Since
the Friday she had returned home, Sandy had been depressed. She was
safe. But her promised inheritance had never existed. It was not
real. There was never any money for her.
Her
fortune card had been returned with the rest of her belongings that
she had left at the police safe house. But Sandy had shoved the card
deep into a desk drawer and had pushed all thought of it out of her
mind. She had never found her wealth. What was the point of a life
without something to look forward to?
She had
heard that Officer Murphy's condition had improved. The policewoman
was on the road to recovery. However, the news merely removed a worry
from her mind. Depression was still a thick, stuffy cloud over her.
Her
roommate, the eternally cheerful Ditz had not been able to shake
Sandy out of her gloomy mood. The middle-schooler had tried juggling.
She had bounced around their shared room. She had even danced. All of
which failed to lift Sandy out of her dark mood.
Though,
to be fair, Ditz had not acted any differently from normal.
Sandy
had done her chores lifelessly. She had looked at the flashy images
on the television without paying any real attention. She had gone to
bed early each day and had woken up late. And she had never once
indulged in her favorite pastime of lying in bed and listening to
music. What was the point? The cheerful music and romantic love songs
had not appealed to her. In fact, it had pained her to be tempted by
happiness and fuzzy-good feelings when her dream had been crushed.
Instead,
she had spent much of her time staring out the window, either in the
kitchen or in her bedroom. The silence had been a welcome comfort, a
reliable presence when she had brooded in self-pity.
Celeste
had been too busy with her job to be with Sandy. Momma Lois had
counseled Sandy twice. However, both sessions had not helped Sandy
feel any better.
On
Tuesday evening, Sandy had a phone call from Esper, inviting her out
to the amusement park. Maybe she would find something fun to do with
her classmate. The opportunity to spend time with a friend and enjoy
herself appealed. It somehow reached through her despair and offered
a little hope. Her mood changed from deeply gloomy to mildly
depressed.
Thus,
early on Wednesday morning, Sandy sat waiting on the threshold of the
front door. It was a long wait for her since she was ready long
before the appointed time. She had not felt like doing anything else.
So she sat there, watching the occasional traffic or the passing
pedestrian.
Sandy
was dressed in T-shirt, shorts and sneakers - appropriate clothes for
the weather. The sun, on its way up to the clear sky, promised a hot
day.
A light
brown SUV arrived. Sandy recognized Esper in the front passenger
seat. She also noticed Ariel in the back.
"Morning,
everyone," Sandy greeted as she joined Ariel in the back.
"Sandy,
this is my Mum," Esper introduced the adult behind the wheel.
"Morning,
Mrs Valverde," Sandy greeted the driver politely.
"Oh,
it's Mrs Carpenter," Esper's mum corrected her with a smile,
"Valverde is Esperanza's surname."
Then
Sandy remembered that Esper had been adopted. It made sense that her
mum did not share her surname. It also explained the reason Mrs
Carpenter had fair skin and red curls while Esper's skin was olive.
And her friend had curly black hair.
Most of
the conversation during the car ride was between Esper and her mum.
Sandy just did not have anything to say to Ariel. She was too
depressed to think of anything. Ariel, she assumed, was still feeling
a little distant.
Things
were still a little awkward when Mrs Carpenter dropped the girls off
at the Bellington Acres Amusement Park, located on a small plot of
land just outside the city. After a few private words with Esper, the
mother drove away.
The
girls joined the queue at the amusement park entrance. The line was
moderate in length and it moved quickly. The girls did not have to
wait long before they reached the ticket counter. Esper paid for each
of the girls' entrance tickets.
"Thanks,
Esper," Sandy said to her friend as they entered the park
together. She gave a weak smile.
Ariel
too expressed her gratitude.
"It's
my treat today," Esper said to the girls cheerfully, "I'll
pay for everything. So don't worry and have fun!"
"Really?"
Sandy's smile grew.
"Yes,
really!" Esper told her.
Maybe it
would not be such a bad day after all. Sandy had been worried about
her budget, which was small despite Momma Lois giving her a little
extra to enjoy herself with. Since Esper was paying, what she should
do first?
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