COOEE - I AM ON THE TOP

I suddenly realized that it was ten steps above.

- SHREEJA PRASHANTH

All those ten steps on the rusty iron ladder seemed to be just normal, as normal as walking. But suddenly I found myself somewhere too much above the ground. I turned my face to see the adjacent tree shooting its branches and the leaves waving in the wind as if signaling to me that I was a few feet above the land.

I looked down. I saw my shoes. When focused below the shoes, the grass appeared much below them- scaringly deep down! The metal seemed to be too old and rusty to handle my weight. I clenched onto the iron grips. I could see sweat under my palm. I now couldn’t move my legs. They were paralyzed. My spine inclined in proportion to the angle of the ladder. Yes, I started experiencing it again – the stupid acrophobia!

Two of my friends – the naughtiest of the lot, started sending cooee from the top. One was already enjoying the breeze on the top by releasing her long hair. I couldn’t even look up. I was frozen. I gazed at my shoes. They were stuck as if nailed by some rusty iron pins.

We were on a weekend trek and this time we chose Yelagiri. I was the one who got eccentric seeing the ladder that led toward the peak of the hill. I didn’t simply think about the dangerous shamefulness the acrophobia would pose on me even this time, though I had experienced it a couple of times before. Everything around me was so peaceful. Nature was at its best. The aroma of the pure leaves and soil had supported me throughout the trek till this moment.