K2

'All right, mate, thank you for these days together, they have been simply brilliant.'

'Likewise, Manuel, as I can see you haven't changed your mind, gonna leave us today,' said Nika coming towards Manuel to give him a last friend hug.

'Yeap, unfortunately, I gotta go.'

'Job won't be waiting for you, huh?'

'True, don't wanna be fired, Nika, not all of us are artists like you.'

Nika smiled.

They hugged each other and Nika patted him on the back.

'So fifteen days for China, and after straight to my home.'

'Fifteen days, I still think it's an awfully small amount of days for this country,' said Nika

'I still don't wanna be fired, so fifteen days for now. The next year we will see.'

'Too many rush as for me, you better stay with us here,' said Nika

'Tickets have been bought, I wish I could though.'

'You love this place I know it.'

'Yes, for sure, hope to take a look at your drawing after. They will remind me of these mountains.'

Nika nodded.

'All right, so I am leaving, say goodbyes for me to ...,' Manuel stumbled.

'To Ross'

'To Ross, yep, sorry always forgetting.'

'Just wait for her, she'll be here in a minute, she's off to the village,' said Nika

'I can't, just can't. Need to reach the town or the bus would leave without me, terribly sorry, Nika.'

'Oh, hell with you,' smiled Nika and waved his hand. 'A man of business.'

'It's not me, it's a schedule, you know it,' concluded Manuel, and then they shook their hands.

He started off walking towards the small woods beyond which there was a small road to a settlement.

Nika didn't look at him leaving due to the morning routine which he got used to do here every morning since they had discovered this spot.

The small plateau, where was their camp, was genuinely shining under the morning Sun. Of off this spot, the whole valley was at his palm; at the distance, the chain of tremendous, old mountains was seen. The snowy and ancient peaks had been silent witnesses of all events of these lands. "Gorgeous and intimidating at the same time," thought Nika sitting at the edge of the trunk of his car, packing up his sleeping bag and reorganizing the space of the car from his bedroom to the kitchen and workshop.

'No eggs for today, guys,' said Ross, coming towards the car from the hood side.

Nika looked back and waited until she reached his side then said, 'No eggs? Why?'

'She was trying to explain something, she didn't speak English, only Urdu and Balti, so I didn't get her at all. She was pointing out at the clock and telling me something.'

'Probably she meant the eggs would be later,' said Nika

'True, this is what I think too,' said Ross and showed her bag. 'Anyway, we have potatoes and water.'

Nika picked it up and started putting out the goods.

'Where is Manuel?'

'Left.'

'Already?' said Ross. 'Nor goodbyes, nor even breakfast?!'

Nika smiled.

'He has a flight and all that jazz.'

'Gush, I mean.. that was too fast.'

'That was too fast,' concluded Nika.

For a few minutes they were sitting silently, each went to its thoughts, then Nika put out a gas balloon and connected it to a gas stove, he was humming some words of a melody "hm, hm the road goes ever on and on", then took out some veggies.

'These seem not so fresh, let me sort 'em out,' said Ross.

'Sure, neither they nor even we had the plan to stay here for two nights,' said Nika, preparing some water to boil.

'And seems like we stay here for two nights more.'

Nika continued humming the melody: 'Now far ahead hm hm the road is gone hm hm'

'Today's weather is so amiable,' said Ross looking at the distance.

'Especially for the peak of K2.'

The highest mountain in the world, well, the second highest had decided to show his incredibly fresh peak. For almost four full days dark clouds were making a new haircut for him and now it was time to show it to the world. It was in the middle of summer, so some high areas of his were unusually clean off of the snow; the best moment for his new haircut or rather some receding hairline considering his age, but nevertheless, he was simply gorgeous. The blue sky was the perfect background for this giant. Such a unique combination of things made this handsome look awfully beautiful. The rest of the gang of the others "hills" and "knolls" were standing aside. It could seem that their only existing was to be compared with and then skipped for the sake of. K2.

'Manuel would miss the world today with his leaving,' said Ross.

'We agreed that I'll make the drawing for him,' smiled Nika and started slicing cucumbers.

'Oh, have you really promised him to do that? You'd rather clam him up,' laughed Ross

'You do it better than anyone I know.'

'Wait, I'll do all the veggies stuff,' said Ross.

'All right, I'll handle the potatoes.'

'And you handle the potatoes.'

Nika picked up his Swiss knife and started peeling off the potatoes.

'I'd really love to stay here for another two days however how do you feel about it, Ross?' said Nika. 'You have a flight from Karachi soon too.'

'Not so soon I'd say, but still.. why should I run forward if I like this place.'

'You wanted to spend some more days on your way back to Karachi, is that what you said to me before?'

She finished sorting out all the veggies and started slicing cucumbers and leaves of salad.

'By the way, why do you want to stay there some time before your flight? I remember you saying you had spent there two weeks and now you want more. Is that such a lovely city?' asked Nika.

'It's a good question, Nika. I don't really know how to explain it.'

'Take your time, it's all good.'

The water was about to boil and Nika had finished peeling off the potatoes.

'Four is enough? asked Nika. 'And should we boil them or fry them?'

'Some Nika.' laughed Ross. 'Why do you keep the water boiling if we're gonna fry it?'

'Oh, silly me.'

They laughed. The gentle, summer wind had blown in their way. It was the mountain wind, that had never meant to cool someone's tanned bodies but on the contrary, his mission was to remind that ones are still up in the mountains.

'We had better to make some tea as well,' said Nika.

'Take my stove, let's do it at mine.'

He had finished putting all the potatoes into the saucepan and reached out a sack with Ross' kitchen stuff meanwhile Ross was off setting up chairs where they would have breakfast, contemplating cloudless and look-younger-than-he-is Mr. K2.

When Nika had handled with the second stove he looked at Ross, she was staying there, long hair, tall and beautifully thin, wearing shorts, barefooted, looking at the distance, ruminating.

'Hey, Ross,' he said but she didn't answer.

'Hey,' said Nika and walked up to her.

They were staying together at the end of the plateau close to folding chairs, for a few minutes, only the restless wind was playing in Ross' hair.

'You know, Nika.. before I came to Karachi I had dreamed about it since my sixteen. Old and bizarre city that is riddled with rickshaws and bustle, overcrowded streets with people from every corner of the country. I knew I would strive to get there as soon as possible. But now..'

'What? smiled Nika. 'You've been there.'

'Now, years later I have finally visited Karachi, and it would sound funny but almost all cities have the same atmosphere here. And.. and I..'

'You don't feel happy? You aren't happy in a way you thought you would?'

'Yes.'

It seemed as though this word was falling into the empty abyss of her soul, which had been always full of bright energy and cheerful ideas until this moment.

'Once I knew the story about a fish,' said Nika. 'He swam up to the old one and said to him, "I am looking for the thing that is known as the ocean. Where can I find it?". "The ocean!?" asked the old fish. "The ocean is where we are right now." "No, this is water. What I want is the ocean!"'.

There was a silence for a moment and then Nika smiled and patted her on the shoulder then came back to the cooking process where potatoes were leaping up and down in the hot water, almost ruddy, awakened and looking forward to being eaten right away, from the saucepan into the mouth. He started to fork them down, carrying them from the saucepan to his plate where the fresh veggies were lying at the edge of the plate. He did the same process with Ross' plate and then leaned forward to turn off the second stove but suddenly Ross's hand was ahead of him. She turned off the stove and added two tea bags to the hot water. Nika was looking at this process. A kind smile was on his face, that sort of smile that people would have when they are genuinely glad and feel happy for someone they know.

He walked up to the two folding chairs, which Ross had set up earlier. The outstanding view of the valley under the blue sky with boiled potatoes that had been boiled as much time as it was needed to cook ideal ones. Ross came up right after Nika and brought some tea. It was awfully good milk tea, that was a present from a local lady here in the mountains. Ross had made it just perfect. The proportions of milk, sugar, and the tea itself.

'What I know for sure is, that this is definitely one of the best breakfasts of my life,' said Ross, forking down a potato ball, and the way, how smoothly the ruddy ball was caving in, letting the fork went deeper to the core, soft and slow, was speaking for itself.

'Yes, indeed. It is.'

The tea was standing aside on the ground, steaming like some Wild West train.

'And why one of the best?' asked Nika. 'Which are the others?'

'Do you mean what is the best one?'

Nika nodded and tried to sip some tea, but it was hot even for these mountains.

'Well, one of the best was near the Indian Ocean.'

'Karachi?'

'Naturally, Karachi. We were having breakfast at that eatery, that was almost on the beach.'

'Cannot recall the name but it was not so close to the ocean, wasn't it?' said Nika

'Still, you couldn't see any water off of there, but it was pretty close,' said Ross trying to chew a hot potato, so it was dancing from the left side to the right of her mouth.

Nika laughed.

'No, Ross, not a whole one at a time, break it in two pieces at least.'

'Too late,' said Ross with her mouth full of potatoes.

'Some Ross, just go on with your story,' smiled Nika and looked at her.

'Well, it was the best paratha I have ever eaten.'

'A cheese one?'

'Exactly, Nika, they brought a hell of a big paratha with ketchup and milk tea on top of that!'

'I know this place, however never been there,' answered Nika.

Now Ross patiently pushed down with her fork on a potato and took one small piece. At this moment one could notice that the edges had no difference with a potato's core. The whole inside was boiled and cooked at the same level.

'It's literally melting right now in my mouth, thank you so much, Nika,' said Ross.

'Thank you, Ross,' answered Nika and threw a leaf of salad into his mouth.

'So, we came at that eatery in the morning, without the heat, without crowds of people, without that Karachi things. Only the sound of our bites of crispy parathas was being heard at that moment, and after we went to the ocean side which was calling us by the light morning breeze..'

'It's quite a breakfast, I must admit,' said Nika.

'A wonderful one.'

Ross sighed. For the moment the silence again had made a visit to their spot. Forcing all words to be quiet and respect her short-time presence.

'Thank you for those words about the water, and the ocean,' said Ross. 'Now the whole situation has started to be slightly different in me.'

'Always try to catch a moment when it's up in the air; enjoy, savor it,' said Nika

'And we will,' said Ross with a smile. 'So will you bring the paints, dost?'

'Out of question, we have to capture this scenery.'

'Take some pencils and gel pens for me. He looks so.. serene today.'

'I agree, Ross. And no oil paints today?'

'No, don't feel like that,' said Ross, putting aside her plate and sipping the tea.

'All right, did you finish the meal? I am gonna take the plates away off to the car.'

'Yes, for now, I'm done,' said Ross. 'But.. let's do it but..'

'But?'

'But just in five minutes, okay? Let's sit for a while, the view is mesmerizing.'

Nika nodded silently.

The wind had blown a little stronger, leaving no space for words or thoughts and K2 looked just fantastic.