargo helicopter not meant for passengers. The butt end opened up, and they unloaded boxes of supplies before they rushed in to tell us, “Load them up.”
Time was limited and we hurriedly hugged D.L. and Dendee and thanked them for all their kindnesses before we were pushed out the door. We ran out to the helipad and they motioned us in, shouting over the thrum of the propellers beating overhead, “Hurry, hurry. C’mon. Get in, get in.” It was a far cry from, “Welcome aboard. Please fasten your seat belt.” We tossed our backpacks on the floor and jumped in.
Meanwhile Steph was screaming, “Where are the seats? Where are the headsets? This isn’t right.” Before she could freak out completely, the pilot reached in to unlatch a very basic, metal bench that folded down from the wall.
“I’ve never been on a helicopter like this before!” Steph shouted with wide eyes, hands cupped over her ears to block the roaring sounds. I simply shrugged at her and smiled. I was alert and ready for lift-off, my face glued to the round window. We slowly began to hover straight up into the air, like some kind of bug or flying saucer, and we were airborne! As the distance between us and the ground grew, Bree smiled and waved from the small window to Dendee, whose black hair was twisting and blowing violently about in the wind. He got smaller and smaller as he watched us and waved.
“This totally feels like Commando and Predator. Like we’re headed out for a cool combat mission adventure,” Bree said, turning from the window and bouncing about with a huge smile. “It’s way too fun. I can’t wait for the next adventure. Up, up, and away!” Bree pulled Steph up off the bench and we all started dancing around in the big open space. Mom was smiling peacefully next to Ammon, who was relieved to have managed to get us onboard. He’d gotten a small taste of how women work; sometimes, you just have to buy their love.
“You guys are nuts,” Ammon protested as we tried to pull him up to join our impromptu dance party. He refused, as expected, but I felt closer than ever to my oldest brother and knew he’d do anything for me when it came down to it.
“Don’t miss that view.” Mom pointed toward a window. We were already flying over the deep green jungle of Nepal, leaving the glorious snow-capped mountains behind, and it reminded me of the comment my brother Sky had sent us almost immediately in response to my latest blog post.
*** “That’s so awesome guys. Reading what you all wrote makes me really wish I had been with you.
Grace, I thought your comparison with Final Fantasy and your Everest adventure was brilliant! You sure are a fantastic writer for your age, and actually a lot better than most adults I know. I’m so proud of you, babe.
I’m proud of all of you for setting and accomplishing the goals you’ve made for yourselves. No doubt this journey around the world has offered you some of the greatest challenges of your lives, and you’ve all continuously pushed passed them. Like Ammon said, it’s mostly mental attitude, and from what I gather, you’ve all done an amazing job, especially considering the circumstances. I know that very cold and very early mornings on an exhausted body can be discouraging and very unattractive.
Again, I wish I was with you. It would’ve been sweet if my 5 year enlistment in the Marine Corps was completed prior to your trip. Next time I hope. Only 2 years left.
Stand tall,
Skylar” ***
Now it was all behind us and already just a memory. I’d forced myself up those mountains and was rewarded with an unforgettable, three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the highest and most spectacular mountains in the world. We’d climbed all the way to the top of Kala Patthar.
I wondered if this truly was a sihpromatum. I thought back to the beginning of our trip, to how many tears I’d shed over having to give up Harrison and leaving my friends and my home. Looking out over the Himalayas as the propeller drummed overhead and throbbed in my chest, I couldn’t believe where the trip had taken us.
Through the pain, I’d gained so many unforgettable moments and life-altering revelations. I was beginning to recognize my internal desire to improve myself and better understand the way I perceived the world around me, and I fully intended to influence it in a positive way.
I’d met and made friends from all walks of life and I’d walked more than a mile in other people’s shoes. In this short time, we’d ventured from the third lowest place on earth to watching a flood of light pierce the new day at one of its highest points. The emotional and physical highs and lows of the journey mirrored those explorations.
We could have given up and let the hard times defeat us, but we overcame them. I knew there would be more challenges – we all did – but an experience like this made us think about why it was all worth it. Not only had we built incredible lifelong memories; we’d built lasting, healthy relationships among our entire family, strengthening our bonds and surviving the hardships and fights. Being glued to each other sometimes felt like imprisonment, but working through the anger and frustration was rewarded with a greater sense of happiness and fulfillment. Unable to escape, we had to face obstacles and reach the top, much like the mountains we’d climbed. Who knows where this whole adventure might lead?
Ch. 41-42 photos here
To Be Continued…
Thank you for sharing the adventures!
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Make sure to keep an eye out for “Rusty Tracks and Booby Traps”, book #3 in the “Sihp
romatum” series.
POEMS FROM CHAPTER 14:
As The World Turns
1. Slowly
Slowly, the realities of life unfold
Everything that was is now a lie
It’s a whole new world before my eyes
To remain innocent forever is impossible
One choice can alter everything
Buried truths discovered
What other secrets lay in the dark
Crumbled spirit, shrunken soul, completely let down
The tightest bonds unravelled rapidly
Memories of the past have new meanings
Decisions of another can affect many lives
Why mine at such a cost
Shocked and fully crushed
What a sudden impact
Drying misty eyes
Looking forward mending ways, facing life’s obstacles
Choosing paths to follow
Learning, creating, waiting
Time will always tell
The future remains a mystery
As the world turns……..slowly
- Breanna
2. Slowly
Slowly, changes are made
In life upon itself
The sun will rise
The moon shall fade
Choices make differences
But in the end
Everything is revealed
Until then
The water flows
And the world turns……slowly
-Savannah
3. Slowly
Slowly, change is effected
Slowly, an era begins
Wind swept remains of an earlier age
Silent observers of time
Reminders of gloried days
Rise above the feasts of union
To celebrate future’s pact
As enemies of a forgotten past
Renew an ancient sorrow
The name of another
Lends strength to the small
Terror finds its muscle
Mercy all but lost
Tears of grief, the empty stare
Victory at all cost
With a sudden flash
All disappears
In the view of desolation
The dust settles
And the world turns…..slowly
-Ammon
4. Slowly
Slowly…….
As the dust settles
Light renews itself
Colours form majestic thoughts
Brilliance defines adventure
Direction becomes lucid
With another path to follow
And the world turns…….slowly
-Mom
5. Slowly
Slowly, the sun melts
Shadows form and darkness swells
The stars have aligned!
Fate shows its past
When pieces separate the earth
Life dissolves,
And crumbles at your feet
But the dust will settle,
As the world turns…….slowly.
- Savannah
Sihpromatum - Backpacks and Bra Straps Page 33