Chapter 3 ~ Continuation

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So, just like that, I opened up to Rachael, laying it all out. I told her how I decided to give up my education and my dreams, so my siblings could continue theirs. I wasn’t exactly drowning in shame—I was genuinely happy to see my sisters moving forward.

But, honestly, there were times when the sadness crept in, that nagging feeling of being a failure, stuck in the same place for twenty years.

It was like a little voice constantly reminding me that I hadn’t done anything remarkable with my life. I wanted to change things, but the ‘how’ and ‘what’ felt like questions I couldn’t answer.

frankly speaking, I was getting tired of putting on a fake smile, pretending everything was fine when it wasn’t.

The weight of it all—the sadness, the self-doubt—was overwhelming. Here I was, twenty years old and feeling like a failure with nothing to my name. No matter how strong I tried to appear, a part of me died inside every single day.

Rachael’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Wow! That’s... well, that’s a lot,” she said, her voice filled with sympathy. “I’m really sorry, Mary. That’s heavy—heavier than the stuff I’ve been through.”

I shrugged, trying to brush it off with a half-hearted smile. “Yeah, well... life, huh?”

“No, that’s seriously messed up. You sacrificed everything. Not everyone can do that. I’m not even sure I could,” she blurted out, still in shock.

“Oh, it’s okay,” I replied, waving a hand dismissively. “Like I said, I don’t feel ashamed of the decision. But, yeah, maybe I should’ve looked for other alternatives before just throwing in the towel.”

“Yeah? So, what are you up to now?”

“Oh, nothing too exciting. Worked on the farm with my parents for two years, then managed to scrape together enough to own a little vegetable stand at the counter market. And now I’m working at that restaurant,” I said, pointing to the local joint behind us.

Rachael squinted at the restaurant. “Oh, that one? But how come I never see you whenever I visit?”

“Probably because I close early. You only caught me today because I decided to sneak in a breather.”

She chuckled. “Well, lucky me, then. I’m glad I caught you today.”

“Yeah,” I nodded, smirking. “And who knows, maybe next time you’ll spot me doing my next big career move—like, I don’t know, becoming a professional napper.”

Rachael laughed. “Hey, with the way things are going, you’d probably be the best napper in town. Might as well go pro at something, right?”

“Exactly!” I grinned. “Finally, a dream that’s actually within reach!”

We both burst into laughter, and for a moment, it felt like old times—two friends, figuring out life one sarcastic comment at a time.

***

The laughter slowly faded, and Rachael found herself staring at her friend, trying to piece together the Mary she remembered with the Mary sitting beside her now. My mind was racing with a flurry of thoughts—it was hard to believe that Mary Johnson, standing before her, was only twenty. She looked years older, almost like someone’s overworked mom. Her face was pale, lips chapped, with dark circles under her eyes, and her hair—well, it looked like it had been used as a mop and then left out to dry.

The Mary Rachael remembered from grade school was the epitome of teenage beauty—bright-eyed, full of dreams, and always put together.

Life on the tough farms had clearly left its mark. “I can’t believe I’m actually seeing you right now, Mary. It’s like a dream … or maybe a really unexpected plot twist,” Rachael said softly, her voice filled with concern.

Mary smirked, trying to lighten the mood. “Yeah, well, life got a funny way of turning things upside down, doesn’t it? One minute you’re winning spelling bees, and the next, you’re haggling over the price of tomatoes. But I assure you, it's not a dream—unfortunately, it's all too real.”

The conversation fell into a reflective silence. Rachael broke it first, her different. “If I’d known something like this was happening, I would have come sooner. I had no idea things were so tough for you.”

Mary shook her head with a faint smile. “You had your own battles to fight, Rachel. Besides, I might have looked like a mess, but I wasn’t exactly waving a red flag for help.”

“Well, maybe you should have,” Rachael blurted out, clearly pissed.

Mary laughed, though it was with exhaustion. “Seriously, you haven’t changed a bit with that over-caring ---”

“But nevertheless,” Rachael said, cutting her off with a dramatic flourish. “It’s not too late. I have a proposition, a way out for you, if you’re interested.” She leaned in, her smile pure as an ocean.

Mary’s eyebrows shot up. “Propo—what now?” she asked, genuinely confused.

A way out? She’d been searching for one for the past two or three years. What could Rachael possibly have in mind that she hadn’t already considered? After all, she had always been the clever one, the one with all the ideas.