I looked out at the deep blue sea spreading its beautiful yet treacherous wings. The waves trembled with vicious force towering over the icebreaker ship Kapitan Khlebnikov. ‘This is it ‘, I reflected as we approached the rocks lining the southern edge of the South Georgia Island. The Icebreaker had managed to cover the mountainous seas spanning close to 800 miles from Antarctica but the ordeal was not over yet. The ship, weary of unscheduled and emergency travelling, was in a bad shape. Certainly not the right vessel to brave the approaching rocks.
The temperature was sub zero as usual accompanied by chilly winds shrieking past my ears. But I was used to this weather. The expedition had started months ago but it still felt as if it were yesterday. The memories came flooding back. I had read that when you are about to die you see your life flash by. I guess it is true.
“This is the biggest and the last mistake of your life”.
“How can you just leave everything like this?”
“How can you quit at this critical juncture of your career?”
“Are you not afraid?”
The voices, expressions and resentment of my near and dear ones filled my mind. Yes, leaving an exceptionally well paying job at a leading business consultancy was a stupid thing to do. That too, when I had actually managed to carve a niche for myself in the organization and was part of the elite club. All the relentless effort and sacrifices I had undertaken to pursue my goals appeared to be a waste.
The coast was visible now and so were the thousands of King Penguins and Seals lying without a care in the world. The Island looked invigorating. If only we could reach it. A former whaling station, South Georgia was the closest land mass from the site of our accident near Ross Island on Antarctica. It was a hasty but the only feasible decision in those demanding circumstances. All the hands on board had rallied behind the captain’s decision.
The problem with decisions is that howsoever prudent they might seem, only time tells what they are worth. I had taken a decision which was the most unreasonable to a common man like myself but was the only decision that I could have taken to satiate the Adventurer in me. It might have sounded strange to other reasonable persons but, curbing my true calling of being one with nature, sitting in the plush office in a swanky business suit was suffocating. Just the thought of being out there in the open seas excited me. But for all these years I had tried to live someone else’s life.
Another wave banged against the ship. I clung onto the railing of the upper deck with my life jacket and survival kit. The collision with the rocks could happen any moment now. Just a few seconds and forces of nature would decide my fate.
By choosing the open sea over solid land, had I bartered life for death?
You live truly ,only in the face of death. You face your deepest fears and get acquainted with the ‘real you ‘. This was what I wanted to do. This was my dream.
Was it a wise decision?
I smirked, as the next wave came crashing over me.
