As the days passed and the further North they went, the shorter and shorter the days got, which made everything that else that much harder. The long-lasting darkness and the intense cold weren't their only problem, though. Everybody's sleep cycle was thrown off and that meant sleepless nights and sleepy "days" for everybody.
Nobody but their guides was used to these extreme conditions and soon the tenuous bonds they had formed started to fall apart.
LWAZI
I swear to God, if I survive this I am not going to sleep in a tent for the rest of my life!
JUNIOR
C'mon, it's not all bad...
Said Junior, looking up at the starry sky.
LWAZI
You wouldn't think so if you had helped me build the tent!
JUNIOR
And yet you didn't complain when you were eating the soup I made...
LWAZI
I didn't because I was starving, but it wasn't good soup Junior, it really wasn't...
JUNIOR
Well, I'm not a cook after all.
LWAZI
Is there anything you can do?
Scornfully asked Lwazi.
JUNIOR
I think I got you here at least!
Sharply answered Junior.
He was struggling as much as everyone else, but during the long nights he found great solace by marvelling at that same dark sky everyone had begun fearing.
JUNIOR
And won't you look at that! Have you ever seen such a beautiful sky?
LWAZI
All the time...
JUNIOR
Really?! Where?
LWAZI
Home.
Simply answered Lwazi.
They were so far removed from everything else that the sky was an absolute joy to watch. So many were the stars it was impossible to count them, and they could clearly see artificial satellites orbiting the Earth.
JUNIOR
Well, it's not really the same thing, is it?
LWAZI
Of course it's the same thing, the sky's the sky...
JUNIOR
But it's different! I mean, you cannot see the same constellations as in South Africa, can you?
LWAZI
I suppose not...
JUNIOR
And look at Orion... It's barely visible! So low on the horizon...
Suddenly, with a pang of longing, he remembered the first time he recognised that particular constellation.
JOHN
There! Those three bright stars all lined up. Can you see them?
JUNIOR
There?
JOHN
NO, not there!
His father picked up the young Junior from the armpits and spun him around effortlessly.
JOHN
There!
He extended his arm and pointed his finger at Orion's belt.
JOHN
Can you see them?
JUNIOR
One... two... three! I see them!
JOHN
Those are the stars in the belt of the constellation of Orion.
JUNIOR
Who's Orion, dad?
JOHN
Orion was... was a legendary hunter I think... something like that.
JUNIOR
How many constellations are there?
JOHN
88.
JUNIOR
Only 88?! But there are so many stars...
John chuckled.
JOHN
88 is the official number, but there can be many more...
JUNIOR
Can I invent my own?
JOHN
Nobody is stopping you...
JUNIOR
Look at those stars! Don't they look like a bicycle?
LWAZI
I guess...
When they woke up the sun hadn't risen yet. They packed everything in grumpy silence and they were soon on the move again. Their guides had said this would be the final stretch of their journey, and sure enough a faint light slowly came into view.
JUNIOR
Is that...?
The guide nodded.
GUIDE
We're here.
