Love Affair in B Minor

We successfully attached the zip trolley carriage to the cable line. Standing at the height of 30 meters on top of the tower, the view was so peaceful. Cool November air whipped my face. I was calm and controlled. My emotions disappeared. I was like a piano player carefully not missing any notes. I concentrated on my father’s instructions. Tower T-205 was visible on the other side of the forest and near the meadow, No-Man’s-Land. It was quiet in the forest. I helped father test the zip trolley. We let it slide a few meters on the cable and settled for the night. Sitting in the car, father said, “Let’s rehearse the plan. I climb the tower and you follow me using the safety line as a guide to the top. Hook up, test the line, and test the zip trolley. You go first. Hook up to the zip trolley, test the line, ride the trolley, stop, unhook yourself, hook up the cable line, repel down and run to the forest.” I rehearsed the plan in my mind several times. “When will you join me?” “In a few minutes,” he answered. “What would we do next?” “We will hike to the nearest village approximately five kilometers.” I sat in silence eating my sandwich. Father closed his eyes and rested his head on the car seat. A little while later, I woke him up. “Dad, it is ten to seven.” Out of the car, standing in front of the electric tower, it was a cold and windy night. “Perfect moonless night,” Father said. We hooked up the zip line harnesses. I placed the knapsack on my shoulder and put on gloves. “I’m ready.” “Follow me,” Father said and started climbing the tower. At the top, wind flapped the ropes around the tower. Wearing a dark blue jacket and black woolen hat, I looked at my father. He looked through binoculars, scanning No-Man’s-Land. “All clear,” he said. My heart raced. I was excited, not knowing what to expect on the other side, realizing I’m leaving my home unsure of when I would be back. A feeling of security filled my heart. I trusted my father. A car light was visible passing on the other side of the border, illuminating the treetops, then all quiet. “Ready?” “Yes.” “Hook up.” The click of the quickdraw assured that I was hooked. Father tested the line. “Remember to repel as quick as possible to the ground. Unhook and run fast into the woods.”