Homo Cosmiens:
Alano
Alano matured into a short, stocky, and muscular man. His otherwise joyful face held a subtle hint of underlying intensity. His short black hair and square facial features accentuated his masculinity, further emphasized by his thick, black bushy eyebrows that stood out against his chocolate brown skin.
Alano vividly recalled the Franciscan orphanage where the brothers had raised him. He remembered the solitary nights spent in his straw bed and the endless religious lessons. The Franciscans consistently reminded Alano of his perceived sinfulness and worthlessness, bombarding him with biblical narratives. Nevertheless, it was through studying the Bible that he learned to read. He began to learn about God and to develop a love for him. The stories he read were often violent and confusing, yet they provided an escape from the real violence he witnessed among those around him. He remained ignorant of facts, history, reason, or science; and more significantly, he knew little about love—neither self-love nor love for others. His sole understanding was his love for God.
Upon leaving the orphanage, the only viable option available to him was joining the army. His true desire was to preach, but that path was not open to him. It was during his time in the army that he lost his hand to a grenade. This was a horrific and painful event. Ultimately, however, the injury spared him from almost certain death as a soldier. His subsequent discharge compelled him to find a means of survival outside of military service. Losing his hand only reinforced his perception of suffering in the world. "God inflicts it upon us to make us stronger," he reasoned.
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