Annulled

After fundraising
and all personal savings
including yet to be credited salary
she was $10,000 short
$10,000 short of a dream
dream maker – who doesn’t want to be?
Her sister and brother-in-law will lend the money
mates rates
0% and “ when you can …. just this once.”

She can accept the expedition invitation
expeditions still expeditions then
yet to be mouse click adventure tourism.
Expeditions
the spirit of Mallory and Irvine
Shackleton and Scott
endurance, bravery and deprivation.
A remote peak in the Himalaya
moderate by Nepal metres
but unclimbed by this route
and women.

Before departure the leader briefs members
a sensitive matter
no one wants to tempt fate but
if chance draws the Joker
body recovery could be difficult
or vanished by crevasse or avalanche
next of kin should be just in case aware.

After dinner and toasts
after dessert and chocolates
after coffee
she told them
her sister and brother-in-law
her benefactors, her friends
the ones she was closest to in the whole world.

It was difficult to say she said
but
in the event of tragedy she might be without trace
or unrecoverable
they looked stunned
“what about our money?”