They walked for two weeks this time, retracing Zhangwei’s earlier footsteps. When they reached the
wall, Zhanwei found himself in the position to teach this stranger, who still refused to say his name, to climb up
the wall.
Pointing out unstable parts and asking him to step exactly where Zhangwei had stepped, they almost
made it up without incident. At the last minute, the stranger lost his footing in the rocks and almost fell down,
just barely clinging onto the rock with his hands.
Zhangwei was in turmoil. He didn’t know if he should help this stranger who still didn’t trust him
enough to reveal his name. He had the medicine on him. If he left now and went back home to help his father,
no one would know. He looked back at this man, who helped him acquire the medicine and felt guilty for even
thinking such thoughts.
He put down his bag and held out his hand, intending for the other man to grab on, to haul him up, but
he overestimated the man’s weight. He used too much force and lost balance, falling headfirst down the side of
the wall. He felt pain in his head, saw white, then red, and then finally slipped into blackness, leaving this world
forever.
The stranger, however, stood safely on the top of the wall. He looked down at the battered boy below,
seeing blood pooling by his head, and knew that he could not be saved. He went on towards the other side of the
wall, towards the tribe as the leader of came to meet him, disbelief written all over his face.
“
Brother? You’ve been alive all this time? How did you come back?” asked Zhangwei’ father.
“
Your son took me back. He went out seeking a cure for you. As we were climbing the wall, however,
he fell, trying to save me. I need help to recover his body.”
This stranger, Zhangwei’s uncle told everyone in the tribe of Zhanwei’s story, the story of the brave,
young man daring to travel out into the unknown to save someone he loves. The story became legends and tales,
taking on its own life as it was passed down through centuries, told to all the tribe’s descendants. He was the
person who brought them out of their cancer filled dark days, and led them to live again, to live life a life instead
of a survival. His loyalty, love and bravery impressed genereations, and they will be telling his story for years to
come.
* * *