Missing

This is the only thing that’s left of my trekking pole.

I first left that trekking pole inside the Nasugbu-bound bus, forgetting to pick it up when I got off at Evercrest. It was leaning on the window, and good thing the tricycle driver, who was waiting for passengers to take to the jump-off of Mt. Batulao, spotted me on that window. When he saw me out of the bus, he looked at the window again and shouted that I left my pole.

He shouted so loud and repeatedly that I became the center of attention. The bus was already starting to take off but halted upon hearing the shouts, with the driver perhaps thinking that he hit someone or something. LoL!

So I got back inside the bus to get the trekking pole and to thank the tricycle driver for what he did, I hired him to take me to the jump-off and paid him extra.

But the trekking pole was really meant to be lost. On my way down the mountain, I stopped beside a fallen tree to get my poncho because it started drizzling. I leaned the pole beside the tree to put on the poncho, and perhaps because I was so in a hurry to get back to the jump-off before the rain poured hard, I forgot all about the trekking pole.

I only noticed something was missing when I was already near Evercrest and already so far down to go back. If I did go back, it would already be dark by the time I reached that fallen tree, and I didn’t have my headlamp with me. Besides, I passed by a lot of hikers on their way up that time and I was kinda sure the pole wouldn’t be there anymore when I get back.

Up until now, I haven’t told my climb buddy K (who didn’t climb with me that time) that I lost the trekking pole. Would he be mad? He gave it to me as a gift.

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