Forget me never...

Letter 31

My dear Charlie,

If you were in front of me, I would have given you a great punch on your crooked nose !!! You looked at my Candy ??!! Truly, I should be flattered. It is true that she is a girl unlike any other, she makes the best come out of me. She saw right through me when we were at school and I played the tough guy... I lost all my means when I was in her presence! From the moment that I saw her on the bridge of that boat, my heart was hers, even if I made fun of her and her freckles on her cute little nose... and I didn't even know I was going to see her again someday, but she occupied my thoughts night and day... To see her again at school, at church while I was disturbing, she had put on the wrong uniform. She was in white instead of being in black like the others. Don't ask me why we had to wear black to go to the Lord's house... I learned later that it was a trick played by her redheaded cousin with English curls who used one of her friends. But to see her in her white dress, she resembled an angel in the midst of all those sinners in black! You can't imagine my joy when I saw her in College. She occupied my thoughts since the boat encounter and now she was going to be in the same boarding school as I!!! I felt like jumping for joy! But of course I had to play the tough guy and I couldn't show it... Our relationship was very particular, during school we had outings, separately I must say, we spent that summer together in Scotland, I kissed her and she slapped me almost treating me of being a delinquant!!! A well-brought up young girl doesn't let the first guy kiss her, but it was me... and I assumed she was ready! In my anger and stupefaction, I slapped her back and she did too. Talk about killing the romance!!!! But I loved everything she did... I wasn't mad at her for slapping me on the contrary, I was happy because I was the first to have kissed her... She had never kissed her dear Anthony ! Starting from that moment, I ceased being jealous of a poor bloke who was not of this world anymore, who didn't even live what he dreamed of living with her. Having lived Susanna's death, I understand better the sadness that surrounds the atmosphere when a person dies and especially if it is a loved one. So I better understand what she felt for him and I regret my sick jealousy that was juvenile.

You tell me to go and see her to get to the bottom of our relationship? She is married to my best friend, he is a good man and I am sure that he will make her happy. For the moment I am mourning and I spend some time with my father with whom, I must admit, I have a better relationship. He apologized for refusing to come to Candy's aid when I asked him to. Especially when he told me that she had followed him, hanging on his buggy to beg him not to stop his donations to the college which would have to close without them and he also told me that Candy showed him the note I had left her... he said that she convinced him to let me pursue my dream. I have always asked myself why my father hadn't come to get me and I had concluded that he didn't care for me at all, but no, it was thanks to Candy ! In Scotland she convinced me to reconcile with my mother, a real little snoop always putting her nose where she shouldn't! But thanks to her, I have a better relationship with both my parents. You know what? The more I think about her the more I feel like going to kidnap her... But I can't do that to my best friend...

But I promise you that once my mourning period is over, I will consider your suggestion. I don't know in what frame of mind I will find myself, we will see. Only the future will tell us.

I remember having read in the papers, that you had usurped my identity. And I was happy to be able to serve as an alibi for you for some time. I sent a check to Candy to pay for the hospital bills that were occasioned by your presence and I even told Candy to buy you a strawberry soda that you liked so much. So if Candy had problems, I solved them.

With all that, I didn't even ask you how you were, if you had found someone to make your life with. Your business is thriving! I wish you all the luck in the world and I will send clients whenever the opportunity arises.

Thank you for being always my friend, mate. You protected me as a child and I always considered you as the big brother that I never had. Thank you Charlie for your friendship and for your advice.

Your friend,

Terry