ASCENSION

The orange of the setting sun dazzled scintillatingly against the white of the icy slopes. The glacial breeze howled against the thick canvas of the tent. The ink in Ethan's pen had long since frozen. He took a pencil and began to write in his travel diary:

Day 40

"What a long day! I'm too tired to write about today in detail and in any case, James is insisting on setting out before dawn so I should sleep now. If all goes smoothly, tomorrow I shall finally reach the top of the world. Mom and Dad, at last, I shall fulfill your dream. Just one more day, and I will have conquered Everest!"

He stowed away the diary and wished James a good night. James, the guide, who hadn't removed the balaclava off his face since they had met, responded with his customary grunt - he never spoke unless it was absolutely imperative. 

20 minutes later, Ethan was fast asleep - snoring weakly in the thin air. Stealthily, James fetched the diary and, in the waning twilight, began to read it.

Day 1

"Hello. I am Ethan Faulkner, a 19 year old who, like every other New Zealander, has the dream of scaling the highest peaks of the world. So here I am at the Everest Base camp and today onward, I shall record on these pages my journey towards fulfilling the dream. It was my parents' wish too, that I scale Everest. Unfortunately, they are no more on this planet. I don't remember much about them though. I lost my memories on hearing of my parents' demise in an air crash. Granny said it's a severe case of post-traumatic retrograde amnesia. I do remember a few fragments of my childhood though. I recall my parents frequently humming 'Ascension' - a rather spooky melody composed by my father. I hold the melody very close to my heart as it is the most distinct memento from my childhood. I also remember my brother's face and the tiny scar on his forehead. His trademark smug smile never failed to make me grin too. He was taken away by some distant relative to another country after we were orphaned. I haven't heard from him since.  My parents had scaled several formidable summits, but not Everest. They wanted my brother and me to do it. And that is why I am here, to stand face to face with the sun, from the summit of Everest!"

James replaced the diary and rolled over to his sleeping bag, but he could not find slumber. Maybe it was hypoxia - the lack of oxygen. No, his lungs weren't that weak. It was his mind, his conscience that was giving him trouble. But it was a job he had to. After seeing it through he would never have to worry about sleep.

The stars were still dominating the heavens when Ethan awoke and crawled out of his tent, although the first streaks of azure were creeping up from the east, heralding a new dawn. He was having those nightmares again - visions of corpses lying on hillsides and 2 boys crying. He had told his grandmother about this but she would pretend to have not heard it. Now even she had passed away and Ethan had to bear the disturbing visions all by himself.

James was already up and readying the oxygen systems. Shortly, they set off on the final leg of their endeavour. The summit was in sight and Ethan was beginning to imagine the sweet smell of success. But the powerful gusts of wind hadn't ceased and in a permafrost zone, wind chill could only add to the struggle for warmth.There was no life at this elevation and nothing but the wind crashing against their parkas was audible. Having only a silent, unfriendly accomplice like James did not help, thought Ethan. He should've just come with a Sherpa. The other climbers had given up a few days ago. Not everyone could brave the final leg known as the 'death zone'. Ethan thought of George Mallory, the legendary mountaineer who had gone missing in this zone until his body was discovered 75 years later. The visions from his nightmares returned to haunt him at that thought but he brushed them away. Then he thought of his family. He had no one to cry for him. He had nothing to lose. He would reach the top even if it would fatigue him to death.

10 hours later, Ethan hauled himself over a rock and that's when he saw it. The top of the world was beneath him. He had conquered Everest.

Elation. Ecstasy. Euphoria.

He didn't know whether his heart was racing or not beating at all. He fell into a trance and just stood there in suspended animation, his mind paralyzed by the heavy onslaught of emotion.  An eerie tune woke him up from his stupor. Even after all these years, he could recognize that melody anywhere. Ascension - the tune his father had composed. The one true memory he had been able to retain. And here on the peak of Everest, 14 years after he had last heard his parents hum it, he could hear it - from right behind him.

Dreamily aghast, Ethan turned around. James was standing there. For the first time, Ethan saw him without the balaclava covering his face. And he saw the tiny scar on his forehead. James was wearing that trademark smug smile and Ethan had no doubt who he was.

"Hello, little brother," said James, "Long time no see."

"Nathan...", dumbstruck, Ethan was left speechless.

"Look Ethan, I know there's a lot to be explained and 14-years worth pleasantries left to be exchanged but I'll get straight to the point. Granny somehow traced me and contacted me a few months ago. She told me about the visions you had been getting in your sleep. Okay, hear this. Those corpses on the hillside - that was Mom and Dad. The 2 boys were us. Unlike you, my memories remained intact. And I know of something that Granny had been keeping a secret from you all along. You see, brother, our parents didn't die in an air crash. They were murdered. And the culprit is us. You and I, Ethan, we killed our parents. You were 5, I was 7. We were out hiking in the hills back at Christchurch. Our parents were sitting at the edge  of a rocky overhang. We saw a team base-jumping off the opposite hill and thought they were superheroes. The way Mom and Dad were sitting at the edge, we thought they were superheroes too. Urged by our childish fantasies, we rushed towards them and pushed them. As ridiculous as it sounds, it's the truth. We are foolish murderers, Ethan. We killed our own parents!"

Nathan was almost shouting now. Ethan stared back, still dreamily. Warm tears raced down both their cheeks. They couldn't feel the cold anymore. Nathan calmed a bit and continued,"All my life I have lived with this guilt. I've been fighting suicidal urges and now I can't take it anymore. Your memories were returning too, in your dreams. Sooner or later, the truth would've hit and you wouldn't have been able to live with it either. So today we shall atone for our sin, with our lives. Look around you Ethan. Look at where we've reached. We've fulfilled our parents' dream.  We are standing face to face with the sun! Our job here is done. Let's go back to our parents.  Let's go home, Ethan."

Nathan clamped his brother's hand and they stepped towards the extreme edge of the Everest summit.  He looked at him and gave the smug smile, albeit weakened by tears. Ethan offered a watery grin in response, the tears warming his frostbitten lips. For a moment they stood still, taking in their final glimpses of Earth. 

Hand in hand, two crying young men were free-falling from Everest. Two corpses lying on a mountainside. James surely didn't have to worry about sleep again, for he lay with his brother in an everlasting rest. The orange of the setting sun dazzled scintillatingly against the white of the icy slopes. 

- Rtr. Aman Vasavada,

Rotaract Club of N.M. College

The clue to the next article is :

Feed me I will survive give me drink and I shall die.

Let's see how smart-witted you are to  answer this riddle and thus, guess the theme of the next article...