Pace My Heart (A sequel to *Happy To Meet You*)

Chapter-38

“It looks like we have got company.”

Daniel was muttering to himself and I glanced at the direction he was looking. Jack and Mandy were waiting for us and I saw Jack waving his hand at us. They were not alone. Two other familiar persons were standing with them. Someone was looking at Daniel and me as we went up towards them. The last time I saw him was at the concert two months back.

*

“Before you say anything, let me tell you that it has nothing to do with me this time. I really had no idea. Jack asked him if he would like to join us. Apparently his shooting schedule has brought him back to Chicago. I was going to call up and tell you but you were already on the way.”

Mandy explained giving her side of the story as I pulled her away from the group.

“I want to kill Jack.”

I replied ruffling my hairs in frustration.

*

“Ava, you came back at the right moment.”

Daniel said to me as I walked back towards the group with Mandy.

“What happened, Daniel?”

I asked wondering what he meant by that.

“I was having this conversation with Min Ho and he told me that he was also into rock climbing. So I was going to ask him if he wanted to race me to the top?”

Daniel replied casually looking at him.

“Dude, are you challenging Min Ho?”

Jack asked him looking astonished as much as I was.

“Well, I thought it will be fun. But only if he agrees.”

Daniel said with a smile.

“Daniel, you don’t need to…” I started speaking when someone cut in before I completed my sentence.

“I accept the challenge.”

“Cool. I like your spirit. Jack can judge us. Ava will be my climbing partner.”

Daniel was looking at me while saying it.

“I will team up with Tae.”

He replied and I saw Tae giving him an incredulous look.

*

 Jack had hiked his way up the cliff and had set up two anchors at a short distance from one another at the top of the climbing route. The anchors were meant to be used for top roping, a style of rock climbing where you climb the rock face with the safety rope always anchored above you. The climbing rope will run through a locking carabiner, a strong metal loop with spring loaded gates which is affixed to the solid anchor at the top of the cliff. Two ends of the climbing rope would then be dangling down from each anchor.

  Daniel and I were preparing ourselves and getting our gears ready. I braided my long hairs and wore my snug fitting climbing shoes. Daniel was wearing the harness and adjusting the leg loops. The harness with its straps, buckles and loops is designed specifically for climbing and it connects your body to the climbing rope. Daniel took one loose end of the dangling climbing rope and went on to tie a figure-8 follow through knot into his harness. A  figure of 8 -follow through knot, as the name suggests how it looks like is a basic but one of the strongest climbing knots used in rock climbing. After making the knot, there was a left over tail of rope which he used to tie a fisherman’s back up knot and finally snugging in the back up knot against the figure-8 knot.

   My responsibility as his partner was to stay at the bottom while he climbed and to be a belayer. Taking the other end of the rope, I threaded it through a belay device on my harness. As the belayer, I would be giving out or taking in the climbing rope and keeping it snug using the belaying device.