WHEN FATE BRINGS YOU HOME

CHAPTER 14

"It's a surprise."

"Come on, Hera. I need to know what I'll be doing if I'm stuck with Neil."

"Don't worry. You won't feel stuck."

What do people wear for a fundraising program? Suits? Ball gowns? My wardrobe is so full of casual outfits. I'll let Hera take care of it.

"You coming home?"

About that. I totally forgot about the specimens I left in the centrifuge.

"Fuck."

"What happened?"

"I need to leave. I lost track of time and... Shit."

I picked up my phone to check the timer I had set. Sixteen minutes to go. Will I be able to reach the lab if I run fast enough? I don't have time to wait for the cab. Bus. Yeah, I'll take the bus.

"See you, Hera. Ryan."

"Well, what happened?"

"It's the centrifuge."

They both let a deep pitying sigh. Every scientist would have experienced the centrifuge slipup at least once in their work life. I walked out of the Kik's restaurant fast enough for me to appear to be running. A bus was already in the stop, so I ran and got inside, paid two dollars and sat down towards the left window. The bus isn't much crowded. Few tired middle school boys in jerseys, a headphones lady and an old women with her husband are the only ones inside. According to my super fast calculation, the bus should take eight minutes to reach the university bus stop. This is my first time going to the university in a public transit, usually I walk home and that takes almost half an hour. Walking for thirty long minutes might sound tiring and unnecessary but one, I don't do it often since I'm in the verge of moving in to the lab soon and two, walking back home at night is peaceful as well as healthy, not to mention my lack of exercising after I left the gym. I have the habit of tapping my legs when I'm nervous, so I grip my hands on my knees to prevent that from happening. By the time the bus started to move, there's only thirteen minutes left in the timer. I was hoping there won't be any passengers waiting in the next two stops before the university. The more the bus stops, the more time it takes to leave and the more time it'll take for me to reach. I looked outside the window, feeling the wind on my face. Every time I keep my head on the window glass, my whole body jerks from the movement of the bus, my head hitting against the window continuously and this reminds me of a meme where the rides will be possibly soothing in this position only in the movies. Still, I try it out each time I travel in a new type of vehicle. My eyes drift from the outside view to the timer on my phone repeatedly. This is me experiencing mental torture. It's not like the whole machine is going to explode if I don't reach on time, but if I leave the specimen in rotation for too long, the results will vary drastically and in my current situation, I can't afford that. The inaudible tiks and toks of the timer is killing me. Suddenly the bus comes to a stop. My hopes have been crushed as it took approximately eleven seconds for a young Indian man to step in to the bus. He examined the interior of the bus, his eyes eventually landing on me. There are so many empty seats available but he showed the interest to take the one next to mine. I inched closer to the window, looking back at the dark sky, trying my best to ignore the smell of aftershave coming from my fellow passenger. He's in a professor outfit so I assume he's also going to the university. Voila. And why is this rich professor (professors are supposed to be rich, right?) getting inside a commoners means of travelling?

"Why are you in a hurry?"

I switch on my phone again. Not to check the timer but to open the camera. I view myself in the selfie mode from all possible angles. No, I don't look worried, or in a hurry, or like someone who left one of the important specimens in between her experiment to have naan and paneer butter masala.