The studio had been set up early, the technicians were at their stations, and the clock read 3:45 p.m. Everything was ready for an interview from which I was eagerly awaiting—and, admittedly, not just as a journalist—some answers that had never been given. After all, she herself had assured me during our conversation the previous day that she wanted to speak on camera, tell her side of the story, set the record straight, and put an end to any speculation sparked by the questions that had been hanging in the air for months.
“Sandy” was scheduled to come to the Alpha studio last Thursday to tell her story and, for the first time, speak on camera herself rather than having others speak for her. To unravel the sequence of events from beginning to end, without caveats or legal references, but with the kind of honesty that people can understand and that is always respected. By her side would be her brother, who, during our phone conversations, never stopped repeating that he would stand by his sister, no matter what happened. That’s why I considered his desire to be with her in the studio perfectly natural, and I therefore accepted it without complaint. Besides, I wanted her to have someone close to her who, from the very beginning, gave me the impression that he wanted the whole truth to come out, for the facts to come to light as they actually happened—and not as some people wanted to interpret them.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
During our phone calls last Wednesday, both “Sandy” and her brother told me a lot; they gave me their own explanations of how things unfolded, dividing up the pieces of the pie of responsibility—which, as they maintained, by no means rests solely with Makarios Drousiotis and herself. They mentioned names, events, and situations, presenting me with crucial chronological details that completely altered the course of the story as we had known it until now.
I knew, then, that having Sandy standing before me—not as a phantom of a woman, as she had remained in the public consciousness all this time, but as a person who, from one moment to the next, found herself at the center of a massive scandal—and also the source of the absolute truth behind it— everything would be cleared up, and society would get the answers it deserves.
As the time of our scheduled meeting drew near, I began to think he had changed his mind. After all, from the start, I’d thought the chances of her actually giving this interview were 50-50, despite the determination both she and her brother had shown over the phone. Besides, the “Sandy affair” had blown up so much that it would be difficult for anyone to handle the situation when the camera’s red light came on and they were faced with the opposing side.
I tried to get in touch with her brother, who was supposed to bring her to the station, to see if their delay was due to some temporary hold-up or if they’d ultimately had second thoughts. Naturally, my thoughts leaned toward the latter.
My calls went unanswered, and my text messages remained unreturned. Unfortunately, I never found out why she didn’t come… an inexplicable silence that in no way matched the eager and talkative people I’d been in contact with the day before.
All of the above had been written on the very day of “Sandy’s” disappearance; however, I thought it best not to publish anything, when I learned that a television interview with her was scheduled with another colleague, since under no circumstances would I want my post to be taken as a complaint—that was not my intention. After all, in our profession, the “empty chair syndrome” is not uncommon and is certainly not always something to be criticized. More or less all of us colleagues have at some point faced a last-minute cancellation. What is unusual, however, is for the person who was supposed to sit in that chair to vanish as if being chased. Of course, there’s a first time for everything, especially for matters that were abnormal at every stage of their development, such as this case.
But because this case plunged an entire nation into the abyss of utter chaos and doubt for months, exposed individuals, and brought not only Sandy but also another person to the defendant’s bench, it is precisely for these reasons that silence takes on significance and must be acknowledged, regardless of whether it lends or fails to lend credibility to individuals and situations.
I have always been a staunch advocate of the view that at some point, in a magical way, the sun manages to pierce even the darkest places; I want to believe the same will happen here. The fog surrounding Sandy—whether natural or man-made—will eventually dissipate, and the landscape, no matter how bleak, will clear up. We shall see… Time, the all-conquering force, will take its course.
