Chapter 8: Crack for Ice, Crack for Mind

This Bombardier snowmobile wey dem modify fit do 160 kilometers per hour.

E loud pass okada for Garki, Abuja. I just dey remember my first bicycle—no be the same wahala.

As we load equipment, I hold the back seat tight, dey fear say Wale go throw me off.

But the guy sabi drive—so e make sense but safe.

Wale dey do small shakara, but when cold wind slap am, e calm down sharp sharp.

Our work: enter deep inside Antarctica, find granite wey the earthquake expose, collect rock samples, check how the earthquake affect Antarctic Plate.

For my mind, I dey remember my secondary school teacher wey talk say, "If you no fit collect data, abeg, go house." This na time to show say I sabi.

After some hours, Wale stop the snowmobile, talk say fuel don reach half, if we go farther, we fit no fit come back.

I tap the big fuel tank, talk:

"Oya, make we sample here. Later we go ask HQ if dem fit send plane bring fuel, or make we return."

Wale just dey look the gauge, e face serious. I dey remember how for village, once palm oil don finish, na garri dry e go be.

Front of us na cracked, fallen ice sheet, one deep crack about three meters wide, over twenty meters deep.

I no fit even see bottom well, na so cold dey blow from there like freezer.

As we see the place, both of us just sigh.

Wale just laugh: "Na so we go dey fight snow for here, na adventure we sign up for."

Both sides na ice; to get rock sample, we must use rope go down.

I dey remember old Nollywood film where people dey climb well with rope—my own just be say make I no disgrace ancestors.

"This thing high o. Wahala dey."

"Wetin we go do? We must go."

As we dey curse, we set snow anchor, hammer ice screw, tie rope.

For my mind, na prayer dey my mouth, but I dey form hard guy.

After more than one hour, we reach bottom of the crack.

Wale dey snap picture, dey draw map for the cracks.

I arrange portable core drill, ready to start.

Suddenly, Wale stop, ask me, confused:

"Old Ife, you dey hear anything?"