Chapter 10: Cone of Mystery

That mountain too sharp, e be like say e just show by magic.

The shape no resemble any mountain wey I don see for textbook or documentary. My village people for Otukpo go say, "This na juju matter."

From the location, na for Antarctic Pole.

Where we dey, e still far, like two or three hundred kilometers.

Wale dey use compass, dey confirm say our eye no dey deceive us.

Plate movement fit make mountain, but no be in less than one hour.

If dem say dem use bulldozer, I no go believe. Even Julius Berger no fit try am.

And for mountain to show from two or three hundred kilometers away…

That one mean say the height pass five thousand meters—fit even high pass Kilimanjaro.

I remember secondary school geography—dem say Kilimanjaro na highest for Africa. This one be like Oga patapata for all mountains.

I just sit down for snow, dey look the mountain, no even notice as the earthquake stop.

Na Wale tap me, whisper, "Ife, e don quiet o." I just dey look, like person wey see spirit.

Wale recover first, press walkie-talkie, dey shout:

"Xuelong 2, Xuelong 2, una dey hear?!"

Still na only static—no answer.

I dey feel say if them answer, na only ghost go talk.

Wale scratch im helmet, tap me: "How we go do? Make we go check am?"

I just shake head: "Fuel no reach. If we go, we no fit come back."

Wale pick the bike, clean snow for fuel gauge, talk with heavy heart:

"We just escape, use extra fuel. No resupply, no way to return."

I dey see say e dey try hide fear, but I know am. My own fear dey manifest for my jaw—e dey shake like generator wey no get fuel.

Resupply?

The earthquake don scatter Antarctic coast.

Who know if communication go come back, not to talk of plane to bring anything.

When I volunteer, I reason the risk.

But now, as I dey look death for face, the cold just dey enter my mind like the snow for front.

No wahala.

After all, na to find the reason for this Antarctic big earthquake carry me come.

My mind dey tell me say that strange mountain na the key to everything.

Na so I dey remember one Yoruba proverb: "If trouble no kill you, na story you go tell."

As one wise elder for our place talk, "If you fit understand the truth for morning, even if you die for evening, e no bad."

Since chance of survival small, why I no go… leave my own mark for history?

I dey think say if I die, maybe my people for Benue go name one borehole after me. Even if na small thing, e no bad.

As I think am, my mind come dey better. I joke:

"Make we go check am! If we die, dem go put our name for tombstone—‘Ifedike and Akinwale’ memorial."

"Future climbers fit dey visit our grave when dem wan climb this mountain. E no bad."

Wale laugh: "Abeg, I no wan bury with you."

I throw snow for am, na so laughter free our fear small. Sometimes, na joke dey save man for death hand.