Extinction Countdown by James D. Prescott

Author:James D. Prescott [Prescott, James D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

Germantown, Maryland

The sheer joy on Felix Mahoro’s face upon opening the door nearly brought tears to Kay’s eyes. She had no sooner gotten out of the car than she was struck by the sound of singing coming from inside the house. And now with the front door open, it was as though her father had brought the entire church choir home with him. Stepping over the threshold, she quickly realized that he had. They were gathered in the living room, singing To God Be the Glory, a hymn her mother Therese had always been fond of. Felix was the pastor at Poplar Grove Baptist and so summoning the faithful in times of need was one of the many perks.

“Ah, I knew you would come,” he said, squeezing her in a warm hug. “Your mother will be terribly happy to see you.” Her parents had been in America for close to twenty-five years and yet the old African pronunciations had never quite died out. Mother sounded like ‘moutha’ and happy ‘heppe.’

Kay stepped from the entrance into the foyer. To her right was the dining room where a smattering of guests in fine clothes were picking at finger food. Straight ahead sat a set of stairs, leading to the second floor. To her left was the living room and the source of the music. Her mother was in a makeshift hospital bed, encircled by a ring of holy singers, doing what they could to convince God to spare her mother’s life.

Therese lay on her back, her head oddly cocked to one side, staring off into the distance. Lost, it seemed, in a world all her own.

“Is it working?” Kay asked, motioning to the choir and smiling. They had moved onto Amazing Grace.

“Absolutely,” Felix replied. “Just yesterday, we noticed your mother has been gaining weight.”

Kay looked surprised and a thought crossed her mind about Dr. Mia Ward and her battle against the genetic disorder affecting billions around the globe. “I thought you said she wasn’t eating much.”

“Yes, that’s why it’s a miracle.” Her father’s smile was infectious.

“Is there somewhere less noisy we can talk?”

“The backyard,” Felix said, putting his arm around her and leading the way. As they passed through the kitchen, one of the church-goers was placing a bucket under a leak in the ceiling.

“What happened there?” Kay asked.

“It started yesterday afternoon. You know of my many talents and that none of them extend to home repair.”

“Yeah, Dad, everyone knows, but have you thought of calling a plumber?”

Felix let out a sardonic laugh. “Such things are not as easy as they once were. Most of the plumbers still taking calls are fully booked. Others are in no better shape than your mother. And the rest have decided to stop working and spend time with their families. I’m sure every profession is suffering in the same way. Be that as it may, our present suffering will not last long. Soon enough, we will all be heading home.”

“I hate when you speak like that.

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