Ring That Bell! by Michael

You have to ring that bell, Michael!  

That’s what Elizabeth said to me a few minutes ago, before I approached the rock climbing wall at the Festival of Lights at Harvest Baptist Church in Guam.  

The setup lady starts to tighten the straps on the harness encasing my legs, and I look up at the rock wall looming in front of me, trying to plot my path. When she is finished, I walk over to the base of the wall, where a guy hooks me onto the line and says, “You’re good to go!”

Getting geared up

I reach for the first plastic rock jutting out of the wall, then place my bare foot on another below me. I hoist myself up and start to ascend quickly. 

Too quickly.

My right foot slips out from under me about five feet off the ground, and the contraption slowly lowers me to the floor. I look around quickly, hoping the guy wouldn’t say that was it. Luckily, he had his back turned, so I start up again, more careful this time.

About seven feet up, my ​*left*​ foot slips and I swing to the right, only holding on by my hands. I scrabble my feet on the wall until one foot catches a ledge. Phew! I continue up until I find no other place to put my foot but on a tiny, two-inch rock. My heart thumps and I try to reach the small rock with my left foot, but I can’t quite get there. I’m stuck. I look down to see a lot of kids staring up at me. I have to hit that bell! I think. Then I do something daring.

I brace myself and leap sideways to the left, no hands on the wall. I swing out my left hand and grab a firm, green stone. My left foot finds the small rock, and I hoist myself up. Then I place my right foot on a blue stone and push up, grabbing a ledge with my right hand.

Will I make it to the bell?

With my left, I reach up and ring the cowbell.  

Then I ring it again.  

And again.  

Joy floods me as I repel off the wall towards solid ground. Elizabeth smiles and cheers.

“I did it!” I exclaim, “I rang the bell!”

Repelling down 

Playing darts