Dare

"So, what did you say your name was?" Alan asked the girl whose hair
was tied in a big bun behind her head. It was the second time he had
asked the girl the same question in the last twenty minutes. The girl
was not at all interested. She said angrily, "I don't think I have told
you my name. Nor do I intend to." Alan, Barry and the girl had just
arrived in Ambrosia. Few people stayed overnight in Ambrosia. They
came, climbed Mount Ambitious and the lighthouse on the mountain. By
four pm they would be free to take the outgoing flights. Mount
Ambitious had steps carved all over its sloping face. To climb the
mountain you scarcely required any equipment. Food, water and few basic
supplies are all that you need for this adventure. Yes, adventure it
is, because of the lighthouse. The lighthouse has a steep staircase
with windows on either side of it. What makes the lighthouse unique is
this. There are trapdoors along the staircase. You can open the doors
either at the bottom or at the top. If you are "trapped" between two
trapdoors only your luck can save you. The idea is to scamper along the
staircase as fast as you can and get to the top. Once you are at the
top do not waste time in admiring the view. It is spectacular but to
avoid getting trapped you have to run down the narrow staircase as fast
as possible. But, as everyone knows it is easier to come down a
staircase than move up its length. Alan and Barry are from Calcutta.
Alan had asked the girl where she was from. Her reply was laconic,
"Darjeeling". Among the people who came to Ambrosia by the same flight
only Alan, Barry and the girl appeared to be tourists. As soon as the
three came out of the airport they were accosted by taxi-drivers. Each
offered a grand discount and it was difficult to believe what they were
saying. Nevertheless the three of them got into a huge jeep. They had
arranged to split the costs before the journey. Well, the ride to Mount
Ambitious took just twenty minutes. It was now clear why the money
being asked of the tourists was ridiculously low. They were actually
being fleeced shamelessly by the conniving jeep-drivers. Before the
three of them started climbing the girl asked Alan and Barry why they
had come to Mount Ambitious. Both Alan and Barry went red with
embarrassment. They hesitated and stammered. But the truth came out
ultimately. Alan had dared Barry and Barry Alan to climb Mount
Ambitious and the lighthouse. After they had started climbing the
mountain Alan asked the girl why she was here. "To kill time. I want to
try out something." What she wanted to try out the girl did not
reveal.
The three people had started climbing at six thirty. It was eight
fortyfive now. Suddenly, it started raining. With no place to take
shelter in, the two men were greatly distressed. But the girl was from
the hills and knew how to tackle a little bit of rain. Nevertheless at
ten am the three people were at the base of the lighthouse. As the girl
hurried up the stairs of the lighthouse Alan and Barry started
bickering. Alan said to Barry, "Your wife is having an affair with the
milkman." Barry was even worse, "Your wife has run away with the
postman in your absence." As the bickering intensified the duo moved
slower and slower on the staircase. Then Alan said, "Your son is an
idiot." Barry replied, "Your son is a sissy." Just as Barry finished
there was a noise on both sides. They were shocked to note that two
doors had dropped on either side of the staircase. They were now
trapped. Alan called out to the girl. Fortunately she had reached the
top by now. She asked whether she should open the trap doors from the
top and allow them to escape out of the lighthouse to safety. Both Alan
and Barry replied that they wanted to go to the top of the lighthouse.
It was THE reason for which they had bought tickets to Ambrosia. The
girl did not respond for some time. Then she said she had an idea. She
asked the two men to move towards the window on the right. After about
five minutes the beautiful long hair of the girl appeared near the
window. The hair was so long that it reached the base of the
lighthouse. Without wasting any time Alan climbed up along the length
of the girl's hair till he was at the top. Barry was a fatter man and
he was a little nervous about holding on to the lustrous hair. But the
girl's hair which had been tied up in a bun was smooth and strong from
the roots. Very soon all three of them were at the top of the
lighthouse. Alan beamed as he spoke to the girl. "Now I know what your
name is." "You do?" said Barry. Alan confidently said, "Rapunzel, for
sure." The girl only smiled.