The German came to their table. "Entschuldigen Sie mich." (Excuse me)
"Sie sprechen nur Englisch!" Herman said to the German that the three girls only spoke English and could not understand Germans.
"Oh, sorry. Please excuse me for disturbing. I am Wilhelm." the German could speak English. And Wilhelm gave his hands to the girls. The three Filipinas for politeness also shook hands with Wilhelm and introduced themselves.
Wilhelm was holding a calling card in his hand. He gave the calling card to Carla. "I like it very much if you call me!"
Carla blushed. Herman and the two girls were silent. They just watched and looked at Carla waiting what would she do. It was obvious that Wilhelm was attracted to Carla and dared to come to their table only to give Carla his calling card. Carla accepted the calling card, the German gave to her. After giving his calling card to Carla, Wilhelm did not stay long, he bid goodbye and returned to his table.
Carla looks at the calling card Wilhelm had given to her. "He was an engineer!"
"And a German!" Herman said.
Carla looked at Herman. She sensed there is something in Herman's remarked. Something she could not understood. Then the waitress came with their orders.
"Girls, I hate to tell you that we have to consumed fast our foods and drinks. We could not stay long, we have still a long way to go!" Herman said to the girls and picked up his hot cup of coffee and drank it.
After that stopped, Herman and the three Filipinas continued their journey. Again, Herman listened to cheerful music from the radio to helped him stayed awake.
The three girls were not sleeping. Maybe their thoughts were occupied about what would happen in the future, if they arrived and will stay to either Belgium or The Netherlands, what will be their work or kind of life? Will they have the same situation in Locarno, Switzerland where they gained back their dignity? Or maybe, they think about Lorna. Will Lorna, would have the same luck as Grace who was left behind in Cyprus but happy with her man Dimitri? Or maybe, they still think about Luz, Luz that did or had not returned to the Philippines, and they wondered where she was. Luisa for sure was thinking about her family, the death of her father, while Carla, her mind was occupied about Wilhelm, the German engineer, and about the remarked of Herman which for her understanding meant something.
"Herman, I want to ask you something." Carla talked to Herman.
"Ask about what?" Herman replied to Carla.
"That Wilhelm is a German!" Carla said and Herman chuckled when he heard it.
"It's true! He was a German!"
"Yes, but your words seemed had a meaning!" Carla told Herman about her perception to his remarked.
"Forgot it Carla, it does mean nothing!" Herman told Carla to forget about his remarked.
"Please, I just want to know what you meant of the remark." Carla insisted.
"Well, in The Netherlands, we have a saying about Germans." Herman paused and then continued talking. "Many Dutch people believed that Germans are no good!"
"No, good?" Carla repeated the words of Herman. Herman did not reply.
"Does it had something to do with Hitler?" Luisa suddenly interrupted the conversation between Herman and Carla. Herman laughed.
"Why did you laugh? I am not joking!" Luisa was slightly irked that Herman laughed about what she said.
"Sorry, you are right. Luisa may I ask what you know about Hitler?" Herman shifted his attention to Luisa.
"Why do you ask? You think that I am stupid, shallow-brained? Not knowing about Hitler?" Luisa was angry.
"Luisa that is not what Herman meant." Carla tried to calm down Luisa. Luisa said no more words and after throwing to Herman an angry look, she murmured, "He think that Filipinos have no education."
S I L E N C E. Then Carla asked Herman.
"Why you said that many Dutch people believed that Germans are not good?" Carla really wanted to understand.
"Okay, Carla. The Dutch people who disliked Germans, believed that the Germans are not good people."
"But not all people are the same? There were bad people, there were good people and that applied also to the Germans!" Carla reasoned out.
"Yes, there were also good Germans, but that were Germans who were seven meters below the ground!"
Carla after thinking for a while got what Herman meant. "That's not nice!"
"Forgot about it, it's just saying! It has something to do what happened during the World War II." Herman said.
"You also hate Germans?" Carla asked Herman.
"Me, hate Germans? Why will I hate them? I did not experience the World War II. Okay, sometimes I hate them when The Netherlands lost Soccer game and they win!" Herman answered.
Carla said no words anymore, thus the conversation with Herman stopped.
Herman noticed that the long travel made the girls tired, and they slept even not noticing that they already passed the border France-Luxembourg. The border police after seeing the license plate of Herman's car were Hollands, Herman could drove further without control. Herman was also tired, but he must reach Antwerp, Belgium before sunrise. He must drove about 300km more, and it will take him almost three hours driving or more.
Belgium-Luxembourg border also gave no problem. The three Filipinas were already awakened, and asked Herman where were they as Herman stopped his car on a residential street.
"Where are we?" Luisa asked. They saw that it is still dark around. The clock on the dashboard of Herman's car denoted the time of fifteen past four in the morning.
"We are in Antwerp!" Herman said as he opened the door of his car, stepped out and stretched his body outside. "Girls wait for me here in the car!"
The three girls saw Herman walked toward one residential door and rang the doorbell. Later they saw lights on one apartment on the second floor and the door opened. Herman came inside.
Fifteen minutes later, they saw Herman walking back to the car. Herman told them that they will relax first inside the house and maybe to have an early breakfast.
"Girls, just leave your suitcases here in the car."
It was just a modest house they entered. Usual living room with Sala set, TV, plants by the window, display cabinet, on one corner a small table with a computer on it. A white male and a Spanish looking woman welcome them.
"Carla, Thelma and Luisa!" Herman introduced the three Filipinas, in returned the white man introduced himself as Pieter and the woman as Maria that came from South America, the country of Brazil.
Maria prepared a quick breakfast for the group. Coffee and toast with jam, cheese, and bacon.
"So you are the cultural dancers from the Philippines?" Maria asked the three Filipinas and the three just nodded.
"Only three in a group, I thought you are six?" Pieter asked them.
"A long story. But we still can perform even we are only three." it was Carla who answered Pieter.
"Okay, you can rest a few hours. 8 o'clock we have to go to the municipal office to arrange your visa." Pieter said, then he talked to Herman in Dutch that the three Filipinas did not understood.
"If you want to sleep for few hours, we have a spare room. You three can sleep there." Maria said to the three girls.
"If you do not mind, we will just sit here. We had slept in the car." Carla answered Maria.
"Okay, if you need the bathroom or the WC, it's there, that door near the kitchen." Maria pointed to the Filipinas the door of the comfort room.
The Filipinas thanked Maria who stand up and excused herself and returned to the bedroom. The girls just stayed seated by the dining table while Herman and Pieter were in the living room talking to each other.
That morning before they went to the municipal office, Pieter let the three Filipinas signed a paper. The three could not understand what was written or printed on the paper because it was on Dutch language.
Herman noticed that the Filipinas doubted so he explained to them what the paper was for. It was a contract for them to work as entertainer in a nightclub named Majestic. The girls quickly remembered Nicosia, Cyprus. In there, the name of the club where they had worked was also Majestic.
Their contract was for one year and they were told they must sign it so that they can have the visa.
The girls did sign the paper. If they have their doubts, they kept it by themselves. The paper was for them to have a visa, so let it be. But it seemed that what had happened in Cyprus will start again in Belgium or The Netherlands. The three left from the group of six Filipinas were approaching the future where dark clouds were forming.****to be continued****Remedios Dorio