The Dragon's Descent (24 page)
Despite the darkness and the late hour, the town center of Sri Pada was bustling with activity. Storefronts lit up the streets as people ranging from old men in traditional flowing sarongs and sandals to teenagers in jeans and T-shirts hustled to and fro, making last-minute preparations before their ascent up the seemingly endless mountain. Vero stood on a dusty street looking up at the mountaintop. The five thousand stone steps were illuminated by electric lights, creating a glowing line that spiraled around the mountain until it reached to the summit. The lights seemed to reach heaven itself. Kane put his hand on Vero's shoulder as he too looked upward.
“It's beautiful, isn't it?” Kane asked Vero.
“Yeah, it's hard to believe from down here that I'll ever make it all the way to the top.”
“It does seem a long way away,” Kane said. “But look . . .” Kane nodded in the direction of an elderly man wearing a sarong. “If he can do it, then so can we.”
Vero nodded, noting that the man wasn't even wearing shoes or sandals. He was going to climb the mountain barefoot!
Adrik walked over flanked by Nora, Clover, and Tack.
“It is time to begin,” Adrik told the group.
“Does everyone have their backpack?” Nora asked.
“I do,” Tack answered, slinging his backpack onto his shoulder. “Although it feels kind of heavy.”
“It's the bottled waters,” Nora answered. “As you drink them, your load will get lighter.” Nora turned to Clover and Vero. “You two have yours?”
Each nodded.
“Okay, follow me,” Adrik said as she turned and wove her way through the village center.
Adrik walked briskly, and the others had to quicken their pace to keep up with her. They dodged cars, buses, and other pilgrims on their way. Vero nearly lost sight of Adrik in the crowd.
“Can you tell your aunt to slow down?” Vero said to Kane.
“She wants to beat the crowdsâthat's why we're starting so early,” Kane said. “She prefers to climb when the stairs aren't packed with pilgrims.”
Vero's eyes stayed on Adrik, who stepped over a muddy puddle. Then she disappeared from sight after turning the
corner of a hotel building. Vero looked over at his mother, who had a panicked look on her face as she scanned the area for Adrik. Vero's eyes went wide with horrorâan ox-drawn cart was careening toward his mother, who was oblivious.
“Mom! Stop!” Vero yelled at the top of his lungs.
The ox cart did not slow down, and soon plowed through the intersection. Nora was on the other side of it, and Vero lost sight of her. He held his breath, silently praying she was okay. As the ox cart moved past, it revealed Nora stood unharmed in the intersection. Vero felt his chest loosen as he began to breathe again. He ran over to his mother.
“I was so focused on Adrik that I wasn't watching where I was going,” Nora said, dazed.
Vero took her arm and walked her to the side of the street, right in front of a wooden stand selling trinkets. Kane, Clover, and Tack were already waiting there. Pale and shaken, Clover hugged her mother.
“I'm fine,” Nora said. “Thank God Vero yelled at the last second.”
Adrik walked over to them. She had a look of concern on her face.
“Is everything okay?” she asked. “Why you no follow?”
“Because you're walking too fast and we can't keep up!” Kane yelled at her.
“Why no tell me?” Adrik said.
“You were too far ahead to hear us,” Vero said with a razor edge to his tone.
“Boys, stop, everything's fine,” Nora said. “Besides, this is no way to start a pilgrimage.”
“I am most sorry.” Adrik smiled, bowing her head. “I will slow down.”
Nora bowed in return. Vero noticed that Adrik's smile quickly faded, leaving him with the feeling that he needed to keep his mother close.
They made their way across a narrow bridge with a slow-moving river below. On the other side Vero saw a forty-foot-long statue of a Buddhist woman in a maroon robe, lying on her side. On second glance, maybe it was a man? He shone his flashlight at the face for closer inspection, but he still couldn't decide one way or the other. About twenty feet away from the statue, a stone arch marked the base of the stairsâthe entrance gate. Vero looked closer at the arch. It was made completely of stone, yet the top was highly ornamental. Carved into it was an image of a man in prayer flanked by two elephants on either side. Their trunks formed a heart-like image over the man. On top of that was a carved face of a creature that Vero did not recognize. It had large, round bug eyes and a row of long top teeth that appeared to be smiling. Vero thought it was some kind of mythological animal.
Vero heard a British accent, and discovered it belonged to a couple in their early thirties. They were taking a selfie while standing under the arch. Only a handful of other pilgrims began the climb.
“Where is everybody?” Tack asked. “I thought the climb was supposed to be crowded.”
“Most begin at two in the morning,” Adrik said. “I like to climb now before too crowded.”
“So what was the rush?” Vero said in a low voice to Tack, who shrugged.
Nora looked up the trail of stairs. Dim lights lit the path in a shroud of mystery. Nora looked disappointed.
“I was hoping for more light,” Nora told Adrik.
“More light the higher the climb,” she answered. “You weel see.”
“Good thing we brought plenty of flashlights and batteries,” Nora said as she stepped upon the first wide step. She turned back to the others and smiled. “Let's do it!”
Readjusting their backpacks, the group climbed upon the concrete stairs. A two-foot stone wall edged the stairs on both sides. The path was sheathed in a white mist as if the night fog was claiming its hold on the mountain.
“One,” Clover said as she stepped on the first step. “Two,” she said with her foot on the next one. “Three,” she continued. “Four . . .”
“Are you going to do that the whole way up?” Vero asked, already irritated.
“Thought it might make the climb more interesting if we kept track of our steps,” she answered.
“Well, count them in your head,” Vero said.
Adrik took the lead with Nora keeping pace directly behind her. Vero walked slightly behind his mother.
“Is anybody else ready for a break?” Tack asked, out of breath.
“We just started!” Clover shouted at him.
“I should have brought my iPod.” Tack sighed.
“Guys, you've got to keep it down. Walking up these stairs is supposed to be a religious experience,” Kane scolded.
The stairs grew steeper and narrower as the path twisted around a dense clump of trees. The small retaining wall that flanked the path had crumbled on one side, which Kane explained was from years of encroaching tree roots.
“Careful through this stretch,” Adrik told the group.
The overhead lights flickered. Vero looked around nervously when, suddenly, the trail was plunged into darkness. An earsplitting shriek split the night air. Vero instantly knew the voice.
“Mom!” he yelled.
Vero shone his flashlight in the direction of the scream, but Nora was gone. The crackling sounds of splintering bramble filled Vero with dread. He raced to the edge and peered over, searching with the flashlight. The others raced over to Vero, crowding around him, their eyes following the beam.
“There she is!” Tack pointed.
The shaft of light illuminated Nora, who was lying on her side about thirty feet below them. Her eyes squinted from the bright glare.
“Mom, are you all right?” Vero shouted.
Before Nora could answer, Adrik jumped down off the stairs. Swatting tree branches out of her face, she beelined straight for Nora. Vero followed, climbing over rocks and fallen tree trunks to reach his mother.
“Mom!” Vero yelled. “Are you okay?”
“My ankle! I really hurt my ankle,” Nora answered, grimacing in pain.
Adrik reached Nora and placed her hands on her ankle, examining it. Nora winced at the touch. Vero knelt beside his mother. He saw her face was scratched and dirtied.
“Maybe broken,” Adrik said.
“Is it only your ankle?” Vero asked.
“Yes,” Nora said, sitting up while holding her leg.
“Can you walk out of here?”
“We help,” Adrik said. “Grab under arm,” she told Vero.
Vero and Adrik hoisted Nora to her feet. Vero's mom tried to put a little pressure on her left foot, but wasn't able to.
“I can't do it,” Nora said.
“Lean on us,” Vero told her.
Adrik and Vero walked Nora back up the hillside. With one hand, he clasped his mother, while the other held the flashlight and lit the way. When they reached the steps, Kane and Tack jumped down and lifted Nora onto the stairs. Vero noticed the trail's lights had turned back on.
Nora sat on a step, her leg straight out in front of her. “I'm sorry, guys, but I can't go on.”
Clover bit her lip while anxiously glancing at Vero.
“We have to take her back to the room,” Vero said. “And find a doctor.”
“Agree,” Adrik said.
“How did you fall?” Clover asked.
“When the lights failed, I must have misstepped and lost my balance,” Nora said.
“You don't sound so sure,” Clover said.
Nora had a puzzled look on her face, as if she was lost in thought.
“What?” Vero asked.
“It's crazy, but it almost felt as if I was pushed.”
Vero's eyes narrowed at Adrik.
B
ut I . . .
we
. . . have to go,” Vero pleaded to his mother as she lay in bed inside their bungalow, her foot propped up on pillows. “We've come so far, and it's the chance of a lifetime.”
“Sorry, but I'm not comfortable sending all of you . . .” Nora said as she looked to Clover and Tack, who sat on the bottom of the bed. “Without me.”
“But we'll be okay,” Clover said. “It really wasn't that tough a climb. We're just walking up a really big set of stairs.”
“Yeah,” Tack said. “I saw old people doing it barefoot.”
“Just because you fell doesn't mean we will,” Vero said. “And besides, the doctor said it's only a sprain. You can sleep and we'll be back by the time you wake up.”
Nora shook her head. There was a knock on the door, then Kane walked in with Adrik. She was carrying a bag of ice.
“How you feel?” Adrik asked as she placed the ice on Nora's foot.
“Better, thank you,” Nora answered as she sat up and repositioned the ice bag.
Adrik turned to the kids. “Ready to go?”
“Mom won't let us,” Vero said.
“Ah, no,” Adrik said. “We must go to top.”
“Me lying here changes things,” Nora said.
“I take good care of them,” Adrik said to Nora.
Vero looked to Adrik, doubting her sincerity. He didn't trust something about her, but she was his ticket to the mountain. There was no way his mother would allow him to climb it without Adrik.
“It's a shame to come all this way and not climb it,” Kane said.
“I know, but . . .” Nora said.
“Mom, I have to climb that mountain,” Vero said forcefully, looking into his mother's eyes with conviction.
Nora looked taken aback. She held Vero's gaze for a few moments, then slowly nodded.
“We'll be all right,” Vero said to her.
“Now I really wish we had let you bring your cell phones,” Nora said, sadly.
“They no work here anyway. But not to worr-ee. I take good care of the children.” Adrik smiled to Vero.