Main Characters: Albert Andrew and Gladys Hawkins

Author's Note: This is my 'what-if' version mixed with the Manga and the Anime about Albert's relationship with the nurse whom he met in Africa while he was working as veterinarian. I had this previous discussion with fellow Candy Candy fans, wondering if Albert had any special girl in his life when he was studying in London, or the time when he was working in Africa. I always wanted to write this for some time now, but didn't get an opportunity to pen down my ideas for I was stuck with my other fanfic and all. I hope you like it! Thanks to my BR's for their comments and suggestions!

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"The Promise"

By: EnakaT

In the year 1913, in Kenya, a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, where an independent, young man named Albert Andrew exiled to work as a veterinarian along with the other volunteers from different parts of the world.

Albert had been fond of wild or gentle animals since he had been a little boy, and did not have any difficulty on taming any other animal that he faced. There was one animal that came along with him when he traveled. It was a skunk named Pouppe.

The Kenya tribe conveniently gained Albert's trust because of his good friendship and devotion in his work as doctor. Not only he took care of the sick animals, but he also lent his hands to help the natives living in the area.

A blonde-haired woman Gladys Hawkins, who was also a nurse often accompanied Albert in his services since the first day they had worked together in the field. Albert recalled writing a letter to a young and bubbly friend that he had left in London, Candice White, stating that the nurse he worked with was nearly her counterpart. He wished he could see Candy's funny reaction when he narrated about his fellow worker.

Several weeks following their inclusion in each patient they visited, Albert gradually developed his feelings for Gladys. He could not deny the fact that his assistant was beautiful and carefree and, had a relatively happy upbringing. They both also shared the same interest in animals and little children. Sometimes when he was alone in one place during his lunch break, he couldn't prevent his gleeful smile from showing, watching Gladys' comical attempts to get the native children to behave while she was taking their shots.

When was the last time Albert had feelings with an opposite sex? There was a time he had a little crush on a woman he encountered on his journey, however it didn't last long for he had to desert the place. It didn't take long for Albert and Gladys' friendship to blossom and turned into love. They went on simple dates when they were free from their duties. Time after time they explored around the river, riding on their camels with their hands secured together.

Everything was so perfect until one fine sunny afternoon something happened that gave no hint of what the day had in store for them. Albert and Gladys composed themselves under the shade of trees near the river of Kenya. He allowed his dearest significant other's head settled on his solid chest while he had his strong arms lovingly wrapped around the latter.

"What is it?" asked Gladys, detecting how reserved Albert had been. "You're so quiet today."

"Hm, what? Oh, I'm sorry, Gladys. I was clearly deep in thought. What were you saying?" he responded, grabbing his attention from horizon quickly.

In the previous days, Albert had been perplexed after he got an unexpected letter from a 'mysterious sender' regarding Candy who had left St. Paul Academy in London and stealthily entered into a ship bound for America. He was quite uncertain of Candy's safety and her whereabouts.

The blonde-haired male breathed out softly before he could speak up. "I…received an important message from someone I know in America. I need to go back."

"Is it complicated? If you wish, I could accompany you," she volunteered with a slight grin on her face.

"Not necessarily. You just stay here," Albert said as he was gently patting Gladys' arm. "Our troop needs your help to look after the patients. If the problem is not that great, I'd return here immediately. I promise you that."

"How long will you be gone?"

"It depends on the situation those people have with me. Perhaps three, or five months only.

The green-eyed nurse's throat seemed to be dry at the answer. She wistfully buried half of her face into Albert's arm. "Hm, five months is too long…I don't think I can bear without you."

"Don't be sad. Tell you what...," Albert paused for a brief moment, and then he resumed, playing around with Gladys' soft hair with his long fingers. "I'll write you a letter to let you know I'm safe as soon as I arrive in America. What do you think?"

"Albert, the only thing that concerns me so much is the impending war," implied Gladys with mixed sadness in her tone. It was impossible for her to hide her disappointment as she clung to Albert's arms forearms tighter. "They've started to plunge in other parts of the world. Must you leave this place?"

Albert would have a heavy heart to leave the most important woman in his life. In gentle manner, he turned Gladys around to face him. He looked at her with full compassion in his eyes. "You know that I can't ignore that message. I must go and resolve that problem. Do not worry. Nothing bad will happen to me."

"A-Are you sure?" Gladys could hear herself ask him, unable to keep her single tear from dropping.

"Absolutely." He returned the question with complete assurance, and then he caressed his beloved's face. "Will you promise to wait for me?"

Gladys nodded with a sweet smile "I will, Albert. Will you?"

"I promise, Gladys. Here, put this on," Albert suggested politely as he snatched a chained necklace with a lion in the center that carved out of wood from his pocket, and attached it around her neck. He added tenderly, "Every time you wear this, you will always think of me standing by your side."

The young nurse almost shed a tear with delight as she lightly stroked the wooden necklace. "It's beautiful! Your hands are amazing in craft. Thank you, Albert."

There was a short silence between the two lovers. Soon enough, Albert held Gladys' chin, gazing at her lovely, emerald eyes, and slowly pressed his lips against hers.

A month had passed after Albert left Africa. Gladys' body was apparently shaken when she read horrible news from the tabloid. It was like lightning striking her heart as she eyed the shattering words repeatedly. The train that was travelling in Italy was led to stupendous explosion when the Germans opened an ambush attack. None of the passengers, including Albert, survived. Suddenly, she fell to the floor, grasping the last gift Albert gave her. With her whole heart she cried soundly as if to release her anguish off of her chest. She could never acknowledge the truth that the man she loved most is gone...

...Forever.

- Fifteen years later... -

Chicago, USA...the stores in the street were incredibly crowded, especially Christmas was around the corner. Gladys was exploring around the street with the presents she was carrying. It was infinitely pleasant to observe people passing her by, walking around with their friends or loved ones. One time previously she pondered, what her life would be like if Albert were still alive? She still longed for Albert's sudden comeback in her life and they could be together once again. Would they be happier if they had a wonderful family, shopping and laughing like today? That'd be hardly possible to happen because Albert had been long dead.

All at once the nurse stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of a blonde-haired man in upper class outfit standing in front of the store window, thinking profoundly. She felt her heart pounding so intensely and looked across at the man thoroughly.

If she wasn't mistaken...his blue eyes...the shape of his nose...and his lips...seemed familiar, but his hair had gotten a little shorter...no...he couldn't be him. It was her positively the first time to see this man in expensive clothes. There was no doubt that this man was...

Albert?

Feeling uneasy, Albert noticed a female stranger out of the corner of his eye, watching him. He spun around and questioned her in friendly manner. "Yes? May I help you, ma'am?"

Gladys stepped closer to Albert, not far from crying with joy. Her heart wanted to wrap him with her arms so much. "A-Albert? Albert! D-Do you remember me? It's me, Gladys!"

"G-Gladys...?" Albert said as he furrowed his brow in confusion. "I'm not sure I remember..."

The persistent nurse placed her hand on her chest. "It's Gladys Hawkins. I was your...assistant nurse in Africa!"

The man in a dark trench coat blinked his blue eyes and then his face brightened moderately. "Gladys? Oh yes, that's right! You were my fellow worker in the Kenya province. How are you?"

"Ah, I'm great! I'm still working as a nurse, but I'm assigned in a city, not far from here. How about you?"

Suddenly feeling cold, Albert hid his hands inside his pocket and breathed out a smoke as he talked. "I've been travelling around the world for business functions and venturing new projects. I just arrived from Switzerland in Europe for important meeting two nights ago to pick up my family, and to move in that place with me."

His family?

None of them could utter a word for there was awkwardness between the former lovers. Without doubt, Gladys hadn't recovered from shock to see her previous significant other alive and well standing before her very presence. Albert batted a natural smile when he noted a stiff reaction from his old companion in Africa. He broke the silence jokingly. "W-What? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Well...um, the last time we saw each other...," Gladys said as she briefly turned her face away to cover her embarrassment, and then went back to look at him. "I...I thought you were dead. The train that you rode exploded and..."

"That's correct," Albert nodded and put his voice box on hold. He led his face towards the store window and sustained in all seriousness. "Thanks to Pouppe's sense of danger, my life was spared. After the train accident, I had completely lost my memory. I had no idea how long I had been wandering aimlessly as amnesiac, but I had heard reports that some administrators of the hospitals have had been transferring me from place to place for no one could handle me. Then, I met this young nurse in Chicago who claimed that she knew me and I knew her. She had told me of many stories of how we met. She was the only person who had shown determination to take care of me until I finally regained my memory back," He pivoted as he finished his tale. "And so, here I am, back on my feet again."

Gladys appeared to be invincibly burying her disappointment. If she had known Albert was still living, she would have courage to leave everything behind to look for her long, lost love and live together as they both promised.

Albert's eyes widened in astoundment and pointed at the small object on Gladys' neck with his right index finger. "Say...I remember this necklace...I carved this when I was on the tree with Pouppe...and I gave it to you?"

"That's right, Albert, and you presented this to me when we..." the nurse got back sublimely at supposed-to-be-dead lover, however her sentence was cut short as a booming feminine voice was heard from the background.

"There you are, Albert!" called out a young pregnant woman with a hair of gold and freckles on her upper nose, walking side by side with her nine-year old son [A] and Great Aunt Elroy [B]. She slid her arms around Albert's waist and dropped him a quick peck on his cheek as she carried on, "I'm sorry we're late! It took Anthony so long for him to decide to pick his own toy! Did we make you wait very long?"

Albert softly kissed his young wife on her lips and greeted her jovially with his hand on her shoulder. "Oh no, it's fine, Candy! You arrived just in time!" He, then returned to Gladys' path. "Gladys, I'd like you to meet my wife who looked after me when I lost my memory, Candy. Sweetheart, this is Gladys, the nurse I told you about when I was in Kenya." Afterwards, he smoothly pulled his son to him and laid his hands on the boy's shoulders. "And this is Anthony. Won't you say hello to her, son?"

Anthony, who was carrying his large toy in his forearm, simply did look so much like his father. He greeted with a big smile on his childish face, offering his other hand to shake with his father's friend. "Hello! How do you do?"

Gladys reached out her hand. "Hello, Anthony! It's nice to meet you!"

"Hello, Gladys! Finally, we met! Albert wasn't kidding when he described you as my look-a-like twin! He once told me about you in his letter!" exclaimed Candy in her usual, enthusiastic manner.

Gladys forcibly answered with a giggle to shield her discomfort. "I'm delighted to meet you, Candy. Yes, he did often mention you during our break time, and he likes to joke around about our similarities!"

"I was being honest in what I see, ladies, at first I thought I was having a double vision!" Albert implied defensively with a mocking chuckle, scratching his head. He approached the old woman to get her turn. "And Gladys, this is my Aunt, Elroy. Auntie, this is an old friend of mine from my travels." She only nodded and let out a smile.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you, Madame."

"Enchanted," Aunt Elroy replied softly.

"Well? We really have to move on. We won't be staying any longer, Gladys, but it is so great to see you after all these years!" Albert said apologetically as he took the shopping bag from his wife.

Gladys shook her head quickly and claimed, "Oh no, I have to go ahead as well. It's also good to see you and your family!"

As they bid farewell to Gladys, they exchanged Christmas greetings with her, and left the area. There was a trace of contentment on her face as she kept her eyes on departing Albert and his family. He hasn't changed a bit, she thought. It brought her a complete satisfaction as to discover that her former dearest one who shared the promise with her was in great condition and was extremely happy for his new life.

"Mommy!" Gladys went around as soon as she heard a voice coming from her behind. A girl in pre-teen was closing in to her, carrying a few shopping bags along with her father, who was richly dressed the same way as Albert.

"Hello, Shirley! Are you done shopping your presents for your friends?" Gladys held her daughter's shoulders as she popped a question.

"Yes, Mommy. Where did you go?" the young teen talked back in good spirits. She glided her hand in her mother's arm as if they were best of friends. "We're almost late for Aunt Maggie's birthday party. Let's go?"

"Let's go! Hello, Ralph, darling!" The nurse appealed to her loving husband and kissed him as she felt his hand around her waist.

And soon, Gladys was plainly grateful for the abundant happiness she sensed from her wounded heart that she let go from the past as she walked away with her new family.

-The End-

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Disclaimer: The characters in this story Albert Andrew, Candy White, Aunt Elroy, except Gladys Hawkins mainly belong to author Kyoko Mizuki and illustrated by Yumiko Igarashi, and aired on the television by TOEI Animation, Co., Tokyo in the late 1970's. This fanfic is for non-commercial, entertainment purposes only.

Footnotes:

[A.] This is to credit Malena Matin as her fanart of Albert and pregnant Candy with a little boy that motivated me to write this short fanfic. You can also find her other works called 'Malena Matin Creativity' in Facebook site.

h t t p :/ sphotos. xx. fbcdn. net/ hphotos-ash4/s720x720/486204 _ 389252971103077 _ 151784811516562 _ 1430473 _ 1215717767 _ n. jpg (I had to separate the texts for this site doesn't accept links.)

[B.] Candy and Aunt Elroy being in good terms are captivated from an idea in Kyoko Mizuki's Candy Candy Final Story in Volume 3, pages 260-263, when Candy sent a second letter to Albert's aunt regarding her approval of Archie Cornwell and Annie Brighton's engagement. Some fans have reasons to believe that Albert and Candy are already married months after the Cornwells' marriage.