Chapter 8 Summary
Beaten by the Braldu
Skardu is one of the last stops for those heading for the Karkoram and its giant, icy peaks. The city’s bazaar is full of color and life, a shattering contrast to the “deafening emptiness” of the journey across the Indus Gorge. Their giant truck is blocking the road as the driver asks Greg for directions. The supplies must now be taken to Korphe by jeep, eight hours away, and there is no easy communication to announce their arrival in Skardu. A decision must be made about where to go with the load now. Mortenson thinks of Mohammed Ali Changazi, the Balti agent who arranges trekking expeditions and tours, including last year’s expedition to K2. They pull in and are greeted by the rather haughty businessman. When Greg tells him why he is here, the reaction is less than exuberant. Greg had shared his plan with Changazi before he left Pakistan, so the agent is not surprised at the mission. Instead, he is dismayed that Greg did not buy his supplies in Skardu (which Greg had not known was possible) and that it is too late in the season to build anything. Mohammed the driver is eager to return home, so he and his crew unload the supplies into Changazi’s compound until he and Greg can determine how to proceed.
As the supplies parade by him, Changazi is impressed. He encourages Greg to wash away the grit and grime of four difficult traveling days and to rest until after evening prayers. Mortenson is suddenly a bit anxious and wants to inventory his supplies, but there is no arguing with his host. When Greg wakes, he realizes he has slept through the night. He rises to see that his seven thousand dollars’ worth of supplies are nowhere to be seen—not even a stray nail or a hammer. Word has spread quickly that “Dr. Greg” has arrived, and Changazi is in a standoff with Akhmalu, the cook on the K2 expedition. Greg had once promised to come to Akhmalu’s village, and he is here to make sure Greg follows through with that promise. Although he tries to postpone the visit, Greg cannot say no when he hears the town has prepared a feast in his honor. The journey, according to Akhmalu, will not be long: “only three or seven hours.” Greg, Changazi, and Akhmalu get into the hired jeep and begin their journey. Changazi is not happy, and the journey is filled with tension and uncomfortable. The final leg of the journey requires walking across a single-rope bridge made of yak hair; Greg has never felt comfortable with these bridges because they were designed for the much smaller Balti people. He carefully places one size-fourteen foot in front of another and is concentrating so much on the crossing that he does not see the crowd gathered in his honor until he is almost on solid ground. He is ushered at the head of a procession to a neat home that smells of cooking chicken.
As they begin the feast, one of the town’s leaders thanks “Mr. Girek Mortenson” for coming to Khane to build a school. Greg nearly chokes and repeats the phrase as a question. Yes, he is assured, he promised them a climbing school. The American tries to remember how such a misunderstanding could have occurred. He does recall discussing the need to provide Balti porters with more advanced mountaineering skills and rescue techniques, but he is certain there was no discussion of a school. And there was certainly no promise made. Greg is temporarily relieved when...
(This entire section contains 1362 words.)
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Akhmalu assures Greg they do not need a climbing school; he must, however, build a school for the Khane children. Soon an argument erupts between the factions supporting a climbing school and those supporting a regular school. Changazi seems uninterested and vaguely amused; Greg is overwhelmed. He tries to deny making a promise, first in English then in Balti, but no one is listening. Akhmalu ushers the American out of this house and into his own home, where a nearly identical feast has been prepared in Greg’s honor and a nearly identical argument ensues. Mortenson, though the largest presence in the room, seems to be invisible; after four hours he escapes the smoke and the arguing by climbing to the roof for some fresh air and quiet. He reflects that coming here as a climber was much easier than coming as he does now. As a climber, his path was clear. He wraps himself in his jacket and falls asleep under the stars.
In the morning, Greg insists that Changazi get them back to Skardu. The leaders of both Khane factions also climb into the jeep, hoping for further opportunities to plead their cases. Changazi smirks at Greg’s inexperience with such matters. It is a rainy trip, and Greg has little patience left by the time they reach their destination. He demands to see his school supplies. The agent answers that they have been moved to a safer office location and assures Greg he will be satisfied; they will “put aside these shouting village men” and begin the work of building a school. At dawn, Mortenson wonders if he has romanticized this place and these people out of his extreme gratitude last year. He tries to dispel his doubts, but they persist. Changazi is particularly solicitous at breakfast, and they journey west for an hour and a half to the village of Kuardu. The agent’s home is prepared with food for a huge gathering, and soon the room is overflowing with the elder statesmen of the town. When Greg asks about them, Changazi assures him these are the village elders and there will be no arguments from them as he builds his school before winter in Kuardu—not Korphe.
Greg abruptly stands and leaves the room. He knows he is insulting the hospitality of his host and the guests, but he is unable to stay. Once outside, he runs until he collapses, struggling for breath and sobbing—something he has not done since his sister’s death. When he finally looks up, he is surrounded by young village children. They are herding their animals and staring at the giant foreigner. They allow their animals to wander off as they huddle around the strange American. Soon he is talking with them and teaching them American words. When Changazi arrives at the scene, he sees Mortenson kneeling in the dust, drawing multiplication tables with a stick. Changazi uses the moment to plead for the school, reminding him that Korphe is far away and dirty, and he already likes the children of Kuardu. But Greg barely acknowledges the man’s presence except to say no. He will say no more until the Korphe school is underway.
The men from Khane finally give up and go home; Changazi and Greg travel eight hours to Korphe. On the way, Mortenson decides he will be patient with the people of Korphe if they, too, argue over who should benefit from this school. In the end, Greg will build it for the students who meet without a teacher in the open air and write with sticks in the dust. They arrive after dark and still need to cross the river. The honking horn and flashing lights of the Land Rover finally get the attention of the townspeople, and soon Greg is wheeling himself across the gorge in a wooden bucket. The Korphe people are thrilled to see the man who promised to return—many others have made promises they did not keep. When Greg is among them, he feels at home. After the requisite tea, Greg announces he has brought them everything they need to build a school, as he promised. His news is met with a shocking reply. Haji Ali announces they have thought much about this since Dr. Greg left, and they have decided they need to build a bridge before they can build their much-needed school: a stone bridge, so the supplies for the school can be carried to the village. Greg sips his tea and thinks.
