The watermelon came up Malyovitsa with me again. There were seventeen kilos on my back, mostly water and stubbornness, and friends beside me for the climb. I left the trekking poles behind this time, so it was legs and balance all the way.
I could feel the weight, of course. There was plenty of sweating. But having company changed the day. The effort was something we were sharing, and I liked having people around me instead of spending the whole climb inside my own thoughts.
The best part happened at the summit, 2,729 metres up. After carrying the watermelon all that way, we still managed to leave half of it uneaten. So we started giving it away, slice by slice, to the people around us.
For a few minutes, strangers felt like neighbours. We had brought something heavy up a mountain, and now there was enough for everyone to have a little. It is a small thing to write down, but it is the part I most want to keep.
This was a good challenge and a good day with friends. I am grateful for both, and for whoever ended up with the last piece of watermelon.