Mt. Nemallca: Day 1

WRITER'S NOTE: I will like to dedicated this short story to my adopted-by-heart sister: Liz. By whom, is the mother of my Godchild: Ana. I hope you enjoy this piece, Sis Sis. And yes, I did have a couple of mocha in the time of writing. I had to get some inspiration from somewhere. Please enjoy.

"You ready, Michelle?" asked my best friend I knew since I was little. Felix was always the outgoing and over-achiever type. I always admired that about him. He keeps me on my toes and makes me confident in what I do in any given situation.

"Yes, I am," I said with a half smile to reassure him.

"What me to take the lead?" he asked for the dozen time.

"Yes, Felix. I much rather have you go first, considering you have more muscle strength than I do."

"It pays when you are given such skill," he teased as he flex his biceps.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's get going," I said with a bit of urgency. We got at least a week to climb up and down to prove to our local village's one and only Climber's Guild that both of us have it what it takes to climb Mt. Nemallca.

We already had to go through a forest before arriving at our destination. The trees out here were the same back there. Literally every tree had a mocha color to them, and each one tasted and smelled like the fine quality coffee, considerably of the coffee beans it proves within the branches. Just please don't ask me how they got there. I'm not in a history lesson about our beloved N'malla.

As Felix was getting ready to set up our gear and safety equipment, I can see the same trees from the ground unto the mountain's surface. N'malla has been infested with these mocha trees that it's practically what we live off of it.

The surface of the mountain meanwhile had the same type of shading as the ground we stand. It was all pinkish to white color and it felt like a skin of a Sphynx cat instead of the normally grassy feel and texture.

Once Felix attached our climbing links to one another and we each gave a pull, we were ready to start ascending up the otherly strange to most mountain. Felix launched our grappling hook onto the first tree trunk and before we knew it, the two of us started to climb Mt. Nemallca right there and then. Trunk by trunk, and climb by climb, we both scale this monstrous mountain. By which, no one can see the top considering it's way past the eye could see.

I've heard stories about the climber's journey. Some of them said it was breathtaking to see the whole world out there. Others would claim, it is like stepping into heaven. While a few sadly won't make it back due to natural causes. There was one time, one climbing pair made it to the top only to fall of it. All considering the ground wasn't stable enough and started to move on them before they plumage unfortunately...

So with those types of precautions, Felix and I take our safety as the main priority. I mean sure, I want us to beat the previous climber's time record but as someone who prefer to take one step at a time before driving into anything, I want to take the extra steps. Just to be on the safe side.

After the twenty trunk we scaled, both our muscles were burning up so Felix and I decided to take a break and eat a light snack. Once we have seatten down, we broke our mocha bread while admiring the feet. We had to be at least close to 200 feet, and the two of us could see our local village.

"I wonder what everyone is doing," pondering Felix.

"Probably going about their day. Without a care in the world."

"You think that little?"

"Felix, trust me, I know our people a bit too well."

"So do I."

"Yeah, but everyone loves you. They're probably confident that you will make it to the top. Me, however, they don't really give a damn."

There was a slight pause before Felix responded with his signature smile: "Well, let's prove it to them! I believe in us, especially you!"

I look at him before replaying: "Sometimes Felix I think you oversell me...mostly."

Felix gave his heartwarming laugh before saying: "I gonna sometimes. That's what best friends are for."

We resumed our climb shortly afterwards. I couldn't help but think of what Felix say back there. If we do this, would people start treating me differently? Felix was well known in our village as the popular kid whilst I am just a lonely girl with no purpose to anything. I think back to how I first met Felix. He came to me when no one else wanted to play with me. All because I just sit and stare in the shadows. But Felix was my sunshine to my brightest day. He's always been there and treated me like his equal. Sometimes I often turn blushing red for embarrassment anytime he does so.

As we climb, I started to feel some sort of tuck. Like, something was getting stuck. I shouted out to my best friend: "Hold on, I'm caught on something."

He stopped almost automatically before replying: "You got it, Michelle. Let me know if you need any help."

"I sure will. Just give me a sec." I then proceeded to check around and find out that one of my belongings (a thermostat bottle) was stuck on a nearby mocha tree branch. I try to unhook but try as I might, it wouldn't budge.

"What is it?" my beloved confidant asked.

"It's my thermostat. Somehow it got caught."

"Any luck?"

"I can't undo it."

"Okay, here's what you are going to do, Michelle. I'll take a step back to see if unhooks by chance. Please let know if it works."

"You got it."

Felix took a step back. Still stuck. "Take another."

He takes another step. Same result. "Take one more time."

My best friend took his third step but this time, my thermostat got out and the crisis was avoided.

"Got it!" I cheered.

"Glad to help."

"You're the best, Felix."

"You as well, Michelle. Shall we continue?"

I narrowed my eyes filled with confidence before responding: "Let's do this!"

The both of us continued on climb as we scaled Mt. Nemallca without any further issues, for now... Still can't believe that our own society live in the back of a giant llama. N'malla was the most gentle-sized creature you can get. Rearrange both N'malla and Nemallca, you'll get Llama and Llamanec respectively. Soon enough, our first day of climbing up on our beloved N'malla came to a close.