We were having an early al fresco dinner of baked leg of lamb when we heard the familiar bursts from an AK-47. We paused to listen. More bursts followed. We looked at each other.

“Na naman?” I asked.

“Hindi Sir. Walang sumasagot.” There was no response.

We then dismissed it as just one local guy nearby testing his AK-47. After all, it has been quiet where we are in Tripoli the past couple of weeks. No boombooms. No ratatats.

And then we heard a loud cracking sound near where Pol and Danny were standing. We thought it was the cleaning pole falling on one of the monobloc tables by the pool. We were wrong.

It was a stray bullet and it struck and punctured the table. We found ourselves inside the Chancery in no time.

Tripoli, 20 June 2020