The Great Explorer

It began by accident in Debenhams. His mum's attention had been drawn to the flaming colours of the new autumn scarves and he had spotted a tartan waistcoat that to his five year old eyes was the coolest thing he had ever seen.
Fingering it and imagining himself the smartest boy ever it took a while to realise that his mum was missing. But once it sank in that she was gone he did what he thought was the most obvious thing to do. He found the highest point of the building and waited. Up the escalators he went, second floor, third floor, fourth floor. He went up until he could go no higher and waited for her to come. And come she did. Angry, tearful, and smiling all at once. He meekly took her hand but inside he was exhilarated. An adventurer had been born
After that he climbed everything he could. Ladders, trees, fences, hills, and then when he reached twenty one he climbed his first mountain. He took casual jobs to support himself and sent money home when he could. He sent photos too and then emails when his mum finally succumbed to a computer, photos from across the globe all popped into her inbox as she tracked his adventures with a mixture of pride and anxiety. Sharing as best she could his love of the beauty and brutalily of mountains that stood timeless and magnificent.
He had seen men and women die. He had lost two fingers in Nepal and his best friend Clark in South Africa. But as traumatised as he had been. He had long ago lost is heart to the mountains and though his life had hung in the balance many times he had never regretted his decision to be a climber. His body ached more than it had ever before but on he went, higher and higher, further and further.
Only now as he climbed the stairs of the hospital did he feel defeated. His mum, just 68 and braver than he would ever be lay in a bed she would never get out of. His mum who had defied her family and given birth to him aged 18 bringing him up on her own. His mum who had never let her illness show, was dying and so was part of him.
What was left of her hair was plastered to her forehead. Her eyes were flickering, her knuckles as white as the snow he had just left in the Alps.
“It's me mum” he said softly, “It's me Danny”
She opened her eyes and he felt like a little lost boy again as she said “You came”
He gripped her hand as hard as he dare
“Of course I came” he said and gave her a sip of water through a straw from the glass by her bed.
"Of course I came"
“My Great explorer” she said and smiled, her grey eyes momentarily vibrant and then gradually glazing over until he knew they could no longer see him.
Unable to let go of her hand Danny stood feeling more helpless than he had ever done in his life.
"Of course I came Mum" he said as tears trickled down his face.
"Of course I came"