Mina: a character from Candy Candy manga. Mr. McGregor's dog
oOo
"Hi Candy!" greeted Neal amiably.
His heart melted at her sight. Setting Alden aside, only her could exert such effect, no other women could. He's glad he decided to come.
"Why on earth are you here?" Candy asked suspiciously.
"Looking for you." Neal stepped forward, handing her a box of chocolate all wrapped up nicely, tied with an intricate light-blue ribbon. "They said you're in Pony's home for a week."
Candy turned to Peter. "That would be all Peter. I take it from here." Candy passed the chocolate box to Peter. "Share this with others, would you?" Candy patted the boy's head gently.
Peter took the box and ran into the house.
"Ok. What for?" asked Candy after Peter disappeared.
"To get into your nerve." Neal grinned wickedly. Candy turned on guard instantly and he smiled. "Just kidding. Don't be afraid."
"I am not afraid of anything, least of all is you!" Candy scowled. "MINA!"
She whistled and a large Bernese Mountain came running and stood by her side.
"Mina doesn't like bad people. Be warned! Unless you want to end up in a mess!" Candy whispered threateningly.
Mina growled. Her fur on her back stood up almost burying the humongous bow behind her neck.
"Sheesh! I wouldn't dare," said Neal.
He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a piece of dog bone.
"Mina. Catch!" He threw the bone the farthest he could. Mina sprang to her feet. In a great excitement, she barked and dashed to fetch it.
"Wuff!" Mina came back with the bone in her mouth, her tail gently wagging.
"Good girl," said Neal, rubbing the back of Mina's neck.
In bewilderment, Candy watched Mina lay down next to Neal's feet and chewed the bone.
"You carry a bone in your pocket?" asked Candy, stupefied.
"I took Eliza and her son to a dog shop. That baby suddenly got cranky and cried." He chuckled. "It was loud! Got me all blanked out and forgot about that bone."
Candy didn't laugh back. Neal looked at her, tickled. Although he tried not to, it's so irresistible not to have a bit of fun with her.
"Do you want to take your guest inside? Perhaps serve me a nice cup of hot drink and snack," teased Neal.
Classic Neal. Utterly disconnected, tone-deaf and very demanding, Candy thought.
"Not sure," she snorted. "If I were the one who came to visit, would you serve me food and drink too?" She sneered.
"I am a man, you're a woman," he replied casually. His eyes glinted humorously but Candy wasn't looking.
"Your ideal type of woman is a servant in the living room, a maid in the dining room, and a slut in the bedroom. That stinks!" Candy put her chin up. "You are not invited to enter the Pony's house."
"My ideal type of woman is," responded Neal flatly. "A slut in the living room, a slut in the dining room, and a slut in the bedroom."
"Get out of here!" She turned to leave but he pulled her elbow.
"Relax. Sit down." Neal pulled his handkerchief and dusted a tree trunk under that apple tree. "Is that good enough, my lady?"
Candy rolled her eyes and sat down.
She saw him pick two sets of china cups from his car. He put a tea bag in each, poured hot water into them and offered her one.
"Thanks," she said, looking at the pretty floral embellishment cup and the matching delicate saucer in her hand.
"Don't mention it." He smiled. "May I sit here?"
She nodded.
The moment he sat down beside her, she regretted her decision to not take him inside the house. The trunk was so narrow that their arms kept brushing every time he lifted his cup to drink his tea. She wanted to shift to the other end but there were prickly bushes.
"How's Happy Clinic?" Neal asked, wearing his most innocent air.
"Great," answered Candy stiffly, squeezing herself in her corner.
"How's Dr. Martin?"
"Good."
"Tell him that we have a new line of vodka coming. It's made with mountain dew, the best ever from our line of beverages."
"Sorry, I won't. Drinking alcohol is not something to be encouraged to a serious addict like him," said Candy coldly.
"Wise thought," Neal said. "More tea, Candy?"
"No, thanks," Candy said tersely. "I don't have a whole day to drink tea. Just tell me why are you here?"
Neal looked down at her little hands. So smooth and white like the finest porcelain. He wanted to hold them and sat with her until the sun would set and longer.
"I like to get to know you better," he said.
Candy's eyes widened before she burst into sarcastic laughter, pooh-poohed him.
"But, I do," he said when she finally quiet down.
Candy crossed her arms, didn't' buy it. But considering he had made the renovation in Happy Clinic possible, she decided to give him a few more minutes.
"Okay, what do you want to know?" asked Candy, giving in.
"Such a lovely place here," Neal said, sipping his tea and looking around. "Myriad of trees… no wonder you're so good in climbing. Would you show me the tree that you first climbed?"
"That tree is not here. It's in Pony's Hill," Candy answered hesitatingly. After all he had said about Pony's home, now he's praising it? This decidedly is fake!
Candy was thinking how to proceed and saw Sr. Lanne. She was walking in a great rush, looking around like there's something urgent.
"Candy! Candy! Where are you?" cried Sr. Lanne.
"Excuse me." Candy put her cup down and got up. "Sr. Lanne! Over here!" cried Candy, and came to meet her. "You're back. How's Thunder?"
"All healthy and clean," said Sr. Lanne, catching her breath. "Guess what! Bertha is in labor."
"But I thought it's next month," said Candy.
"Oh, who can predict babies," said Sr. Lanne briskly. "They said she's been in labor since early morning!"
"That long?" Candy looked thoughtful for a moment. "When?" Sr. Lanne didn't know the details so Candy stopped asking.
Then Sr. Lanne noticed there's Neal there. "Pardon me. You have a visitor," said Sr. Lanne apologetically to Neal.
"That's alright, Madam Sister." Neal bowed charmingly. Alden once said he had to be extra nice to please Candy. In a way, he could understand that. In the business world that's known bluntly as kissing ass.
"Neal. Neal Leagan."
Candy's eyeball almost popped out witnessing Neal's display of polished manner.
"Sister Lane is fine," said Sr. Lanne, dazed. "Nice to meet you, Neal."
Sr. Lanne turned back to Candy. "I told Jimmy you're here. He invited you to come." She nodded to excuse herself and left.
Candy cleared her throat.
"You heard that," Candy said to Neal. "Get to go. An old friend is in labor." She glanced at her watch. "And I need to mail a letter. The mailman will come to collect the mail at one."
To wait one more day would be a torture. She couldn't wait to hear Neo's comments to the stories she penned last night.
"Alright. Can I come again? Visit you in Chicago perhaps?" asked Neal.
"Probably... I kind of busy, though. Third year of medical school, you know."
"Yeah," Neal exhaled deeply. "Well, if you want I can mail the letter for you."
"How nice of you!" Her eyes lit up like stars, wide and green. "That would be helpful! Could you wait? I get the letter."
"Take your time," said Neal.
Humming a light tune, Candy went back into the house in an upbeat. She was jumping up the stairs when Sr. Lanne called her again.
"Candy!" said Sr. Lanne urgently. She looked distressed, never before Candy saw her that way. "Jimmy just called. Oh terrible! Bertha has complications!"
"What! No! Who's helping her?"
"Her fellow housemaid*. They called a midwife but after examining her she said it's better to call a doctor."
"That serious? I go get Dr. Gerald," said Candy.
"He's not in town, Jimmy went to check already."
"Then I fetch Dr. Pickard."
"Dr. Pickard hasn't come back from France since the war. Jimmy's coworker had checked that. God, we have no doctors in our area!"
"We borrow Mr. Cartwright's car -"
Sr. Lanne shook her head. "Mr. Cartwright brought his car, horses, and most of his staffs with him to the horse fair. Jimmy asked if you can help since you're a doctor. Oh, Candy! They're nice people. Help them. I told Jimmy I'll go to Whiting to see if there's a doctor."
"How?"
"Thunder? Whatever… Candy, you go first! Now!" Sr. Lane left without giving Candy a chance to reply.
Me? An intense horror swept through her. "I'm not a doctor yet," Candy murmured. But Sr. Lane didn't hear her.
Candy watched Sr. Lane's back, overwhelmed by panic. Pregnancy complication was the subject she dreaded the most! It's too unpredictable and could be deadly. What if she mishandled it and Bertha died? She thought of how Bertha was with Jimmy on their wedding day and trembled heavily. And Thunder… That old house wouldn't make a long trip to Whiting.
Oh Albert!, Candy thought desperately. If he were here, he would have known what to do. What about George? No use. He won't get here until it's dark.
Bertha must get a proper doctor. She must find a doctor for Bertha!
Candy ran outside in a hurry, passing Neal who's still waiting under the apple tree.
"Tell Sr. Lanne I look for a doctor for Bertha!" Candy was running as fast as she could when she felt a large hand gripping her elbow.
"Hey, where are you going?" asked Neal.
"Whiting." She tried to pull her arm from his grip but he didn't let her.
"On feet?" Neal asked.
Candy looked up at him. Her mouth opened and closed as her lips quivered. Right, Whiting was far.
"What happens?" asked Neal. His calm but firm manner felt like a cool spring breeze in a blistering summer day. For awhile she forgot that he's Neal and told him everything.
"Bertha... S-she needs a doctor. Pregnancy complication."
His feature turned grimed. All playful humors had gone out of his dark eyes. "I have my car here. Tell me what you want me to do."
"I-I am not sure. Sr. Lanne said I should take care of Bertha while she's looking for a doctor. But Thunder is old. Oh, I don't know...," said Candy, completely at loss. She knew she had to get herself coordinated but everything seemed floating.
Seeing her vacant face, Neal spoke up. "I take you to Bertha. You help her. I go to the nearest town to fetch a doctor. Sr. Lanne comes with me. She knows the area."
"Y-you don't understand. Doctors should not attend their best friends+ just like they shouldn't operate their own wife or husband. Heavens, I am not even a doctor yet. I learned about childbirth complication only from textbooks, saw it in class but never really attend one. All I have ever done was smooth, easy, and quick childbirths... Poor Bertha. This is outrageous, I –"
"There... there... there...," murmured Neal softly. He patted her back soothingly. "All you need to do is do your best until the doctor comes."
"But there's no doctor!"
"Not now. There will be later. I'll get one."
"Will you?"
"Yes." Neal nodded assuringly.
Candy didn't answer, still shaking.
Suddenly she felt strong arms wrapped around her.
"Candice White Andrew is not afraid of anything, right?" Neal shook her gently. "If there's anyone who must stay to take care of Bertha, that person is you."
His tone was free of mockery or sarcasm unheard before coming from Neal. She was not able to resist it. For a while, he's holding her murmuring kind words of encouragement, calming her, giving her the confidence she much needed. Slowly, she got her mind sorted out. She remembered Neo. Neo said he was afraid when he started his new job. She remembered his tips. He wrote, stay calm and undeterred, coolly face challenges.
"I'm not afraid!" said Candy through her greeted teeth, pulling away. "I tell Sr. Lanne your plan."
Candy went back to the house. She called Sr. Lanne and at the same time yelled telling Peter to take over Thunder.
Neal watched the little boy smartly took over the horse from Sr. Lanne. He remembered how he laughed at the entire occupants of the Pony's home. At Peter's age, he couldn't imagine being without his parents...
-To be continued-
Thanks for reading.
NOTES:
*midwife and friend: This was around 1920. It was like that especially in tiny towns. They rely on one another when there's childbirth. Doctors are mostly only in big cities (now too actually, no?)
+ Doctors should not attend their best friends…: A doctor once told me…
REMINDER:
In this story, Jimmy worked in Mr. Cartwright's ranch. (Chapter 12)
Thunder: The old horse belongs to Pony's home