Chapter 52
Chapter Fifty-Two
Your third and final challenge – link here.
M y ankle had made a miraculous recovery from the day before and I was ready to take on whatever Niall was going to throw at me since I had managed not to sanitise on the bus the entire way back. I was ready, until I opened it.
Light Up Your Life in Te Anau Glowworms Cave!
Take yourself to the core of New Zealand and experience our magical underground glowworm tour!
I sent Niall a text straight away.
No way.
Come on, Pearl, you can do it.
No, I cannot, and I will not.
You did the bungee jump.
Small spaces are non-negotiable.
It’ll be incredible once you’re in there.
It’s a bloody cave. I’ll be in the pitch black.
Only in parts, once you get further in you’ll be amazed.
No, I won’t, because I won’t be going further in anywhere, thank you very much.
Glowworms are out of this world.
For you, maybe, but I have no interest in worms.
They are not actually worms, they’re female beetles that glow from their bottoms to attract the males.
Good for them.
It won’t be that dark, it will be good for you.
Why will it be good for me? I don’t want to do it.
Have you read what it says?
What what says?
The link.
I’ve read what I need to.
Read it and then let me know.
I can let you know now if you like – NO.
Just read what it says.
So I did.
Begin your journey on a beautiful cruise to the caves of Lake Te Anau and join our tour where you’ll experience the magical world within.
With rushing water from an ancient underground stream – known to have healing powers – you will go from the darkness into the light when you venture further into the caves to hundreds of glowworms above. Surrounded by whirlpools and the roar of an underground waterfall, immerse yourself in the mystical land seeped in history.
I wasn’t going to even contemplate it. But then an angelic vision of Tim’s wife popped into my head (I don’t know how because I didn’t actually know what Tim’s wife looked like). She was singing in the sea with the dolphins, with her bald head from the chemo and a smile on her face, despite what she was going through. And then I saw Tim hiking up a mountain with her ashes in his bag.
I wasn’t going to contemplate it until then.
Because if Tim’s wife could have such a positive outlook on life, even when hers was ending, then I could stand in some caves with worms that glowed from their arseholes.