Let’s imagine…
How are you doing? It’s hard to believe I’ve been working from home since mid-March, and today I was told in a meeting that there was no plan to bring us back to office yet. How about you ladies?
As far as I know, unlike other Candy Candy characters, Albert does not have his birthday officially published. He was supposed to remain mysterious till the very end, but some CC fans came up with the date June 28. Please correct me if I am wrong. 😉 Nonetheless, let me present my new fanart for this special day. Hope you like it! ❤️
I was inspired by a letter in Candy Candy Final Story. Can you guess which letter it is? 🙂
Imagine yourself as Candy. What would you have written in your diary on that day? I’d love to hear from you, and I will select the entry that is closest to what I have in mind and update this post. The deadline is Sunday, July 5, 12 PM Pacific Time. You can submit more than one entry, if you desire. 😊 It does not have to be long, and you can write in a language of your choice. ✍️
My friends, as I mentioned before, I did not have high expectation, which explained why my original deadline was only a few days after publishing this post. Thank you very much for your participation, and I am humbled and impressed by the amazing quality of the 20+ submissions! The selection process has been quite challenging, and I have shortlisted and re-read half of the fanfics more than twice. Nevertheless, I must say I have enjoyed reading every diary entry, including the one I’ve rejected (after all, I let out a hearty chuckle 😛 ). Seriously, you all should consider writing English fanfics for Candy Candy. Also, to the newcomers, nice to meet you and hope to see you around more! I appreciate your patience and persistence for waiting for your comments (entries) approved and/or re-submitting. Due to unknown glitches I sometimes don’t get notified of new comments pending for approval. 🙁
Before I make the announcement, I’d like to point out that some of you probably have misunderstood my criteria. Therefore, I will not pick any story if it is not based on any letter in CCFS. Rest assured it does not mean your story is not good.
So, which letter? 😉 My fanart is originally based on the first letter in Candy Candy Final Story Epilogue. I wanted Albert to appear particularly young, and that he was serious and nervous at the same time. You might not have noticed this in my fanart — Candy was holding Albert’s badge in her hand. 🙂 Yet, after I finished drawing, I realized it may not be as obvious as I had expected. Therefore, I will accept any entry that is based on Candy’s letter to Little Bert as well.
Some of you have guessed this right and provided great summaries, like Avon and Fay. However, I was looking for some elements and found them in my final shortlist, which consists of the entries from Michelle (Albert’s confession and Candy’s shock), DanielleV (Albert’s reactions when listening to Candy’s story with her POTH), Lynn (Albert’s face when returning the diary and Candy’s feelings afterwards) and Anita (the embrace in the forest). After careful contemplation, I have decided to select Anita’s entry, even though it’s considerably shorter than most other entries. Yet, I like the intensity of the descriptions of that unforgettable embrace that transformed Candy as well as her realization and acceptance of Anthony’s death being nobody’s fault. Congratulations, Anita! ✨Here let me post your diary entry verbatim.
Without even realizing it, I was swept into Albert’s arms when I felt that my legs could no longer support me as I was overcome with grief standing there at that field where Anthony had lost his life at such a young age. Albert’s initiative came as a surprise to me even during that sorrowful moment because he had never acted that way before. It was me who always ran into his arms and sought comfort in him. This time, however, it was him who took me into his strong arms but in such a gentle and tender way. He did not do this only because he wanted to comfort me but because he also sought comfort from me which I gave to him wholeheartedly. This is really the first time this has ever happened between us and, above all, it’s the first time I felt something different when enveloped in his warm embrace which kept me nestled like a bird seeking shelter from the torrential rain. I had wrapped my arms so tightly around his torso and weeping so profusely that I must have ruined his fine shirt. He didn’t seem to mind as he not only accepted my tight embrace but reciprocated it with equivalent intensity. Without saying much, we shared our grief, guilt and inner turmoil which we had both kept inside our souls for far too long. We didn’t need to seek forgiveness from others or from each other but from our own selves as we were not to blame for this tragic accident which had claimed Anthony’s life. For the first time, I had bid my true farewell to Anthony without being forced into it but because I wanted to liberate myself from years of accumulated guilt burdening my psyche. I wanted Albert to be liberated from his guilt too because it wasn’t his fault. How could anyone have predicted that such a horrific event would have unfolded within a fraction of a second? I wanted to comfort Albert that moment as he had always comforted me throughout these years but I was lost for words. All I did was cry incessantly locking my arms around Albert’s firm body. My head was pressing against his chest to the point where I could hear his heart beating rapidly. I could hear my heart beating just as fast. I’ll never forget the fragrance emanating from him. I don’t know whether he was wearing cologne or if it was the wind carrying the scent of the roses encircling us but I felt that our bodies had become one just like our inner pain and suffering. I wanted the pain to end but not our embrace. As usual, however, Albert was the one who tried to assume the role of the sensible being and pulled back albeit gently. He wiped the tears from my eyes with his long pearl-white fingers and looked at me with those sky-blue eyes of his. He then proposed we go back into the study room as it was getting dark. He was worried that I would catch a cold because the temperature had fallen. But for me, all I could feel was infinite warmth and tenderness in the arms of the man who means the world to me and I want him by my side all the time for the rest of my life.
Hello, Ms. Puddle. First of all, let me tell you I love your new fan art. You have captured perfectly a certain moment from a certain letter of the Epilogue.
Here is my own interpretation of it:
“I don’t think I have ever experienced so many different emotions in one single day. I feel almost overwhelmed. My heart is fluttering and my hand is trembling, so that I can hardly write. But I have to write. I do need to pour out my feelings and share this memorable day with my diary.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Albert getting out of his car that stopped in front of the orphanage this very morning. I had missed him so much after all this time he had been away, and at first I thought I was dreaming or hallucinating. He hadn’t informed us of his arrival, and as he had done before, he had appeared unexpectedly. He asked me to go for a drive with him, and after Miss Pony and Sister Lane agreed to let me go, we set off in his car. He didn’t tell me where we were going right away, as he wanted to surprise me, but after a few miles I noticed we had taken the road to Lakewood. How glad I was! I hadn’t been there for so long, and visiting the place again with Albert would be simply fascinating.
It was such a wonderful weather that we opened the car windows and let the sweet spring breeze come in along with the fragrance of the flowers. We talked about so many things. He told me about his last trip, about the places he had seen, about traditions completely different from those in our country. I told him how everybody was now at Pony’s Home, how beneficial the reconstruction of the building had been so far, how things were going at Dr. Martin’s Happy Clinic, funny stories of the children. We even talked about Caesar and Cleopatra.
At some time I unconsciously began murmuring the names of the flowers I saw as we were driving. There were so many…Lupines, Queen Anne’s lace, black-eyed-susans, wild chervil…Albert was looking at me in silent admiration as I spoke all those names. I couldn’t help blushing at his gaze. Then he talked to me about his childhood and adolescence. His music teacher had made him learn the most popular traditional Scottish songs. He suggested singing one of those songs to me, and I gladly accepted. His sweet baritone voice was like a caress to my ears, and I felt as if I was dreaming. He had become again the boy I had met years ago on Pony’s Hill, so carefree, cheerful, smiling. His singing had somehow cast a spell on me, just like Pied Piper of Hamelin had charmed the mice.
When we arrived at Lakewood, my heart began beating hard. I had returned to that beloved place after such a long time. Bittersweet memories flooded my mind. The first time I had been there was when I had come to the Leagans to be a “lady’s companion” for Eliza. Despite the disappointments and the tears I had shed while living with that family, I should be grateful. If it hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t have come to Lakewood, and probably I wouldn’t have met again Prince on the Hill.
It was so exciting to think that I was in that place with Albert, with my prince and with Great Uncle William, all three at once. The shock from the recent revelations had not subsided yet, and I still found it hard to realize they were one and only person, that man who was now by my side.
Nothing had changed in Lakewood. The villa was empty since no one lived there anymore. We visited the three gates, and everything came back to me. Happy and sad moments, people who were gone forever. Anthony…Stear…I know Albert was lost in his memories too at that time. He had lost so many loved ones, his parents, his sister, his nephews…Lakewood is a beautiful place but the painful memories still live there. We made a kind of pilgrimage to these beloved spots. The Gate of the Roses, the Stone Entrance, the Water Portal.
Later, as if something urged me to face another painful memory, I asked Albert if we could visit the forest where Anthony had died. The green field was full of wild roses and bluebells. The view was breathtaking, and under the afternoon sun it seemed as if that place was a border among this life and eternity. It was all so beautiful that tears came to my eyes. As I recalled the tragedy that had taken place there years ago, I couldn’t bear it any longer and burst into tears. Immediately Albert took me in his arms and let me cry on his chest. I released all the pain and the guilt I had contained for years. It was my fault that Anthony had died. It was because of me that the fox hunting was organized. If it hadn’t been for me…
Albert comforted me in a voice that betrayed his own pain. He was the one who had adopted me. He was the one who had organized that fox hunting. Listening to him, I realized for the first time that all these years we had shared the same sorrow. He blamed himself too for Anthony’s death. The knowledge of that made my own burden lighter. I cried for several minutes in his arms, and gradually I calmed down. That embrace, strong and tender at the same time, had helped me recover and had somehow healed me from the sense of guilt that had been haunting me for years. After that emotional moment with Albert in the forest, I felt a new life within me, as if a door had just been closed, leaving the past behind. No, it was nobody’s fault. It was an accident. A tragic accident. Apart from that realization, that was the first time today that I sensed something had definitely changed between Albert and me.
Later, when we returned to the villa, we entered the memorial room. I had never been there before. Albert showed me the portraits of his family, his father William, his mother Priscilla, his sister Rosemary. Now that I think about it, it was like…like introducing them to me. As if they were still alive and he wanted me to meet them. Why would he want that? And then, when he talked to me about Rosemary and Vincent Brown, and described to me how Rosemary defied her family in order to be with the man she loved, he added that he shared the same opinion with his sister, and that he firmly believed that someone’s happiness doesn’t depend on money and social position, but only on the person they love. As he said that, he looked at me with strangely intense eyes. I blushed again and turned my own eyes away. What did he mean by those words?
I felt even more perplexed when he led me to the solarium, that room in which I had discovered Great Uncle William’s identity. There, on the large desk, lay my old diary. He told me he wanted to return it to me because it was something valuable to me. His voice was low and he was standing with his back turned, looking steadily out of the window, so I couldn’t see his expression. I didn’t understand. After that intimate moment in the forest which brought us so close, after those hints that made me feel that there was something different in our relationship, he suddenly brought up a subject which both of us hadn’t touched for so long, as if it was something delicate or awkward: Terry. I knew that a large part of my diary was about Terry, and I also knew that Albert had read it. He had never mentioned his name ever since we met again, ever since I found out who he was. I hadn’t talked about him either, as the wounds of our parting were slowly healing. So what made Albert decide to give that diary back to me now?
I chose not to ask him; I just thanked him and took the diary. Not long afterwards, as it was getting late, we drove back to Pony’s Home. On our way there, we didn’t talk as we had done during our morning drive. For the most part we were silent, and only now and then we just spoke a few words. My mind was in turmoil. I had spent such a wonderful day with him, going down memory’s lane, healing old wounds and closing the door to a painful past. I had felt closer to him than ever before, and more than once I had sensed that there was something he wished to tell me but somehow he held back. My heart seemed to guess what that was, and I was willing to give him the answer he didn’t dare ask. However, by giving that diary back to me, he had made me wonder about his feelings. What did he mean by that gesture? Was it like the other time when he had sent me to Rockstown? Was he trying to lead me back to Terry? He could give me that diary at any other time if he wanted. Why now? Why on this particular day?
When we arrived at Pony’s Home, he helped me get off the car and as it was late, he didn’t stay longer, although I asked him to. He promised to see me soon, and then, before he left, he unexpectedly held me tight in his arms, as he had done in the forest earlier, and then kissed my forehead gently, whispering to my ear: “I just want you to be happy, Candy.”
Before I recovered, he had already got in his car and driven away. I stayed there as if paralyzed, trying to decipher what his attitude meant. It was like a farewell.
But now, as I write down all that happened, my mind is getting clearer. I feel that this day marks a new beginning for me and Albert. I can even understand what he meant when he returned my old diary to me. He was silently asking me whether my happiness was with Terry or with him. He let me decide freely, without pressuring me at all. That’s why he told me that he only wished for me to be happy. He just wants to know there that happiness of mine lies.
There’s no doubt now: Albert loves me. He showed it in his behavior, his gestures, his embrace, his words, his eyes. He has declared his love in a subtle way, without speaking directly, but actions speak louder than any words. He is now waiting for an answer from me, and I have to give it to him.
I have taken my old diary with me, and right now it is here, on my desk, beside me. I have not opened it, and I have no intention of doing that. I have recalled the strong feelings Terry awakened in me in the past. Yes, I have loved him, but fate has decided to put us on different paths. We experienced a heartbreaking separation, and circumstances have kept us apart for a long time. Now my life has taken a turn and the wound in my heart has healed. I don’t feel pain any longer whenever I remember the past. This afternoon, in the forest, I left behind a painful past with Anthony, getting free from guilt for his untimely death. Tonight I am also leaving behind another painful chapter of my life, that one including Terry. These two loves of my life have left a strong mark in my heart, and in a way I’ll never forget either of them. I’ll just place them in a special place among my most precious memories, and from now on, whenever I choose to go back to the past, there will be no pain, no guilt, no regrets. From now on, in my present and future there will be only one: Albert. The revelation I face right now fills me with excitement and happiness such as I have never known before.
I love Albert! I know that now. I think I have loved him for a long time but I hadn’t realized it. Maybe I already loved him back when I lived with him at the Magnolia. Maybe I fooled myself so far, thinking that Albert was like an older brother to me. He was much more than that: he was my best friend, my savior, my protector, my confidant; he has always cared for me, supported me, comforted me. Now I know that he is the man who owns my heart completely, the man with whom I want to share my life. Yes, that’s where my happiness lies. By Albert’s side. And that’s where I want to be.
I’m so happy I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Anyhow, even if I did, no dream could be sweeter than this blissful moment. I’m going to look at the stars all night, dreaming of a future happiness. I can’t wait to see Albert again and give him the answer he expects.
Good night, little Bert. Sweet dreams…”
This is it. I’m sorry if it’s a little too long.
Edit: “I’ll just put them in a special place among my most precious memories…”
Thank you @Fay! You just made it 🤗 I have finished reading it too 😊
Had a enjoyable time reading your fanfic @Fay. It wasn’t too long at all. You’ve offered some insight into the reasons why Albert decided to return Candy’s diary. Her response is even more intriguing because in both your fanfic and in Nagita’s original story, Candy is determined to give her diary back to Albert as confirmation that she’s over and done with the past. She’s happy in her present and that’s with Albert.😎
Thank you, Myra. My story didn’t have much creativity since it is heavily based on the original story, but I tried to elaborate a little on Candy’s feelings and thoughts. Regrettably, I couldn’t do the same with Albert’s thoughts, as this was supposed to be about Candy’s diary. Albert remains a mystery because Nagita chose for him to be so. Maybe that’s what makes him so charming, though. We don’t know everything about him. (Nor does Candy, for that matter.)
Well said, Fay. Even Keiko Nagita had elaborated on Albert’s intricate character by stating that she found him lovely and intriguing. She wanted to write more about Terry and Albert (both of whom remain in a shroud of mystery) but she claimed that her publishers had imposed a strict word-limit to her novel so she had no other alternative but to keep her story vague and incomplete. At least that’s her side of the story..
That’s right. During her interview in Paris last year, Nagita expressed her wish to have been able to provide more character development to Susanna and Neil. But most of all, she wanted to offer more background information about Terry and Albert. The readers never get to know much about those two characters even though they play major roles in the story. Fortunately, the Epilogue provides insight into Albert’s character and Nagita placed those letters between Candy and Albert at the end of the novel for greater impact.
Yes @Jesse. We readers get to see Albert as a human in the CCFS. He’s sensitive and has feelings (emotions) too.
Agree with you, @Myra. At least Albert and Terry are equally important in the CCFS, unlike the misleading anime version, in which the latter overshadowed the former 🙁
It’s the anime which is the most popular, nonetheless. Without the anime and the manga, Nagita’s story would never have achieved any significant attention. If this new novel had included Igarashi’s illustrations, the popularity of this novel would have been manifold and not limited to a few remaining fans.
There are still many fans around the globe, Myra, but it’s true the CCFS is incomplete without the manga and Igarashi’s illustrations… Sigh.
To be fair to the anime, there is far more character development going on and the manga also has character development, in stark contrast to the novel which remains vague and flat. At least in both the anime and manga, we get to see Terry and Albert’s side of the story and insight into their characters. In the novel, however, we no longer know what Terry’s up to and what he feels when he’s an adult and we have only got the Epilogue to know a bit about Albert’s mindset. Nagita is coercing her readers to rely only on Candy’s extremely limited, simplistic and rather naive point-of-view and that makes her story even less effective and interesting. Nagita also expressed her desire to deploy the epistolary technique in the final section because it’s her favorite, however, she has sadly confirmed that she’s not particularly adept at it. She should have kept the narrative style consistent throughout the novel and let her readers know how Terry and Albert feel as occurs in the anime and manga. No matter what some fans try to say or spin-doctor their rhetoric, the novel will always remain inferior to the anime and the manga. Even Nagita has admitted that her novel is no perfect or the way she had wanted to write it. She has also complained that the price of her mediocre book is way too expensive and I agree with her on that.
Yes, @Myra, how I wish Nagita sensei continued the narrative style throughout the novel. That being said, using the epistolary style is not that bad for the Epilogue.
Albeit an unpalatable truth, the CC fanbase had been built thanks to the anime and manga and not the novel. This is the reason why many people are disappointed with the novel and this has very little to do with the identity of ‘anohito’. Most of the CC fans were expecting that same excitement and character development they had experienced in the anime and manga but all they got was a summarized version of the story we already know with some new bits and pieces tossed into the story by Nagita via Candy’s limited and simple-minded perspective. If you count the new material Nagita has added in the CCFS, it doesn’t even amount to 10 (A4 size) pages. I’m excluding the Epilogue in this page count, apparently. The bottom line is that this fanbase could have been massive but it’s stagnant reliant on middle-aged and elderly people. You won’t find a significant number of fans who are under the age of 40, let alone under 30-35 years of age. The younger generations mock Nagita’s CCFS novel as sexist, cheesy, and melodramatic. Nagita had the chance of upgrading and making her story up-to-date and relevant in our modern times but she failed in all these aspect. Tbh, I don’t think she even really tried and that’s the reason why she simply did a ‘copy-paste’ of the manga and older versions of the novel along with a few scattered pieces of new information without using this new material in any relevant way such as character development and plot enrichment.
Myra, to be fair, Nagita sensei was clear that she didn’t mean to change her story, only to add what she could not have done in the manga. Didn’t she say “it’s the same story, not a sequel”? Anyway, I’m not going to defend her because I also wish there were more plot enrichment or character development.
Myra, thank you for your contribution. Your story about Albert’s getting a medical degree not being well received is kinda sad. It shows poor Albert not being treated as an individual. He had to follow a certain path that was laid out for him right when he was born into the prestigious family. Sigh.
aspects
Couldn’t agree more with you, Myra. Keiko Nagita had the golden opportunity to update her story and make it relevant and appealing to the younger folk as well but she leaned too heavily on the nostalgic factor which is beguiling because it also leads to anachronism. That said, the most outdated and anachronistic character in this story is without any doubt, Terry. His self-proclaimed ‘macho-ism’ is nothing else but silly and quaint toxic masculinity as demonstrated by privileged white males. Dudes like Terry used to be worshiped back then in the 70s and 80s but they’re heavily mocked and ridiculed by young and independent women, nowadays. If I were Nagita and wanted to provide some value to Terry’s character which would be appreciated by younger people, I would have eliminated all those scenes where he sexually assaults, physically beats and psychologically abuses Candy. Nagita could have easily retained the intensity, conflict and drama in the May Fest scenes without including all those emetic forms of abuse. For example, there’s so much intensity in Jane Austen’s novels but never does Darcy or Knightley ever raise their hands against Elizabeth or Emma, respectively. The scenes of physical and psychological abuse in the CCFS are unnecessary and, in our day and age, contemptible and absolutely unacceptable.
Hi Jesse, sadly in some countries characters like Terry are still being adored. Some women are hopelessly attracted to bad boys because they are not as ‘boring’. Who knows? They probably like the challenge of conquering them or whatever.
Thank you Jesse for sharing your story. I like the ending; it’s very cute and sweet and brought a smile to my face when I first read it. 🙂
Well said, Jesse. Ironically enough, the TOEI
production team had already tried to modernize Terry’s character by removing most of those disturbingly violent scenes. You can tell that they weren’t comfortable with Terry’s misogynistic attitude because they had made radical changes from the manga to the point where the anime-Terry bore such little resemblance to the manga-Terry. He actually bore a stronger resemblance to the manga version of Albert as he appeared to be much more supportive and constantly reminding Candy of his presence by sending her financial support when he was in New York and she was struggling at the time as a novice nurse. He even prepared a meal and washed the dishes when Candy came to visit him at his apartment in New York. lol
I was surprised when reading the novel that Nagita retained that old and antiquated version of the manga-Terry which is inferior to the anime creation. Besides, Terry’s fans had been formed predominantly from the way he was transformed in the anime. Many of his fans were shocked and appalled to see how toxic he is in the manga and that’s the exact same way he appears in the novel too. For some odd reason, Nagita didn’t dispense with Terry’s violence against women but she did dispense with the toxic elements from Archie’s character, the latter being far more elevated in the novel than in the anime or manga.
Interesting point. Maybe Nagita’s purpose was not to elevate Terry’s character but keep it where it is-inherently flawed and damaged, hence, not only keeping the violent scenes but making them even worse than the anime and the manga put together.
Based on the CCFS, it seems likely that Albert shifted to studying medicine instead of law and business as instructed by his elders. The fact that he worked as a medic in Kenya reveals that he had probably studied medicine. However, many university-educated activists such as Albert would be hired in the medical field in developing countries even if they had studied something different. Unfortunately, Nagita doesn’t give her readers any more information. What’s for sure is that Albert was a diligent student who excelled in his scholarly work and he continued to be just as industrious when he embarked on his role as head of the Ardlay enterprise. Some people are blessed with higher intelligence mustering many talents and skills; Albert is one of such people.😉
I agree with all of you. Back then in the Victorian and even during the early years of the post-Victorian/Edwardian era, many well-educated people worked in poverty-stricken countries as medical assistants but also as journalists and teachers.This phenomenon continues to exist in our times as well where many academically educated people work with various organizations such as “Doctors without Borders”/Médecins Sans Frontières in order to provide their medical and/or humanitarian aid.
It would have been ideal if Keiko Nagita had provided an interview which is accessible to everyone. Therefore, all those alleged and often phony testimonials attributed to her would be dispensed with once and for all. She should focus on providing clear-cut answers because her ambiguous stance is, in part, responsible for those long-term and most often monotonous altercations going on among some acutely annoying fans.
Thank you @Ms Puddle. I’m glad my story had that effect in the end.😉
Hello,
I decided to write about my own interpretation for Candy’s insomnia and in her case it surrounds pleasant thoughts of Albert and her overcoming all obstacles and uniting their lives. In her diary entry, she imagines how being married to Albert would be like.
Dear Diary,
I would have never expected that my friendship with Albert would develop into a romance. Both of us continue to keep appearances and maintain a certain form of decorum in front of others and in our correspondence, but when we’re alone we manage to be our own selves and freely express what we feel for one another. It was a bit hard for Albert at first because he’s not accustomed to being particularly demonstrative with his emotions and he was also concerned about my feelings for Terry. When he had given the diary I had written years ago in London back to me, I was apprehensive that it was over for us because Albert may have thought that I wasn’t over Terry. I didn’t want to clash with him at that given moment but allowed some time to go by and gather the courage to write to Albert by boldly but honestly telling him that I’m going to give him back that diary which I hadn’t even opened. I decided not to re-open that diary because everything written in it belongs to the past. My present belongs with the man who is both my best friend and the one I love. I could understand Albert’s insecurity because I felt just as insecure albeit for entirely different reasons. I was concerned that his family would never accept our relationship but Albert has proven very outspoken about this and has clarified that no one has the right to interfere in his privacy and personal life. Albert did not remain in specifying this only with words but also with actions by defying his family for opposing the marriage between Archie and Annie. Just when I thought Archie would be forced to separate with Annie, Albert intervened and protected their relationship by immediately arranging their engagement and subsequent matrimony.
I wonder how my life with Albert would be if we got married. Indeed, we had been living together under the same roof for almost three years but as friends and not as a couple. There were times when I wanted our relationship to develop into a romantic one but Albert kept his distance. I wouldn’t give him any blame for his reticence. In retrospect, I would have also been hesitant to express any emotion if I knew that Albert had been trying to get over another woman. To be honest, I don’t even know whether he had another relationship. Whenever I tried to broach the subject, he would shift to another topic of discussion. Personally, I believe that he has had a relationship with another woman but he doesn’t want to talk about it not because he wants to deceive me but because he doesn’t want to make me feel as uncomfortable as I had made him feel when I mentioned Terry. A few months after my separation with Terry, however, I unconsciously kept on talking less and less about him and focusing more on building my relationship with Albert. This came so effortlessly that I didn’t even realize that I had already fallen in love with Albert until he suddenly left the Magnolia without a trace. The unbearable pain I felt during his absence made me discover that my feelings for Albert were not restricted within the framework of a simplistic friendship but something intricate and intense. Love does have a way to skillfully creep up inside someone’s life and it’s not the first time it has happened to me.
Now that I’ve found Albert again, I’m not planning to let him go as I’m certain that he wants me just as I want him. Even though he complains that he doesn’t have the time to visit me, he’ll always figure out a way to escape a bit from his tight schedule and drive to Ms Pony’s and see me. He never manages to stay too long but that’s alright because we’ll manage to spend far more time together once we make our relationship official to family and friends. I know some people will not be too pleased but I don’t care. What matters to me is what my true friends have to say and I’m sure they’ll be delighted. I think that Annie and Patty have already sensed something going on between me and Albert because they tend to drop a few hints and some gentle teasing. All this time living together with Albert functioned as a form of a rehearsal concerning what our married life would be like and that would comprise a heart-warming coexistence filled with mutual respect, meaningful communication and passion. I am so impatient in seeing Albert’s beautiful face and hearing his sweet voice that I haven’t been able to sleep properly for a considerable period of time. I have been yearning so much for his warm embrace and comforting words. The two of us had found absolute happiness but circumstances emerged which have forced us to live apart for a while. I’m not all too concerned about this because soon we will be together again and this time, not having any concern or insecurity about the past or what others have to say. Our life belongs to us and we are accountable to no one else but our own selves.
I can’t sleep tonight but it doesn’t matter because I feel like I’m floating in the air with so much happiness. Life plays such peculiar games and as Ms Pony always says:
“We never know what awaits us around the corner.”
Hi Chiaroscuro, are you an artist? 🙂
Thank you for sharing your story with us 🤗
How are you-Ms Puddle? Please accept my belated congratulations for your promotion. After all you hard work, you deserve it.👏👏👏
In response to your question, I think Candy can’t sleep because she’s excited about receiving Albert’s letters but she’s-at the same time-concerned whether he sees her in a romantic way or he’s friend-zoned her. His attitude is confusing her and she’s losing sleep over his mixed messages.
Candy’s Note-
/// Albert’s ambiguous behavior is something I find so exasperating and sometimes it even overshadows those aspects of him I find amazing. Maybe I have no one else to blame but myself because I’ve given him too much information about my previous romantic affairs. I hadn’t imagined that my friendship with Albert would go to a different level and that’s the reason why I felt at ease discussing my past with so many details. It was such an awful idea but I didn’t know any better back then. I was so thoughtless and immature thinking only about myself and not how he felt. Albert would listen to me so patiently never hesitating to provide his counsel. I had taken his support as read and believed that he would always be there for me. Even though we had agreed to share everything during our cohabitation at the Magnolia lodge, Albert was the one doing all the work supporting me while I was doing all the nagging constantly feeling sorry for myself. I look back at all this and feel like such a mindless fool. I’m afraid that I’ve given off the wrong signals to Albert and he probably thinks that I’m still stuck in a rut obsessing over past affairs. The truth is that it was extremely hard for me to get over the pain of separation but the passage of time in tandem with Albert’s unconditional love healed me to the core. I feel reborn and ready to start a new life with Albert because I love him with all my heart. I have no clue how to express this to him without appearing silly. He may be thinking that I’m just going through another phase or even worse, that I’m using him as a crutch to get over the pain I had endured in the past. I dread the thought that his letter may serve the purpose of trying to comfort me as one would comfort a friend but nothing more than that. He may even feel in debt to me for having helped him regain his memory and he’s responding to my letters not out of love but out of gratitude alone. For me, I feel both love and gratitude for everything he has done for me and I don’t want to be perceived as his sister or friend. I want him to see me as a woman as I see him as a man. I don’t know where to begin and how to convince him of my intentions. It’s even more difficult for me to explain the situation to him ever since we’ve stopped living together. Why did he let me go so easily when I announced to him that I’m returning to Pony’s home? He didn’t even try to talk me out of it. Did he want me to leave? Was it easier for him? But no, Albert would never pressure me into doing anything I wouldn’t want to do. He listened to what I had to say and respected my decision. Plain and simple. I’ve made my own bed-if not mess-out of this and I have to see how I’ll manage to rectify the situation.
I’ve got an idea. Since I’m tossing and turning in my bed unable to calm down and sleep, I’ll use this time to write a letter to Albert requesting to meet him face-to-face in Chicago. I’ll cook up some excuse and-fingers crossed-I’ll get to see him and explain my intentions in a better way. I don’t know if this will work but it’s worth a shot. ///
Bye for now, Ms Puddle, and thanks.
Thank you Magnolia for writing and sharing this with us 🤗 Also thank you for your kind words too 😊
It’s been a pleasure, Ms Puddle. Have a beautiful and relaxing summer.🏄Work is great but so is a bit of leisure. ☀️😎
Hi there! Your blog is awesome. Hope you like my story. Feel free to provide feedback. Cheers! ✨⭐🌟
I’m trying to sleep tonight but I can’t forget the moment Albert and I almost shared our first kiss. It was only a split second but that moment feels as if it’s forever…
During these past few weeks, Albert has been teaching me how to drive. My directors find my new inclination rather odd but I’ve noticed more and more women grabbing control of the wheel and I ought to admit that I admire their air of independence. I don’t want to rely on others but on myself. I haven’t told anyone else about my new interest because I know very few people will understand. Annie, in particular, is too conventional and she’ll go on advising me to learn how to cook and forget about driving because according to her, that’s a ‘man’s job’. Although I’m not surprised, Albert reacted in a very supportive way when I told him that I want to learn how to drive-he even offered to be my driving instructor. Even if he hadn’t offered, I would have asked him anyway because he’s an excellent driver and knows everything about cars. He’s even promised that he’ll assist me in finding a low-maintenance vehicle at an affordable price after I’ve learnt how to drive and feel comfortable with it.
In spite of his heavy work load, Albert and I have managed to meet up and practice driving either at country roads near the orphanage or the city streets in Chicago. I’ve turned out to be better at this craft than I thought and Albert is complimenting me on being a very fast learner. In turn, I’ve got a wonderful teacher who realistically pin-points the various mistakes I make but never fails to acknowledge the progress I’ve made and encourage me to practice even further. The most challenging time for me is driving during the evening because I tend to get a bit disorientated. A few days ago, I became so worried and confused whilst driving down a dark road that I wanted to give up and let Albert take over. He didn’t accept it but encouraged me to overcome my fears and keep on trying which I did until I succeeding in navigating my way back to the iconic chapel near Pony’s Hill.
I was so thrilled that I managed to drive back home without giving up (thanks to Albert!) that once I parked Albert’s car near my home I turned to Albert and flung my arms around him thanking him for his patience and undivided support.
At that moment something completely unexpected happened. I could feel Albert responding to my embrace by clasping my waist and bringing me even closer to him. My arms were wrapped around his neck and I began to run my fingers in his hair which felt as soft as silk. His blue eyes shone even amid the darkness of the night. I was completely mesmerized. We couldn’t say a word but gaze intently into each others’ eyes. It’s as if time had frozen still.
If only it had…
But just as we were about to share our first tender kiss, Sister Lane stepped out into the cobbled path overlooking the hill holding a lantern, presumably, worried about my whereabouts. Albert and I briefly exchanged an embarrassed smile and he then opened the door of the car and walking up to Sister Lane apologizing for his delay. I decided to remain silent and go with the flow because Sister Lane knows me well and any word-slip of mine could be my dead-giveaway. Sister Lane looked at both of us and expressing her relief that we’re alright but the expression on her face betrayed that she has realized that Albert and I are not just friends. Both Sister Lane and Ms Pony are fond of Albert but they are concerned about me and where my so-called friendship with Albert will lead to. They know he’s a honorable man and that he would never hurt me. As for me, much as I love Ms Pony and Sister Lane, I couldn’t help but feel so much disappointment when Sister Lane barged in at the most crucial moment. Darn.
Soon I’ll be able to drive without any supervision and I am so looking forward to having my own vehicle travelling to the destinations I want and Chicago is definitely on top of my list. I’m sure Albert is just as impatient about this day as I am.
Thank you DreamCatcher for sharing your story with us 🤗 I was busy with other obligations but I quickly approved your comment lest I forget it later on. 😉
Just received your message. Thanks for letting me know.😀
Hi Ms Puddle,
As I had mentioned in my previous message, a couple of friends of mind were interested in submitting their entries but they were a bit worried about their English so they emailed their entries to me so that I can edit them. I really found nothing wrong with their entries (their English is just fine) and I only corrected some minor details in grammar and expression. Apologies for not posting these entries sooner but I’m pressed for time as I’m busy at work. Thanks again for having provided that much needed extension.
Please bear in mind that these two entries I’m going to submit just now are not mine but my friends’. The first one I had submitted about a week ago is mine but these two are not.
Here’s Entry 1 by my friend Cynthia:
[Entry 1 by Cynthia: Dear diary, I have just finished reading Albert’s letter and I am quivering with emotion. As time is going by, he is trusting me much more and expressing his feelings as well as his hopes and dreams for the future. It’s as if we’ve never stopped living together. But, unfortunately, we have.. By no means could this correspondence compensate for the two of us being apart. We don’t live too far away from each other but his professional obligations have exacerbated his absence even more and this is increasing the void I had initially felt when he left me at the Magnolia with only a brief letter thanking me for my support along with a sum of money covering all the expenses in taking medical care of him. I never wanted him to leave me and the money he gave me showed that he wanted to cut ties with me by paying all his dues. At least, this is the way I had interpreted his intentions and that made me so upset. I never supported him because I felt obliged or compelled but because I wanted to and most of all, because I cared so much about Albert. I was even angry at him for leaving me like that where I felt a vast emptiness in a house which was once filled with his radiant presence. His vivacious personality would illuminate our home. Albert’s vibrant personality is so contagious that all my friends absolutely adored him and embraced him as their friend too. Sadly, Terry had never managed to win the hearts of my friends but then again, he never really made much of an effort himself. As opposed to Albert, he never valued my friends but just wanted to be alone with me. I used to like this and find it flattering when I was in my teens but that’s not the way I feel now. My friends are vitally important to me as I have no real family. I’m so glad that Albert gets along with my best friends and has built such a camaraderie with them. When Albert had disappeared when he recovered his memory, Annie, Patty and Archie were also very upset about his departure. Yet, they had never felt the overwhelming sorrow I had endured with his sudden disappearance. I couldn’t really figure it out at the time but my infinite sadness went way beyond missing a family member or a friend. I still can’t completely explain my emotions but Albert is a man most dear to me. I have never felt this way before for anyone. His sudden disappearance made me realize how vital he is to me. When my friends and I found out that Albert is William A. Ardlay, we were all absolutely shocked but there was an additional emotion permeating me and that was insecurity. I had been so joyous being able to love another man and being given another chance in life but when I discovered that Albert is the heir to such a powerful and affluent family, my heart sank to the depths of despair. If only Albert was that vagabond or destitute rambler I had mistaken him for. I thought we were the same but we’re not. There’s a chasm between us and his family will never accept our ineffable bond. On the other hand, I know what is in Albert’s heart and he holds me just as tightly as I hold him in my heart. I want to run away from this conflict but I don’t want to run away from him. It would be impossible anyway because wherever we go and no matter how far away we are from each other, that ineffable bond between us is imperishable and indestructible.
We’ve got a tough battle ahead but together we will fight and eventually overcome it-just as his sister, Rosemary, did with the true love of her life, Vincent Brown. Anything is possible and sky’s the limit, provided that we’re not intimidated by the norms and values of an elderly and conservative cob-webbed environment.
I wonder if Albert is also awake right now and unable to sleep as I am..]
And here’s Entry 2 by my friend Elsa:
[Entry 2 by Elsa: Whenever I receive another letter from Albert, I get so excited but I also miss any chance for sleep when I go to bed afterwards. There are so many things I want to tell him and I don’t know where to begin. I guess I just have to calm down a bit and let this otherwise unusual but exhilarating dynamics developing between me and Albert take its course without it being thwarted. I don’t want to impose on Albert and appear too needy but in some of my letters I have done just that and I feel like such an idiot. Albert is a special kind of man who loves his freedom but he also values the freedom of others. Not once have I ever witnessed any form of violent, aggressive or possessive behavior coming from Albert. Even when he gets a bit angry, he still manages to control himself and remain sensible. I wish I could be like that but I’m just too emotive. Perhaps that’s what makes our relationship so worthwhile and long-lasting by complementing each other. Albert’s sensibility inspires my need to become more logical and I am confident that my intuitive and emotional traits encourage him to become more expressive with his feelings. We are so different in character but we are also so similar, simultaneously. This may sound strange but that’s exactly how it is. Even our differences in behavior and outlook on life bring us further together because we’re willing to get to know each other and share our experiences. However, there is one experience I’ve singled out and that is my burning desire for me and Albert to travel to Africa. I have wanted to share this experience with him for a long time not just due to his love for wild animals and foreign lands but because I have always longed for exploring uncharted territory. I have never confided in anyone about that desire which I have kept inside of me as a kindle fire. Not even Albert knows about this. I’m planning to tell him but when the time will be ripe enough. Until now, it’s as if my travels involved being precipitated into various lands without it ever being my conscious decision but more reliant upon impulse and whim. My driving force would always be my emotions getting the better and also worse of me. I don’t want to be governed exclusively by emotions but take initiatives based on conscientious decisions and not actions hastily or irresponsibly made as would occur many a time in the past. I’m not a kid anymore but a grown woman who is intent on fulfilling her needs and not satisfying or running after others.Therefore, my journey to Africa would be based on my own decision and that includes sharing this once-in-a-lifetime experience with the man I love and that is none other than Albert. I can’t say for sure that he shares my dream but I have a strong feeling that he does. Time will tell whether I’m right or wrong about this. As for now, I live for the present and enjoy every second of it.]
Read this entry from your friend Elsa too, @Lynn. Please also thank her for me 🤗 You’re a good friend for helping them out. 👍
Thank you @Lynn I have read this entry from your friend, Cynthia. Please thank her for me for her participation 🤗
I’ll let them know, Ms Puddle, and thanks again for your understanding. As for helping out my friends, I didn’t do much but correct a few minor details here and there. Both Cynthia and Elsa are superb speakers of the English language and their writing is always up-to-scratch. An extra pair of eyes to check out one’s work is always forthcoming, nonetheless. Glad to be of help.
You’re right, Lynn. They need not worry about their English. 👍
I agree with you. The level of their English is far more advanced than many so-called or self-proclaimed’native-speakers’.😉
Exactly. It’s also because it takes time and effort to learn a foreign language and that comprises in-depth knowledge of grammar and syntax.
Dear Ms Puddle,
I hope you are coping well with the global pandemic which has affected us all.
You will find my entry below which I hope you will enjoy reading. Thank you, in advance, for your time.
ENTRY
-It seems that the ‘Great Uncle William’ became a bit annoyed with my teasing. I prefer this reaction from him because I do not want him to view me as a father or brother would. Indeed, we had been living together for over two years at the Magnolia apartment pretending to be brother and sister but this was only to receive permission from the landlord to occupy the place.
Not once have I ever perceived him in a fatherly or brotherly-like fashion; he has been my best friend to whom I have confided my deepest secrets and the individual I always look up to for his sound advice.
Nonetheless, our relationship began to change and go through various shapes and forms throughout the years we spent together. We have both become older and gradually more mature. I am no longer the naive and fragile teenager and he is no longer the lonely wanderer who disregards his past and background. I have learnt and continue to learn to become more resourceful and autonomous whilst he has learnt to become more pragmatic and responsible with regards to his obligations. Nobody stays the same and it is absolute folly to believe that we do not or cannot change. Change comes in everyone’s lives whether they want it to happen or not. It is the crux of living and becoming wiser as a human-being.
Yet, I will keep on teasing Albert a bit longer because it prompts him to behave more naturally. I will refrain from over-doing it because I do not want him to become upset and cut ties with me, although I do not think he will do that. I am a bit disappointed though that he does not want me to call him my ‘prince of the hill’. I have never forgotten about my prince and he means so much to me. It appears that Albert does not share my romantic notions.
On the other hand, maybe he does not want me to view him as an image of the past or a distant memory. If he wants to focus on the progress of our relationship here-in-now, then I am all for it. He is so difficult to ascertain and I am beginning to get annoyed with his doublespeak myself. I guess that is his defense mechanism as retaliation for my incessant teasing. If that is the case, then it serves me right.
On a serious note, I want him to devote more time for me and with me. This distance between us has become more unbearable than fathomed. I am grateful to be working by Dr Martin’s side as his nurse but maybe I should start looking for a job in Chicago again. This time, I do not want anyone to help me out. Instead, I will try to find work based on my own strength and resources without seeking anyone’s backing, not even Albert’s. I want Albert to be proud of me and appreciate that I can fend for myself without expecting others to support me, even though that has been the case until now. Whenever I face a problem, I always go back to Ms Pony and Sister Maria for support. I have a job right now thanks to Albert for opening the medical facility here at the orphanage. I have to get my act together and muster the courage to seek employment and compete with so many other job seekers in the city without anyone else’s help. It is easier said than done but I am determined to succeed in my aspirations.
There is so much on my mind that I cannot sleep but that is perfectly fine with me because these thoughts are positive and uplifting. Albert has that uncanny ability of keeping me on the edge of my seat and demanding more and more from myself. Like him, I cannot rest on my laurels and I always want to change and evolve into a better person.
Thank you, ‘prince’, and have a good night.
THE END
Thank you Halcyon Days for sharing your story with us 🤗. Best wishes to you too!
Thank you for adding my entry. I am looking forward to your future posts and artwork.
Hi Ms Puddle,
My extract is a bit different. I’ve been wondering whether Candy had already been losing some sleep ever since Albert defended her honor at the grand opening in Florida where he got Mrs Leagan to announce in public that she had wrongfully accused Candy of theft back then when she was a child working for them. I believe that this moment is tremendously important to Candy because she felt awful for having been called a liar and a thief by those terrible Leagans-their accusation having stigmatized and traumatized Candy for so many years. I could only imagine how stunned Candy was when Mrs Leagan made that official announcement about Candy’s innocence. I’ve put my imagination in writing for this extract.
“When Albert told me that I had been invited to the grand opening of the hotel complex in Florida, I couldn’t believe it. The Leagans were the last people I would ever expect an invitation from-especially from Mrs Leagan. Just like Archie, I wanted to find an excuse for not going and the only reason why I decided to go, eventually, was because I would travel with Albert to Florida. I wanted to spend time with him because I missed him so much. I had never expected that his presence would become so essential to me.
Our train ride to Florida was thankfully very long because that gave me the opportunity to enjoy Albert’s company. He was dressed in casual attire-just a pair of jeans and a white shirt-but he has that strangle quality of being able to look elegant even with the plainest of clothes. By no means does he look like the head of an eminent wealthy family. He looks more like a professor or scholar and less a business executive and banker.
Albert and I talked and joked around endlessly on the train to the point that this very long ride seemed all too brief. How I missed Albert’s excellent sense of humor and gentle voice! I didn’t want the journey to end because I dreaded the destination. Seeing the Leagans again was something I had not been looking forward to. I would have preferred if I just waited at the train station for Albert to return from that grand opening and accompany him back to Chicago without having to experience that awkward moment of seeing Eliza and Neil again.
But the party at the hotel resort turned out to be quite alright. I actually had a nice time chatting with various guests, all of whom were so polite and friendly with me. There’s a part of me which believes that Albert had something to do with this but I can’t prove it because he seemed so laid back and comfortable at the party. He was so unpretentious and calm that my initial shyness had subsided. I was even indifferent when I saw Eliza and Neil. I have neither resentment nor concern for them.
The party culminated with Mrs Leagan approaching the podium thanking everyone invited and, in particular, the main share-holder of the hotel complex who is none other than William Albert Ardlay! Albert is such an astute man. Even though he despises the Leagans, he knows how to make use of them as they have tried to use his name for their own profit. He endorsed their new business venture but it came with a hefty price; first, he instructed that he would be the main share holder; and second, he urged them to officially apologize for having wrongfully accused me of being a thief. Taking into regard how awfully egoistic Mrs Leagan is, it must have been unbearable for her to undergo such self-humiliation but she had no other alternative as Albert remained cold and firm on this. This is an aspect of Albert’s character that I didn’t expect to exist. He may appear to be so benevolent and gentle but he’s also capable of driving a tough bargain and being a very shrewd businessman. He also has the tenancy of remaining tight-lipped about his feeling and personal life. He’s so difficult to figure out and that drives me crazy!
After Mrs Leagan apologized to me in public for having unjustly accused me of theft, the party resumed it original festive mood and the guests continued with their mingling. I wanted to talk to Albert and thank him but he was busy discussing with various other business entrepreneurs. Fortunately, we managed to find ample time to enjoy each other’s company the final day before heading back to Chicago. The weather was warm and walking alongside the beach with Albert was more like a dream I wanted to last forever. He promised that he’ll invite me on his next trip to Florida and I’ll make sure he keeps that promise.
When we returned to Chicago, I wanted to finally thank Albert for clearing my name and standing up for me but he refused taking credit for any of the two. I know he was just being modest and that he was behind all this but I decided to put the whole matter at rest since he didn’t feel comfortable discussing it any further. There was a moment of awkward silence between us and then he approached me and planted a tender kiss on my forehead. I wanted to be in his arms but he didn’t cross the line. He stepped back and wished me “Good Night” as he had given me the keys to the guest room of his mansion. I had stayed at his home for a couple of days before returning to Ms Pony’s but I hadn’t managed to see him again because he had gone away on a business trip to the United Kingdom.
Even though Albert is constantly away on business trips, this no longer scares me because I’m sure he’ll find a way to see me again as I always try to do my utmost to see him. He’s written to me promising to come and visit once he lands a business deal he had been pursuing. I’m so excited about being with him again that there’s no way I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Even though he doesn’t want to admit it, his initiative in urging Mrs Leagan to apologize in public shows how much love and respect he has for me. I will never forget that and I appreciate how much Albert believes in me.”
Thank you @Christine. Is this your very first comment? Nice to meet you and you’re welcome to browse around 🤗
I just realized I’ve missed your previous comments. Sorry for unknown reason I didn’t get notifications. Anyway, thanks Christine for submitting your entry too 🤗
I’m the one who should thank you! By reading my posted entry, I noticed that my spell-checker got a word wrong and instead of “tendency” it automatically typed “tenancy”. I just wanted to point that minor mistake to avoid confusion.
Got it. 👍 Thank you Christine for retrying to submit your entry 😊
Wouldn’t hurt to try again! If you happen to find any other typing error, please ignore it. From what I’ve checked out though, it seems to be OK. Thanks for your patience.
Hello, I have been reading your blog for years. Your drawings and stories are always of high quality. I hope it’s not too late for me to submit an entry in response to your request. Mine is a brief account of Candy remembering Albert’s words surrounding Rosemary’s rebellious decision in marrying the man she loves even though he was of a lower social rank.
[Candy’s Diary]: I’m so happy that Albert shared Rosemary’s love story with me. Given his profound love for his sister, it means a lot to me that he took the time to write about the ways in which she defied her authoritarian family and eloped with Vincent Brown. A few years later, Rosemary would give birth to Anthony. It must be hard for Mr Brown to have lost the two most beloved people in his life-wife and son.
It is so important to find happiness with the person you love the most. Money and social status shouldn’t be obstacles but they are in many cases, sadly. I used to believe that it was hard for people of humble backgrounds to achieve happiness but it could be just as hard for those who are wealthy and established just as Rosemary. Those restraints which impede one’s blissful life could be imposed whether rich or poor. It takes a lot of courage and tenacity to go against authority but it’s worth all the effort.
I know why Albert told me this story and it wasn’t only because he wished to share a slice of his personal life with me. He’s astute enough to have noticed my inhibitions surrounding the formidable Ardlays and he wants to make it crystal clear to me that he is nothing like them. Albert has no sentiments of racism or social discrimination in his character. He respects all people regardless of their ethnicity, material wealth and social class. I am delighted that he and I share the same mindset that love is immune to bias and prejudice of any sort. What matters to Albert is the content of one’s character and not the amount of money in one’s bank account. Albert does not only share blood ties with Rosemary but he also shares the same mentality when it comes to love and gratitude for one’s significant other.
I am overwhelmed with so much excitement over this story Albert shared with me. As I’m beginning to figure him out, I am aware of the underlying reasons he included his sister’s story in his most recent letter to me. I can’t wait to see him again and savor every moment with him. There is so much I want to tell him too. How I want this anticipated future to become an immediate present moment!
Getting any sleep is not likely for me right now but I hope Albert is enjoying a good night’s rest.
[Candy closes her diary but remains awake for the entire evening thinking about Albert and his story.]
Thank you @Gabriella for your encouraging words 😘 and submitting your story too. 🤗 No it’s not too late but I’ll have to make up my mind soon. 😉
I’m so glad because I thought the deadline had expired. Thank you for including mine too.🙏🏼
You’re welcome, Gabriella! I’m happy to read more 👍
Yes, the entries in this section are adeptly written.👍🏽I wonder if these contributors are fanfiction writers because they seem to be. If so, I would like to read more of their work whether it’s about CCFS or other novels.
Greetings Ms Puddle, I have written a diary entry which I hope you and your forum will enjoy. It is about Candy reflecting on the first time she realized she had fallen in love with Albert.
Diary Entry:
We may be apart for the time-being, but my heart always rejoices the moment I receive another letter from Albert. Even though his schedule is so hectic, he somehow manages to find the time to write to me. He is beginning to become more comfortable and natural with me day by day. I love learning more about him and his past. Through the past, one gets to acquire a better understanding of the other’s personality. All this time, Albert was a mysterious man without a past but now that he has recovered his memory, I am savoring every moment he shares an element of his personal life with me.
Albert has always been dear to me and not only because he was the ‘prince of the hill’ or because he had saved me from drowning in the river years later. Whilst I had never forgotten about that dream-like boy, it was Albert’s noble character and unlimited kindness which made me love him more and more as time went by. Indeed, he is a true ‘prince’ but not in shining armor but bearing a character of the highest caliber.
The one you love not only accepts you for who you are but also encourages you to enhance your qualities as a human-being. This is, in part, the relationship which was developing between me and Albert. We both appreciated each other but we have always been honest with one another with the intention of becoming better people.
There is one part which we have not been totally honest with one another and that has to do with our inner feelings. I know that Albert holds feelings for me which go well beyond friendship but he continues to keep those feelings undisclosed. I have no right to judge him for that because I am as much of a culprit myself. It has been a while since I realized and finally accepted that my feelings for Albert are intimate. I do not perceive Albert as a brother or a friend but as a man I desire. I did not want to admit it at first because I was frightened that I would get hurt again as I already have from falling in love. I wanted to keep such emotions at bay and, if possible, never fall in love again. But that is not how life works. Love comes again and again but bearing a different face every time it crashes into one’s life as a wave crashes onto jagged rocks even in the most secluded beach.
Although love came gradually into my life again, my feelings for Albert became as clear as ever when he carried me back into my bed and wiped the tears from my eyes after finding me crouched over those newspaper clippings I had accidentally uncovered while cleaning the room. The irony to all this is that Albert probably thought I was crying over Terry and wanting to reunite with him. But he could not have been more wrong. What really happened was that I was crying about Terry’s downfall and having been fired from the theater company he worked for due to his poor performance and drinking problem. I wept for Terry’s failure to stand his ground and understanding the pain he must have been going through. Nevertheless, Terry had made his decision and chose Susanna as his partner. We all have to take responsibility for our actions and accept the consequences. Terry is no exception to this. He decided to move on with Susanna and I decided to move on with my life. There are no regrets and there is no turning back. So many years have gone by and my life with Albert has had a profound impact on me and I am sure that I have also affected Albert to a considerable degree. When I felt Albert carry me in his arms my body had a different reaction which I had never experienced before. When he then wiped my tears with his gentle hands my heart started to beat fast. I did not want to open my eyes for fear of dreaming and waking up to a mere void. I was so disappointed when Albert stopped caressing my face and left me there in my bedroom. It is what a genuine gentleman would do but my desire prompted me to feel otherwise. I had never felt guilt or shame for having desired Terry during my adolescence and I feel absolutely no guilt or shame for desiring Albert in my adulthood.
I can feel that mutual attraction between us and at some point we will finally admit what we feel for each other without any inhibitions. Albert and I have finally let go of the past which had been haunting us for so long. All we need is a bit more time to tear down those last remaining impediments our innate insecurities have left in their wake.
It is unlikely that I will be able to sleep tonight but I really do not care because I have found love again and in the face of a beautiful tall man with sandy blonde hair and deep blue eyes which are as resplendent as ocean waves glistening under a clear morning sky.
End of Diary Entry
Thank you Aurora for submitting your story! 🤗 I read it but didn’t realize I also needed to approve your comment. Sorry for the delay 😅
No need to worry about any delay and thank you very much for your reply. All the CCFS fan-pages I have come across so far specify that their administration team has to first approve of the comments prior to publicizing them. It makes sense with all the spam, trolling and hate speech going on.
Thank you again for reading my diary entry. I have only recently come across your website and I am happy to say that your artwork is fabulous.
Many of my friends have recommended your fan-fiction as well. I am going to begin with your story called ‘Peculiar Relationship’ during my summer vacation.
Thank you @Aurora for your understanding and encouraging words about my artwork. 🤗 Regarding my fan fiction, please thank your friends and take your time. I hope you’ll like Peculiar Relationship. It has a special place in my heart 😊
I am planning on catching up on my fan-fiction and novel reading during my much well deserved summer vacation. My family and I are heading for a lovely Greek island of the Aegean Sea. One of my favorite pastime is reading on the beach after swimming in the afternoon. I am sure I will have a lovely time reading your fan-fiction within this beautiful setting.
How nice, Aurora!! Enjoy your trip with your family and hope you will get some rest 🏊🌞⛱️
Thank you! I also wish you a wonderful summer with your loved ones.
I would also like to submit my entry, Ms Puddle. Please, bear me with me because English is not my native language.
It’s possible that your illustration has to do with Candy’s excitement following Albert’s long letter to her. She seems to be ecstatic that he is finally becoming more expressive. This isn’t enough for her, however, and that’s the reason why she keeps on pressuring to see him again. She constantly expresses her desire to know more about Albert and his family roots. Maybe this diary entry has to do with her wanting to know more about Albert’s Scottish ancestry and intending on going on a trip with him to Scotland to spend more time and get to know him.
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Dear Diary,
I just couldn’t hold back my tears when reading Albert’s letter. It was so heartfelt and he really seemed to want to share significant details of his personal life with me. It’s a pity he had never done so when we were living together but better late than never!
Even though Albert comes from such an illustrious family, he has never demonstrated an iota of snobbery or arrogance. On the contrary, his down-to-earth character and hard-working ethos are both praise-worthy. He keeps on showing so much gratitude to those who had helped him during his time of need. His kindness to Dr Martin by offering him full-time employment at the “Happy Clinic” has made me love and respect Albert even more than I already do. Working at the clinic has kept Dr Martin away from drinking alcohol and has brought a whole new meaning to his life. The children absolutely adore him. He looks a bit like Santa Clause but in a medical uniform.
I want to know more about Albert’s family roots. He hasn’t spoken much about his mother and father. All I know is that he bears an Anglo-Scottish ancestry. It would have been amazing if the two of us took some time off from work and visited Scotland. I had such a lovely time in Scotland back then when I was a teen but I didn’t manage to travel anywhere-not even the city of Edinburgh. The country-side on the outskirts of Edinburgh was beautiful but that’s all I had managed to experience. Hopefully, Albert and I can explore the various areas of Scotland, especially the Highlands. I wonder whether he comes from the Highlands. I think Archie had once mentioned that the Ardlays come from the North-East of Scotland. During my stay at the summer school in Scotland, I had been thinking a lot about my prince and imagining seeing him again. Who could have thought that my prince was Albert all along? I want to take the opportunity to share a journey with him to the land where his family came from. I hope he likes my idea. We need some time off work and we need to get away from it all, even if it’s just for a short while.
I hope my dear prince is resting after a hard day’s work and wakes up to a brilliant morning anew and afresh. I should stop writing and follow my own advice and get some sleep as well.
Good night.
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Thank you @Irana93 for writing a diary entry too! 🤗 I was truly surprised when I read that English is not your native language. I really can’t tell 😅
Thank you @Ms Puddle! Hope you like my diary entry.😄
Nice concept for your story, Irana93. Ideally, Candy and Albert would go to Scotland for their honeymoon.😉
As for your English, it’s just as good as a native speaker’s, if not even better.
They probably would, right? Besides, Candy’s first memory of Albert is that of a boy in traditional Scottish attire. I’m quite sure that during his university studies in England, Albert visited Edinburgh and other major Scottish cities, being the ardent traveler that he was during his early adulthood.
I’m glad you find my English to be alright. I practice a lot via reading English literature and speaking the language during various meetings at my job. English constitutes the lingua franca of most professional affairs anyway.😊
Excellent attitude @Irana93 for learning another language 👏👍 Proud of you and I agree with @Sarah about your English being even better than some native speakers’. Their grammatical mistakes are common, like your, there, it’s, etc. 😅
Thanks, Ms Puddle. I don’t intent to be judgmental but I have noticed that some native speakers of English make a lot of mistakes in grammar and syntax. The spelling mistakes could be minor, however, and simply attributed to mere typos. There’s also a discrepancy between English and American-English spelling which should also be taken into consideration. I used to think that the Brits are better in grammar than the Americans but reality confirms that they can be just as erroneous.