During the last few months, since I have known about the proposed trip up Kilimanjaro, I have bought the odd item which we will need, whenever I have seen anything at reduced prices. I have accumulated quite a lot of stuff, including a head lamp styled like a cat. I am not a great cat lover, but it was only £1.99! I bought warm ski clothes in sales at the beginning of the year, and have also picked up a surprisingly large number of items at good prices in Aldi at various times. I am particularly pleased with my £29 Aldi waterproof breathable jacket: I wore it in heavy rain on two consecutive days recently, walking for a total of about eighteen miles and stayed absolutely bone dry. Similar jackets in specialist shops cost three times more plus.
I decided this week that I should go through all these odd items and list them. Given my increasingly dodgy memory, it occurred to me that I might be unnecessarily duplicating items. When I went through everything, I was pleased to note that the only item I have inadvertently duplicated is mosquito repellent: it won’t hurt to have too much of that along. When I saw how much stuff there was, I realised I had to categorise stuff and pack them carefully in separate waterproof bags, if I was ever going to locate a particular item in the kit bag, which Exodus will provide me with. I can’t imagine anything worse than being absolutely exhausted and frantically searching through a tightly packed bag of motley items, looking for something in particular. I had to do that once before in my life, and know I don’t ever want to be having to do that again.
The occasion on which I did that was, funnily enough, another 3G experience, involving Jae, Oscar and me! I was absolutely delighted when Jae and David were expecting their first child and David asked me if I would be present at the birth. He said he felt nervous about it, and would feel happier if I was there too. I certainly felt happy to be there – and very privileged. Jae phoned me one Wednesday in April and said she was in early labour, so I set off to Bournemouth, where they lived then. I remember we had quite a nice time – at least that’s how I remember it, although she may not. We walked along the sea front, where she leaned against bins or piles of chairs during contractions, ate at a beach cafe and practiced yoga, lying on a double bed together, during the next couple of days. She was in labour, and having regular contractions, but not in terrible pain.
Late on the Friday night, Jae’s midwife said he was becoming anxious about her, and would be happier if she was in hospital, so Jae, David and I transferred there. Either David or I was with Jae at all times, until Oscar finally made his appearance in the early hours of the Sunday morning – the 21st of April 2002. We were absolutely thrilled to greet a gorgeous perfect baby boy after a labour lasting more than four days. None of us had had much sleep for quite some time by then.
After the birth mother and baby were sorted out, and the staff wanted to transfer Jae and Oscar back to the ward for the remainder of the night. I was asked to locate a clean night dress and other items for Jae and clothes for Oscar. The bag Jae had packed for hospital was there on the floor, and I started to go through it. Everything in it had been tightly jammed in, and seemed to be in a total jumble! I remember wanting to shout at her for not having packed in a more organised manner, but holding my tongue, because she had just given birth and had to be much more exhausted than I was. I remember tears welling up as I started trying to sort it all out and find the required items. I held it together – but only just!
I imagine that I might be just as exhausted on Kili: it can be extremely difficult to sleep at high altitude, and I am not a great sleeper at the best of times. I am going to make absolutely certain that my pack is carefully organised, everything is labelled and appropriately bagged. I will not be reduced to grovelling around through a jumble of stuff again, while totally exhausted.
Note from Jae: Sorry Ma – I never knew that had driven you mental! Surprisingly, I remember those four days of labour very fondly; we had such a nice time walking locally when we still thought I might be able to have him at home. And even when we had to go into hospital we had loads of laughs and good chats (despite getting almost every type of intervention possible barring a c-section, and an epidural which helpfully worked only from my thighs down!). I was very glad you were by my side.