Web Novel: SET APART

Written by Abby Caymol | Jun 15, 2024

ABRIELLE

I stand and stare at my foot as it taps on the floor. My hands are clammy, and I can feel the coldness creeping in. My heart beats so loudly it feels like it’s screaming. I’m getting more and more nervous as I wait. I keep looking at my watch; it’s already noon. Today is the day I’m supposed to meet up with Username0543777. I am still determining how I will react or what to say if it’s Jeremiah. The area is getting busier, and I can’t bear to look at the coffee shop across the checkpoint. It’s been two minutes now; where is Username0543777? As I wonder about this person’s identity, someone taps my shoulder. To my surprise, I see Aaron smiling at me. Aaron is my churchmate, and he works here at the airport. I ask him what he’s doing there, and he asks if we can sit down and talk. His words fill my thoughts, and I feel like a storm is about to start in my mind.

We found a couple of chairs in the corner of the coffee shop, and Aaron began to speak. “Abrielle, I need to tell you that I was the one who sent you that private message on the Fruit app. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” he said while I tried to process his words. I felt tears welling up, but I fought to hold them back.

“I did what I did because… because I like you, Abrielle. I want to know you better, but I was too afraid to be honest,” he confessed, his voice filled with regret. I couldn’t help but wonder why he was choosing to reveal this now, and I posed the question to him.

“When I found out that you liked someone else, I thought there was no chance for us or that it didn’t make sense for me to keep liking you,” he explained. I asked him how he knew about my feelings for someone else, and he told me that Jethro had spilled the tea. I closed my eyes in disappointment.

I can’t believe that Jethro shared my secret with Aaron. It was supposed that only Charity and Eun-Yeong knew about my secret. I wonder who else he shared the story with. I wouldn’t call it gossip because my feelings for Jeremiah are genuine. “Jethro knew I like you, Abrielle,” Aaron added. “Did he tell you who I like?” I asked him. He said that Jethro mentioned the name Jeremiah, but he hadn’t seen him in person because the checkpoint was busy, and there were other officers that he might have mistaken for Jeremiah. My heart just wanted to scream, and I felt the storm raging inside my mind, down in my heart. It’s flooding my heart. This is just the beginning, I thought. I didn’t want people to know about my personal life. It’s not that I don’t trust Aaron, but I want it to be as private as possible. “What else did Jethro tell you?” I asked him.

He said nothing more. I thanked Aaron for coming to me and telling me the truth, and I also told him that I understood why he did what he did. I am grateful for the gift of friendship God gave me and Aaron. We ended the conversation with no hard feelings and went our separate ways. Walking through the airport hallway, I reflected on the words I had shared with Aaron. I realized that I hadn’t opened up much about my personal feelings. I stopped in the prayer room to seek clarity from God. Upon entering the room, I thanked God that I was alone.

“Heavenly Father, I pray for Aaron to give him peace if he ever lacks it. I also pray for Jethro that he wouldn’t tell everyone about my feelings for Jeremiah. I’m avoiding the news to reach Jeremiah, but Lord, no matter what happens, I believe You will make a way out if everything goes out of control. You said in Psalms 125:2, ‘As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people both now and always.’ I shouldn’t be afraid of any circumstance that will happen in the future because you surround me. You see me, and You, Lord, fully see everyone around me. You are the God of everything, and I entrust every detail of it to you. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.”

I left the prayer room and continued working as usual for the rest of the day. As I was getting ready to go, I started feeling dizzy, and my eyes seemed spinning. This scared me, so I sat in the office for a minute to ensure I was okay. After 5 minutes, the dizziness disappeared, but I still had a headache. I debated whether to drive home or take an e-taxi but ultimately decided to drive. Blessedly, I made it home without any issues. When I got home, I didn’t tell my Dad about what I had experienced because I thought it was just a normal dizziness and headache. The headache persisted, so I applied some mint oil to help ease the pain.

I woke up in the middle of a dream with a severe headache and couldn’t go back to sleep. I sobbed while enduring the pain. Eventually, the pain lessened, so I saw a doctor the next day. During the examination, the doctor couldn’t find anything wrong and suggested that stress might be the cause. Anxiety started to creep in as the doctor was explaining the results. However, the doctor asked if I had been stressing out lately, and I said I was just okay. I didn’t elaborate on my feelings, but I was worried about my privacy. I didn’t want specific details of my life to become public knowledge, especially when Jethro started to tell Aaron about my stuff.

Lost in thought, the doctor mentioned that stress significantly impacts severe headaches. It triggers anxiety, difficulty focusing, feeling “out of control,” and more. The doctor had me confined one night to examine my head. I spent the whole night in the hospital. My dad came; he wanted to stay the night, but I told him that I was okay and more likely that stress was the main issue with my headache. I told my dad that if it worked with the pain pills, I could come home tomorrow morning. My dad responded that we still didn’t know what was going on in my head, so I should be examined more. I told him that I wanted him to sleep comfortably and that I’d see him in the morning.

The following day, my headache disappeared, and I was grateful to God for that. I left the hospital and decided to go to work. To avoid feeling dizzy, I moved slowly and avoided consuming anything with caffeine. As I waited for the employee bus, I felt my heart racing in anticipation of seeing Jeremiah. Seeing him was rare, as I only saw him at this time or the checkpoint area. When the bus arrived, I found someone sitting in my usual spot at the back, so I sat across from the bus door. As the driver moved to the next shelter, I was surprised to see Jeremiah waiting there. Being on time and not rushing to catch the bus was unusual for him.

Jeremiah came in, but this time, he didn’t sit in his usual seat. Instead, he sat beside the door across from me. I was surprised and took the opportunity to look at him while he was focused on his cell phone. A lot of thoughts raced through my mind as I observed him. I found myself wondering, should I try to befriend him? My desire to connect with Jeremiah clashed with my intention to focus on my faith, making me feel conflicted. I don’t see Jeremiah often, so I value the moments when he’s nearby. Even though he was so close, it felt like he was still far away. When we reached our stop, we, as usual, went our separate ways.

When I arrived at work and checked in, my supervisor assigned me to go to the gate. As I approached the TSA checkpoint, I spotted Jeremiah handling the bags on the belt to the right. I felt nervous, as I wasn’t sure how to react. I acted as if I didn’t know him; it seemed the right thing to do. I proceeded to the lane where he was working, and when it was my turn, I was taken aback when Jeremiah spoke to me. “How are you?” I think that’s what he asked me. It wasn’t clear at first, as he was wearing a mask. My eyes widened in surprise. I wanted to be sure he had said something, so I replied, “I’m sorry, what was that again?” Once more, he asked how I was doing, this time with a slightly louder voice so I could hear him.

I smiled widely because I couldn’t contain my happiness any longer. I replied, “Oh, I’m good! How are you?” He said he was okay. I’m thankful that he asked me, and for the very first time, I knew he smiled back at me. Even though he was wearing a mask, I could see in his eyes that he smiled back at me. I felt God’s favor. I’ve been asking myself when I will make friends with him and if I should befriend him. I was lost in my thoughts. This is it! Jeremiah made the first move. He talked to me, and I couldn’t be happier! We ended the brief conversation with a smile on our faces.

My heart is filled with joy! I believe God knows my thoughts and has a beautiful plan for me. As I passed by the checkpoint area, I felt so excited. Whenever I had some time alone, I prayed to God. In my prayers, I expressed my gratitude for God being aware of all my concerns. The wait was worth it. Although I don’t understand God’s plan and why Jeremiah asked me how I was doing, I believe in God’s plans. God’s word is reliable; it states that we shouldn’t worry about everything and that we are seen. All the stress I experienced was nothing compared to my joy.

I hope God will reveal why Jeremiah talked to me today. I hope God allows me to see His plans, even just a little. Jeremiah’s words, “How are you?” have opened many doors. These doors could either encourage me or break me. I can’t hide anything from the Lord. All I know is that I will be taken care of under His plan, including Jeremiah.