A Dream of the Time I Forgot – Chapter 2.1

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Chapter 2.1 – December 2016 – Sarah

My parents finally left Jamesport. They were both retired so it’s not like they missed a ton of work while I went through physical therapy at the hospital. However, even though I had been released from the hospital for a month, they still stuck around. My mother had used my bedroom while I was in the hospital and my father and his new wife, Charlotte, stayed at a hotel. When I came home, my mother moved to the couch in my apartment that I shared with two roommates, Claire and Eloise, and my dad and Charlotte came every weekend.

Apparently, I really liked Charlotte, or so my mother told me. I just have no memory of it so it took a bit to let my guard around her.

When it came to divorces according to all involved it was very mutual and without much drama. My mom was still single, but she was a big online dater. Who knew that was actually a thing?

It took a while to convince them to leave. I get they were concerned for my health and wellbeing, but their hovering and jumping at everything I did with the hope I remembered something, was not helping.

Despite being brain dead at one point, I made a full recovery physically. While I appeared to be fully functional, I had not gotten the past ten years of my life back. Occasionally something would seem familiar, but it felt more like a dream after you wake where the memory is just out of reach. At this point, I just had come to terms it wasn’t going to happen. My curse would be that I would have this gut reaction to people, places, and objects that I had no actual recollection of.

I know they meant well, but I finally just had to tell my parents, “I love you, but go home.” It was actually Charlotte, who convinced them to give me space. She made it clear that them sitting around waiting for a change that may or may not happen wasn’t good for anyone, especially me.

My apartment door shut with a solid thud.

I let out the breath I didn’t realize I held as I pressed my back against the apartment door. Eloise chuckled from the couch where she was immersed in killing zombies on her video game. Claire was wrapped in a hand-knit blanket clutching a steaming cup of coffee and a reading device. Kindle, she called it.

I was still trying to wrap my mind around how many things had changed.

Just a few months ago I was super excited to get a pink Motorola Razr. Now anything that is a flip phone is considered a relic. And now there are things that do it all, you have an iPod, Phone, book, computer, and so much more in one device. It seemed just like yesterday to me that I signed up for a Facebook account, and now apparently, I’m a social media manager at a company with one of my roommates. Who knew that was an actual career? And apparently, it paid really well too. Of course, not enough to live in Jamesport by myself, but in comparison to most jobs, it paid a lot.

Eloise gave me a crash course in all the social media platforms and when I was ready, promised to go more in depth, however, I wasn’t sure I’d ever actually be ready. There’s apparently more than two. I only know my username and passwords for Myspace and Facebook from 10 years ago. My computer and phone saved my last passwords at least for me. I’m supposed to be some sort of guru when it comes to the social media universe.

I’m so screwed. I didn’t really expect to have to restart my life at 24. Scratch that, 34.

“So they’ve finally gone?” Claire asked.

“Yes, they are definitely gone, for now…” I replied.

“Oh good, so I can pull your porn box out of hiding?” Eloise asked without looking up from her game.

My eyes grew wide in horror. Claire smacked Eloise.

“Don’t be a jerk, Eloise,” Claire said with her southern drawl.

Eloise laughed and paused her game before looking up.

“Dude, I’m kidding. I only hid your sex toys.” Eloise smiled innocently. Claire smacked her again.

“Seriously, Sarah, don’t trust anything this ONE tells you. She’s just messing with you. I think…”

“I can’t really complain about your parents being around at least. Your mom cleaned this place top to bottom. I didn’t even know the floor could be that color!” Eloise said with a big smile.

I chuckled. It was hard not to. I already was getting used to the two women I lived with. I never thought at my ripe age of 34 I’d be living in a small apartment with two other women. I pictured myself being married with two to three kids, a few dogs, a house, and you get the idea, “The Dream”.

At least I had a successful career. I shouldn’t be too down on myself about where I was at this point in my life. It could definitely be worse. I could have a great career that I have no idea how to do…

Eloise said our job is pretty cool and totally understood that I lost 10 years of my memory and they aren’t going to fire me for essentially not knowing how to do my job. There are good companies out there, after all. It’s already terrifying enough wondering how I’m going to go about my daily life not knowing basic shit everyone else knows about or wondering if I’ve already made an ass of myself to any of the cute guys that I see in my neighborhood or office. Though that could also be a good thing, I could really play up the amnesia card.

The thing I wanted to do most, but also dreaded was read my journals. I couldn’t do that with my mother constantly hanging about. While my mother was here I went over world history type stuff and never attempted to really find them in my room. Knowing me I probably wrote incredibly embarrassing or private things in my journals and didn’t want to open one at random and have either my mom or dad read a sexcapade over my shoulder. My roommates checked in on me every once in a while seeing if I needed anything, I think they were also trying to see if I needed to be rescued from my well-intentioned parents.

So far, I can see why I have Claire and Eloise as my roommates and friends. They both are in their 30s, like me apparently, I still can’t wrap my head around the fact I’m 34 freaking years old. They seemed pretty opposite in appearance and personalities. While Claire was blonde and demure, Eloise was dark and loud.

We apparently bonded over our mutual hate of spin classes after we all took our first class at the same time and immediately went and had a fattening brunch drinking Bloody Marys for hours to get the spin class out of our system. I could definitely see that happening, probably more than once.

I instantly felt a connection to both women, but honestly, I wasn’t sure I could sit down and talk to either just yet. I knew my stash of journals would be in my room somewhere and I really wanted to tackle those first. The journals couldn’t lie to me at least.

“We should get out of the house,” Claire said putting down her Kindle.

“It’s a bit early to drink, don’t you think?” I asked.

“We can just call it brunch, then it’s never too early for booze!” Eloise cheerily said.

Brunch apparently was a common theme for us. Claire rolled her eyes, which she seemed to do a lot with most things Eloise said.

“No, I was thinking more just going to get a coffee. We can go to the place that Sarah found for us. Maybe that will trigger memories? And if not we get great coffee. I hadn’t suggested it before because your mom made us coffee every morning and may have mentioned how it was a waste of money to go buy coffee when we have a coffee maker.”

“That definitely sounds like something my mom would say,” I responded.

“Yeah, I can get on board with coffee,” Eloise replied shutting off her game.