Chapter 10

A crush on Judah

Hanni Zammi was rearranging the clutters on her white marble desk. She didn’t realize how messy her desk was until her research project was over. It looked like there were hundreds of odds and sods sprawling on her desk. Her poor eyes grew tired and dry starring at the Wit Pad (a light, portable electronic device for drawing, tad smaller than a size of a book) screen for hours, drawing the sketches of her ideas for the newly proposed design of the ameliorated Arm Bazooka.

Hanni graduated in Land, Major in Machinery & Art. She had been working in the Machinery and Weapon Design Department for nine months since she graduated. She enjoyed her job as much as school. It is a great chance to exercise and exhibit her creativity, blending both machinery and art work.

Hanni usually had her hair in a bun. It always gives a thumbs up if you are feigning for a professional look. However, today is not just any other day. Today is exceptionally important for her. After spending a ridiculous one hour trying out new hairstyles, she’d finally decided to have her long auburn-brownish hair in a relaxed fishtail. Some people said her hair is auburn, while some said it is actually brown. It is a median of auburn and brown, she believed. The black mascara she applied earlier effectively highlighted her beautiful emerald-glimmering eyes, just the way she wanted.

The hair and the face, they just have to stay on fleek today. They were her only assets today to impress the guy of her dream. There was no way she could draw his attention by that everyday tawny brown garb she had to wear to work. The dream guy was Hanni’s senior. She had been secretly admiring him since she got into the same school as him. As far as she remembered, he had dated two girls. Both of the girls he dated were had the same thing in common – average appearance, excessively studious, and meek. So she came out with the conclusion that her dream boy likes decent, demure, smart girls. For that reason, she had to make sure she doesn’t over-dressed, over-done with makeup, and over-talked when she sees him. Carefully choosing the right colour for her lips and cheeks, she was all set to meet him – Judah Onyx.

Hanni basically had no other recreation other than her work. She put a lot of effort in making sure that her projects outshine other designers in her department. Her current goal is to see her new Arm Bazooka being selected, and used by the armed forces. Sometimes she wondered if what she did was a little insane, or was it because she was a real trier. One of those people who occasionally gets tired but never give up. She was a durable lass as long as she could remember. She’d always make sure she gives her very best in everything she does to earn the best results. Imagine a courageous, manly soldier in his nonpareil garb, with the Arm Bazooka she had designed attached on his forearm, ready for a combative war. What a sight to behold, she drooled over her mind-blowing vision.

Growing up without a proper family under tough environment molded her to become stronger. She’d always externalized appreciation for the chance given to her, to have a better life. It was a chance that changed her life, forever. Hanni was an abandoned infant, a foundling who had never known who her parents were. But she would not dare to complain about her days in the orphanage, for it was better to have a place to stay than ended up in the streets, begging for food. Although yes, still terrible at days like when she was strapped for money, wasn’t well fed, or being bullied by the older girls. It was a tumultuous time in her life, feeling lonely, unprotected and insecure day after day. Until one day, a property magnate, a couple actually, offered to pay for all her expenses.

All.

That included the education fees, the accommodation fees, and the daily expenses. They were willing to pay for everything. It was part of their charity project they said, to help the bright and talented orphans to get into good schools. It was a turnaround point, an indelible memory that she carried with her until this day, to remind her that she should always be thankful for what she has now.

The Wit Pad was shut down, and shoved carefully into a red fitted cover with her name on. She stood in front of the mirror she had on her wall, adjusting her hair and uniform. In a few more minutes she would walk down the corridor, and see Judah Onyx in his office to pass her sketches to him. She gave a long sigh of collywobbles.

“Okay, you can do this, Hanni. Keep calm. No… I’m too happy. Yes!” She did a little caper on the same spot, could feel her adrenalin racing in excitement. She winked at the mirror and smiled gaily before leaving her office.

“I need another wire for this one,” Judah was telling to one of his men.

“The green one, or the red one?” A young technician named Shawn asked. He was a young, savvy fellow who had been working for almost three months in this project with Judah.

“I think we better try the red one. We need more current transmission for that,” Judah said while fixing the odd looking contraption.

Judah’s colleague had told Hanni that he was not in his room when she was about to ring his doorbell. He was in the workshop. “He must have forgotten about the appointment,” she thought miserably, and wandered down to the basement to the workshop.

A soft musical bell rang while Judah was halfway working on his contraption. “Oh, what now…?” Judah showed a little miff as he stood up, straightened his torso and walked towards the door.

The workshop was a closed and restricted area, only project related people were allowed to enter in order to prevent any leak outs. Judah watched the screen by the door and saw Hanni standing outside the main door, hoisting a red bag on her shoulder.

“Darn. I totally forgot about the appointment,” he muffled to himself and went passed through three different secured doors to meet Hanni outside the workshop.

“Hi, Mr. Onyx,” Hanni said in a brisk tone. “I have finished the sketches of the new arm bazooka design. Here it is.” She took out her Wit Pad from her shoulder bag and handed it over to Judah. Judah wanted to tell her she could just contact him and send her work through the Eli, but he it would be a little impolite to send the girl away. It was his fault anyway. He forgot to punch the appointment into his Eli.

“Thank you. Sorry I forgot about the appointment,” Judah said, looking a little discomfit and took the Wit Pad from her. A mild jasmine fragrance exuded from her wrist as she handed it over to Judah.

“It’s okay. You must be very busy.” She put on a demure smile. Judah looked into her eyes unintended and was immediately charmed. She looks prettier than he remembered her. Those pair of green eyes reminded him of Jade, the only one that had inherited their mother’s green eyes.

“I will let you know when we have gone through your sketches. And thanks for coming all the way down here,” Judah said with a curt nod.

“You are welcome.”

Judah went back into the workshop and the heavy, silver opaque doors closed. Hanni turned and walked away with sheer disappointment. She was really hoping they could have more conversation in his room. Just the two of them.

Better luck next time, she exhaled deeply.

Laden with disappointment, Hanni trod her way out of the dreary building, to the garden nearby. There was a small lake with an arched bridge over it. She ambled over to the bridge and stood right in the middle of it. She felt her shoulders heavy, and perched her elbows on the rail for a support. The fish were seen swimming in carefree manner through the clear water, amid the blooming white winter lotuses in the pond, very lovely. Her mind was somewhere else while her eyes stuck on the moving fish in the pond.

The sounds of two men talking quickly shattered her daydream. She looked up and saw Judah and another man, probably on their way back to the office from the lab. Panic, she turned and tried to slip away as fast as she could. She didn’t want him to see her like this, alone, daydreaming and not working. He would probably think she was some lazy ass who slacks around.

Thump! As she got near to the end of the bridge she slipped and fell over a small puddle of water.

Dang! Why is there water here? She hissed angrily, and hoped that Judah and his friend hadn’t notice her falling. She felt a dull pain on her butt. She heard the footsteps drawing closer to her. No… please don’t…she prayed.

“Hanni? Are you alright?”

She heard Judah’s voice, and looked up. Oh shoot, how did he get here so fast? She felt like crying already, this is bad enough.

Judah squatted down, took hold of her arms and hauled her up from the ground. “Are you hurt?”

Hanni’s face was as red as a lobster. Her heart was cursing herself over and over again for bringing embarrassment upon herself. “No…” She shook her head and her head hung low. Her uniform was soiled with a muddy patch right under the butt and she tried to cover it with her hands. She was too abashed to even look at Judah. She wanted to die on the spot.

Judah looked at her, obviously knew she was trying to hide the part with her hands. He wanted to laugh because her face and ears were visibly red. She was such an adorable young girl, like his sister. He took off his lab coat and draped around her shoulders.

Hanni looked up to him, stupefied by his unexpected gesture. He only smiled at her, and walked away. She stood there, watching him disappeared into the building. She grabbed his uniform tightly, and lifted it close to her nose. She took a sniff at his uniform and smiled to herself.

It has the scent of the man she loves.