The sunflowers

A h ! S u n - flower

Ah, Sun-flower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the Sun,
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller's journey is done:

Where the Youth pined away with desire,

And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow
Arise from the their graves, and aspire
Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.

William Blake

( America, January 1934, Pony's home )

''The most innocent and carefree... fun!'' Candy thought affectionately, while she watched the little girl Teresa, happy playing snowball fight with her children but also with the rest children of the orphanage.

It was a beautiful winter morning, a few days after the New Years day, that Candy decided to give herself some rest and stay at the home she grew up - the home that she had always felt that will be her shelter.

She was sitting together with Mrs. Pony at her cozy small study while drinking tea and chatting from time to time in tranquility. The sweet lady Pony, although quite elderly now to run the orphanage - Candy along with sister Lane had arrange to find a lot of new people, as a schoolteacher, a nurse, even two more nuns, in order to continue the proper functioning of the orphanage – she was still a fairly perceptive woman.

Observing the once smiling face of her daughter, she saw in how much care Candy was watching the little chestnut girl.

- ''She's cute as a bug, Teresa…and she shows to like our home!'' Mrs. Pony said softly but Candy was casted suddenly as if she had come out of a daydream.

- ''Yes! Yes...Mrs. Pony, indeed she shows that she adjusted very fast!''

- "She also shows a particular fondness for the young master Antony and Rosy''

- ''This is true, from the first moment she met them, Teresa reacted quite differently than with the other children, especially with... Anthony'', Candy agreed slowly and thought ''... as if she found her own prince ...''

- "I believe she will miss them very much when they'll go back to London…'' Mrs. Pony said almost sadly.

- ''Hmm…I know... I wish it can be otherwise, but ...''

- ''Candy, my girl, why don't you take her back with you?''

- ''You know why Mrs. Pony... It's impossible with my working schedule… My free time is so rare… I cannot take care of her as I would want... the case of Anthony and Rosy is entirely different, they are adolescent children now, attending school, they don't need me twenty-four hours over their heads, at some time, I suspect that they would not want me also!'' Candy said and smiled faintly,'' ... however Teresa, she needs full care and she…''.

- '' You're probably right ... my child.'' The elderly lady agreed.

- ''... She has something in her eyes that reminds me of something... and I cannot explain it ... as if I know those couple of eyes ...'' Candy nearly said to herself, making obvious her thoughts.

''... because are exactly like his...'', even the same Mrs. Pony was taken aback by her thinking, but she preferred not to say anything to Candy, that most likely upset her.

Their small however tranquility ended from a knock at the door, which opened immediately and appeared Annie's smiling face.

- ''Annie dear! I wasn't expecting you today!''Candy said in surprise.

- ''I guess you have forgotten that I was coming to pick you up!'' Annie replied cheerfully giving a tender first kiss to Mrs. Pony and then hugging her friend.

- ''Ah! No, no! Annie I already told you, I'm not going anywhere!''

- '' Candy... why don't you reconsider it...?'' Annie mumbled, feeling defeated from the tone of her friend.

- ''Good to have your question... you have just two months that you gave birth and you want to start travelling?!''

- '' Oh, don't worry about it! Mary will come with us also! And my doctor said that I can travel more over traveling its soothing for the babies!''

- ''Who is Mary ?!''

- ''Our new nanny!''

Candy didn't reply, after all what to say to Annie, which was certainly not a new mom. During all these years Annie, had proved how worthy she was of raising her children.

- ''So ... Candy. Can we go now to fix your suitcases?!''Annie insisted.

- ''No! I have come here to get some rest, not to travel up to New York! If I knew that, I would have stayed at Chicago's offices, still working!''.

What Candy said however, gave Annie new courage.

- ''Um… yes, at the offices in Chicago…it's very interesting indeed... especially lately!'' She responded with a mischievous unexpected style for Annie, which actually surprised Candy.

- '' I don't get what you implying Annie, I always have something important to do at the office, you must know it that from Archie too!'' Candy said stubbornly.

- ''Yes, I do know it, but since that day that started arriving…the flower bouquets, definitely has a real interest!''

- ''Annie!'' Candy almost cried stunned.

Annie chuckled mischievously and ignoring Candy, she turned to Mrs. Pony.

- ''Did you know Mrs. Pony that our Candy, has a secret admirer?!''

The ever enthusiastic Mrs. Pony smiled widely.

- "Goodness! Really?!''

- "Annie, stop it!'' Candy pleaded blushing slightly, reminding to the other two women, the old Sweet Candy.

Annie ignored her once again.

- ''Well Mrs. Pony, they say... in fact Archie told me, that they have gone crazy at Chicago's office with all those flowers! Every day a new bouquet of gorgeous flowers is arriving, and every time they don't know who the sender is!''

Candy's mind went automatically to the day that the first bouquet came.

Two weeks more or less, that she had returned to America and one day that she had a mini board meeting with Archie, her secretary walked in her office with a huge bouquet of sunflowers.

- ''Agnes, what are these?!'' Candy asked in surprise and a bit annoyed.

- ''Mrs. Ardley, I apologize for bothering you, but a delivery boy brought them, um this bouguet... a moment ago and he said that it's for you ...''

- '' He said, who sends it and why?''

- ''No, I 'm sorry Mrs. Ardley…''

- ''Very well, thank you Agnes ...''

Archie went to stand up and say something but Candy caught him off. She took the bouquet from the hands of Agnes and immediately searched to see if there was a card sender. Surprisingly she found that there was a small envelope.

Candy didn't even have to read what the little card wrote; when she took out the note from the envelope. From the very first letter, she had recognized the elegant handwriting.

1 January 1913

It was the only thing written, but Candy had understood.

- ''Who's sending the sunflowers, Candy?!'' Archie asked, trying in vain to hide in his voice tone, his curiosity.

''... Sunflowers ... flowers of devotion ... of the eternal love ...'' Candy thought and felt her eyes aching as she was holding her tears with great effort. She turned to the window of the office, where on a coffee table was an empty vase and with caution she placed the bouquet, by adding water from a jug.

Still looking the beautiful sunflowers, with her back turned to Archie and a wooden voice answered him.

- '' The card is empty, says nothing ...''

- ''Nothing?! From whom do you think they are…?''

- ''... from someone, who's totally crazy'' sounded ironically Candy,'' ... but they are beautiful ... definitely from someone crazy!'' She completed and Archie never found out what was written on the card. As well as he never saw, Candy's warm green gaze that sparkled from happiness as she embraced the golden sunflowers, with her eyes.

Over the next days, that first bouquet followed a second, and a third; and they kept coming, every day. Every day with a new specific kind of flower. After the sunflowers, came a purple bouquet full of lilacs! Lilacs in the winter! And it was like the flowers were shouting,

''You still love me''. Next it was the red tulips of passion and the pink orchids of pure love. And each kind of flower, each new bouquet every day, was hiding words and meanings that only Candy understood. Although the card was always the same...

- '' The sender must be someone definitely crazy!'' Said Candy and she tried to change the conversation, ''... So Annie, what other news you have…?!''

- ''You know why I came here Candy, don't try to avoid it'', replied Annie, leaving aside the discussion about the bouquets.

- ''Without wishing to intervene Candy my child; in what exactly Annie's referring to?!''

Candy puffed, as much as if she could be scolding Annie, when it concerned Mrs. Pony and Sister Lane, she always subsided. With a light gesture of her hand, gave the free to Annie explaining to the elderly woman.

-'' Mrs. Pony, do you remember Karen Kreis?''

- ''But of course! In fact we have seen her at the movies with Sister Lane! I could tell you that she has become a great Hollywood star!'' the woman completed full gaiety.

Candy puffed again and Annie left a short giggle.

- ''Well, Karen had sent us invitations for the premiere of her new movie in New York!'' She said enthusiastically Annie.

- ''Oh! Candy, this is wonderful!'' Mrs. Pony said sharing Annie's excitement.

''I knew it!'' Candy thought sulking.

- '' That's what I said too Mrs. Pony! Such society's events, we must not leave them get lost so! Let that Archie is very excited that he will be able to meet Eleanor Baker long at last!''

Candy's ears stretched on hearing of the name but she didn't speak.

- '' Is also staring Miss Eleanor Baker in the film?!'' She asked throughout yearning Mrs. Pony.

- ''Yes, the cast of the movie is really brilliant, as also the first male role has it the very handsome and famous Clark Garrison!''

- '' My! My! That sounds like a dream'', added Mrs. Pony and she looked Candy full of hope.

- '' Ah ... why are you doing this to me...?'' Candy asked still sulking.

- '' We don't do anything Candy my child, you are closing yourself alone ...''

- ''Mrs. Pony, you know very well that I ...''

- ''Yes, I know Candy'', interrupted her, the elder woman, ''... we all know, but perhaps it's about time to break the shell that you build around yourself and go out in the world ...''

- ''... But…'', Candy went to say, however Mrs. Pony continued undeterred. As they continue all mothers in the world when they talk and advise their children.

- ''Listen to me my girl Candy, you're still very young… and you don't even realize it yourself. The fact that you have started working in your family businesses, although you have done good, that doesn't mean that you have a social life ''.

- ''I don't need a social life! And after all, when must, I 'm going to all these foolish banquets! What else can I do more?! I have everything that I want!'' Candy said stubbornly.

- ''No my child, you don't have it ...''

- ''I know what you want to say Mrs. Pony; and I'm sorry that I'm so absolute, but for me that chapter has been closed''.

- ''... of the social life or the love, my child?! ''She asked very simply Mrs. Pony.

Candy stared at her startled. From Mrs. Pony's eyes, she could understand that her mother knew her much better than she thought or assumed. Yes, partly inside her, the love chapter was closed, but that didn't imply that Mrs. Pony wasn't aware that Candy still loved Terry and that she would always love him. What however Mrs. Pony was unaware and Candy herself would never dare to confess openly, was that Terry came back in her life in some way, and she was so much afraid of that.

She was afraid to let the first signs of happiness to dominate her and most of all to be seen by the others. That fear though, Mrs. Pony had distinguished it. So, Candy in an attempt not to grant up in conversation, that most likely would leading her to utter words that she wasn't ready to be spelled them out, she avoided to respond to Mrs. Pony. Moving her shoulders in a defeated gesture she turned to Annie.

- ''... very well, it seems that I cannot deal up with both of you... together. Annie, you won. I'm going to pack up my suitcase and call George to inform him that I will stop by the offices at New York''.

- '' Candy!'' Annie cried between joy and protest.

- ''Annie, I said that I will come to the premiere, but don't you wish that I'll waste the rest of my time in window-shopping or shopping what so ever!'' Candy completed stubbornly and she left the room.

When the door closed, Annie turned to Mrs. Pony.

- ''I think that I'm going to help her to pack, if I leave her alone, she most likely not to take one evening dress with her!''

- ''Annie ...''

- '' Yes, Mrs. Pony?''

- '' Before, you'll go Annie, I would like to talk to you about something, now that we are alone…''

The brunette woman looked at her worried.

- '' You don't feel well Mrs. Pony?''

- ''No, do not worry my child, I'm fine. Simply I think it's the right moment, we had agreed with Sister Lane that at some time, to tell you about an incident that happened many years ago. One winter day, at the time that Candy was on her honeymoon, we had here at the orphanage an unexpected visit ... from ...''

Annie's eyes opened wide by surprise and just completed Mrs. Pony's sentence.

- ''...from Terry ...?!''

to be continued ...