Catching Up with the Past

Alison was living on her own in a small apartment. She had been struggling with health issues, her relationship had ended and she had left her job in a local IT company and moved to the area. She had no friends or family to support her. There had been a lot of issues in the past with family members who had disowned her when she had become addicted to drugs and alcohol and became angry and aggressive. Her life had gone off track completely and she went through an intense period of depression and anxiety with suicidal thoughts. With medical assistance and counselling Alison was able to move on and leave the addiction and mental issues behind but she was lonely and distressed when she thought about the separation from family and friends. She often thought of trying to reconcile with them but it also felt too challenging and she believed it could lead to further rejection.

One summer day, Alison was sitting on her balcony which overlooked the beautiful sea views. She felt very relaxed and more positive than she had felt for a long time. Suddenly she remembered a friend she had met at University, when she was studying IT. Hayley was always funny and lively. She told jokes to everyone, and Alison remembered times when they had gone to watch Comedy Movies at the Local Cinema. One movie told the story of three elderly men who decided to rob a bank and got advice from a experienced thief. Alison and Hayley had spent a lot of time together and joined an art group where they drew pictures and painted them in numerous colours. Alison looked at the lounge room wall through the window where her picture of a rural scene was displayed. Through all the difficult times the painting had been hidden away in a box and Alison had never looked for it. She had always been distracted with the challenges in her life to look for past treasures. For the first time positive past memories were returning.

Alison went to her laptop and logged in to her social media page which she had always used when attending University. She was hoping that Hayley was still logging in and connecting with friends. Alison didn’t know whether Hayley had changed her surname and used the name she had known which was Bentley. There were a few Hayley Bentleys and Alison selected them one by one. She became very excited when she saw the picture of her friend on her page. After ten years Hayley looked a bit different with short hair but Alison recognized her cheerful smile and the humorous stories she had shared on her social media page. Without hesitation, Alison sent Hayley a message telling her that her email address had not changed and she could get in touch with her if she wanted to. She knew that she would have to accept Hayley’s decision if it was negative but she hoped Hayley would want to catch up. She did and this changed Alison’s life. It was very positive that Hayley had kept her email address after all the years they had not contacted each other.

When Alison got up the next morning, she checked her emails and found one with the message that Hayley couldn’t wait to see her friend and they arranged a time when she could visit Alison. When Hayley rang the bell the following morning, Alison hurried to the door. This visit was changing her life and she couldn’t wait for the catch up. However, she was also feeling a little nervous. How would they interact after all this time. They would have both changed in some ways. Could their relationship pick up where it had left off. When she opened the door and the two friends hugged each other she knew this would work out well. Alison and Hayley sat down and chatted all morning. Hayley had been with her partner, Tony for five years. They had bought a house in a beautiful area near a town about five killometres away and Hayley had more exciting news. She had just found out she was four weeks pregnant. Hayley was very supportive when Alison shared her traumatic struggles after they had last met. They both knew that their friendship was meant to continue and they continued to meet up. Alison met Tony and he told her that Hayley hadn’t lost her sense of humour. When they went shopping she told the men in the supermarket that the rule was “ Ladies First” as they both were waiting to enter the aisle. When Hayley’s baby son arrived, Alison visited them in the hospital and she often looked after him when Hayley returned to part time work.

Hayley believed that things were meant to be. When she had been addicted to drugs and alcohol and consumed them regularly she met some very bad people including some who had committed crimes and been sentenced to terms in jail. She bought her drugs from a man who started threatening her. Fortunately she realized this had to stop and she moved away from the area and kept as secure as she could staying in her unit as much as possible. She attended counselling sessions and eventually was able to stop craving drugs and alcohol. This took time and it wasn’t easy but she had gained the strength to continue her fight back from a life threatening situation. While she still felt lonely without any relationships in her life she experienced occasional positive moments while she enjoyed the views from her balcony, drew pictures and painted them and read motivational stories. Hayley and Tony had moved close to her and Alison met people and formed relationships with community members when she joined groups participating in various activities including Aqua Aerobics at the local pool. Finally, she started working for an IT company and she was able to pay off the loans she had accumulated over the years. The line “I Remember or I Forget” summarises the possibility that memories could be forgotten forever or return at the right time