A Chemist's Heart Belongs to a Pilot [SHORT STORY]

Part 1

"Can you get the luminol, please?" I asked my lab partner to get the molecule for the solution that we are doing. We will be making a solution that could help crime scene investigators to reveal imperceptible traces of blood.

"Ah yeah, sure," she replied as she get the luminol and give it to me.

"So if that solution is sprayed across a crime scene,  it will create a faint glow where it meets any drops of smears of blood?" she asked while focusing her eyes on the solution.

"Yes and we need to hurry. Several companies wanted to get it as well. Oh... can you do it? I'm doing my single replacement reaction," I asked her to do it because I'm working on another experiment.

"Oh c'mon Zale! Give it to me, I'm really expert to this!"
I just smiled at her as I put the iron rod in a solution of Copper Sulfate, a combination of Copper, Sulfur, and Oxygen that is known as a metal salt.

I'm a registered Chemist here at Mannabi Lab, Los Angeles, California  for about years already and it feels great that I finally became a Chemist after all the hardworks that I experienced. Besides, this is really my dream. And I've got a lab partner, a jolly one. Her name is Sab Rodriguez.

After a couple of minutes, my single replacement experiment is working and I can see the metal pushes another metal out of solution.

"Good job, Zale. It's working. The positively charged copper atoms are floating around that liquid, right?"

"Yeah and the iron atoms can give the Copper atoms a bit of negative charge in the form of electrons. Hey, mind your work. Put a catalyst."

"Oh yeah sorry hehe."

When the experiments were done, I went to our Head Chemist to file a leave for about 1 month. I just feel like I need to take a break. Being a Chemist was really a tough profession where I experienced not having a social life as my world only turns in this lab. And my life is all about experimenting, examining, and discovering the atoms and molecules of a certain substance and also making weird things that can actually help people a lot.

I did so many things and discovered a lot and it somehow fulfilling that I made such things. The Head Chemist didn't asked so many questions when I asked to file a leave because he already know that I deserve to have some rest. But no, I needed to file a leave because I want to find someone. Someone really dears to me. I wanna go back to my country, to the Philippines.

It's been 10 years since I haven't talk to her. I've always wanted to talk to her even though I just met her online. There's this thing that most of the teens were doing 10 years ago.
Making a fan account, dummy account, rp account to meet  different kinds of people, to make a friendship or a relationship  and to support their favorite kpop groups in Facebook.

And I definitely made several accounts. There, I met her. I met Race Tuckinford. I can still remember the first convo we had. It was Monday that time, 6:00 P.M, May 6, 2019.

We've became friends as we are both an avid fan of the Kpop group Gfriend  and we have similarities in any ways. Until our convo getting hotter like it almost go up to 100°C. We fell in love with each other. I don't know but it just happened.

She's my Sinb and I'm her Yerin. They're the sweetest in Gfriend, I guess being sweet to each other was really their thing.
We talked every single day and night but she's still a mystery to me as I couldn't find her real account and I failed to know her identity.

We talked for almost two months and those two months felt two years for me. So I didn't stop finding her real account, and this time, I managed to find it but that's the time when she already disappeared. She left me dumbfounded. I couldn't message her on Facebook because she already blocked me and I kept on calling and texting her but no responses.

I already thought that that's the last convo I had with her but it's November that time when I received a message from her explaining why she needed to left me. Her mother is against us that's why she did that. And after that she disappeared again.

But around March 2020, I received again a message from her, apologizing for what she did and I became cold at her. But deep inside, I still love her. We seldom talked because I'm not staying up on Facebook for quite so long. I've got so much work to do like reading stuffs, making stories, et cetera. And she disappeared again. I couldn't message her because she deactivated her account. That day, I promised to myself that I'm gonna find her someday. When I finally have a work, when I finally have something to bear out.

And that someday is today. I'm working for almost 6 years already and this is the perfect time to find her. I wonder what she's doing right now. I wonder what her profession right now. Is it a detective? An Aeronautical Engineer or a Pilot? She kept on telling me before that she want to be such. Being a smart girl as her is really something. I really missed my Honey Sweety Pie. Call it corny but that's how it all started. When I feel those butterflies in my stomach even if we're far from each other and we only communicating through Facebook and phone calls. Will I be able to meet her?

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. This is Race your Captain speaking. On behalf of Mirushida Airlines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice stay! Thank you."

With that, we finally left the plane. Aigoo... I am now here at the Philippines. I'm back! I'm inhaling again a less polluted air. But wait... that Captain that spoke earlier... her name is Race. Could it be....

I stayed in the Airport for quite 30 minutes as I wait the crew members and the Captain to arrive. My heart is pounding. I can't explain it. My heart skips a beat. Will I be able to meet her now? Did she really became a Pilot?  As I wait for her I took my phone to inform my family that I'm already here at the Airport. Gosh, I missed them so much!

While texting, my attention divert to the crew members that passes by. OMG. This is it. I quickly put my phone on my pocket because I want to be sure if that Captain Race is the Race that I've been looking for so long.

After a couple of minutes, I saw none. There was no Captain arrive. Hays. Where did she go? I feel like destiny is also against us. I'm losing hope that I can meet her.

I was a bit startled when I heard an engine parked right beside the wall. And there I saw my Mom and Dad smiling while walking towards me. I hugged them tightly.

"How's your trip, Zale?" Dad asked.

"It's good. Just tired all the way here."

"You should have plenty of rest when we arrive at home. I cooked something delicious," Mom said between her smiles.

As they took my baggage and other stuffs, my eyes were fixated on someone walking towards the Cargo Station. She's wearing a Captain suit and she's damn tall. Her back is facing me so I couldn't see her face. But she has a black shoulder-length hair and her posture is really cool. Could it be... Race?

"Hey Zale, come on!" I snapped out when I heard Mom's voice so I turned to them.

"Ah yeah, coming!" I turned to the Cargo Station where I saw her earlier but she's already gone. Probably she already went inside.

***
"Where did Gian assigned? Is he doing good?" I asked them about Gian, my younger brother who is now a Civil Engineer as we ate our dinner.

"Don't worry too much on your brother, Zale. He always did his best for his job," Mom replied.

"And we're happy that you two has a good profession now. Thank you for fulfilling our dreams for you. We are so much happy and proud to the both of you," Dad spoke.

I smiled to them because I'm so speechless. I'm also happy seeing them smiling like this. All of their sacrifices didn't went on vain.

"Yo I heard it! I also smell something yummy. Mmm... "

We all turned to the Living Room and there we saw Gian who just arrived from work.

"GIAAAAAAAAAAN!" I exclaimed.

"How's my Chemist?"

"And how's my Civil Engineer?"

Then, we both laughed making Mom and Dad also laugh.