Chapter 4: Lost love

It was a midsummer day, the sun shone brightly in the sky and the birds were singing. Candy was in the rose garden waiting for Anthony. The lovely scent of the roses filled the air. She heard a gentle voice calling:"Candy! Candy!" and she turned around…It was Anthony. They ran to each other and kissed…"Anthony" she whispered and opened her eyes.

It was midnight and when Candy turned around, she saw Penny sleeping in the other bed. Couple of days had passed since her arrival there and within those days she had found a totally new world. She still couldn´t describe everything that she had seen or experienced. She had slept like a log in previous nights, but something woke her up this time. She got up and walked to the window. When she looked out, she saw John standing beside a tree. "What was he doing there in a middle of the night?"she wondered and walked to him. It was quite a warm night and the stars shone brightly…

John:"Candy! What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

Candy:"I had a dream…"

John:"Was it a nightmare?"

Candy:"No. It was very nice dream I had, but then I woke up."

John:"I see…"

Candy:"What are you doing here?"

John:"I am here every night, because I wake up after having that same nightmare and I can´t sleep well after that. So I come here to watch my star."

Candy:"What do you mean by "the nightmare"?"

John:"I keep having that same nightmare all over again. Some minor details changes by every dream, but the main part always stays the same…"

Candy was surprised. Why would he have that same nightmare all over again? What was it about?

Candy:"every night?! You should see a doctor!"

John:"Thank you for your concern, but I´m kind of accustomed…That nightmare has been with me for years and I almost think it´s normal…"

Candy:"There´s nothing normal about having the same nightmare all over again…" Then Candy realized how awful her statement must have heard."I…I didn´t mean, that there´s nothing… " she blushed.

John:"I know, what you meant…Perhaps you are right, I should see a doctor."

There had been something that had been bothering her ever since she had come to the island. Now, she thought, was the perfect time to ask about it.

Candy:" Tell me why your eyes are so…empty?"

John:"What? Are my eyes empty? I haven´t really noticed…"

Candy:"Yes, they are. Every time I´m looking into your eyes, I see emptiness and sadness…Why?"

John:"So you can see through me just like my daughter and brother. They always say the same…But no one else pays attention to my eyes."

Candy:"I don´t believe that! You have such beautiful eyes!" She blushed again.

John:"I knew someone a long time ago…when I think about it, it feels like it had been a life time since…" he was gazing at the sky, but still he couldn´t hide his tears."There was this girl I was in love with. I thought we would spend the rest of our lives together, but then…I lost her."

Candy felt sad too and… she felt as if she could almost feel his pain. After all, she had lost someone special too.

Candy:"You still miss her."

John:"Yes, very much. There´s an empty place in my heart."

Candy took his hand and he turned around to Candy. Their eyes met and for a moment she thought she saw Anthony…"No, Candy!" she turned her face from him. She could feel how tears fell down her cheeks.

Candy:"I know how you feel, because I have experienced that too…I fell in love and thought that we would be together forever, but then, all of a sudden…I lost him."

Then John touched her face gently and she turned her face towards him. He lifted his eyes towards the night sky and searched it like he was looking for something. He pointed a star in the sky.

John:"Do you see that small star over there?"

Candy:"Where?"

John:"Over there on your left."

Candy:"Yes, I see it now."

John:"She´s Stella."

Candy:"Stella?"

John:"Yes. Stella is my lucky star. It´s like a Northern star for me, you see. Where ever I travel to, I´ll always look at the night sky and search that star. It really doesn´t matter where I am, I´ll always see her. When I look at my star, I´ll remember her, the girl I lost…"

Candy:"I want to have a star too."

John:"All right. Hmm…" he searched the sky again and found a new star:"how about that one over there, next to Stella, but on the right?"

Candy:"That one? It´s beautiful! Yes! I want that one!"

John:"It´s yours! What are you going to call it?"

Candy thought for a while and then said:"Hope! One thing I´ve learned from my life is that if everything else is lost, there´s still always hope. Hope for the better tomorrow!"

John:"You´re wise, but…Why not try to make better today instead of hoping for better tomorrow?"

Candy:"But how? There´s always something on your way…"

John:"I think that you can do a lot by being strong and not to do what people wants you to do, if that´s not what you want…And Candy…We will always be on your side, no matter what happens."

Candy:"Oh John…"

John:" I promise to come every night here with you to watch our stars."

Candy:"…" she was so emotional that she didn´t know what to reply.

John:"So, will you try to love today instead of tomorrow?"

Candy:"I´ll try!"

John and Candy looked at each other deep in the eyes and their lips almost touched each other, when they saw a shooting star in the sky.

John:"Candy! Look! There´s a shooting star!"

Candy:"I´ve never seen one before! It´s beautiful!"

John:"Quickly! Make a wish!"

Candy closed her eyes and wished…She wished that she would finally find her happiness.

John:"What did you wish for?"

Candy smiled secretly:"I´m not going to tell you. If I did, it wouldn´t come true! Did you wish?"

John:"Yes, I did." He had hoped that Candy would always be happy and that she didn´t have to feel sorrow ever again…

That night Candy stayed awake for a long time, because she thought of everything that had happened to her in those few days. She had come here to find out about Anthony. She didn´t find him, but what she did find was something new and unexpected…A family. Penny was curious and brave by nature and she was obviously fond of Candy, just as much candy was fond of her. Then there was John…He had seen much in his life and suffered much, but he was still gentle and loving. He reminded her of Anthony, not just by the way he looked, but some other way as well…

Then the next morning came and when Candy woke up, Penny was eating her breakfast Regina next to her. The coffee was boiling. Penny seemed as happy as always playing with Regina.

Penny:"Good morning, Candy!"

Regina came to Candy to say a good morning in her way; by licking her face.

Candy:"Good morning!"

Penny:"Dad has already gone to fishing and won´t be here until noon."

Candy looked around her; it looked a little bit untidy. John had left so early and he didn´t want to wake them up by cleaning the cabin, where they slept.

Candy:"Why don´t we clean this cabin for him?"

Penny:"Yeah!"

Meanwhile in Lakewood Albert was expecting news from George. He was in his room, when there was a knock on his door.

Albert:"Come in."

George:" We have checked every possible hospital nearby and found nothing. I mean, there´s no records of him at all."

Albert:"What do you mean? A doctor must have examined him after the accident and there should be a record of it."

George:"But there isn´t…Maybe I´ll pay the hospital a visit after closing time."

Albert:"Do that George…I just found out that Candy is stuck on an island with that man she´s been looking for. I want to find out exactly, who he is."

George:"What´s his name?"

Albert:"John Harrison. He has a daughter called Penny, who is fourteen and half years old."

George:"I´m on it, sir."

Albert:"There´s some details about him to get started with."

Meanwhile on the island, Penny and Candy had finished cleaning the cabin and were now lying on a rock near the see with Regina. The wind was blowing gently…

Penny:"This is one of my favorite spot of our island!"

Candy:"I can see that! It´s just so nice to lie down here…"

Penny:"Dad used to tell me about his travels."

Candy:"Which story was your favorite?"

Penny:"The one with the white cliffs!"

Candy:"White cliffs?"

Penny:"Yes. My dad travelled through England before the war. He travelled from coast to coast visiting almost every town. Then one day, he was on a boat near Dover, when he saw those white cliffs! He had never seen anything so white! He said that he´ll never forget those white cliffs."

Candy closed her eyes and tried to imagine the cliffs. "That must have been quite an experience!"

Penny:"He promised to take me there someday to see those white cliffs!"

Candy:"That´s wonderful!"

Penny:"I love rocks! Big, small, medium…every rock! I´m going to be an archaeologist!"

Candy laughed. Her laughter mixed with the whirring of the wind. For the first time in years she laughed from the bottom of her heart. It was warm and tender laugh…