Pocket Watch

The clacking of the keyboard is a constant pattern in the background like a melody of raindrops on open leaves. In the office, Professor Zee sits Lidia typing away behind the computer the notes from the recent experiments. Lidia transcribed the notes into the research paper. Professor Zee occupies the space of a meter by a meter made of an olive green carpet pacing back and forth in a rocking manner. Lidia wishes she could tell him to have a seat for a minute as his constant footsteps make her dizzy. From her peripheral vision Lidia whether the Professor takes out a shiny golden object. His pocket watch, which he shows his students in class for demonstration examples. She turns to ask him a question, pausing her typing.

Professor Zee strides to the door at the moment a thud echoes from the door. It seemed to Lidia that Professor Zee headed to the door before the knock on the door even began, but after all, he was pacing.

A student handed a royal blue envelope. Professor Zee opens the invitation, closing the door.

“The astronomy department is hosting a late-night star viewing,” says Professor Zee after reading the letter.

“Oh, there has been talk about that,” says Lidia.

The pitter-patter of the keyboard continued as Lidia typed the last notes into the paper.

"would you like to join me at the event?" asks Professor Zee.

Lidia places the last period on the research paper for now, the computer screen emits a pale blue light.

"Sure, I can join you. Tonight?" asks Lidia.

"Yes, it starts at 11 pm at the observatory," says Professor Zee.

Standing in the front mirror attached to her dormitory wall, Lidia smooths out the wrinkles of her outfit. The black sleeve runs into her black faux leather pants blending in seamlessly. Her straight, black hair is tied in a high ponytail. With her green eyes looking back and her black look Lidia resembles a black cat. With stealth, she closes her door quietly so as to not disturb her roommate sleeping in peaceful breaths of rest. The door closes behind with a soft thud. Lidia steps down the corridor of her apartment. The other tenants make a little noise behind their doors. There is the sound of a loud movie playing behind the last apartment before moving down the staircase of the building.

The concrete steps of the stairway are a dull gray. The steps wind around into the next set of stairs. Lidia runs her hand on the metal railing. Her ring clinks on the railway causing her to jump looking around until she realizes the vibrating in her hand. She continues on her way down the empty stairway pushing on the heavy door out.

On the first floor, the common area is empty. The yellow lights make a buzzing hum over the round tables. The ergonomic chairs are all empty in little lights. Lidia enters the code to exit the building on the number pad upon reaching the front door.

Into the sidewalk, Lidia walks crossing the street once the crosswalk sign turns white. The lamp posts lights provide enough light only every few meters with their yellow glow. It is a twenty-minute walk into the campus of the university. The late-night food establishments that are open have a few cars outside their parking lots. Lidia walks at a brisk pace. The cool summer breeze hits her cheeks. She turns the last corner into the entrance of the campus and enters.

Several buildings of the university pass on her sides like dormant giants. Only a group of students pass by the sidewalk in the opposite direction. The dome building of the observatory comes into view five minutes later through an open field. Lidia nears, and she hears people conversing by the entrance of the building.

Several people stand around the entrance which is only lit by the phones in people's hands. The light reflects off the metallic structure from people lighting their steps.

"You made it!" says Professor Zee's familiar voice from the left side of Lidia.

"Yes. It's a nice night out," says Lidia using her phone to view Professor Zee better without flashing the light directly in his eyes. More people arrive for the event.

"Attention everyone, the presentation will be in the back of the building. Let's go," says a man's voice. The attendees walk to the back of the building. The lights of Lidia's phone cast light on the stone walkway in the middle of the tall grass that sways in the night breeze. She follows the others to the white chairs that shine under the light of the moon. It is then that Lidia notices the full moon bright and large in the sky amongst a sparkle of stars.

Professor Zee waits for Lidia to pass him in the last row along with other people. With Professor Zee on her right Lidia sits on the chairs. In front of them is a pair of lights set up in front of a chair. The man who spoke presents himself as a professor and so the presentation begins. The topics covered over the stars end in a question and answer at the end of the session.

A student in the front row asks, “Do you believe there is life beyond, professor?”

“There are many places life could be. We have not come in contact yet. Just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s not there,” says the astronomy professor.

They wrap up the season. Lidia follows Professor Zee and the other attendees to the front of the building. They enter the observatory. Inside there are lights casting shadows. On the walls making the domes to the roof is the metal ribbed solid cage. In the room is a large telescope that protrudes out into the sky.

On the walls are displays of constellations. They are displayed in a lighted model that rotates. The younger students have fun changing the display from one constellation to the next. They move the diagram a full 360 in midair. Lidia walks with Professor Zee to the other side of the room to look at the space history infographic.

Everyone gets a turn to look through the telescope.

Lidia places her eye on the eyepiece and looks through. She focused her eyes. At first, her eyelashes obscure the view. After blinking, she sees the brilliant specks before her. There are numerous luminous points in the night sky. Lidia stares in wonder forgetting where she is until she feels a tap on her shoulder. Professor Zee stands by her side.

“May I have a look,” says Professor Zee.

“Yes. It is beautiful,” says Lidia.

Lidia stands back as Professor Zee watches through the telescope. He is the last one to view the stars of the attendees.

“Thank you for coming everyone,” says the astronomy professor dismissing the students and staff.

People file out of the building. Lidia checks her phone. It is late she thinks almost 1 am.

“Thank you for coming tonight Lidia,” says Professor Zee.

Lidia is about to respond but when she turns Professor Zee is walking away. She can make out a glint of gold going back into his pocket.

The rays of sunshine fall on her notebook. Lidia taps her pencil in a rhythm as she thinks. She leans into the chair. There are a few other people in the common area of her apartment. Because she has time in the morning, she works on her coursework. She thinks back to the stars of last night. It was a pretty sight to see. Lidia sits upright and continues writing in her notebook. The sun brightly through the window warming her forearms.

From the nearest table in the lecture hall, Lidia helps students with their practice problems. They ask her questions before the class begins. She references her guide in her notebook for corrections. Professor Zee enters the room heading to the board to get down a picture. The last student hands showed his practice problems to ask Lidia for help. The class starts and ends quickly. Like a row of ducks, the last students exit the classroom hurting to their next class. Lidia picks her things into her bag thinking of the dinner she will be having soon.

“Can you meet me in the lab?” asks Professor Zee from the front of the lecture hall.

“Alright. But I can only stay a short while,” says Lidia.

“It should only take long,” says Professor Zee.

Lidia walks to the lab section of the building. There is a class in the course lab adjacent to the research lab. She changes into her lab clothes. With the goggles secure on her face She enters the lab.

Without instructions, she waits patiently in the lab for the professor. He walks into the lab in a hurry.

“We must freeze the samples to preserve them in this state for now,” says Professor Zee.

“Let’s do it,” says Lidia.

They do to the samples and move them carefully into the storage area to freeze. When Lidia looks at the simple, she thinks of how much it looks similar to the stars from last night. The tiny microbes are like specs in the sky.