The Syrian War, the Libyan conflict, and the ongoing unrest in Africa collectively triggered the largest flood of migrants since World War Two in the 2010s. Europe is the destination. And it’s easy to understand why. Are we ready for the flood?
The Waterseller
The waterseller sings ‘Agua, cerveza, Coca-Cola’. Heavy bags cut his hands. He thinks How do I get off this beach? Thousands on hot Malagueta today, and many sellers.
A boat, suddenly. Five sunburnt men. The waterseller watches as a wave flips them into the surf.
He runs, drags one, another ashore. Soon, others help. The waterseller tears open his bags. Ice spills out. He opens bottles of water.
‘I was you, once,’ says the waterseller. ‘Now drink.’
‘We are only five,’ cries a man. ‘Behind us, five million.’
Sirens. Seagulls. There! Another boat! The waterseller opens a beer.
Image credit
LE Eithne rescues migrants in the Mediterranean, 2015. Irish Defence Forces [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
Has researched hemp, climate change for over twenty years. Writer, blogger, parent, animal lover.
2022 is about building a new business model to enable mass planting of hemp through easy carbon offsetting at Hempoffset.com.
- My new aviation thriller, One Hell of a Flight, is now available in all ebook stores - 27th August 2022
- One Hell of a Flight – The new aviation thriller from Gary J Byrnes - 24th April 2022
- Free short story collection – Lockdown Dreams - 30th October 2021
