Mysterious Ways (of life)
Making new friends...
Wednesday, 1:28 p.m.
He ran all the way down the Physics Center hall so fast he almost didn't stop when he hit the jet-black lady shoulders, on the back, causing her books to fall on the floor. Gianluca Franceschini was still getting used to his new schedule on the campus, which made him confuse the places he was supposed to attend the classes.
"I'm sorry. Really, really sorry." He apologized, helping the blue-eyed girl taking her books from the floor.
"That's Ok," she said, with no smile.
He stood up again and kept walking towards class #357. Material Engineering Physics class was suppose to begin in a couple of minutes and the last thing he wanted was sitting on the back of the class.
The class began and professor Dokes talked about easy ways to create recycling material when, bored by the fact he was sit in one of the last chairs in the back of the class, Gianluca got lost in his thoughts. His mind went back to Nichelino, Italy where he was from. He had never been this far away from home before and he couldn't deny he missed his family. Leaving his dad's company and coming to the States to graduate wasn't an easy decision, but it was been rewarding so far. The university teachers were great, the people were nice and the food wasn't that bad as he thought it would be. He was still dived in his own mind when Dokes called his name.
"Fransestchini. Gianluca Fransestchini". The professor said.
"Frantchesquini, sir. That's me." Gianni raised his hand.
"You and Miss Fielgstein are set to develop a project and present to us within the next 3 weeks. You have to make something recyclable and durable."
"Can we use any object we know and 're-build' it?" He asked.
"Yes, you can. That's all for today, guys. Have fun". Dokes announced the end of the class.
Recyclable and durable, the professor had said. What the hell would he do?
Gianni was putting his books on his bag when the lady he had hit came up.
"Oh, hi." He smiled shy. "Sorry about the little accident on the hall. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, thanks." The girl answered. "I'm Fielgstein. Miranda Fielgstein. We're supposed to develop that project together."
"Oh, yes! That's right. Sorry... I just didn't know your name. I'm Gianluca Franceschini, but just call me Gianni". He stretched his hand out to greet her. "Nice to meet you miss Fielgstein." Gianni smiled.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Franceschini." She said, a bit awkward.
"Gianni. Please, call me Gianni." He smiled again. "So, tell me... what do you have in mind?"
"Nothing really... yet. But I was wondering of how much you know about material resistance. I mean, machinery and this kind of stuff..."
"I know a bit. My father's firm, in Italy, develops plastic compounds for heavy machinery. I used to work with him."
"So you must be an authority on the subject".
"I wouldn't say that!" Gianni smiled again, now leaving the class and walking back the hall beside Miss Fielgstein. "Otherwise I wouldn't have to come here."
They talked for fifteen minutes and set a meeting on the lab for the following day. They would start working on the project.
Thursday, 2:00 p.m.
It was the first time Gianni entered that lab. He had been in the campus labs before, but he didn't know that one. The lab wasn't big. Actually he classified it as a small one, but it certainly had everything any big lab would.
"Good afternoon, Miss Fielgstein." He smiled when she noticed he was there.
"Good afternoon, Gianni." She replied.
"So, have you got any ideas?"
"I thought about the compounds you said. Creating the plastic for it would be easy, but increasing its resistance and making it recyclable at the same time...well, that would be challenging." She admitted.
"I know" He smiled. "And that's why we're here, right?" He left his bag on the balcony that was in the lower part of the lab, where there was also a bookcase, full of books. "Take a look at this" Gianni handed her a piece of hard plastic material.
"Interesting" She touched it and punched to feel how hard it was. "Where did you get it?"
"As I told you before, my dad's business... this piece is supposed to belong to the internal part of airplanes wings."
"I thought it was made of metal".
"It was. For the last five years the companies had invested on this new kind of material. It makes the wings... how can I say...." He searched his English vocabulary "it weights less than the metal, of course, but the resistance is quite the same".
"Wait a minute. You said quite the same, not the same. If it doesn't have exactly the same resistance, it may threat the plane's security, right?" She looked interesting on the subject.
"That's why any airplane has 'plastic' wings yet. Here's our challenge. If we make this piece of junk resistant and recyclable, we get an A". He smiled like a magician after executing a difficult trick.
"And make some money..." She smiled back.
Miranda was definitely surprised with Gianni. All the things she had heard of him and nobody ever said he was so clever!
"Here it is" he handed Miranda a piece of paper. "These are some calculations I did last night. If it's OK with you, maybe we could start working on this piece.
She looked at the paper over and over. The measures and the numbers that followed it caught her attention completely. The way he thought and developed his ratiocination was thrilling. Miranda was still concentrated on the numbers while Gianni started mixing some substances and it started to smell good.
"What you're doing?" She asked curiously.
"I'm just mixing stuff," he answered with a boyish smile on his face.
"Really? And what is it?"
"A potion".
"A potion?" She was surprised. "A potion of what?"
"The potion of Love" he looked at her "Have you ever heard of it?"
"Maybe when I was 5 or 6 years old". Her answer was skeptical and sort of sarcastic.
"But I'm not kidding. Good smelling substances are good for the brain."
"Alright. Cut the crap now and let's get to work".
Gianni let the substance resting and got closer to Miranda. They began talking about the project and what they would need to make it real. Phone calls were made, measure and notes were taken and books were consulted. This first part of the work was kind of boring but once they were both so excited about it, it wasn't that bad.
Thursday, 5:47 p.m.
Gianni checked something on the microscope when he heard someone entering the lab. He pushed back and looked to see Declan.
"Hi" Declan started, smiling. "Is Miranda around?"
"No. She went out buying some snack. Is it urgent?"
"Oh, no. Just wanted to ask her to take a look at this substance and tell me what it is."
"She must me here soon. If you want to wait..." Gianni offered Declan a chair to sit down.
"Yeah. Guess I can wait a bit." He put the recipient containing the yellow substance near the sink. "By the way: my name's Declan. Declan Dunn." He showed his hand to greet Gianni.
"I'm Gianni Franceschini. It's really nice to meet you professor Dunn. I've heard about you." Gianni said.
"Let me guess: somebody told you I'm a freak who investigates weird stuff, right?" Declan joked.
"Something like that" Gianni replied with a smile. "But I like this whole paranormal thing."
"Really?"
"Well...let's say I'm an X Files fan".
"That's a beginning" Declan laughed. "You're Italian, right?"
"Yeap"
" What are you doing here, in Portland?"
"I came here to improve my skills on physics by joining this master's program. But tell me, professor. What is it like to investigate miraculous phenomena?"
Gianni and Declan chatted a couple of minutes when Miranda entered the lab carrying a bottle of water and two Snickers.
"Hey, Declan." She said handing the water to Gianni.
"Hi. I brought you some yellow stuff for you." He showed her the little glass recipient near the sink. "I took it in a small city, countryside Montana. Some people said it was coming from the soil. It has an acid smell."
"Fine. I can check it later. We have this project to work on and..."
"That's OK. There's no rush. Got to go now. See ya Gianni, bye Miranda."
Declan left the lab. Miranda took the yellow substance and set it on one of the shelves.
"So, you knew Declan..." she said.
"No. I just had heard of him. He's nice"
"Yeah, he is."
"I didn't know you worked as his assistant. It must be cool."
"Sometimes."
The rest of the day was just the same. Lab working.
Friday, 2:15 p.m.
"Good afternoon, Miranda" Gianni entered the lab and dropped his bag on the balcony. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to drop my sister in the opposite side of the campus."
"That's Ok. I was just reviewing yesterday's development. If we keep going like this we'll have more time to test it than we thought. Last night I wasn't feeling asleep so I started d..." She stopped speaking to look at Gianni, who had brought some CDs and was just setting one of them on the stereo. An Italian song broke the silence. It sounded beautiful and classical, fulfilling the entire science environment with grace. Gianni stopped in front of Miranda, took her left hand and asked.
"Would you like to dance?" he smiled.
Before she had the chance to refuse, he put his arm around her waist and got closer to her. She felt his perfume taking over the air she was breathing. They started moving and she got scared.
"I...uh... I can't dance. I don't know how to." She confessed shyly.
"Just follow me" he looked at her eyes and smiled.
The song was wonderful. The violin sound was so involving, the cello and the flouts filled the chords with perfect harmony. Gianni was a great dancer and he leaded Miranda all around with such softness she could hardly believe. They danced on the upper side of the lab, among balconies with microscopes and laminas. Their rhythm was so smooth and magical it felt like they had been transported to another dimension. Miranda's perfume filled Gianni's breath and for a moment he felt he was dancing over the clouds.
The final chord was played, announcing the song had ended. Miranda raised her eyes to look at Gianni. Her face met his with a smile. The song stopped and Gianni took Miranda's left hand, kissed it gently and said: "Thank you, madam". She couldn't move a muscle, nor say anything. She just smiled back, thinking that no other man she had been with had treated her like that, like a lady. He kept looking at her.
"You've got a beautiful smile. I'd be glad if I had the chance to see it more often." He smiled at her. She returned the smile, a little bit shy. Afraid of getting annoying, Gianni said. "Let's get to work now, before you send me outta this room".
Miranda went back to the balcony and reached the microscope. She had started analyzing Declan's stuff. Gianni took the piece of plastic he had brought the day before, cut a little pellicle from it and took it down the microscope.
A few minutes passed 'till Gianni started chatting with Miranda.
"Do you like soccer?"
"Do I look like people who like soccer?"
"I don't know. You drive a motorcycle, listen rock 'n' roll... I don't know. It just occurred to me that you could happen to like soccer, or maybe radical sports. Do you?" He kept staring at the substance he was testing.
"Well... I tried playing it a couple of times, when I was in Junior High." She hesitated a little, but continued. "But of course it was a disaster. First I tried playing as a quarterback, and then a goalkeeper. I failed both."
"And you never tried it again?"
"Nope".
"And how about Radical Sports? Rappel, Bungie Jump, or maybe Rollerblading? "
Miranda froze when she heard the word Bungie Jump. Gianni didn't know about those strange facts that had touched her so deeply before. Should she tell him or not? She didn't want to seem stupid in front of such a smart guy. Telling the whole story could be a disaster. "On the other hand", she thought "for someone who wants to find The Potion of Love and dances in a lab..." OK. Maybe it wouldn't sound so crazy, but she decided she would take it easy with him. If she felt any resistance, she would just come up with an excuse that explained why she had to go to Alaska to try Bungie Jump.
"I've tried Bungie Jump".
"Really? That sounds exciting!! I've never tried it. Where did you do it? I mean... did you jump from a bridge, a rock, where?" Gianni's eyes were brighting when he turned to look surprised at her.
"It was in Alaska and I jumped from a bridge over the Miranda River. It was quite exciting, yes." She smiled.
"Alaska? What were you doing there?" He asked surprised.
"Before I tell you the story... Gianni, do you believe in miracles?" Her heart beated a little faster. She was now asking him a crucial question where the answer would show how she would tell her story. She was afraid of his answer. Afraid of him to make fun of her.
"Are you kidding me?" he laughed. "I'd say the fact of the two of us being here, standing on this very lab and looking at each other at the same time we can see our respective faces is a miracle" his voice was a bit altered. "Sorry if I sounded too superstitious or stupid, but that's what I believe. Life is a miracle. We are the miracle of life". He turned his eyes to the microscope.
"Don't worry. I've experienced some miraculous things myself." She smiled tenderly.
So she started telling him all the facts she had been through and how she ended up jumping over the Miranda River with three other men she had never seen before. Gianni listened carefully to every word that came out of her mouth. He was truly amazed with it all. Then he asked her about Declan and his "calling" as she described. She said that working for him was funny and challenging at the same time. Actually they talked the whole afternoon while doing their research. They told funny stories, jokes and discussed about chemical substances. Gianni was happy all the time, cheering up Miranda who, sometimes, got back on her serious look. Miranda didn't seem to be herself, laughing on Gianni's jokes and showing her beautiful smile all the time. It was being a great afternoon for both. Yeah... Definitely great!
All the substances, reactions and calculations needed were done. They had noticed that a new material for airplane's wings wouldn't be developed in three weeks. It'd take more time than they thought, but a new soda drink was already designed. All they had to do was testing it and check its reliability. A little luck would be welcome, but they were truly confident about their work.
Once everything was done, they were just cleaning the lab when Miranda went to the table to reach a book. Gianni and she were discussing about Selenium and Carbon properties. Gianni had a weird idea of combinating these two substances with Mercury. Miranda wanted to prove him it was dangerous and worthless so she went to the table, which was in the low part of the lab. She was still trying to convince him it was a stupid idea while walking to the table so she was walking without looking at her back.
"No, Gianni. I'm telling you this is not a g..."
"Miranda, look out!" Gianni yelled.
"Ouch!" She moaned.
She didn't see the stair behind her so she just fell down the floor, hurting her right ankle. Gianni dropped the laminas he was setting back on the box and ran after her.
"Are you OK?" He asked. Supporting her back with his left hand he helped her to sit back on the floor. "Oh, what a stupid question. Of course you're not OK. Did you hit anything? Is your head OK?" he got worried.
"I'm fine, I guess..." She stretched her hand to touch her ankle. "I guess I hurt my ankle."
"Let me see" He said. "Excuse me..." Gianni started untying her shoestrings. He pulled her boot and her sock out of her right foot and took a good look at her ankle. It was starting to get swelled and purple. "We'd better put some ice on it". He stood up and walked out the lab.
"Where are you g...? Damn it." She cursed.
Gianni went to the bar outside the building and asked for some ice. The guy didn't want to help him so he had to tell it was an emergency. When he came back Miranda was trying to stand up.
"Nuh, no, no. Don't do it" he came closer and helped her to sit back on the floor. He put the ice bag on her hurt ankle.
"Ou..."
"It's cold, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is." She put her hands on the bag, to hold it. Gianni had been holding it until then. Their hands touched.
"Feel better?" He asked.
"Yeah. A little" She smiled. "Thanks".
"We'd better go to the hospital now".
"What? A hospital?"
"Yes, a hospital. My car's just outside. I'll just take your back bag there then we can go".
"Gianni, you don't have to. Thanks for getting me the ice bag and all that but I can handle it myself from now on".
"I can't leave you here with a hurt ankle. You couldn't even drive your bike. Let's go." He took her on his arms and left the lab. They walked the whole hallway like that. Some people passed and gave a strange look. Miranda wanted to burry herself alive. She felt flattered and ashamed at the same time. Gianni took her to his car and helped her to sit. He was a gentleman all the time. He went back to the lab, grabbed their stuff, locked it and returned to the car to go to the hospital.
Friday, 7:45 - At the hospital...
Gianni took her in his arms again 'till the paramedics get her a wheel chair to sit. She was immediately taken to the doctor who sent her to the X Ray. Gianni kept telling the paramedics to take care of her 'cause she was seriously injured. Of course he was over reacting and it made her laugh. He had to fill some forms so he didn't go with her. As soon as he was done with it he sat on the waiting room chairs, impatiently.
Miranda was back on the doctor Thompson's office. He was a tall and white haired man that inspired confidence.
"So... Miranda Fielgstein, right?" He looked at her, after checking his patients' cards. "They told me there's a crazy guy waiting for you outside. Is he your boyfriend?" He asked smiling.
"You mean Gianni, right? He's just a friend. We were working in the lab when I fell down so he drove me here".
"That's nice. So I guess I'll call him up here".
He called Gianni to join them in the office so he'd be more relaxed to know everything was fine. Gianni entered the place, a little shy.
"Hi. I'm doctor Thompson".
"I'm Gianluca Franceschini, Miranda's friend. How is she?"
"She's fine, that's the good news. You didn't brake any bone, Miranda, but you had a torsion on your right ankle. It's nothing serious, but we'll have to immobilize it for a couple of weeks. So...?"
"Well...I can't complaint, can I?" She replied.
"All right. Let's do it."
Gianni helped her to sit on the wheel chair again and the doctor took her to the room where they would immobilize her ankle. A few minutes later and there was plaster from ankle to her knee. Thank God modern times had come and she could take that thing out to take showers. Besides, it wasn't that heavy or uncomfortable as when she broke her arm. She had to sign some papers before they could leave the hospital. And as soon as she did, Gianni took her back on his arms and carried her to the car. It wasn't so bad, she thought. Actually, being carried by such a handsome and strong man like him felt really well. And he was a gentleman and was just trying to help after all.
On their way back home Gianni turned the radio on a classical music station and the song they had danced in the last afternoon started playing.
"Oh, I love this song", he smiled, raising the volume.
"Yeah. It's very beautiful. I wish I knew what it says".
"I can translate it for you later. If you want, of course".
"I'd be very glad" she smiled.
He smiled back but didn't say anything. They were approaching Miranda's house. When they finally got there, Gianni Parked the car right in front of door. He jumped out, opened the door for her and said:
"Maybe it would be easier if you give me the key so I can open the door".
"Sure" she gave him the key.
He opened the door and turned the lights on. So he went back to the car, took her in his arms and carried her once again. He helped her to sit on the couch and went back to the car, taking her back bag and the crutches they had got on the hospital. She would need it. He was about to leave, when she stood up, helped by the crutches, and said.
"Gianni... uhmmm... thanks".
"What for?"
"For everything."
"My pleasure", he smiled. "I'll bring your bike here tomorrow morning." He walked towards his car.
"Good night" she said.
"Just call me, if you need anything, ok? Good night".
TO BE CONTINUED...
Making new friends...
Wednesday, 1:28 p.m.
He ran all the way down the Physics Center hall so fast he almost didn't stop when he hit the jet-black lady shoulders, on the back, causing her books to fall on the floor. Gianluca Franceschini was still getting used to his new schedule on the campus, which made him confuse the places he was supposed to attend the classes.
"I'm sorry. Really, really sorry." He apologized, helping the blue-eyed girl taking her books from the floor.
"That's Ok," she said, with no smile.
He stood up again and kept walking towards class #357. Material Engineering Physics class was suppose to begin in a couple of minutes and the last thing he wanted was sitting on the back of the class.
The class began and professor Dokes talked about easy ways to create recycling material when, bored by the fact he was sit in one of the last chairs in the back of the class, Gianluca got lost in his thoughts. His mind went back to Nichelino, Italy where he was from. He had never been this far away from home before and he couldn't deny he missed his family. Leaving his dad's company and coming to the States to graduate wasn't an easy decision, but it was been rewarding so far. The university teachers were great, the people were nice and the food wasn't that bad as he thought it would be. He was still dived in his own mind when Dokes called his name.
"Fransestchini. Gianluca Fransestchini". The professor said.
"Frantchesquini, sir. That's me." Gianni raised his hand.
"You and Miss Fielgstein are set to develop a project and present to us within the next 3 weeks. You have to make something recyclable and durable."
"Can we use any object we know and 're-build' it?" He asked.
"Yes, you can. That's all for today, guys. Have fun". Dokes announced the end of the class.
Recyclable and durable, the professor had said. What the hell would he do?
Gianni was putting his books on his bag when the lady he had hit came up.
"Oh, hi." He smiled shy. "Sorry about the little accident on the hall. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, thanks." The girl answered. "I'm Fielgstein. Miranda Fielgstein. We're supposed to develop that project together."
"Oh, yes! That's right. Sorry... I just didn't know your name. I'm Gianluca Franceschini, but just call me Gianni". He stretched his hand out to greet her. "Nice to meet you miss Fielgstein." Gianni smiled.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Franceschini." She said, a bit awkward.
"Gianni. Please, call me Gianni." He smiled again. "So, tell me... what do you have in mind?"
"Nothing really... yet. But I was wondering of how much you know about material resistance. I mean, machinery and this kind of stuff..."
"I know a bit. My father's firm, in Italy, develops plastic compounds for heavy machinery. I used to work with him."
"So you must be an authority on the subject".
"I wouldn't say that!" Gianni smiled again, now leaving the class and walking back the hall beside Miss Fielgstein. "Otherwise I wouldn't have to come here."
They talked for fifteen minutes and set a meeting on the lab for the following day. They would start working on the project.
Thursday, 2:00 p.m.
It was the first time Gianni entered that lab. He had been in the campus labs before, but he didn't know that one. The lab wasn't big. Actually he classified it as a small one, but it certainly had everything any big lab would.
"Good afternoon, Miss Fielgstein." He smiled when she noticed he was there.
"Good afternoon, Gianni." She replied.
"So, have you got any ideas?"
"I thought about the compounds you said. Creating the plastic for it would be easy, but increasing its resistance and making it recyclable at the same time...well, that would be challenging." She admitted.
"I know" He smiled. "And that's why we're here, right?" He left his bag on the balcony that was in the lower part of the lab, where there was also a bookcase, full of books. "Take a look at this" Gianni handed her a piece of hard plastic material.
"Interesting" She touched it and punched to feel how hard it was. "Where did you get it?"
"As I told you before, my dad's business... this piece is supposed to belong to the internal part of airplanes wings."
"I thought it was made of metal".
"It was. For the last five years the companies had invested on this new kind of material. It makes the wings... how can I say...." He searched his English vocabulary "it weights less than the metal, of course, but the resistance is quite the same".
"Wait a minute. You said quite the same, not the same. If it doesn't have exactly the same resistance, it may threat the plane's security, right?" She looked interesting on the subject.
"That's why any airplane has 'plastic' wings yet. Here's our challenge. If we make this piece of junk resistant and recyclable, we get an A". He smiled like a magician after executing a difficult trick.
"And make some money..." She smiled back.
Miranda was definitely surprised with Gianni. All the things she had heard of him and nobody ever said he was so clever!
"Here it is" he handed Miranda a piece of paper. "These are some calculations I did last night. If it's OK with you, maybe we could start working on this piece.
She looked at the paper over and over. The measures and the numbers that followed it caught her attention completely. The way he thought and developed his ratiocination was thrilling. Miranda was still concentrated on the numbers while Gianni started mixing some substances and it started to smell good.
"What you're doing?" She asked curiously.
"I'm just mixing stuff," he answered with a boyish smile on his face.
"Really? And what is it?"
"A potion".
"A potion?" She was surprised. "A potion of what?"
"The potion of Love" he looked at her "Have you ever heard of it?"
"Maybe when I was 5 or 6 years old". Her answer was skeptical and sort of sarcastic.
"But I'm not kidding. Good smelling substances are good for the brain."
"Alright. Cut the crap now and let's get to work".
Gianni let the substance resting and got closer to Miranda. They began talking about the project and what they would need to make it real. Phone calls were made, measure and notes were taken and books were consulted. This first part of the work was kind of boring but once they were both so excited about it, it wasn't that bad.
Thursday, 5:47 p.m.
Gianni checked something on the microscope when he heard someone entering the lab. He pushed back and looked to see Declan.
"Hi" Declan started, smiling. "Is Miranda around?"
"No. She went out buying some snack. Is it urgent?"
"Oh, no. Just wanted to ask her to take a look at this substance and tell me what it is."
"She must me here soon. If you want to wait..." Gianni offered Declan a chair to sit down.
"Yeah. Guess I can wait a bit." He put the recipient containing the yellow substance near the sink. "By the way: my name's Declan. Declan Dunn." He showed his hand to greet Gianni.
"I'm Gianni Franceschini. It's really nice to meet you professor Dunn. I've heard about you." Gianni said.
"Let me guess: somebody told you I'm a freak who investigates weird stuff, right?" Declan joked.
"Something like that" Gianni replied with a smile. "But I like this whole paranormal thing."
"Really?"
"Well...let's say I'm an X Files fan".
"That's a beginning" Declan laughed. "You're Italian, right?"
"Yeap"
" What are you doing here, in Portland?"
"I came here to improve my skills on physics by joining this master's program. But tell me, professor. What is it like to investigate miraculous phenomena?"
Gianni and Declan chatted a couple of minutes when Miranda entered the lab carrying a bottle of water and two Snickers.
"Hey, Declan." She said handing the water to Gianni.
"Hi. I brought you some yellow stuff for you." He showed her the little glass recipient near the sink. "I took it in a small city, countryside Montana. Some people said it was coming from the soil. It has an acid smell."
"Fine. I can check it later. We have this project to work on and..."
"That's OK. There's no rush. Got to go now. See ya Gianni, bye Miranda."
Declan left the lab. Miranda took the yellow substance and set it on one of the shelves.
"So, you knew Declan..." she said.
"No. I just had heard of him. He's nice"
"Yeah, he is."
"I didn't know you worked as his assistant. It must be cool."
"Sometimes."
The rest of the day was just the same. Lab working.
Friday, 2:15 p.m.
"Good afternoon, Miranda" Gianni entered the lab and dropped his bag on the balcony. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to drop my sister in the opposite side of the campus."
"That's Ok. I was just reviewing yesterday's development. If we keep going like this we'll have more time to test it than we thought. Last night I wasn't feeling asleep so I started d..." She stopped speaking to look at Gianni, who had brought some CDs and was just setting one of them on the stereo. An Italian song broke the silence. It sounded beautiful and classical, fulfilling the entire science environment with grace. Gianni stopped in front of Miranda, took her left hand and asked.
"Would you like to dance?" he smiled.
Before she had the chance to refuse, he put his arm around her waist and got closer to her. She felt his perfume taking over the air she was breathing. They started moving and she got scared.
"I...uh... I can't dance. I don't know how to." She confessed shyly.
"Just follow me" he looked at her eyes and smiled.
The song was wonderful. The violin sound was so involving, the cello and the flouts filled the chords with perfect harmony. Gianni was a great dancer and he leaded Miranda all around with such softness she could hardly believe. They danced on the upper side of the lab, among balconies with microscopes and laminas. Their rhythm was so smooth and magical it felt like they had been transported to another dimension. Miranda's perfume filled Gianni's breath and for a moment he felt he was dancing over the clouds.
The final chord was played, announcing the song had ended. Miranda raised her eyes to look at Gianni. Her face met his with a smile. The song stopped and Gianni took Miranda's left hand, kissed it gently and said: "Thank you, madam". She couldn't move a muscle, nor say anything. She just smiled back, thinking that no other man she had been with had treated her like that, like a lady. He kept looking at her.
"You've got a beautiful smile. I'd be glad if I had the chance to see it more often." He smiled at her. She returned the smile, a little bit shy. Afraid of getting annoying, Gianni said. "Let's get to work now, before you send me outta this room".
Miranda went back to the balcony and reached the microscope. She had started analyzing Declan's stuff. Gianni took the piece of plastic he had brought the day before, cut a little pellicle from it and took it down the microscope.
A few minutes passed 'till Gianni started chatting with Miranda.
"Do you like soccer?"
"Do I look like people who like soccer?"
"I don't know. You drive a motorcycle, listen rock 'n' roll... I don't know. It just occurred to me that you could happen to like soccer, or maybe radical sports. Do you?" He kept staring at the substance he was testing.
"Well... I tried playing it a couple of times, when I was in Junior High." She hesitated a little, but continued. "But of course it was a disaster. First I tried playing as a quarterback, and then a goalkeeper. I failed both."
"And you never tried it again?"
"Nope".
"And how about Radical Sports? Rappel, Bungie Jump, or maybe Rollerblading? "
Miranda froze when she heard the word Bungie Jump. Gianni didn't know about those strange facts that had touched her so deeply before. Should she tell him or not? She didn't want to seem stupid in front of such a smart guy. Telling the whole story could be a disaster. "On the other hand", she thought "for someone who wants to find The Potion of Love and dances in a lab..." OK. Maybe it wouldn't sound so crazy, but she decided she would take it easy with him. If she felt any resistance, she would just come up with an excuse that explained why she had to go to Alaska to try Bungie Jump.
"I've tried Bungie Jump".
"Really? That sounds exciting!! I've never tried it. Where did you do it? I mean... did you jump from a bridge, a rock, where?" Gianni's eyes were brighting when he turned to look surprised at her.
"It was in Alaska and I jumped from a bridge over the Miranda River. It was quite exciting, yes." She smiled.
"Alaska? What were you doing there?" He asked surprised.
"Before I tell you the story... Gianni, do you believe in miracles?" Her heart beated a little faster. She was now asking him a crucial question where the answer would show how she would tell her story. She was afraid of his answer. Afraid of him to make fun of her.
"Are you kidding me?" he laughed. "I'd say the fact of the two of us being here, standing on this very lab and looking at each other at the same time we can see our respective faces is a miracle" his voice was a bit altered. "Sorry if I sounded too superstitious or stupid, but that's what I believe. Life is a miracle. We are the miracle of life". He turned his eyes to the microscope.
"Don't worry. I've experienced some miraculous things myself." She smiled tenderly.
So she started telling him all the facts she had been through and how she ended up jumping over the Miranda River with three other men she had never seen before. Gianni listened carefully to every word that came out of her mouth. He was truly amazed with it all. Then he asked her about Declan and his "calling" as she described. She said that working for him was funny and challenging at the same time. Actually they talked the whole afternoon while doing their research. They told funny stories, jokes and discussed about chemical substances. Gianni was happy all the time, cheering up Miranda who, sometimes, got back on her serious look. Miranda didn't seem to be herself, laughing on Gianni's jokes and showing her beautiful smile all the time. It was being a great afternoon for both. Yeah... Definitely great!
All the substances, reactions and calculations needed were done. They had noticed that a new material for airplane's wings wouldn't be developed in three weeks. It'd take more time than they thought, but a new soda drink was already designed. All they had to do was testing it and check its reliability. A little luck would be welcome, but they were truly confident about their work.
Once everything was done, they were just cleaning the lab when Miranda went to the table to reach a book. Gianni and she were discussing about Selenium and Carbon properties. Gianni had a weird idea of combinating these two substances with Mercury. Miranda wanted to prove him it was dangerous and worthless so she went to the table, which was in the low part of the lab. She was still trying to convince him it was a stupid idea while walking to the table so she was walking without looking at her back.
"No, Gianni. I'm telling you this is not a g..."
"Miranda, look out!" Gianni yelled.
"Ouch!" She moaned.
She didn't see the stair behind her so she just fell down the floor, hurting her right ankle. Gianni dropped the laminas he was setting back on the box and ran after her.
"Are you OK?" He asked. Supporting her back with his left hand he helped her to sit back on the floor. "Oh, what a stupid question. Of course you're not OK. Did you hit anything? Is your head OK?" he got worried.
"I'm fine, I guess..." She stretched her hand to touch her ankle. "I guess I hurt my ankle."
"Let me see" He said. "Excuse me..." Gianni started untying her shoestrings. He pulled her boot and her sock out of her right foot and took a good look at her ankle. It was starting to get swelled and purple. "We'd better put some ice on it". He stood up and walked out the lab.
"Where are you g...? Damn it." She cursed.
Gianni went to the bar outside the building and asked for some ice. The guy didn't want to help him so he had to tell it was an emergency. When he came back Miranda was trying to stand up.
"Nuh, no, no. Don't do it" he came closer and helped her to sit back on the floor. He put the ice bag on her hurt ankle.
"Ou..."
"It's cold, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is." She put her hands on the bag, to hold it. Gianni had been holding it until then. Their hands touched.
"Feel better?" He asked.
"Yeah. A little" She smiled. "Thanks".
"We'd better go to the hospital now".
"What? A hospital?"
"Yes, a hospital. My car's just outside. I'll just take your back bag there then we can go".
"Gianni, you don't have to. Thanks for getting me the ice bag and all that but I can handle it myself from now on".
"I can't leave you here with a hurt ankle. You couldn't even drive your bike. Let's go." He took her on his arms and left the lab. They walked the whole hallway like that. Some people passed and gave a strange look. Miranda wanted to burry herself alive. She felt flattered and ashamed at the same time. Gianni took her to his car and helped her to sit. He was a gentleman all the time. He went back to the lab, grabbed their stuff, locked it and returned to the car to go to the hospital.
Friday, 7:45 - At the hospital...
Gianni took her in his arms again 'till the paramedics get her a wheel chair to sit. She was immediately taken to the doctor who sent her to the X Ray. Gianni kept telling the paramedics to take care of her 'cause she was seriously injured. Of course he was over reacting and it made her laugh. He had to fill some forms so he didn't go with her. As soon as he was done with it he sat on the waiting room chairs, impatiently.
Miranda was back on the doctor Thompson's office. He was a tall and white haired man that inspired confidence.
"So... Miranda Fielgstein, right?" He looked at her, after checking his patients' cards. "They told me there's a crazy guy waiting for you outside. Is he your boyfriend?" He asked smiling.
"You mean Gianni, right? He's just a friend. We were working in the lab when I fell down so he drove me here".
"That's nice. So I guess I'll call him up here".
He called Gianni to join them in the office so he'd be more relaxed to know everything was fine. Gianni entered the place, a little shy.
"Hi. I'm doctor Thompson".
"I'm Gianluca Franceschini, Miranda's friend. How is she?"
"She's fine, that's the good news. You didn't brake any bone, Miranda, but you had a torsion on your right ankle. It's nothing serious, but we'll have to immobilize it for a couple of weeks. So...?"
"Well...I can't complaint, can I?" She replied.
"All right. Let's do it."
Gianni helped her to sit on the wheel chair again and the doctor took her to the room where they would immobilize her ankle. A few minutes later and there was plaster from ankle to her knee. Thank God modern times had come and she could take that thing out to take showers. Besides, it wasn't that heavy or uncomfortable as when she broke her arm. She had to sign some papers before they could leave the hospital. And as soon as she did, Gianni took her back on his arms and carried her to the car. It wasn't so bad, she thought. Actually, being carried by such a handsome and strong man like him felt really well. And he was a gentleman and was just trying to help after all.
On their way back home Gianni turned the radio on a classical music station and the song they had danced in the last afternoon started playing.
"Oh, I love this song", he smiled, raising the volume.
"Yeah. It's very beautiful. I wish I knew what it says".
"I can translate it for you later. If you want, of course".
"I'd be very glad" she smiled.
He smiled back but didn't say anything. They were approaching Miranda's house. When they finally got there, Gianni Parked the car right in front of door. He jumped out, opened the door for her and said:
"Maybe it would be easier if you give me the key so I can open the door".
"Sure" she gave him the key.
He opened the door and turned the lights on. So he went back to the car, took her in his arms and carried her once again. He helped her to sit on the couch and went back to the car, taking her back bag and the crutches they had got on the hospital. She would need it. He was about to leave, when she stood up, helped by the crutches, and said.
"Gianni... uhmmm... thanks".
"What for?"
"For everything."
"My pleasure", he smiled. "I'll bring your bike here tomorrow morning." He walked towards his car.
"Good night" she said.
"Just call me, if you need anything, ok? Good night".
TO BE CONTINUED...