Overwhelmed with emotions (Part 1)
Most Candy Candy fans might agree with me that Candy, the main heroine, was a strong-willed girl. She wouldn’t say yes just to appease anyone. For example, Neil asked her out twice, once in the hospital and once on the street. Candy disliked him so much that she flatly rejected him without giving him any false hope. However, when Albert asked her out, she gladly accepted his invitation. In the manga, right after Candy refused Neil’s offer, Albert appeared with a very old car. She happily got on his car as though it didn’t matter where he was going to take her.
In Candy Candy Final Story (CCFS), Albert made another surprise visit at Pony’s Home one day, taking Candy all the way to Lakewood; the details of this day trip were described in two lengthy letters, one to her Prince on the Hill and one to Anthony in her head (see The day her life changed (Part 4)). Note that these two letters were the last ones shown in CCFS epilogue, and they were both about Albert. ❤ ❤ ❤
In fact, based on Candy’s last letter to him, this Lakewood trip had been very emotional. In addition to the time they spent in the forest, mourning the death of Anthony (A hug so tight), the moment Albert returned the diary back to Candy (see More than words (Part 2)) was another highlight of the trip. However, this time I’m going to talk about Candy’s words in her letter to Cutie Bert (as explained in my last post about Granduncle William, the adjective ちっちゃな actually means eensy weensy, i.e. extremely small or tiny 😋😝, so instead of Little Bert, I call him Cutie Bert 👶).
Soon after Candy described the wildflowers on their way to Lakewood, she brought up the ride when she had been thirteen years old, leaving Pony’s Home to be a playmate for two spoiled kids. Feeling disappointed that nobody had adopted her, she had been excited for the new change in her life nevertheless. Then immediately she added (CCFS Vol 2, P. 318):
それをまさか、今、丘の上の王子さまと (ごめんなさい ! 最後です)
そして、ウィリアム大おじさまと (これも最後 ! )ーーー。
わたしがどんなに胸がいっぱいだったか、わかるでしょう、ちっちゃなバト !?
In this context, the bolded words, まさか, means incredible, unbelievable, no way, etc. Candy was essentially saying (I have paraphrased the sentences):
Incredible! Now, (I am) with Prince on the Hill (I’m sorry! This is the last time)
And, (I am) with Granduncle William (This is also the last time!) —-
Cutie Bert, you understand, do you, how emotionally overwhelmed I was!?
Do you see that Candy wrote three stages of Albert’s roles in her life? First, he had been her Prince on the Hill. Then he had become Granduncle William, and finally he was her Cutie Bert. The previous stages were in the past, because she now promised him she wouldn’t call him with those names again. 🙂
Also, at first glance, you would think Candy was comparing two different times, when she had been a young teenage girl and now a grown-up. The first time she had gone with Stewart the chauffeur, and this time she had gone to Lakewood with Albert.
However, did you realize that Candy didn’t use past tense? In Japanese, the verb was omitted, but she used “now”, so definitely she meant to use present tense. 😃
Besides, you see the “line” after she mentioned Granduncle William? It’s as though she couldn’t express her thoughts, but she expected Albert would know her feelings and what she was trying to say. Thus, I suppose she wasn’t talking about going with him for the trip. 😉 In other words, Candy was saying she was with Cutie Bert now.
So… does it mean they were in a relationship? 🙄 Even if not yet, I bet Candy was aware that Albert was the only one who understood her more than any other. ❤💓 In CCFS, Candy in her 30s recalled that she could tell Albert everything, including things she couldn’t tell Annie. Sigh…
Have you ever wondered why Candy was emotionally overwhelmed during the ride to Lakewood? 😕 Remember, being adopted or not should no longer bother Candy as an adult (after all, she’d rather live in the orphanage).
It’s true that the ride many years ago had been the beginning of a change in her fate. Due to the hardships under the Lagans, little Candy had run into the vagabond Albert, the man who had completely changed her life by adopting her. Since then, Candy hadn’t forgotten about the guy who looked like a pirate, and because of that encounter, she had decided to take care of him when he had lost everything including his memory.
And now, this same man was willing to confess to her that he was her Prince on the Hill. What’s more, he deeply cared about her happiness. He said so himself in his letter to her before this trip, telling her that he couldn’t thank her enough.
I’ll continue Part 2 by going back to Candy’s letter to Vincent Brown. Yes, I have more to say regarding this letter even though I have talked about it in my recent posts already. 😀 🙂
Ok, I just will say she was overwhelmed with emotions because what she means to her, riding to Lakewood with Albert. Lakewood is a very dear place to her because several memories, one of them, she met Albert over there. In CCFS she mention that fact about two times.
Well, I will not do anymore comments here in case you have discussed them in the other post, lol…
Yes, QuevivaCandy! In addition, if you remember her first ride to Lakewood on the same route, Stewart introduced to Candy about the Ardlays, telling her how powerful and rich the family was, etc.?
And now, as incredible as it is, Candy was with the heir of this lineage… 😋😝😉
Hello Ms Puddle! Excellent ideas and comments by all the ladies here! I just want to add that in Spanish is very common to use diminutives (like what you described as eensy weensy) as a way to show affection toward anyone or anything. But for a person weather a son, daughter, brother or “boyfriend or spouse” you can say for example from Bob to Bobby, from Greg to Greggy, from Bert to Bertty but in this case it sounds better to translate little Bert. In Spanish when you use an eensy weensy you add an “ito or ita” ending to the word. In English it would be adding a “y or ie” right? So an endearing name in Spanish for the word “my love” would be “mi amor and you can turn it into Mi Amorcito” or my little love or cutie love, but it is not necessarily talking about the love for a child, but it can definitely be used toward the person you love and wish to be kind and more intimate with! So I completely get it when you explain the little Bert or cutie Bert, either way it’s an endearing and more intimate way of calling Albert!! And she thanked him for lelling her call him this way! 😉
Yes dear Evelyn. Thanks so much for your input, and I bet in every culture people do something similar to express endearments, not only to young adorable kids but also to their significant others (adults). 😍
I think some people have entirely missed the significance of this particular nickname. Yes, Rosemary used to call Albert “Little Bert”, but it doesn’t mean he had to tell anyone about it, now that he was a grown up. Yet, he chose to reveal this to Candy and even wanted her to call him that way. That’s why, as you said, Candy was surprised but happy and honored to be given such a privilege. 💕💓💖 What’s more, she enjoyed calling him Little Bert again and again!
Unfortunately, some people have misinterpreted his action as treating Candy like his sister or family. 😓 (Sometimes I think these people can’t decide whether Albert was a father figure or a big brother to Candy, LOL 😜😝) First, he had already expressed how much he disliked being an adoptive father. Besides, in another part of CCFS he had also told her he didn’t want people to mistake her for his sister.
It beats me why some people can totally ignore these clearly written facts. 🙄😌
A cordial greeting and a warm hug.
Es muy interesante el análisis de su post como siempre.
En lo personal considero que Candy expresa como su alma se relacionaba con esas tres facetas de Albert; las dos primeras que han sido importantes en su vida y la tercera que es y será fundamental en su vida.
La del Príncipe de la Colina: Donde ya no hay añoranza; porque lo ha encontrado y aunque fue una sorpresa agradable saber que era Albert, su alma está en calma al haberlo encontrado por fin.
La del tío abuelo William: Después de tanto tiempo de querer expresarle directamente su agradecimiento, lo consigue bajo unas circunstancias un tanto extrañas, que al final le permitieron realizarlo. Dándole a su alma paz.
La del pequeño Bert: En la cual su alma esta en un estado de emoción, alegría y esperanza, porque la relación con el pequeño Bert es una relación más intima; en donde todo lo que implica el amor lo encierra. Esto siempre me recuerda el fragmento de 1Cor 13, 1-4.
Su amiga Vera García.
Hola Vera, buenas noches! 😍
Well said, mi amiga! Clap clap clap… 👏👏👏 Indeed, there’s no more longing to find her Prince on the Hill. Found him at last despite being surprised. Granduncle William, yes, she had yearned to express her gratitude to him, but in CCFS, she couldn’t do so at the discovery.
Those identities belonged to the past, and she had peace in her heart with regards to “them”. On the other hand, Candy had always known Albert as Albert, and now he let her use an intimate nickname, likely a secret between him and Rosemary. That speaks volumes about Candy’s relationship with Albert, and as you said, she had excitement, joy and hope of her future with him. 💓❤💕
Abrazos y besos! 😍
Hello Ms Puddle thank you for this new serie! 😍 👍
It’s quite obvious that Candy entirely trusted Albert, she would follow him with closed eyes!
Cutie Bert, I like very much this nickname!
Now she is with her Prince of the Hill and with Grand Oncle William, in French when you say you are with someone means you are dating with this person you are in a relationship, I don’t know if it the same significance in Japanese language. It’s like she addressed to Cutie Bert, the person she used to know very well since she was living with him more than two years, by speaking of his two other identities! Like she confessed him her great emotion: she was emotionally overwhelmed, she insisted on emotion with the word “emotionally”.
It’s obvious too that to know who is her Prince, her first love, didn’t bother her at all, but all the contrary she cherished that dearly! 💘 She wanted to be sure that Albert knew her true feelings, probably she didn’t say to him yet “I love you”, it could be improper at this time for a woman to say that so directly, I think she only begun to show him her true feelings perhaps timidly. Sometimes it’s easier to write than to say deep feelings above all at the beginning.
It is the typical behaviour of a girl in love! For me too, they were in a relationship, the very beginning of it! 💑 💓 😉
Bonjour Candy Bert! Glad you like this post and the name Cutie Bert 👶😝.
I totally agree with you that Candy sounded like she was already in a relationship with her Cutie Bert 💑👫 , likely just started.
When I first read these three particular lines, I actually thought Candy meant she was in the car with Albert that made her emotional… Because she recalled the time when she had left Pony’s Home heading towards Lakewood.
However, only recently I realized she said “NOW with Prince on the Hill and Granduncle William” in two sentences, and she found it unbelievable too. That speaks volumes, doesn’t it? 😉😋😊
To me, that trip was a date, and like you said, I sense that Candy wanted Albert to know her feelings. She couldn’t quite express herself, but she expected him to understand her. Again, that says a lot about their friendship. You’re right, my friend, that it’s the typical behavior of a girl in love. 💕❤💓 Don’t forget that near the end of this letter, she thanked her parents for abandoning her so that she could meet him… Sigh… 😌😍
Hooray! Another series 🙂
I am going to be really quick as I am about to go out, but I need to deliver my thought before I forget.
On paragraph 4, you explained about Candy comparing her previous trip to Lakewood many many years ago and the current one she’s doing with Albert. Reading that, suddenly I remember another part in CCFS. When 30s year old Candy recollected her memory about The Leagans, she said ” When I was very young, got excited, I arrived at the (Leagan) mansion in Lakewood from Pony’s Home. Those days, all those tears have turned to the brilliant beautiful memories now.” — quoted from CCFS spoiler I have.
Yeah, I think I agree with you, Ms Puddle. They had been in a relationship at that Lakewood trip. At the very least, their mutual feeling toward each other had been obvious and they’re positive about their future together.
Okay, I’ll be back later on. 🙂
xx
Thank you Reeka dear, for your enthusiasm! 😘😍
You read my mind once again! I was going to mention that passage soon. 😉😄
I totally agree with you about Candy and Albert possibly being in a relationship. No matter how you look at it, by then they had sensed their mutual feelings for each other. 💓❤💕
I was so tired last night when writing this that I found that I didn’t express my thoughts well, so I rewrote parts of the post this morning. 😝😋
Looking forward to reading more of your thoughts on this. 😍
Hello there, my friend!
So, here in this letter, Candy basically let Albert know that as opposite as her first time passing through the same road to lakewood where she had been a poor orphan who would only be a play mate to two spoiled brats, NOW she was with her prince and her Uncle William. Of course we should not read it as Candy saw Albert as her adoptive father ( who knows someone wants to bring this issue! Grr) here because she clearly assured Albert it was the last time. We should see it as how overwhelmed she was that now she was feeling complete.
Like you said, Ms Puddle. The ride many years ago had been a beginning of a change in her fate. Can I say it had been a road to become Ms. Ardley. After so many serendipities happened to her and her prince, now she was having this trip with Cutie Bert. A road to become Mrs. Ardley. 🙂
Btw, I love Cutie Bert more than Little Bert. Though if I were Candy, I would have called him Baby Bert. 😉
Hi there, Reeka, you’re back 🙂
I like Baby Bert, my friend 👏💓❤. Actually any cute or sweet name will do. Imagine a company president like Albert, the powerful patriarch, letting Candy call him with a name like that… 😋😉
No, definitely not adoptive father nor family love. Those who insist on that intentionally ignore Albert’s obvious message in his short letter to Candy before. 😌
Yes, she probably felt complete to be with someone she loved at last. He was serious in making her happy too… I really like your comparisons of two trips, one becoming Ms. Ardlay and the other becoming Mrs. Ardlay! I have something similar in mind, but you put it together nicely, Reeka! 😍💕 Thank you!
Yeah … obviously someone would not believe their ears if they heard Candy call him that way. Not only was he a powerful patriarch and a prominent public figure, his apparent was also very manly ( yummy!) to be called such way. 😀
About Candy being overwhelmed and she believed Albert could understand her even though she didn’t manage to say it … yeah, who else could understand her better than him, right? Vice versa to Albert, that’s why I guess only to Candy he could tell his growing pains.
Hahahaa, it only happens once in a blue moon that I can put some ideas together better than you 😀 , usually they’re stuck in my head. It’s just .. I sensed a subtle message from Mizuki by comparing these two similar trips. It matched some other points on CCFS. Like I can relate it to Ms Pony’s saying about what waits us behind the bend; to Candy’s thought about those tears she had when lived with Leagans was now a wonderful memory. About being grateful to be abandoned in Pony’s Home.
Ms Puddle, even I recently have thought that the very last scene on CCFS was felt familiar. I remembered the moment Albert found Candy crying in the dark worrying about Terry ( manga). At that moment Albert could only watched her silently. Do you think when Anohito switched on the light, it was right on the moment he was entering the room? 🙂 Of course not, right? A servant must have told him where the lady was and he must have watched her for a while.
xx
Indeed Reeka, this nickname is highly likely a secret between Candy and Albert… It’s such a cute name after all 👶, and yes, he was confident and manly enough to be addressed in such a way by a special woman in his life.
I can’t believe some people said this shows that Albert treated Candy as his sister/family, because this was the name Rosemary had given him. They totally missed the point that it was Albert who had told Candy this secret name, and apparently he wanted her to call him that from now on, possibly only in private (no more POTH or Granduncle). This signifies their intimacy and the advance in their relationship … ❤💕
Exactly, the trust and understanding they shared with each other is undeniable. Terry could never measure up… 😌😝
My friend please don’t be too modest. You do have brilliant ideas, and the ones you listed above were all clues… Telling us with whom Candy would end up. Sigh… 😍
About the last scene, that’s very insightful, my dear!! That’s probably true, and we can sense how much they loved each other still, after all these years. 💑💖💕