A Gambling Man by David Baldacci (ebook audio reader .txt) 📕

could be wrung nearly dry and would shed any remaining moisture while tied to the outside of my duffle over the course of the day. They can be purchased at any outfitting store. I soaked the towel and began my daily bath. Chris watched me out of the corner of his eye and got the idea. He had a small cotton dish towel. We ignored each other as we went through our morning ritual and when finished I told him to pack everything carefully and put his duffle outside the door and meet me downstairs for breakfast. I placed my duffle next to the door and checked the room one last time wondering what I should do with my mandolinden and decided to take it with me to breakfast.

While we were eating Bim would get the porters to pick up our gear and then it would be weighed and the porters would decide who would carry what and it would be divided and tied into the shape they wanted for carrying. I went outside when I had eaten and saw Bim with a number of other Nepali men. They looked concerned.

“Good morning, Sahib.” (Author’s note:Sahib can vary in its meaning, but usually means anything from proprietor, to friend, or, someone who you consider to be worthy of respect or friendship)

“Namaste, Bim.” I put my hands into the prayer position and turned to the others. “Namaste,” I said. They returned the salute and I looked at Bim with a questioning tilt to my head. “Is everything all right?”

Bim looked across the street and I saw Celine and Esra looking at the children walking to their school. “One bag is too heavy,” he said.

I knew which one, of course. “By how much?”

“Ten kilos.”

“Good grief!” I said. “Celine!”

She looked up and smiled ruefully and came over. She pointed to her sister’s bag. “Too much weight?”

“You know it is. I was very specific about weight. I will not have a porter carry more than sixty pounds. I told you that.”

“I told her, but she says it is not heavy.”

“Not hers alone, but the porter carries two duffels, not one,” I said. “Celine, listen to me. I was very specific. Go get her and tell her that she has to take out absolutely everything unimportant and cannot take more than thirty pounds. There is a scale, right there. If she hurries we can send her belongings back to the Kathmandu Guest House with our driver, but once he is gone, she can kiss anything left goodbye.” I started away, then turned back around. “And you stay with her. Don’t let her leave her down coat or her sleeping bag. Make sure she has what she needs but you have to make her get rid of her make-up and most of her pretty clothes and toys.” I left and went back inside to see what was keeping the guys.

They were sitting at the table laughing when I marched up the stairs. “You knew?” I asked. “Why didn’t you tell me? Curtis, we shouldn’t have to be doing this right now.” He looked out the window at Esra standing over her belongings and making two piles and arguing with Celine.

“I told her, Sensei. So did Chris and we just got tired of telling her. I figured she had weaned it all out by now, but as soon as I saw the porter stumbling sideways with their bags I knew she hadn’t. I would have if I had known for sure.”

I motioned for him to follow me outside. He came and we walked down the steps and around the side of the building and into the manager’s office. It was empty.

“Curtis, you are the group leader if something should happen to me,” I said.

He smiled. “Nothing is going to happen to you, Sensei”

“Please don’t patronize me. I am not doing this because I think something is going to happen. I’m doing this because you always do it. Every team has a back-up leader.” I handed him an envelope. “Put this in your day bag and don’t let it out of your sight. It has all the emergency numbers, a back-up stash of Nepali money, our itinerary, the names of inns and other important information. It also has photocopies of all our passports, our flight information and photocopies of our returning airline tickets.” I handed it to him.

“Oh. Wow, you’re serious.” He picked the envelope up off my outstretched hand. “Okay, Sensei. I see. No problem.”

I turned around and went back to the front of the lodge wondering if we were ever going to start mountain climbing.

When everyone was finally outside and Esra had quit whining and wailing I had Bim introduce our team. He had each porter come forth and say his name and then our Sherpa guides, Nawang Sherpa and Hadim Sherpa. I turned to the group and explained how things would be.

“Okay. From now on we are a team. We have four porters and Cook. He has two kitchen boys. You’ve met them. Each morning our guides will bring you hot water and tea. That is their job. I will be served by Bim because he is Sirdar and the head of his people. Once you are finished with your business you will pack your kit and place it either outside your room or your tent. The porters will gather the belongings and leave immediately. We will eat breakfast and then Bim will either leave the group and go ahead to make arrangements for us for lunch, dinner, and lodging, or he will send one of the other Sherpas to do this. When we leave, either Bim or the remaining Sherpa will lead us out onto the trail and then all of us will follow. The remaining Sherpa will bring up the rear so there is no chance of anyone ever being left behind. Either Hadim or Nawang will do this. Bim will either