CHAPTER ELEVEN: FROM AFAR
Chicago, 7th October 1922
Candy went to the changing room and took her uniform off. The long day was finally over. She was physically exhausted, but her soul was singing. She had assisted in a very complicated surgery with doctor Jacobs, the legend! And he praised her! Her! What an honor!
When she was getting ready to leave the building, the heavens opened up. She looked up at the dreary grey sky and sighed with disappointment as the rain fell harder and harder. Out of all the days in the week, it had to rain today, when she had left her umbrella at home! It was so sunny in the morning that she didn't even think of taking it with her.
She waited for a few minutes but it didn't look like the rain was going let up anytime soon and she knew that she had to wait for another opportunity to enjoy her successful day. There was no chance for that joyful slow walk through the park she had hoped for. She looked up again, and only this time, she saw a tenebrous dark sky. There was no other way; she could either wait God knows how long until the rain stopped or run now, in a very naïve hope that she will make it home before she soaks completely through. No, she was just too tired to wait it out, she just wanted to get home as soon as possible.
Candy stood at the entrance to the building for just a few more seconds and as soon as the heavy downpour relaxed to a dirty blattering*7*, she grabbed her cape and lifted it above her head. Using her makeshift umbrella, she ran as fast as she could but just as she had feared, her cape soaked through within seconds. By the time she reached her street, she was all bedraggled. But at least she was home. She fumbled with her keys and lock, getting wetter by the second as the rain beat down relentlessly. Finally, she was in. Candy managed to get up three steps of the staircase when she looked back and stopped; in her mail box she noticed a flash of white paper. A letter! She smiled and jumped down the three steps excitedly. She opened the compartment and looked inside. No, not a letter; two letters. The impatient part in her wanted to read them right this instant, but she was shivering and the part of her called common sense told her to get changed before she catches a cold. Candy looked down and noticed that she was standing in a small puddle which wasn't there before. Getting changed out of these soaking wet clothes first was a good idea.
The rain in October wasn't the same as in August... she thought a little later, enjoying the warmness of her cashmere sweater, additionally supported by a warm cozy blanket, cocooned around her body. She glanced at the window. It was still raining. She wriggled around for a moment, trying to nestle herself in the most comfortable position in the armchair. When she finally succeeded, she reached over to the coffee table and picked up the letters and a mug of steaming hot cocoa. She opened the first letter and took a sip from her mug. The hot sweet chocolaty nectar instantly began doing its job. Just as the blanket was doing its job warming her on the outside, this hot sacchariferous goodness was warming her up on the inside. Sipping slowly, she began reading.
The first letter was short.
'Candy,' she read, 'Where have you been recently? I couldn't catch you anywhere and since you have refused to have a telephone, I can't even call you… You work too much… Please, let me know when you will have at least an afternoon off. I would like to invite you to the restaurant. There's so much to talk about…
I miss you - Annie'
I know, Annie… she thought. I miss you too... But there was so much going on in the hospital lately…
The second letter wasn't signed on the back of the envelope but she recognized the handwriting straight away. She would have recognized this handwriting anywhere.
She placed her mug back on the coffee table and expectantly tore open the envelope.
Washington, 2nd Oct 1922
'Hey, you…' she read, hearing the low, silky voice of the sender. His voice resounded in her mind so often that she had no problem imagining that he was standing right next to her and saying all those words by himself. 'We are still on the business trip and of course all my hopes of dealing with everything as fast as possible, has now disappeared in a puff of smoke. Just my luck! Things have gotten a little complicated in Washington and we had to stay here a bit longer. I nearly forgot how exhausting, yet, boring business meetings can be! Believe me, after a year of living a totally different life I find myself barely capable of focusing again on all of those reports, billings, statements and business offers… At some point it all becomes just a pile of papers and each single page is only a wall of words, written in this recondite, bureaucratic style that I hate so much… I'm actually angry with myself for being so distracted for I should, as a head of the family, be more responsible and focused and so on and so on… Thank God for George and for his never ending patience. His scrupulosity in organizing everything to the detail is unbelievable and enviable…'
Candy stopped reading and mused for a second, blankly looking at the sky through the window. The storm cloud had dissipated, leaving behind a darkening sky. That's true, she said to herself, smiling. George is sometimes invaluable… But I doubt he would have ever believed his ears if someone told him that Albert envied him in a way…
'Now, as I'm sending this letter, we are finally leaving for Pittsburgh, next will be Cleveland and Detroit. I do sincerely hope that everything will go smoothly, with no further delays and then we can get back to Chicago before Christmas…
"Christmas?" she complained out loud, again, lifting her eyes from the letter, "Christmas? As far as I know, it was supposed to be only for one month!"
'Haha, got you!' she continued reading, 'You believed it, didn't you? I can imagine your angry face and how you impatiently stopped right in the middle of the sentence, complaining: "it was only going to be a month!" I guessed right, didn't I? I know I did…'
"Very funny, you teaser,"she smirked. A smile of fondness immediately curled her lips.
'And just for the record: I was just kidding… We will definitely be back before November! It's all because of this delay and believe me, it doesn't make me any happy either. I already feel like I've been on this trip forever. I never thought I was going to say it but I miss home… and not only home… You have quite a few dozen doppelgangers', I see you in almost every blond girl with curls. But nobody has your smile… I miss that smile so much… I miss everything in you… And how about you? Do you miss me, even just a little?'
Did she miss him? There hadn't been a day that had gone by without her constantly thinking about him! After he had come back from Lakewood, they met up a few times. She was a little worried that maybe the spell of the summer will fade and they will be embarrassed, unsure of how to act in this new union between them, but no, it felt just right. They had simply spent time together, enjoying each others company. Last year cast a huge shadow on their trust, and now they had to rediscover each other in some new way, but it felt that it was a right way. It was, from the very beginning, from the very first minute she spent in Lakewood, from day one. And yes, she missed him now. She missed him more and more with each passing day. But her longing was totally different from the one last year. This time she missed him and she missed him terribly but there was no bitterness in this longing. This longing was bitter sweet, impatient and calm the same time. Impatient; because she couldn't wait to see him again; calm – because she knew that sonner or later that he will eventually come back. And the sweet part was the certainty that this time he will come back to her…
She looked at the letter again to read the remaining lines.
'I hope you are well? The summer was gorgeous, but the autumn is horrible this year. Don't run without your scarf, as you usually do when you leave for work in the morning, lost in thought!'
Yeah, it wouldn't feel like Albert, if he didn't remind her of her absent-mindedness after all!
'I wish I had you here, with me, everything is so grey without your smile… I can't wait to see you.
Yours, Albert.'
Candy smiled warmly. She could wait. It was worth waiting... And at least they had those letters. And this time she did have a return address. And she was going to use it. And not just once…
She could wait.
O O O
*7* Dirty blattering – according to BBC it's a strange driving rain that seems to have a supernatural ability to get you wet, even when you just look at it from the safety of your front door. It hammers against windows, and waves of water seem to pour off roofs, down gutters and against bus shelters. ;) Fancy reading more? Visit http:// www. bbc. co. uk/ dna /h2g2 /A14281265
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