WEB NOVEL: SET APART

Written by Abby Caymol | Mar 19, 2024

Jeremiah

Every time the bus is there, I always run late despite it being seven months since I moved to Seattle. The prospect of relocating to such a different city is overwhelming. I was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and at 17, my parents bought a house in Seaside City. Ever since then, I haven’t been able to leave the place. I’m in awe of how beautiful Seaside City is. The city is not crowded, and very few visitors come, allowing me to escape the chaos of city life. I appreciate how peaceful it can get here every day. The warm weather tickles my skin while the sea breeze takes me away. I have a spot on the seashore where I usually sit by fine white sand as if it embraces my whole being.

“Kim.”

An authoritative voice beckoned me over. “You’ve been assigned to checkpoint 2,” one of my leads informed me. “Copy that,” I replied calmly and collectedly. As I fixed my backpack in my locker, I overheard some co-workers talking about a vlogger from another company working in the airport. They were discussing “vlogging.”

I overheard my coworkers talking about someone who has few views on their videos but has created plenty of content. As I closed my locker door, I wasn’t sure who they were referring to. “They said all of her posts are about God and the Bible. That’s pretty crazy,” my other coworker chimed in. I decided to leave the locker room, pondering who they were discussing.

As I walked by, thoughts of God filled my mind. I’ve never really been a religious person, or at least that’s what I thought, but I did believe in God because of my parents’ influence. However, some events happened that caused my faith to dwindle. Although my family in Florida are churchgoers, I’m not. Whenever Christianity comes up in conversation, I tend to remain quiet.

“I realized I couldn’t express myself to someone like God, whom I don’t know much about…. 

I guess I don’t have much to say.”

Abrielle

I was running to clock in when I saw my best friend Charity waiting at the door. ‘Come on, sleepyhead! We’ve been assigned to this flight that’s arriving at exactly 2 pm!’ she chattered.

“Okay-okay, I’m almost done.” I was fixing my bag.

I work for a company that offers various services, including wheelchair assistance, cabin cleaning, airline security, and janitorial services. On one occasion, I was assigned to provide wheelchair assistance. I went to the garage to get a wheelchair and was accompanied by my best friend, Charity. We walked quickly to the ticket counter, where the security checkpoints were located.

I remarked, ‘It’s hectic for September.’ The line was swarming with people, making it seem nearly impossible to get inside with a wheelchair. This is where my patience is tested to the limit. Passengers get upset with us for cutting the line, while officers yell at us for going in front. The rules change depending on who is in charge. You can cut the line now, but it might not be next time.

My heart pounded as I approached the officer to check my badge.

“It was Jeremiah.”

I’m shorter than him, so I looked up, and our eyes met for the first time.  

When I looked into his eyes, all the noise around me suddenly faded, as if there was a glitch. I saw the beautiful hazelnut color of his eyes, which reminded me of a graceful gazelle staring back at me. His eyes were full of emotions he could not express verbally, and I could see all of them clearly.

“Nostalgia and wilderness.”

I blinked my eyes, and everything went back to normal. “Badge, please.” He spoke—his voice. Something in his voice captured my attention.

I quickly presented my badge to him and said, “Thank you.” I smiled at him, and he nodded. As I walked away, the cold feeling in my hands disappeared as if it had melted away. I glanced back at him, and for a moment, I reminded myself, “I couldn’t be distracted this time. He couldn’t be a hindrance, and I had to focus on what I love most—God and sharing the gospel…

 Through vlogging.”