A father's pride

“Good morning Sir!” A calm female voice rang past Dr. Zayyad Mingway’s ear, just when he took the diversion towards his office in the Borno City Police Department.

Oh, God! Here we go again. Is there any day people realize that you don’t want to talk to them? That even the best greetings they offer might sound so shrill to your ears. Moments you just want to be alone.

“Morning! How are you?” he responded less aggressively than he intended to. If he gives a cold reply very early in the morning, she would be wary of coming to him throughout the day.

“I am fine sir,” she noticed the lack of interest and coldness in his reply. Now hold on. Not like she was interested in greeting him. She is only doing this because she has a message for him. Even if he is her superior, he has no right over. He is not even her employer.

He kept on walking. She hurried towards him.

“Dr. Williams wants to see you.” She whispered behind him. Hugh stopped dead track.

“He said you should be in his office as soon as you arrive.” She said slowing the pace at which she was walking behind him just to prevent herself from bumping into him. From his posture, she could feel how disappointed and angry he was. She enjoyed that there was someone else that could make him feel inferior. She turned away.
He looked behind him and saw the secretary left. He wished he could call her back. He wanted to pass his anger on to her. But he fought back the urge and the anger swelling in him. She was only a herald.
“Just a matter of time.” He said and he kept walking towards his office.
He went to Dr. Williams's office. He placed his hand on the knob. He looked at himself.
“How pathetic of me to feel pressured by that man. Tch!” he left the handle and went to his office.
He resumed at 9 am. Earlier than he should. He dropped his briefcase on his table, removed his coat, and placed it on the handle of his chair. Next, he went to his cupboard and brought out his lab uniform.
“damn! This is a real pain” he thought and left his office. He went back to DR. Williams's office. He knocked on it twice. He got no response. He tried opening the door and it was locked. He knew the man would be in the lab.
He got to the front of the lab, held on the doorknob, and for a moment, he considered if he should go in. He would have stayed but he had been warned last week. Dr. William, his superior, had warned him against coming late or making him call for him more than necessary. He pressed down the knob and the door flung open.
"Ah! Zayyad! Welcome! How are you doing today?" Dr. William greeted him first when he saw him. Others in the lab looked up and greeted him too.
"Damn it," Zayyad thought "how can someone be so strict and yet act casual?. It just doesn't add up. ``If ever there is any man to be used as having mood swings, it should be this Dr. William Guerira," he thought.
Zayyad walked towards Dr. William.
"I am very fine and you sir. What have we got today?" Zayyad asked after nodding to others in the lab.
"ah! It's kind of a serious case.” Dr. William said, looking up at Zayyad.
“I have never seen anything like it before," Dr. William said and Zayyad became interested. He gets pumped up when faced with situations that require his knowledge. He believes he is better than other forensics people around him. After all, there hasn’t been any case that was solved without his inclusion since he joined.
"What is it, sir?" Zayyad asked with a tone that could be mistaken for pride or excitement.
Dr. William looked up. He stopped what he was doing.
"An officer brought in samples of blood of some kid that got killed by some unidentified animal. Supposedly a rabid dog" Dr. William said
"Why would they send samples?. Should they not have brought the body down here?" Zayyad asked.
"I was a bit confused too but it wasn't the day when they brought it in. I suppose they might bring the whole body anytime soon. They might want to trace and get pictures of the scene" Dr. William replied with nearly the same urgency as Zayyad had used to ask him.
"I see. And what have you gotten sir?"
"I haven't done anything on our part but I took it to the toxicologist"
"The toxicologist? What for?"
"The officer brought in some pills with the sample sent to me, I sent it over to them. I think we might want to work more on the body." Dr. William said, retreating to his seat.
"And anything from them?"
"Yes! Quite an interesting one even. He uses barbiturates." Dr. William stopped and no one spoke.
" And codeine."
"How old is he?" Zayyad asked with a piquing tone.
"Officer said he is a high school student. And I am a bit surprised as to why such a young kid like him has to resort to drugs. Drugs are never a solution to anything, they kill faster and even make the emotions they are trying to hide worse. Or what do you think?"
What does he think? What is he to say? Are these drugs bad? Or that drug users are misunderstood, people? Or should he tell him how he used drugs while in university? Or how he relied heavily on drugs after his father and Dr. William reached a conclusion that would change his future for the worse?
Even if he was to tell him that drugs help escape reality, well, deep down in him, he knows he would be lying. But never would he agree with Dr. Williams. As long as it is not something that can be scientifically proven, he would disagree with this man in ways he could. How can you have the same opinion as someone whose presence sickens you? Someone that you derived joy from his absence. Someone you secretly wish death on, no matter how inhuman that sounds.
"Well, that doesn't matter. Let's leave that to the social scientists to convince them if we can't convince them with pure science. I feel people relate with them better” Dr. William said
Zayyad looked at him scornfully. What’s the essence of social science if not so people could relate to them.
“When they bring in the boy’s body, we will run DNA tests on the animal. Check if he was under the influence of drug or not” Dr. William said
“Alright, sir.”
“I wonder how the parents would be feeling right now. All the expectations they have from him have just gone down the drain. I hope he isn’t the only child” Dr. William prayed. He looked around and saw others were paying attention to him. He could feel the gloominess his comment had created in some.
“Well, hustle up everyone. Finish whatever you are doing. Let us all bring justice to him” he said and clapped his hands to encourage them.
“Anyways, Zayyad, how is your wife?" Dr. William asked in a more relaxed tone.
"She is good sir," Zayyad replied, showing no emotion in his answer.
"Heard she is a forensic biochemist" dr. William ignored Zayyad’s tone.
"Yes sir."
"I think we will need her here. Tell her to come in by the end of this month with her qualifications"
"Sir?" He wanted to question the doctor but thought otherwise.
"Alright, sir.” He replied and went on checking things out.

“Good morning Sir!” A calm female voice rang past Dr. Zayyad Mingway’s ear, just when he took the diversion towards his office in the Borno City Police Department.

Oh, God! Here we go again. Is there any day people realize that you don’t want to talk to them? That even the best greetings they offer might sound so shrill to your ears. Moments you just want to be alone.

“Morning! How are you?” he responded less aggressively than he intended to. If he gives a cold reply very early in the morning, she would be wary of coming to him throughout the day.

“I am fine sir,” she noticed the lack of interest and coldness in his reply. Now hold on. Not like she was interested in greeting him. She is only doing this because she has a message for him. Even if he is her superior, he has no right over. He is not even her employer.

He kept on walking. She hurried towards him.

“Dr. Williams wants to see you.” She whispered behind him. Hugh stopped dead track.

“He said you should be in his office as soon as you arrive.” She said slowing the pace at which she was walking behind him just to prevent herself from bumping into him. From his posture, she could feel how disappointed and angry he was. She enjoyed that there was someone else that could make him feel inferior. She turned away.
He looked behind him and saw the secretary left. He wished he could call her back. He wanted to pass his anger on to her. But he fought back the urge and the anger swelling in him. She was only a herald.
“Just a matter of time.” He said and he kept walking towards his office.
He went to Dr. Williams's office. He placed his hand on the knob. He looked at himself.
“How pathetic of me to feel pressured by that man. Tch!” he left the handle and went to his office.
He resumed at 9 am. Earlier than he should. He dropped his briefcase on his table, removed his coat, and placed it on the handle of his chair. Next, he went to his cupboard and brought out his lab uniform.
“damn! This is a real pain” he thought and left his office. He went back to DR. Williams's office. He knocked on it twice. He got no response. He tried opening the door and it was locked. He knew the man would be in the lab.
He got to the front of the lab, held on the doorknob, and for a moment, he considered if he should go in. He would have stayed but he had been warned last week. Dr. William, his superior, had warned him against coming late or making him call for him more than necessary. He pressed down the knob and the door flung open.