Have you ever heard of Candy Country? Probably not... very few people have, actually. It is the tiniest one in the world, so small, in fact, that all the maps prefer to ignore it and geography teachers consider it foolish and unuseful to waste class time lecturing about it. Nevertheless it exists. And all of those who are lucky enough to find the chance to pass by agree that it is the most enchanting place any living person could ever visit. Perhaps you'd like to plan a stop there for your next holiday? If you do I'd better warn you all: it is a cold place! It is very near the North Pole, so close that even summers are snowy. That explains why, beautiful as it is, there are hardly any tourists. The only one that goes there often is a nice old man named Santa Claus (you might have heard of him?). He lives near the Candy border so it is easy for him to stop by any time. He is said to have some very important work to do on Christmas eve (when everyone else is taking the day off -ironic, right?), and this bussiness force him to drop by Candy Country on his way and... you guessed it: get candies.
Naturally, as the name itself indicates, this is where all the candies come from.
Well, for those of you that have not been there I'll share with you what it is like. I can asure you: it is a most amazing sight! Old as the world itself, full of history. It is impossible to stroll down any street, visit any construction, talk with any citizen without bumping into some incredible story. And all the candymen love to entertain the visitors with them.
There are millions of stories about Candy but my personal favorite was one I heard in Lollipop Lane in my last visit, a few years ago, in October, as I passed by to see an old aquaintance of mine. Casually I happened to metion a candy cane I was eating last Christmas. I couldn't help to comment:
"It's funny how the colors seem to blend together... you never know if it's a white cane with red stripes or otherwise... And it seems to be Christmas's official candy -did you ever notice? As if there was something special about it..."
My friend gave me a funny look that made me feel like I was the onlyperson around that ignored the reason... And really -why? Why of all the candies that lived there Santa Claus would pick this one in particular for his own personal holiday? There had to be something about it... something that he liked when meeting this peculiar character... something that made it suitable for the spirit of what he's trying to give to the world.
I knew there was a tale hiding behind and my ears strained to hear it. So we headed for the place where it had all started: Lollipop Lane.
Butter Burg is the main city of the country (what we could call the capital) and it takes 20 minutes in train to get there -if this gives you any idea how small the Candy land is. It is a place worth visiting indeed. I had heard it is a favorite among all the tourists and as soon as I stepped out of the train I could understand why -it took my breath away. My eyes were completely fascinated by the exquisite work of art and architecture they perceived around in any direction my glance aimed.
All flowers and parks, anywhere I turned, with beautifuly sculpted gingerbred fountains and jello ponds -frozen by the weather, reflecting like crystal mirrors the candy streets with their cookie houses of chocolate roofs and honey windows.
After a few minutes's walk we reached Lollipop Lane; the classiest and most elegant zone. I was absolutely overwhelmed by these lovely sugar-brick houses, painted with multicolor frost that made them look almost like marble and surrounded by the most charming gardens there could be. By then my mind was far off in space: I was enjoying this visit so much I had even forgotten we had gone there with one specific purpose and I just entertained myself breathing deeply the smell of cakes and pies that you find everywhere in the city, watching amused how my boots sank in the ice cream snow beneath my steps and kicking up my feet to make it jump in the air and see the sparkles of those white-pink snowflakes gliming in the golden morning beams.
As we walked my friend suddenly stopped to get my attention and pointed at a white fancy mansion at the bottom of the street.
"This was the home of the White family... many many years ago... And there -right in fron of it- that house with the red roof? It belonged to the red family... for a very brief time..."
The Whites were the wealthiest folks that ever lived in Butter Burg. Lofty aristocrats, highly respected by every single citizen, with lots of pride and family tradition -manners and life style befitting royalty even. As it always happens in a family such as this it was inevitable that someday one member would be born -one that was not to fit or adapt into this too-tranquil, too-predictible routine. The Whites were no exception for such rule. After many generations of unchangeable characters -all following the very same patron of calm and coldness since birth- things changed.
When their first daughter (Elsie, her proud parents called her) was born, the sparkle in her eyes clearly revealed a spirited nature that would surely resist to the strict upbringing she was to face in the future. And, as it always happens for such a case, nobody in the house minded -or even noticed.
They just took it for granted that she would be the same as them and have the same life. At first the task was easy. Even with all her bright character and restless heart young Elsie White never rebeled, no matter how much this dull and slow life repressed her lively spirit. She must have felt trapped in that world, but she never complained for one very simple reason: she was not yet aware of her own energy.
The life she knew was slow, extremely calm, monotone; but for her absolute ignorance, that boring routine seemed enough. She had never been outside the garden walls, never spoken to any stranger. Clueless as she was about all the world could offer, her heart never craved for anymore than what she was presently receiving. And so she settled, docile, obeying, inside her own seclusion, feeling content with her share. The only little piece of freedom she stole for herself was nights, when she sneaked outside the window and climbed up the higest tree in her backyard and perched herself on the highest branch, proud of this secret adventure she kept from anyone else. There she stayed night after night, gazing at the immensity above her, at that giant dark pool of sparkling wonders, those twinkling eyes all fixed on her, that beaming pearl that moved misteriously along the sky, without ever stopping to answer her questions, without ever complying to reveal where she was going or what made her smile at herself all night long.
Elsie lived at nights on this branch; the sky as her sole companion, feeling in her heart a tiny twinge of curiosity to travel along its vastness as this mysterious beaming lady always did, cross it from edge to edge, wondering what kind of view she could get from such post.
But she could not reach those heights. Nobody ever taught her how: the birds never shared with her the secret of their flying, the stars never confessed how they achieved their lofty position, the moon was always bussy, going somewhere, in constant running... Nobody took the time to show her how to reach above, higer than her humble branch.
Thus life went on... She grew up.
Elsie was now a pretty young lady. She traded her pinafore for a long silk dress and her pigtails for a complicate hairdo her maid performed on her silver mane each morning. Still her restless spirit had not changed or tranquilized and she still spent every evening on her branch, watching above her at the floating darkness that intrigued and tempted her, knowing herself powerless to reach it.
Until one night when, for the first time, her gaze fell from the sky and was aimed at the house in front of hers, when the dark windows glowed after they never had before, announcing to all the neighbors that this empty old construction was no longer void of living presence. The Red family had just moved from the countryside.
Their house was a quiet one. The courtains always closed, the doors constantly locked, the lights perennialy dim inside. The only movement that could be perceived around that place was a shadow that crawled out the highest window and posted itself on the roof the second night. It was at the same height Elsie was perched, but the moon was gone on a visit then and, in the darkness, Elsie could not see the newcommer.
For many days the sky remained clouded and the stars did not come back. Elsie tried to fight her loneliness talking with the wind but, although he whispered back her conversation, he had no eyes to address her, so his was a shallow company.
She felt relieved and happy when the moon finally peeked again from between the clouds and greeted her with a friendly beam. But before she could open her mouth to say a word, a stranger voice spoke up, addressing the night lady in a friendly familiar tone, even calling her by her name ("Miss Moon") and delivered the kind of careless relaxed "hello" only for an old well-known aqcuaintance.
Turning her head in the direction of that gentle sound her gaze fell upon the cherry-coloured roof in front of her, where that quiet figure had been sitting by itself, unseen, every night. The gliming in her eyes was so bright it caught his quick glance and made him turn around to face her, for the first time discovering his pale neighboor, sitting on her branch, as a night bird, white and motionless, cold and vigilant, radiating a light and beauty blinding enough to compete with the silver stars.
For the first time their eyes met. Both forgot about the sky pearl they had been waiting for and ignored her as she silently and discreetely retreated behind the dark grey clouds. They spent the whole rest of the night only staring at each other -no smiles, no moves, no words... When the first sun beams approached each one crawled back through the window into the house from which they issued.
"Who lives in front of us?" Elsie ventured to ask her maid as she dressed her up that morning.
"Mr. Red. He has just moved to town with his wife and his son Robbie", was the answer.
No further questions followed. His name was all the information she had sought for. Whatever else she might want to know about this new boy, she already knew it, just by looking in his eyes.
The next night, as they had wordlessly agreed,they met again; she from her branch, he on his roof, looking at each other from afar until young Robbie took the initiative to release the voice captured in his throat that longed to fly to her expectating ears.
"Good evening, miss White," he said politely.
"You found out my name!" she smiled softly.
"Why do you sit there all by yourself freezing in the dark, may I inquire?"
"I come to meet Her Highness" (thus she referred to the moon, which seemed to her too overwhelming and distinguished to be called directly by her name by such an insignificant candy as herself)"I admire her," she went on, "she can climb so much higher than I can -higher than any branch and any tree, higher even that the bird can fly..." Elsie let out a deep melancholic sigh : "I wish she'd talk to me..."
"I'm sure she does" Robbie encouraged her. But the girl shook her head.
"No... she never answers me..."
"Sure she does! 'Her Highness'" (kindly mimicking her voice as he quoted her line) "'Her Highness' always replies to anyone that speaks... she likes to converse... You just can't hear her because she is so far above"
"Does she speak to you?" Elsie asked with a quick curiosity.
"Once... I climbed the higest mountain... I could look at her face to face... yes, we talked..." he smiled, with a glim in his eyes, as he recalled what must have been quite a delightful conversation.
"Oh, do tell me what she said!"
"What do you ask her?"
"Where she's always going... why she always smiles..."
"She travels along the sky, from one edge of the world to the other, to look down at people that speak to her... to inspire artists and dreamers... lovers everywhere adore her and make her a secret partner of their romance. That's why she smiles -it pleases her to witness so much happiness."
Elsie was delighted with every word he spoke.
They stayed quiet after that looking intently at each other until the pink glance of dawn announced that it was time for both to part again until their next encounter. The nights that followed were similar. She shared her questions with him, somehow he knew all the answers. After her curiosity was soothed and both ran out of words, the veil of silence covered them and their eyes were left to continue speaking until sunrise.
The word was out on the street: summer was over now and Mr. Claus would soon visit the city. Every year some lucky candies were selected to join this lofty character along his journey around the world. The holidays were the most important time of the year for everyone that lived in the country-especially in Butter Burg, where Mr. Claus always landed. This year, that high honnor belonged to Mr. Red: his son Robbie had been chosen.
Elsie learned the news too one evening, during dinner, as the official gossipper of the house (the cook) delivered her daily report of the stories that presently swept town. Elsie's face did not alter one bit and her eyes reflected no emotion, but her heart trembled.
"I heard about it", was all she said when the night fell and her dear friend was once again across the street looking at her.
"My father is very proud", was the laconic answer.
"You must be happy... Mr. Claus flies at the very top of the sky... you'll be able to talk to Her Highness and hear what she says..."
"But I'll be too far to hear you anymore..."
Whatever other phrases had been planned to be spoken at that moment they were all drowned, forbidden, ignored and disguised by the quietness that followed the rest of the night.
The date was too close.
The city was all ready for Christmas, decked in the most beautiful colors and merry lights. Everybody was eagerly awaiting their most beloved visitor. The Whites were out in the street too, joining the local feast, waving little flags and cherring near the pasr where the sleigh was supposed to land. But, as usual, little Elsie was not allowed to tresspass the garden walls and she stayed inside the house, hearing the music and noise coming through the closed windows.
She climbed up on her branch, high as she could, hoping to see Santa when he left, only wishing to have one last glimpse and wave one last good-by at her loved one as he flew out of her life forever. The stars were all out that nights, looking down at her, and she found some shallow comfort in telling her painful story. Through the blinking snow that fell heavily upon the street Her Highness gave Elsie a sympathetic smile... but she was not looking at her now... but over her shoulder, and the girl understood something was behind her.
As she turned around she met Robbie, who for the first time had invaded her branch and now sat beside her. Their eyes met, not from afar, like before, but close and direct -her melancholic blue-gray pale gaze met the anxious red sparkles that looked into them. Robbie stood quiet and motionless as ever, turning as white as her under the sparkling petals that fell from above.
"Why is it snowing?" She asked, concious of this being her last chance to enjoy his witty answers.
"The stars are crying... for what they have to witness now..."
Santa Claus's familiar laughter resounded far in the sky and the bells of his sleigh rang closer and louder in the air. The people on the street began to cheer as they caugh sight of his silohuete approaching the park.
"Must you go?" She whispered.
"Yes, I must..."
"Can't I go with you?" She insisted. Silence answered her.
"I'm so sorry..."
The same wish echoed in both their minds as their hearts ached with this inevitable good-by... if only they could be together... they didn't care how... just together.
Just then a star fell from the sky...
The citizens had seen it fall and knew that meant somewhere a wish had just been granted. They were all moved and addressed a kind thought to the lucky dreamer that was receiving the gift.
Their expected visitor landed on the central park of Butter Burg, in front of the city hall, where the mayor waited, dressed in his best suit, ready to greet him with a ceremonious speech.
One by one, the lucky selected candies said goodbye to all their folks and boarded the sleigh .... but where was Robbie Red?
Suddenly everybody noticed that he had been missing all day. "Where is Robbie?" rang along the whispering crowd as everyone turned around in every direction looking for him. Mr. Red was confused and apologized profusely for this mishap that delayed the scheduled travel.
Santa Claus was, as usual, in an excellent mood and did not chide for the little incident, but the candies were worried about the impression they were giving and rushed to find the missing boy.
The panic started as everyone realized that Elsie White was missing too! What had happened? Were the candies dissappearing without reason? The neighboors looked all over the city and ended up again in the street that separated the two houses. Suddenly someone pointed up at the tree, at the high branch, where a new character was seen.
"It can't be!" was the exclamation that popped from every throat as the recognized the features of this "stranger". It was Elsie... and Robbie... TOGETHER!
They were led down from the tree but, hard as everyone tried, nobody could separate them.
Mr. Red urged Robbie to cut out that nonsense and go with Mr. Claus at once, but the boy replied he would not let Elsie go or part from her side... They were one now. Mr. White was also mortified: Santa seemed eager to carry on with his journey and his daughter was on the way and creating such a public scandal! (Mrs. White had already fainted). The pair was turned from all sides without success ~there was no way to split it!
All eyes turned to the bearded man in the red coat and awaited the sentence.
But, like I said, Santa's mood could not be spoilt. He was even moved to see these two candies so devpoted to each other and declared they should stay together if it meant so much to them. Then he made a great announcement: he would take them both with him! This pair simbolized exactly what he was trying to communicate to the world: that wishes do come true and it only takes love to make magic.
"Their story will inspire everybody", he said.
And he was right.
From that day anyone that knows the tale of Elsie White and Robbie Red will look at the candy cane and remember that happy endings can happen.... even in the most unusual ways...
(This story was finished in December 1999)
