The One Who Got Away

Chapter 3

They were having a lazy Sunday. They overslept. They had a busy day yesterday. Moving in to their new home left them exhausted. After six years, they finally decided to move to a bigger apartment. They have actual salaries now so they could afford a much bigger place. 

It was already noontime and they haven't had breakfast yet. They sat on their balcony, slippered feet propped up on the rails, each nursing a cup of hot coffee on their lap. It was an odd choice for them to have hot coffee when it was already high noon and the temperature was scorching hot but their brains generally don't work without coffee to jumpstart it. And don't mention iced coffee to them. Coffee isn't coffee unless its hot. Bom was nibbling at her toast while Dara was already halfway onto her second piece of honey-glazed doughnut. 

After finishing the pastry up she licked her fingers clean and patted her stomach in satisfaction. Bom turned her head and smiled at her. "Did something happen to you lately, Sands? Because you seem happier. No. Actually you ARE happy now. You seem to have lost that melancholic air that you have. You always had that sad look in your eyes even when you smile."

Sandy smiled at Bom. "Nothing happened, really."

"Really? Cause you look almost radiant these days." Bom grinned at her. "Keep it up."

"Come to think of it I guess maybe something did happen." she said in a slightly cryptic manner.

"Ooh. Come on. Out with it. Is it a guy? Thank you, Lord." Her crazy friend was raising her arms up to the sky. "I'm going to sing the Hallelujah chorus if it's a guy." Bom shifted on her seat to face her.

She chuckled at her friend but then her expression became serious. "I think something happened. Something changed inside me." She turned her body towards her friend and curled her legs into a more comfortable position. She's going to tell Bom about everything. It's time.

"Bommie...remember how you used to call me Sandako? For the longest time when I acted like I was doing okay, I was just faking it. I was still Sandako inside all these time."

"Yeah. I had my suspicions. It's just that I was scared that if I call you out on that you might go back to really being Sandako for real again."

"I've decided to move forward now and not dwell in the past. But before I can really do that, Bommie, I'm going to tell you everyhing. I don't think I can fully move on if I keep everything bottled up inside." She looked solemnly at Bom.

Bom nodded at her to continue.

"You brace yourself, Bom, cause it's going to be a long and complicated story. I am sorry but I've hidden so much from you and to think you're my closest friend. That goes to show how a bad friend I am."

Bom quietly took my shaking hands into hers. I didn't realize I was trembling as I spoke. She gave them a reassuring squeeze. I took another deep breath and continued.

"Do you remember the afternoon drama in the late 80's and early 90s that aired for about five years?" 

"Do you mean, 'All Our Tomorrows'? My mom used to watch it, I think. Why?"

"Do you remember the chubby little girl who used to cry all the time and who talked like an adult?"

"I think so. Cause mom would use to make me wear clothes copied from what she wore. She was called Dana or Daya or something."

"It was Dara, actually."

Bom covered her mouth and shrieked. "Omo. Omo. Oh my God. That was you. You're the little girl." Bom exclaimed.

Sandy nodded. "When the series ended I didn't get any new acting jobs. My mom got calls, but she realized that I was missing out a lot in growing up so she decided not to accept any offers. But I loved acting. I enjoyed being in the set. I loved pretending being someone else. I begged my mom but she was firm with her decision. She made me a compromise, though. I go back to school and when I'm done with high school if I still want to act then she'll let me."