Climbing the Everest

There was a tea, that grew from the trees.

There was a steak, that came from plants.

There was a balance, in what you could eat.

Then the Everest fell...

and the world changed.

But that was not the end...

Sebastian closed the book and looked at his schoolmate. "What a bunch of weird sentences! Steak from the plant? Everyone knows the best steaks are from cows!" Aryan sighed:

"You should cry it out louder, for those people at the back, now come on, Sebby, you should know better. We are in an Indian restaurant, of course, they will serve you plant-based food and poems. That's called cultural difference."

Sebastian looked around. Not one of the visitors was an Indian.

"What is Indian in this restaurant, besides food and that one cute waitress that will not wait on us?" Aryan reached for the menu and ignored his friend's remarks.

Finally, a young man arrived at their table. "Talim, thank goodness, you came to rescue?" Talim blinked at Sebastian, shocked by his sudden kindness. "I am picking up Aryan, we are going to the gym. Would you like to join us?"

"Don't be silly, Sebastian can't exercise. His pork belly is too much of an obstacle." Aryan's words hit the young man harder he would admit. Talim, seeing his smile dropping, quickly changed the topic: "After gym, we are having pizza. Can we meet at PD's at 7pm? Or you come earlier and choose the pizza? I will eat anything after bodybuilding." Sebastian cheered up a little and promised he would meet them at the place.

After they left him in the restaurant, that cute Indian waitress came to the table and offered him a glass of wine. "It's not dinner time..." he shuffled on his seat uncomfortably. "No, no, that's from a patron over there! She paid for it." She pointed behind her and Sebastian blushed. Her eyes were fascinating. For a moment he forgot that he was in the restaurant. He was so lost in those glittering orbs of gold and whiskey that he nearly spilt the wine over himself. Quickly recollecting himself, he realized she was not sitting at her place anymore.

With increasing horror, he watched her standing up and quite literally flowing to his side of the restaurant. Her gait was supernatural as if she barely touched the dirt-stained floor and as she walked, her hips slightly bobbed in the rhythm of her steps/dance. When she reached his side (which in his eyes took an eternity), she asked him: "May I sit next to you?" He only managed to nod, taken aback by the sound of her voice. Soft like a cloud without the bitterness or disgust. This angelic creature wanted to sit down next to him?

Sebastian didn't lack self-esteem but when he subconsciously compared himself to her, he felt worthless.

"I'm not talking to you out of pity, Sebastian. I am really interested in you as a person." Did she just read his mind? It wouldn't be impossible, she looked otherworldly already. "I'm blushing now, although you can't see it."

Sebastian shook his head. "I can see the warmth of your interest through the veil you are wearing. I can hear it in the tiniest drops of tone in your voice, and I cannot understand why. But I really... I've never met anyone like you and I want to say sorry. You've just heard me before, complaining about your culture, and-" She shook her head and stopped him dead in his tracks. "This is not my culture, dear Sebastian." He blushed.

"Tell me, Sebastian, who is Everest and why his fall caused the end and the beginning," The young man closed his eyes, determined to come up with a good excuse why not to tell. Suddenly, he felt it inside him. A strange urge to talk about what happened to him:

"I was thirteen," he whispered. ", when my momma left us, followed by pappai the same year. Suddenly, we, 7 children were left to the mercy of momma's and pappai's owner. Although, momma called him employer. In my eyes, he was our owner. He gave us food and clothes for simple chores around the house. He married my sister and gave her three children, but nothing had changed. We were still his. She didn't tell him a word when we received a beating. That poem reminded me of someone. Of our saviour. She was like a good ol' grandma. She bought us from him, but not my sister. I lost my sister that year.

She gave us food. She gave us clothes. But also warm cuddles in shivering cold, she gave us medicine and sometimes a coin or two for sweets. My younger brothers called her lovingly: Amma Barg. She died last month but she left me with this book of poetry, which I immediately after her demise brought to this restaurant... but wait, how do you know my name, and... is it just a trick? Are you an illusion?" An unexpectedly strong slap from her confirmed his worst nightmare. She was real, and she was mad. "I'm- sorry." He blurted in shock. She quickly recollected herself.

"Sebastian, I am the one, who should feel sorry. I wanted to play out the mystery and shine. But not to trick you. I just wanted to see, if your intentions are as pure as I hoped would be. I asked about the poem because when you read it, your face was full of pain and reminiscence and your words after were hopeless attempts to keep the stone face in front of your schoolmates. But the truth is, Sebastian, I knew Amma Barg as well. She helped me in the same way she was helping you and your siblings. That poem is not about us, Sebastian. It's not even about cultural differences or religious claims. Climbing the Everest has the deepest meaning. All small steps or big slides on the top are to understand fragility and transience. You've grown from your past mistakes and now you can be ready to reach the summit. My name is-"

Sebastian opened his eyes and apologized promptly to the waiter who was looking worried.

"Are you okay, Mr Lai? Shall I open the window?" Sebastian quickly shook his head. "I had the strangest dream ever." The waiter asked: "So shall I tell the lady in the car you are going to bed, instead?" Sebastian looked at him in utter shock. "Woman? What woman?" The waiter smiled. "That pretty lady in a dark red burqa. She was waiting for a while and asked me to wake you up. She mentioned Everest, but I might be mistaken, my English is not that good."

Sebastian assured him he heard it right, quickly paid his bill and left the whole sum of money behind, not waiting for a change. Who was she and how did she know about Amma?

Upon running outside, a smell of hotdogs and dog's faeces filled his nose. He looked frantically around, unsure she was still there. Finally, he relaxed and waved at the car. She rolled down the window and smirked at him. "Good morning, Sebastian Lai. I am ready to answer any questions you might have. But first, can you review my restaurant? Is wine good?" His face reddened and he felt embarrassed. "Wine and company was extremely satisfying. 5 out of 5." She giggled and pushed him playfully.

"Shall we have a ride? And my cook made you a real steak from that poor dead animal you will devour, after our return." Sebastian swallowed the saliva after she mentioned the steak.

They drove around the restaurant for quite a time, but Sebastian didn't even realize it. The mysterious Indian lady turns out to be the owner of the restaurant and his adoptive sister. Because when she talked about Amma, she unveiled a story Sebastian never figured out.

Amma Barg was an extraordinary human. She collected those lost souls, all those orphans and hardshipped children of poverty and bombarded them with all her love and support they so desperately needed. Yet, she was your typical grandma who baked scones and scolded you for being too thin. Not even her closest family knew/cared about all these children. So she, single parented more than 67 children throughout her life and never seen any of them come back to her, besides Sebastian who never really left her side. That realization broke the poor woman's heart and she left the world soon after. Sebastian, after finding out her story, sold the house he grew up in. The money he earned, was put towards the Barg Apt, where all the children in need would find what he was given. Love, shelter and relief that someone sees them, someone wants them to thrive and be successful.

He lost contact with his schoolmates soon after opening the door for his first children, but he gained a partnership with the restaurant owner who soon provided them with food for just a fraction of the price.

There was a tea, that grew from the trees.

There was a steak, that came from plants.

There was a balance, in what you could eat.

Then the Everest fell...

and the world changed.

The tea grown from the tree quenched the thirst for love,

and the steak that didn't kill a cow served many.

When the Everest fell...

...the world didn't change.

But one man did.

And that's the end.