Leaves. Green. Lush. Snakes. Mountains. Sunset. Sunrise. Monkeys. Waterfalls. Trees. From the time I was little, I was always surrounded by greenery. My parents had always taken me to hikes. But I didn’t know today was going to be different. 

Every bit of the tiny green specks, the rising mountains, and the rushing waterfalls made me love it. Nature was my only friend. I could rely on it. It wouldn’t even be able to say something mean to me. If I was tired of my dad yelling or annoying me about the smallest aspects of life, I would run away to nature, my home. 

Tomorrow we would be going on a flight in the rainforest near my hometown in India.  Today, my dad was going to take me to a rock climb, that many people don’t go to. I grudgingly said yes. We drove along the dusty road, risking the ferocious tigers that loomed in the forest. I watched as the evergreen, towering trees rose above me. A vivid image of the mountains rose up into the golden, morning sun. As we drove further, I saw a big mountain rising 2,000 feet into the sky. 

I stuck my hand out in the air, to experience a feeling of freedom. My dad looked at me and I saw fear and anger flood through his eyes. He yelled, “Get your hand out of the window, Alice!” I ignored him. He sighed. I wish he would have been nicer and said it more nicely. 

My dad always had high expectations of me, saying things like, “You know that kid on that street, he carries groceries for his parents, you should be like him.” He would keep degrading me in his own way, indirectly. My dad was a very strict man. My mom is a very open minded person and is a co-pilot who flies around the world and is not really at home. I always would cook for myself, take care of myself, and learned by myself. My dad would come home late from work and yell at me for not finishing my chores. Geeez…. I’m just a kid. 

We were going to start hiking. I followed three yards away from my dad. I soon got tired. I dragged my foot along the dusty pathways, stopping at every unique detail of the leaves being close to the side of the rock instead of the fall of the mountain. Once we reached to the midpoint, we took a break and ate. My dad and I waited a while looking at the birds below us and the sun at the midpoint in the sky. Until finally we, by we I mean my dad, decided to keep moving. 

There was a one-foot gap of space to reach the top of the mountain and 2,000 falls. It was a life or death situation. I can’t do this. I can’t do this I repeated in my head. My dad looked at me expectantly to tell me to go ahead, but I just stood there, frozen in my spot, shaking my head. My dad nudged me forward. I thought he would explode in fury, just like always. Until I heard a calm voice. 

My dad spoke in such a calm voice, I would have never believed it. “You can do it. You are not a little girl anymore.” I took a tiny step toward the monstrous piece of rock. My hands turned clammy, and scrunching my eyes tight, I took a bigger step risking the fact that I could die. I twisted my hips so that I was facing gigantic, rough pieces of rock, and held them tightly. I shut my eyes tightly. I tried not to look down but kept going. I was so close - only three more feet to finish this dangerous journey. Obviously, my brain got ahead of me. 

I looked down and saw a huge gap between me and land. Suddenly, I felt unconscious, as I fell into a black hole. It was a never-ending black hole. I felt so exhausted, it was like my eyes couldn’t open. I woke up to look at dark chocolate eyes with worry and care-filled within them. My dad was holding my hand. I had never been so cared and loved. I would cherish this moment forever. 

My dad and I both walked to the top of the mountain and he told me, “You know if you didn’t want to do it you could have told me. The only reason, I tell you these things, is so you could improve.” I replied tenderly, “I know.” I could feel the tears in my eyes. I had been waiting for these words to come around, and now they did. I felt overjoyed. I haven’t felt these many positive emotions in a long time. 

I guess I’ll start at the very beginning……… Leaves. Green. Lush. Snakes. Mountains. Sunset. Sunrise. Monkeys. Waterfalls. Trees. From the time I was little, I was always surrounded by greenery. My parents had always taken me to hikes. But I didn’t know today was going to be different. Every bit of the tiny green specks, the rising mountains, and the rushing waterfalls made me love it………….