Research

Melissa watched in fascination as the vapour rose. It twirled and danced through the air, like steam from a boiling pot.

Now, the waiting.

If her experiment worked, then she’d be exonerated from the published findings over a year ago. Proved to be erroneous shortly after the journal was released, Melissa and her team were shamed and ridiculed. She’d missed the last three international conventions, unable to face colleagues and rivals in her field.

This time, Melissa knew she was onto something. Recording the time and temperature on a slip of paper, she let her mind gallop ahead. Visualising awards, centres named in her honour, becoming a sought-after key note speaker on the conference circuit were her future. On her notepad, next to the notes she’d just made, she sketched a design for an evening gown to wear at ceremonies. This new research would catapult her to fame; her name would become a motif for tenacity, pride, and standing firm in the face of failure.

But until then, more waiting. More recording. More patience.

Photo by Nihal Demirci on Unsplash