“Osama, help me close the suitcase,” Dad called out as they wrapped up the final packing for their camping trip in the mountains.

Unspoken joy spread amongst the family of four. This trip had been planned for ages and it was finally coming true. The itinerary had been discussed repeatedly till everyone had it memorised.

It was decided that the family would leave at the crack of dawn the next day, drive to the hotel, drop off their luggage and meet their tour guide there. Together, they would set off on a five-hour-long hiking on a trail, carrying only the essentials. They were expected to reach the campsite by evening, where they would rest and spend the night enjoying a campfire and playing camping games.

At sunrise, they would begin their journey back home. It was a short trip, but one filled with adventure and fun. Alizay and Osama had never seen the mountains before, so they were steeped in joy and excitement.

That night, Alizay couldn’t sleep from the excitement of what was to come the next day. Her room was a mess from her frantic attempts to pack her backpack for the trip. When her mother entered to say “goodnight,” she scrunched up her nose at the chaos, although by now, she was quite used to it.

“Alizay, clean your room before we leave tomorrow. It’s terrible!”

Alizay waved her off, paying no attention. Her mother cast a look of despair around the room and spotted Alizay’s hiking shoes still lying outside, unpacked.

“Alizay! Your shoes, dear! Put them in right now or you’ll forget them,” mum said as she left the room, mumbling something about how irresponsible she was.

Alizay thought it was impossible to forget her hiking shoes, after all, the whole trip was about hiking. Soon, she drifted off into dreams of mountains, lakes and starry skies.

As usual on such trips, the morning was chaotic. Everyone was half-asleep, clutching egg sandwiches wrapped in brown paper that mum had quickly whipped up. They dragged themselves into the car and set off for the hotel in the mountains, a couple of hours drive away. The scenery outside the window changed quickly, giving way to towering mountains carpeted in lush green.

Soon they reached the hotel, which was beautiful, set with modern furniture and huge windows that let in the cool mountain breeze and offered gorgeous views. It was a pity they weren’t staying here for long.

They dropped off their luggage and got ready with only their hiking essentials.

“For long hikes in this rugged terrain, less is more,” their tour guide explained. “The fewer stuff you are carrying, the more you will enjoy.”

Osama, Mum and Dad were all ready and geared up for the hike, while Alizay was still in the room, all contents from her backpack spilled over as she struggled to locate her shoes.

Dad looked at his watch impatiently. “We are getting late, dear,” he called out to her.

Minutes after, Alizay appeared, her brows creased in worry. “Mum, my shoes,” she stuttered. “I think I forgot them.”

Osama hit his palm on the forehead in frustration. Dad gaped in shock.

“What do you mean, you forgot them? I did remind you to keep them last night.” Mum’s voice rose an octave higher.

Dad looked at the tour guide helplessly, “Is there any way…”

The guide shook his head. “It’s too dangerous to go hiking without the proper hiking shoes. Any other footwear will lead to slipping and the consequences are drastic. Please tell me your decision fast, we have to reach the site before it gets dark, we are getting late.”

The family of four huddled together to discuss what could be done now.

“Let’s postpone the trip and go back home,” Dad suggested. “I see no other way out of this.”

Alizay’s head hung in shame, her eyes miserable and glistening with tears. “I am so sorry. This is my fault; you all should carry on without me. It’s terrible that everyone has to miss out because of my disobedience. I should have listened to Mum immediately,” she said. “Mum, Dad, it’s okay, I’ll stay here in the hotel and watch TV and it’s better to be taught of my careless attitude this way!

Mum got up and left, only to come back smiling, holding Alizay’s pair of hiking shoes. “I rechecked your room in the morning and packed them because I knew you had already forgotten them.”

A wave of happiness ran through the room as the family ran forward to hug Mum for saving the day.

“Mum, I’m sorry, this will never happen again,” Alizay said, too embarrassed.

The guide popped in again at the happy noise and Osama grinned, “All aboard, we are coming!”

The hike was worth the wait, beautifully tiring; chests heaving, but eyes feasting. The whole trail was lined up with towering trees, exotic flowers and birds chirping melodies. Once in a while, when the track got wider, they also saw baby goats frolicking around and clean streams coming out from rocks.

The camp, though minimalistic, offered a stunning view of distant snow-capped peaks, paired with vast green fields in purple flowers. When night fell, a magnificent spread of stars stretched across the sky. The family cooked and ate, chatted and sang songs late into the night.

Throughout, Alizay kept thinking, “What if I had missed all this because I was careless and irresponsible?” Even the thought scared her. She promised herself to become more organised and dependable.

Going back home after a vacation so good always comes a bit heavy, but Alizay was really looking forward to going back and cleaning her room and proving herself to her mother that she really has learnt a lesson and that also for good.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 6th, 2025