“The Trekkers and the Ruby Apples” was jointly written while on the gullet Dilara on azure water of the Mediterranean Sea, July 2010.
By
Josh Laidlaw
Fran Laidlaw
Bob Laidlaw
Oğuzhan Abacı
***
We had been struggling upwards forever. The mountains around us seemed ominous, but not as scary as the people who were following us up the trail.
The weather had been good to us. Hot and dry but as I gazed ahead there were signs of a change. High wispy cirrus clouds that usually meant a storm were building and could move toward us in the late afternoon.
We stopped for a break to have some apple juice and crackers. Then we finally reached the top but the weird people were still behind at the break.
Nobody seemed that enthusiastic to carry on, indeed, I stopped too. I was soaking wet, perspiring. Just then a sudden storm broke out.
The 4 of us at the top took shelter in a cave as the wind howled and ripped at our clothes. The 4 strangers were finally making it to the top and headed towards the cave.
Now all 8 of us were in the cave and it looked as though we might have to spend the night in this eerie place. I still felt very uncomfortable with the group of 4 who had joined our family and guide. Who were they? Why did they never smile? They seemed out of place here in the mountains. I didn’t want to spend the night in the cave with them.
We found some wood and soon we had a crackling fire warming us. Our cave was pretty crowed but it started to feel comfortable now. Our situation was not too serious. We were at 3500 m elevation and about 6 hours from the next camp where there was a cache of food. We had about 2 litres of water left and some lunch left over. Not a lot but easily enough to get through the night.
We then saw a rabbit in the grass outside the cave. It got me off thinking about the other people. I went to the bathroom and when I got back I heard a scream. I ran fast to reach the camp.
I could see no one in sight, but just the deep and quick breathing very close to me. I did not know what to do and waited and stood for a few seconds motionless.
I reached out my hands in the dark and crept forward. Just then I tripped over something. I lay still for a moment then groped around me. My hand touched something soft and wet. I screamed with fright.
What I had discovered was a body in a pool of blood. Around the corner in the cave I could hear the three people quarreling and my thoughts turned to our guide and my parents, who were in that cave with them and were most likely being held hostage after witnessing a murder.
It turned out that when I was coming close to the cave, I saw that my parents and guide were being held hostage. They must have murdered one of their own. I went back and turned on my light. It was one of the strangers, the one who was about 30 years old.
“Hush” he said, holding his finger up to his mouth. “If there is someone here to save the others, that is you,” proclaimed the middle aged man. “But how could it be me?” I asked to him with a very low calm voice.
I decided I would howl like a wolf. I leaned my head back and let out a loud blood curdling howl. Another and another ripped the night air and rebounded off the walls. I ran into the cave and yelled that the wolf was coming for the murderer.
My plan worked. The fear of a wolf distracted them and I was able to knock the gun put of the lady’s hand and grab it before she could respond. Now I was in control and could finally get some answers. I went to the entrance of the cave and looked at all of them. I told them to put more wood on the fire and they did. I was about to ask some questions.
It was all a mystery. Why didn’t I see them approaching us and why did nobody flea away from their hands? “Did they follow us from the beginning?” … Just then Fran murmured to herself, still being in shock.
“I don’t think they were following us,” Fran murmured. “I think there is something in this cave that they wanted and we were just in their way.”
“What do you think Bob!”
“I’ll take a look around, “said Bob. The cave was about 25 feet deep and then started to narrow. I needed a head lamp.
“Hey Oğuzhan, come over here and bring your headlamp.” “I think this cave may go further.”
Oğuzhan and Josh came to the back of the cave with the light and could see that it did go deeper into a crawl space.
“I’ll stay here and keep an eye on the strangers while you guys explore the cave further.
Oğuzhan and I went into the cave and found a cart for pushing something heavy. Like maybe….., I don’t know.
“Oğuzhan, can you tell me?”
“It does seem to be like a cart once used by the wildest and cruel warriors that lived in these areas. They wouldn’t be using the carts though, on these rough surfaces in the mountains.”
Just that moment Josh saw an inlaid inscription on the upper left corner above them. It said, “Today is the date our tree gave it’s fruit of January…..”
“What does that mean?” asked Josh.
“I have no idea!” declared Oğuzhan.
“Let’s explore further!” Josh said.
Oğuzhan and Josh crept further into the cave. Suddenly their light illuminated a tree carved out of stone. Hanging like fruit, were ruby apples.
“This is truly amazing,” exclaimed Josh.
“We must tell the museum in Istanbul what we have found,” Oğuzhan said.
So that explains why the other 4 were so interested in the cave. We used it for shelter and the other 4 were after the treasure. They had been talking to nomads about the story of the tree with special fruit and when we all took shelter in the cave they knew that it fit with the story the nomads told them.
We spent the rest of the day getting down to our next camp and there Oğuzhan could get a signal on his cell to notify the police. Early the next morning we awoke to the sound of a police helicopter coming to arrest the other 4.
The helicopter started to fly us home when Josh and Oğuzhan let out a big howl to say that we’re all right. Then we all went home.
The End
Thank you Bilav for your kind words. It s sure that we did it all together. Greetings to the whole family.
All the best
Oğuzhan
I had a very pleasant time with mr. Oguzhan . He was surely very entertaining and i had a very good experience with him. It was a very good time visiting cappadocia with him!