The Lake House
Chapter 3
"Learning to know each other"
Terry was wondering when Candy was going to write him again. Did she believe this incredible story? Or did she think it's just a game? He prayed she remains in contact with him.
Candy went back home and she was thinking. Everything that had happened at the Lake House was not a game… He said he went to her address and that her building was not built yet and she knew from a sure source that her building was brand new… It was probably craziness, maybe she was hallucinating with him… A collective hallucination with two years apart? No… She decided to accept what was going on and she started writing regularly to her mysterious penpal from the past.
"Dear Master Grandchester,
We should introduce ourselves properly. My name is Candice White, they call me Candy and I'm a doctor, devoted to heal the sick at least I'm trying… You can call me Candy…"
oOoOoOo
"Hello Candy,
My name is Terrence Grandchester, you can call me Terry and I'm an architect…I like to build. Well, I wouldn't say that my actual project is idealistic… it allows me to stay here and this place for now is enough for me at the moment.
But tell me something, if you're working in Chicago now, where were you two years ago, in my time?"
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"Two years ago, in your time, I as in internal medicine in Lakewood…"
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"Tell me about the future, how is the world in 2006?"
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"Well, I'm afraid the world is more or less the same. Of course we all dress up in shinny jumpsuits in metal and we ride in flying cars and nobody talks because we can read each other's minds mutually… But the truth isk man of the past, there's not that many changed in 2006. About the past; I was thinking about the dog paw traces. How is it possible?"
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"I think we have the same dog…"
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"Really? What does yours look like? According to the vet, mine is 8 years old, thus 6 in your time. She's yellow with clear eyes, she snores and she sleeps like nobody else. I don'tknow why, but I call her "Huey"…
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After reading that, Terry looked at the dog who was lying down on it's back looking at him and he said:
- Hi Huey!
And the dog stood up all of a sudden and looked at him. Terry smiled.
oOoOoOo
Candy was doing her rounds. She was on call at night. She saw light in the room of a little sick girl. She was watching television, it was a black and white movie.
- Daisy? Said Candy, shouldn't you be sleeping?
The little girl was looking at the television screen, the couple it was showing were kissing.
- You think she's going to get marry with him?
- I don't know, said Candy, what do you think?
- I think he's too old.
Candy laughed. The movie that was on was "Notorious? With Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.
- He's not too old…
- My mother was dating a man who was bald once. He was nice but she didn't get married to him…
- Really?
- She always said that something better might come along at the corner… Maybe the lady in the movie should do the same thing, maybe something better is coming around the corner.
- Maybe… but if she's not careful, she might spend her whole life waiting…
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"Sorry, I didn't go to the mailbox lately, the week has been long and the nights too, I was on call the whole week…"
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"Glad to hear from you. I thought you had left me. You should know that you're my only link with the future. Why don't we never talked about the things we love?"
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"Let's see, I read classics to Huey…"
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"What's your favourite?"
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"Dostoiesvski"
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" For me, it's the city, this ciry, the days when the light is so bright that I can touch all the details of the bricks and the windows of the buildings that I love. Come one, come and have a walk with me this Saturday. Let me show you…"
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"You're crazy…"
He has sent her a map of the city, marking the places he wanted her to visit.
"Why are you bothering yourself like that for me?"
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"It's not a bother…, summer is starting."
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Candy followed the itinerary that Terry has sent her and she visited all of his favourite places. And Terry was doing the same thing on his time line.
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"All right, it's your turn, what's your favourite thing?"
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"Where do I start? All right… when I smell the flowers before I see them. When it starts to rain, just when the lunch on the grass is done. And… I love the smell of Huey's paws".
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"You didn't forget to mention your husband, did you?"
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"Oh, of course I love my husband. Who is also a doctor. He's a plastic surgeon, for farm animals."
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"That's great, I'm also married and I have eight children and none of them look like me. I'm a little worried. Candy?"
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"I would be too, in your place."
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Terry had a little laugh.
"I'm single."
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"Me too. Oh wow! The number 27…"
She was in front of a very beautiful house…
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"It's a beauty. My father used to say, that it was the grandmother of all the houses of the city. He would take me on a walk like I'm doing with you right now."
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"Terry?"
oOoOoOo
"Candy"
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"I wish I had made this walk with you."
Candy has arrived at a place where there was a wall full of graffitis and there was a message from Terry written in big on the wall in penmanship, saying:
"Candy, I'm here with you. Thank you for this wonderful Saturday we had spent together".
Candy looked at the message and she smiled. "Together". What was that sensation she was feeling for a man she had never seen? She had the impression she knew him…
"Terry?"
oOoOoOo
"Yes?"
oOoOoOo
"Thank you for the message… I was very touched."
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"The pleasure was all mine…"
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