After completing a fulfilling two-year stint with the Peace Corps in Botswana, Melvin embarked on an adventurous return home. Traveling by train through Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), then by lift, bus, and foot across Zambia to Malawi, he boarded a ferry to the northern limits. At a residence by Lake Malawi’s edge, he enjoyed a chat with the owner before taking a brief swim—lasting under two minutes to avoid schistosomiasis (Bilharzia), a parasite from snails. Only after his brief swim did he learn that a crocodile had attacked a swimmer there just two days prior, Melvin thanked his caution and mused, ‘Sometimes a little knowledge yields an unlikely benefit.’ He later questioned the untestable three-minute infection rule ( It takes three minutes for the bug to get through your skin and infect you.)

, showcasing his inquisitive mind—a trait now reflected in his sci-fi tales.