Emerging From the Darkness

EMERGING FROM THE DARKNESS

I started this piece in February 2024 while living in Mwami, Zambia. I also finished it in February 2024 while living in Mwami, Zambia.

We were staying in the Mwami Hospital’s Guest House, and we met a young physician named Bowen. Bowen is a great guy with a thirst for life that is rarely seen these days. He’s interested in helping people get through their physical issues yet looks forward to his next great adventure. While he was here, he did sample as much as he could! 

We went on a weekend trip with Bowen to a game park and we had a blast. It was his first time seeing animals in the wild and it absolutely blew his mind. At the site of his first elephant, he asked the driver “What will happen if I get out and touch that elephant?” The driver turned around, looked Bowen in the eye and put up one finger. “Minus one” was the driver’s response with a smile on his face. There were many questions from Bowen and our driver/guide answered them all. Some of them weren’t “Minus one,” but many were.

Our friend is a E.R. resident and was about to take his boards and complete his residency. While here he worked every day at the hospital, then he would come back to the guest house and tell us about his day, then go study for his exam. While he did that, we worked our jobs and at night I’d draw.

I ended up gifting this piece to Bowen. In my mind, it reflected the journey he was on. Coming out of the darkness of all his medical education and into the light of being a board-certified Emergency Room Physician.