It’s funny how all the things you do or learn in the past, seem to be needed later in life.
Who knows what it is, maybe the universe dropping down little hints, or lessons, that it knows you will require at some stage. On the other hand, it might just be one big coincidence.
My father had taken me to climb Ben Nevis, at over 4000
feet, the highest in the UK (or what’s left of the UK) when I was about nine years
of age. And over the decades I’d climbed it with friends and then latterly with
my own son.
I didn’t know it then, but this activity was to save my
life, both mine and my boy’s.
Looking back I realise how foolish we had all been. I
guess we had been waiting on someone else to raise the alarm or call the shots.
Analysing it from where I am now, I can see that the warning shots were fired
again, and again, and again - but we were all too busy enjoying the strangeness
of it all.
When it came, it did come quickly – probably within
eighteen months. Some scientists had predicted it would probably take years -
but where were they now? Being fish food in some flooded town down south.
London had sunk very quickly and when it happened it had
really come without warning. People had died trapped in the underground
systems. Some had sought out the tops of skyscrapers. When several thousand
people tried to (and stay) at the top of the Shard, fights broke out and the
stronger threw the weaker off the top of the building.
We consider ourselves social and kind but when it comes
to survival we revert to being animals. Who would have thought that the same
souls who had donated money and energy into Live Aid, would now be killing each
other in order just to keep going?
Me and my son, Robert had walked north keeping to the
highest of ground. Firstly, it ensured that we avoided the rising water and
secondly, that we avoided the bandits, thieves and murderers who were now
roaming the countryside in gangs.
I started to realize, too late perhaps, that there was
probably only a church, or a belief in a god, or some social pressure between certain
individuals being civil and some being psychopaths.
As for the train, I had heard about it in a tented camp
which had sprung up in the hills above Loch Lomond. Apparently an old steam
train was shuttling people between a little village below The Black Mount and
dropping them just outside Fort William. I have to let you know that all of
this took place in the West Highlands of Scotland.
Both Robert and I didn’t sleep well that night on the mountain
above the loch. We thought we would get off to a good start and so set out at
first light. There were a few with the same idea but us being fitter, we
managed to get some distance between ourselves and those behind us. We cut over
to a route we had known from a path taken years before - known as the West
Highland Way.
Just as we rounded the point going into the valley to
follow the River Fillan, Robert tapped me on the shoulder and pointed east –
the water was rising and coming towards us. It would probably be where we were
standing in a couple of hours.
We increased our speed and ran up the old railway line
which passed through Tyndrum before heading due north. The steep climb would bring
us to the Bridge of Orchy – and this was where the train would start its
ferrying north.
As I looked back one more time, I could see that the
water was gaining on us and we only had a short time to catch the train.
Just as we climbed over the lip into valley, Robert
spotted the smoke coming from the steam train. Ahead of us, it appeared that 30
or 40 folks were heading the same way.
As we arrived at Bridge of Orchy station, it was clear
to see that there were more people than the train could hold. It reminded me of
one of those Asian trains where folks sit on the roof or hold on for dear life.
Without warning the train started to move off, and
looking over my shoulder I could see why - the water was quickly rising. Robert
and I made a desperate attempt to grab one of the last carriages and had to
avoid those who fell or were pushed from the train.
As we passed over that bog known as Rannoch Moor, I felt
that this train, this last escape north, might not make it to its destination.
I persuaded Robert to jump with me.
We immediately took to the high ground on the hills
above Loch Leven, and coming around the back of the Mamores we headed straight
over towards Ben Nevis. I would say there were maybe five or six folks also in
our company.
Climbing the north face of the Ben was a tricky task but
by the grace of God we made it. At the very top were perhaps another hundred
souls who had decided to aim for the highest point in the country.
Once upon a time there had been an old observatory
established at the summit of the mountain. Those few souls who had made it
before us were beginning the task of building a boat large enough to take us
all.
I smiled to myself as I looked over what was left of the
Great Glen and wondered if we’d find someone called Noah amongst us.
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