Chapter 6

I’m going to see this mountain as a molehill. It shouldn’t scare me. I am well able to surmount it. Gaither kept staring at the mountain until truly, it became small in his eyes, and then he suddenly saw himself standing on the mountaintop like an anthill. Yes! This is what I wanted to see! He said to himself.

“Were you talking to me?” Adobea asked him.

“No. I was talking to myself. I have this habit of speaking to the problems before me until I’m able to solve them.”

“Great!”

This mountain is you. If I succeed, I’m sure to win your heart too. It’s only a training ground for me. He whispered to himself.

“Are you talking to yourself again? Gaither? Our people will call you insane if they see you do that often.”

“Don’t worry. We have all been through that stage before.”

“Before you find out, I’ll tell you that the family made a bet. The winner will be paid by everyone.”

“Is it about who will win or it’s about me?”

“It’s about who will emerge the winner but it is also about how close we would have become at the end of the competition” Gaither sighed.

“I don’t want them to think about us that way. What if we genuinely fall in love? It might affect our relationship later on in life when we have settled down.”

“So do you want me to let them retract their resolutions?”

“No. Just let them be.”

“Gaither, you promised to take me to the mountains and put sign names on the various paths so it will be easier to climb.”

“Yes, and I also said for competitions such as ours which is the first-ever, the competitors must be conversant with the mountains before they undertake any such activity.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to live up to expectations?”

“I’m more than able but I’m worried about that friend of yours. We’re not enemies and I never want us to be. I think he must be allowed to acquaint himself with the mountains first before such a challenge is thrown at him.”

“You have a good heart. I’m amazed at your mentality.”

“This is the way I’ve been taught to think ever since I was a child and I haven’t departed from it.”

“I’m simply amazed.”

“Let’s draw a map of the mountain with all its routes and name them.”

“Are we going to do that now?”

“Yes. There’s no time to waste.”

“Is that not the job of geologists or people who have studied Geography?”

“We can do it. We can bring all the guides together and ask your father to show us around the mountains. Since he is a pioneer, he should know a secret we do not.”

“That’s a rather smart idea.”

Mr Adjei was rather happy to be working with Gaither; mainly because it would bring them closer and cement the relationship between his daughter and Gaither.

“We will name this part ‘the Gaither path’” he said as he faced the Southside of the mountain with binoculars and a long rope, charting a clear path for Gaither.

“Gaither, you will walk this path. Become familiar with it. Make it your home, if possible.”

“Yes Dad, I understand.”

Dad? Did he call me Dad? How sweet!

“When I began as a little boy, this entire place had bamboo as high as the heavens. Gradually, they have all disappeared. I do not know how,” said Mr Adjei. “I was not born on this mountain as some people believe. My mother abandoned me here when I was three weeks old. An old woman took care of me but died. I took care of myself.”

“No wonder you know this place so well,” said Gaither.

“Yes, I’ve spent my whole life here. Thanks to Adobea’s mother, I feel like a human being because I’m loved.”

“She’s a rare gem,” said Gaither, leering at Adobea. “And so is she.”

“This is court 1. We’ll call it Gaither court 1.”

“This is a great honour,” he replied. After a few metres of ascent, Mr Adjei named another place court two and so on until they reached the summit.”

“So we have surveyed the path of Gaither and are sure you will not get confused or lost on the day of the contest.”

“I wish there was no contest, Dad.”

“I wish there wasn’t too but we have already committed.”

“Can’t it be reversed in any way?”

“You know this has several implications for the residents and our people and tourism.”

“Yes, I know that, Dad.”

The three, Mr Adjei, Adobea, and Gaither, together with other guides and geologists stayed at the summit to rest for a while. Mr Adjei then chatted with Gaither as if he had known him for ages, telling him about his life history.

Gaither and Adobea made the mountain their dwelling place, scaling its heights until they reached the summit and back so they would be very conversant with it. Aboagye watched them from a distance and feared for his relationship. It seemed Gaither had much more time with Adobea than he did.

When Adobea saw how sad Aboagye was, she discussed his fate with her father.

“Dad, what about Aboagye?”

“I thought he was having his private lessons?”

“Dad, a time with you cannot be compared with lessons outside of this experience. We learnt a lot when we went up and down the mountains with you. Can’t you do the same for Aboagye?”

“I’m sorry Adobea. I guess it was an oversight.” Although she took his explanation with a pinch of salt, it was worth the try lest her father would be seen in a bad light as biased.

After several months of pleading with her father to be fair, nothing seemed to go in Aboagye’s favour. Gaither had paths carved out for him, unlike Aboagye.

“Mum, can you please tell Daddy to be fair about this competition? I don’t want to make a decision that will affect me in future.”

“What exactly are you talking about?”

“Gaither has paths carved out for him from the bottom to the summit. Aboagye has none.”

“Ooooh! I see where this is getting. Aren’t you also guilty of the same offence? Aren’t you getting in the way of the decision-makers?”

“Mummy. It’s my life we’re talking about here, not some chess competition.”

“The decision lies in the hands of your father. I can’t do anything about it.”

“Do you want your daughter to be sad for the rest of her life?”

“Not at all!” shifting in her seat in discomfort as her daughter hit the nail right on the head.

“I’ll talk to him then,” she said apologetically.

At dinnertime, Mrs Agyei waited for so long for the right moment to chip in a word or two for Aboagye.

“Err…May I have a word with you, please?” Adobea and Frema stood to leave the dining room to allow them to have a chat.

“Do you know what Mum and Dad are going to talk about?” asked Frema

“Yes,” she replied.

“My heart is beating so fast I could faint.”

“You haven’t done anything wrong. Take it easy.”

“Really?”

“But why would you be afraid? Have you done anything wrong?”

“I bombed my English exam and I thought they were going to discuss it.”

“That’s certainly not what they are going to talk about but you certainly have to face the music someday.”

“Thank goodness! Now I can breathe”

Mrs Adjei spoke without mincing words to her husband as if her life depended on it.

“I hear you have charted a course for Gaither,” she said.

“Yes, and I plan to do the same for Aboagye,” he replied. Now, Mum’s the word!

“But I learnt he is having his lessons and I think he’ll be fine.”

“No. I disagree with you. He needs you to help him. He has no experience at all unlike Gaither, yet you have made it easier for Gaither to win. Everybody will see how biased you have been.”

“I didn’t mean it that way. I thought I was making it easier for him to climb.”

“If that is the case, why don’t you do the same for Aboagye?” Mr Agyei was silent.

“I guess you’re right. I didn’t think I was being unfair though.”

“Now that you know, do something about it.”