Chapter 9: Run for Ya Life

I listen well, but I no hear anything.

I dey strain ear, na only my own breathing I dey hear. E be like say Wale dey feel something spiritual, I dey look am with side eye.

"Nothing o. Abeg, no dey scare me—just ready your camera."

Wale just shake head, but e still dey look around like person wey dey expect masquerade.

I no even reason wetin him talk. I just grab the drill, on am, start work.

The drill dey make noise for the crack.

If na home, my mama for don shout say I dey disturb neighbor. Here, na only penguin fit complain.

Wale come close, shout, "Careful! If avalanche happen, we finish be that!"

I shake my head: "This ice don old reach thousand years. Avalanche no fit just happen. As long as aftershock no come, nothing go—"

As I dey talk, my own spirit just dey shout, "Ife, abeg no use mouth call wahala."

Before I finish, I notice say something dey wrong.

Ground dey shake.

Na so my heart miss one beat—e dey like say e wan jump commot from my chest.

At first, I think say na the drill, but portable drill no fit cause this kind thing.

Wale touch the ice wall, im face just white.

He press emergency stop for the drill, shout:

"Run! You this bad luck person! Na aftershock o!"

I no even react quick, until Wale push the drill, drag my sleeve, start to run go rope.

The shaking come strong—the whole ice just dey vibrate.

Crack, crack, crack...

E be like thunder dey strike inside ground; the sound dey scatter my head.

Horizontal cracks just appear for the other ice wall.

If that wall fall, na burial for Antarctica straight.

The thought of that kind death fear me. I hold the rope, climb with all my power.

Na so I remember Bible verse—"Make haste, deliver yourself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter!"

Wale quick pass me, climb reach up, dey shout:

"Climb fast! If you slow, you go jam for here!"

The guy dey so worry, e dey stamp foot, e for pull me up if e fit.

Boom!

Suddenly, the other ice wall collapse, thousands of tons of ice block the crack.

The sound just vibrate for my belly, na miracle say ear no bleed.

Last minute, Wale grab my arm, drag me up.

If no be say na Wale, by now my people for Benue go dey do memorial service.

I just siddon for snow, dey shake, ground still dey vibrate.

Wind dey blow, snow dey fly, big crack open, our way back don cut off.

E be like say earth dey vex, no wan let anybody go house again.

The earthquake wahala don spoil communication; our headset na only static.

We no fit reach Xuelong 2, we no even know where our team dey.

For my mind, na only God fit rescue us now. Wale point snowmobile, wave:

"Enter! Make we dey go!"

"Wetin you dey look? Oya drive!"

I jump inside, adjust seat like say e go help my fear.

Wind just dey carry our voice, but as we look each other, we understand.

For this kind cold, even enemy go turn brother.

Snowmobile dey fly for ice, the track disappear as wind blow, new cracks dey open.

We dey play hide and seek with death.

This aftershock na at least magnitude 8.

For Benue, people dey call that kind wahala "ajokpa"—problem wey pass mouth.

Wale hold the handlebar, press throttle, eyes wide, dey look front.

I hold im cloth tight, fear wan kill me.

My hand dey sweat inside glove, but cold no let am wet.

If the snowmobile fall enter crack, even if we survive, na die for Antarctica be that.

When earthquake happen, dem dey talk say make you go open place.

But this na Antarctica: kilometers of snow under leg, ice under that, wey fit break anytime.

All we fit do na to dey move, dodge wahala, dey wait make the earthquake stop.

No shrine, no prayer house, na only hope wey dey drive us.

Snowmobile dey run for like thirty minutes, but the shaking never stop—e even dey worse.

Suddenly, Wale body stiff. He jam brake.

The sound of brake dey loud, na so my heart skip again.

Snowmobile skid, no control.

We and the bike slide go like ten meters. The snowmobile hit one small crack, both of us fly commot.

I thank God say snow dey soft small, or else na bone go break.

Wale stand up, no even check if e injure, grab my collar, point south:

"Old Ife! See! Wetin be that thing?!"

I look where him dey point, shock catch me.

Where everywhere suppose flat, one sharp, tall mountain just appear from nowhere.

My heart beat dey loud pass the snowmobile engine—this na mountain wey no suppose dey.