SILVER LINING

"There's a respected theory in astronomy called Panspermia," Glinn finally continued. "It holds that life may have spread through the galaxy in bacteria or spores carried on meteorites or in clouds of dust. But."

— Douglas Preston

Bosco Masaba started devouring the food which had been placed before him, since he was famished, he didn't remember to say a prayer of thanks like his parents had taught him. At times he wondered whether it was even necessary to pray for a meal you have earned fair and square. However, he respected his parents too much to voice out these kinds of excuses when with them.

He had been taught that 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do.' So, when he went home, he never used his scientific knowledge to dispute their long-held beliefs and customs.

The golden, crispy chips were delicious, and it was extra tasty when eaten together with the roasted tender and juicy goat's meat.

Besides the meat, was a small bowl with sauce in it. He picked up the bowl and generously poured out the sauce unto the pieces of meat. It was now covered in a thick, brown sauce that smelled heavenly. He could see bits of onion, garlic, tomato and herbs in the sauce, adding more flavour and texture to the goat's meat.

He stuffed his mouth with several chips and chewed them down before accompanying with a tender piece of roasted goat's meat. My, my! The feeling he got from biting the soft, salty and crunchy chips was heavenly. His eyes lit up as he slowly swallowed the food in his mouth before washing it down with a cup of tea. Systematically, he picked up the chips and sauce covered goat's meat. With each bite he took, he savored the sweet feeling. It was a real battle to restrain himself from eating in a speedy manner.

As the food touched down in his stomach, he started regaining the energy he had lost standing in the ward and working on the numerous badly burnt patients. His mind was totally focused on the food before him, he savored every bit that entered his mouth.

This was a habit he had learned in his first year when they started working on cadavers, once out of the ward, lab or theatre. He could try to shut off his mind concerning what he saw, heard or did inside there. Or else it could mess up his good mood for appetite and affect the life he had outside the hospital.

There was a female student called Anita in their first-year class who went to the cadaver class with her handbag, deliberately or accidentally, she got a tiny piece of human flesh inside the bag. When she was out with colleagues for lunch, she opened her handbag to pick out her phone. What came out, was more than just her phone, it came out with a red piece of human flesh. The whole table was thrown into a state of turmoil when they realized it was a piece of human flesh brought from the hospital. She was traumatized by this event, and she ended up changing her course from medicine to fashion and design. However, certain medical students nicknamed her Anita the Cannibal behind her back.

This was a wake-up call to all of them to heed the instructions of taking nothing into the lab, and operating room and also fortifying their minds concerning what happened inside there. It was difficult at first, but by the second year, they were now used to it.

Half an hour later, he was done eating the food and washing it down with the remaining tea.

** *

Mombasa, Kenya.

Mombasa: a rich and historical port city found on the eastern coastal border of the East African Federation, home to over five million inhabitants. And one of the largest gateways into the eight states federation. It serves the landlocked states of Uganda, South Sudan, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi which are part of the Federation.

It was a hot day at the Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach or commonly known as Pirates Beach, the sun had baked the grains of sand and sucked up the little humidity in the air.

The smell of smoked fish, fried fish, fresh ice-cold cocktails, beers or tropical juices permeated the air, wafting from the colourful large tents sheltering the hundreds of tourists from the searing heat as they kept themselves hydrated and well-fed during their holiday.

All this drinking definitely filled up many bladders to capacity, causing the tourists to rush to the restrooms and relieve themselves before heading back to top up in a bid to quench their recurring thirst.

This was the scene, in one of the male public toilets and urinals serving the cafes at the beach.

The place was colourful with graffiti covering the walls, some of it was artistic, and some of the graffiti was immoral in nature as it depicted couples dancing in scanty clothes while groping each other in ways that could be considered lecherous in most cultures. The immoral graffiti was accompanied by brief captions at the bottom or top. Words such as: Can You Handle, Unleash the Dragon, Live Your Life, You Only Live Once. This art was part of the renaissance the place had gone through in a bid to attract youthful and vibrant tourists from abroad.

There were now hundreds of beaches in the city of Mombasa, and it was a cutthroat competition to attract the locals and tourists to their beaches in a bid to stay afloat. Every year, several beach businesses collapsed and were replaced by other aspiring businesses. And Pirates Beach had found a formula that made them the most frequented location on the coastal waters.

There were five toilet doors, each door having an inspirational quote in a large and colourful font. The quotes were from the famous sportsmen of the 21st century. Quotes like:

"Impossible is Nothing" - Mohamad Ali,

"You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky.

"It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters." - Evander Holyfield.

"Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength." - Phil Jackson and

"Make each day your masterpiece." - John Wooden.

Many tourists and locals were patiently lining up in queues to enter these few toilets. However, the line on the first toilet door with the Mohamad Ali quote was not moving compared to the others and the people on it were grumbling while cursing the bastard inside for not moving out so that others can use it.

This toilet cubicle was occupied by a tall and lean Caucasian man, brown-haired and with golden-rimmed glasses covering his brown eyes. He looked to be in his early sixties, with some grey hairs in his short beard. He was dressed in blue Bermuda shorts with several large pockets on the hips, a colourful short-sleeved cotton shirt and black sandals. He had bolted the door shut, making it impossible from prying it open from the outside.