The Wanderer: Part 18 of 73

The Wanderer by Callie Roos, motivational speaker and author

Part 18 of 73

"The selection course had been grueling, eleven days of pure hell, up and down the Kwando River. There were blood blisters on my hands. For an entire day they had made us negotiate the obstacle course between the trees in the bush. Many of the guys gave up that day. A couple of times I lost my grip and slipped down the ropes. The cement-filled mortar tubes in my pack were just too heavy. The skin was literally torn off my hands in strips. By the time we got to the river, my hands were looking terrible and beginning to turn septic. My clothes were filthy muddy and streaked with salty, white sweat.

There was not a single smile left on any of the faces. Only serious, expressionless masks as we doggedly held on, rhythmically obeying aggravated orders. "Actually the eleventh day itself wasn't too bad. Almost as if the instructors were trying to make it nice. That confused us all the more. Later I learned that confusion is often the key to success or failure. This time we were on the receiving end. We did an obstacle crossing of the Kwando River. Backwards and forwards across the river. A thunder flash or two chased the crocodiles and hippos away. At least we cooled down a little! Late that afternoon we were standing in a half-moon huddle on the riverbank. They call this beautiful place on the Kwando River the Horseshoe.

The Captain stood in front of us, the course leader, upright and strong. He was doing something with his penknife; it looked as though he was cleaning his nails while he was talking to us. The Sergeant Major was standing just behind him on one side, permanently annoyed, but now with a cynical grin on his face.

The Wanderer: Part 18 of 73

By: Callie Roos

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