Disclaimer: The characters belong to Mizuki and Igarashi, this was written only for entertaining purposes.
I would like to thank my good friend CandyFan72 for her help in the translation.
This is dedicated to kellyelin, I promised and here it is.
Miami, Florida; October 13th, 1915
Dear Candy,
I hope these lines find you in good health and that you are enjoying your change of residence to Pony's Home. I found that detail from Johnson, as he mentioned it to my father during a business meeting that they had.
Candy, I shall be brief. The purpose of this letter is to communicate you my decision, because it is partly because of you that I've decided to do what I am about to tell you: I am going to enlist as a volunteer to go to war. Yes, it is just as your read it; this time is not a threat or a hoax. By the time you read this letter, I will be heading towards the front. The months I have spent here in Florida, hoping to get over your rejection, have been very difficult. I have worked a lot with my father and we had contemplated the possibility of combining my work in business with law studies here at the University of Florida. But that will have to wait until my return. Despite having so much to do and having to adapt to my new life, I simply cannot forget you. I realized that my love for you is not just another caprice as everyone, yourself included, think. This feeling had always been here, in my chest, not knowing how to get out or manifest itself. When I tried to force you to marry me, I truly thought I was doing something good for you, since I knew that no one would love you more than me, that no one would protect you as fiercely as I would; I also knew that I would do anything for you every day to make you happy by my side.
However, I could not make you see that, and I understand that you saw in me only the one whom had made your childhood and youth miserable. The hard work and the long talks I have held with my father here have helped me see all the mistakes I have made, and not just with you. I used the tricks I was accustomed to play with and I lost. We all came to Florida to get away from the scorn of Chicago's society; but once here I've realized that my personal demons were not left behind, they are still here with me.
The first time I threatened to enlist was only because I knew that it was the one thing that great aunt Elroy and my mother feared the most. I do not wish to cause them any sorrow but this is something that I must do. Of all the things I have said and done, there are few that I could remedy and this is something I can accomplish. I leave with the hope that the fire of war purifies me and makes me a better man, a worthy man; if not worthy of you, at least of a woman half as good as you Candy. If I ever return and we see each other again, I will be able to look at you in the eye knowing I did my duty and kept my promise and, who knows? Maybe by then you will be able to see me differently. If I do not return, I know I will reunite with our ancestors and I will not be ashamed because I will know that I gave my life fighting like a man.
Always yours,
Neal Leagan.
####, France; February 10th, 1916
Dear Candy,
Thank you very much for reading my letter and, specially, for answering it. Only you and my father have written to me, although he always includes greetings from my mom. I am glad that everything is going so well for you. I really do not have much to tell yet, so far I am only getting thru basic training. I have not made many friends and I have been involved in a few fights, and although no one fights for me anymore, I did not do too badly in them. I've earned a couple of punishments from my superiors though, but I know I've earned their respect as well. I have remembered you a lot, because adjacent to the training camp there is a hospital and there are a lot of nurses, some of them are also American.
You know, I was really surprised when I read what you told me, that Eliza wrote to you requesting you to ask me to go back, and I appreciate you doing it, even though neither she nor I deserve your help. Nevertheless, I cannot go back now, I reiterate, as being here is not just a passing whim. My father says that even Eliza's engagement party and wedding to a Florida landowner has been postponed until my return, as she has requested this.
Soon I will be sent into action, most likely to a trench or, because of my riding skills, maybe to a reconnaissance mission. I cannot wait to show my real worth, because over there the name Leagan or being part of the Andrew clan will be of little importance. If someone asks, tell them not to worry, I did not come here with the intention of letting some stupid German kill me, I plan to put up some fight. I told that to my father as well, I know he is mortified.
I say goodbye and as always, I wish you every happiness.
Always yours,
Neal Leagan
####, France; May 15th, 1916
Dear Candy,
Again thank you very much for continuing to write to me and for keeping an eye on my father; Eliza has also begun to write and she even sent a package with some handkerchiefs she embroidered herself, I believe her because it is not the finest stitch I have ever seen.
Finally I was in the front, having spent a few weeks in a trench; I became friends with a nice English guy, John Ronald, he always smokes a pipe and writes constantly. He just graduated back in England and wants to be a professor and publish a book; he says that, sadly, he is getting a lot of material from this war. I barely smoked before, but here I have done it more often, especially to kill time and to keep Ronald company.
Being here really gets to someone, it is heartbreaking to see your barrack fellow men get blown to pieces by enemy fire, and when one has to choose between sparing a German or the survival of one of us (myself included), it'd rather be one of us, it is hard nonetheless.
Soon I will be sent to a rescue mission, a German quarter has been detected and it is known that they keep some prisoners in there. I will be part of the reconnaissance unit, and then we will proceed to attack. Wish me sucess, hopefully we will help someone return home.
May you always be happy, Candy.
Always yours,
Neal Leagan
PS I was promoted, I am a sergeant now.
Thank your for reading and reviewing.