CARLA was ready to go to Germany.
"I will miss you both!" Carla with tears in her eyes hugged Thelma and Luisa.
"I hate you for leaving us! But I am happy for you! Good luck!" Luisa wished Carla good luck.
"I am happy for you too. Thank you for inviting us to your wedding." Thelma said.
"I also invited Lorna and Gunther. I do not know if they will come but it is nice if they will do, then we will see Lorna again! And my mother if she can have her visa, Wilhelm mother like it very much to meet and know her." Carla said. She told her two friends that Wilhelm wanted it very much that her mother will come to Germany to attend their wedding.
"That is good, you will see your mother and she can be present in your wedding!" Thelma was glad hearing that the mother of Carla maybe will come to attend the wedding.
"Yes, it will be very nice!" Luisa said, then gave a hand to Wilhelm who only silently observing them. "Wilhelm, please take good care of Carla!"
Wilhelm smiled and answered Luisa. "Don't worry. Carla is in good hand with my family and me!"
Only Luisa and Thelma work with the syndicate then now that Carla was gone. They received only half of their salary as told to them that the rest was for their apartment and energy used, the gas and electricity. Food costs was for themselves. Extra earnings for them were their commissions on drinks, and tips from generous men. Prostituting was not imposed or suggested. Cultural dancing every night was also limited to two dances, the Pandanggo sa Ilaw and the Igorot Dance. There were men who tried to pay them for intimate pleasure, but they declined, and nobody forced. Herman was liked a bodyguard and the two girls were comfortable about it.
The mother of Carla arrived and did attended the wedding of her daughter with Wilhelm. Lorna and Gunther also came. Gunther was the photographer. Thelma and Luisa with Herman were also present. The grandiose wedding was held in St. Ludgerus Church in Rheine.
The reunion of the four girls were pleasant. The three, Lorna, Thelma and Luisa talked many things about happenings in their life while Carla was busy meeting people that maybe will be part of her life, relatives of Wilhelm, colleagues, and neighbors who were all invited in the wedding reception. Lorna told the girls that she was pregnant and happy about it. The girls were also happy for her.
Three months working in Antwerp they learned from the syndicate that they must transfer to Rotterdam. The nightclub in Antwerp will be closed for renovation.
Chapter 4
Rotterdam, The Netherlands November 1987
THAT day, appointment was made that Herman was the one to drove them to Rotterdam. But instead it was Pieter and Maria.
"If you are ready, Pieter is waiting in the car." Maria said to them. Thelma and Luisa were surprised, they expected Herman.
"I thought Herman would be the one who will bring us to Rotterdam?" Luisa asked Maria.
"Herman was away!" Maria answered Luisa. "His flight to Brazil was today!"
"Brazil?" Luisa was surprised. She looked at Thelma and then to Maria.
"Oh, you don't know? Did Herman did not tell that he had a wife in Brazil?" Maria said. The two girls could hardly believe what they heard, especially Luisa.
"He had a wife?" Luisa wanted to hear again what Maria said that Herman had a wife in Brazil.
"Yes!" the answer of Maria was short but the confirmation to Luisa's ear was like a thunder that made her paralyzed for a moment. She was so shocked no tears came out her eyes. Thelma looked at Luisa, she too was shocked by the truth that Herman was married and had a wife in Brazil.
"Come on, girls! It's a long drive to Rotterdam!" Maria said and walked out the apartment and waited on the door. Thelma and Luisa followed her and when they were out, Maria locked the apartment. For Thelma and Luisa it meant goodbye Antwerp.
As they descended the stairs, first Maria, then Thelma followed by Luisa. Luisa tried her best to composed herself but inside her, liked that her heart will burst. Her body was trembling and that the ground she stepped on was quaking she felt it will be collapsed. Thelma who looked back saw her very pale. Thelma stopped.
"Luisa are you okay?" Thelma asked.
"Will you please help me with my suitcase. I felt I am going to faint." Luisa said as she felt her surrounding was swirling around.
Thelma quickly put down her suitcase and helped Luisa. She holds her and let her sit on the steps so that Luisa will not fall down the stairs. Maria looked back.
"What happened?"
"Luisa was not feeling well!" Thelma answered.
"Give me her suitcase. Luisa can you walk to the car, will I call Pieter?"
"No, I felt better now." Luisa said and stood up. Thelma gave the suitcase of Luisa to Maria. Maria brought it to the car.
"Hold good on the rails and be careful!" Thelma said and guided Luisa down. Then Thelma takes down her suitcase and together she and Luisa came to the car. They sit in the backside while Maria sits in the front seat next Pieter.
"You're not feeling good? It's okay now?" Pieter asked before he started the car and drove to the direction of Rotterdam when Luisa answered that she was already feeling well.
Along, Thelma observed Luisa who was very silent. Luisa had no tears, she did not cry but Thelma knew as a woman, that Luisa was very hurt deep inside. So promising relationship full of love. Love that sudden came, sudden gone! Love that is full of deception in Herman's part.
Their apartment was situated at the westside of Rotterdam. It only had one bedroom with a double deck bed. Thelma takes the upper deck and Luisa under. For food they can do groceries at the nearby street named Kruiskade, where Asiatic food was abundant.
After instructing them, Pieter and Maria went bank to Antwerp. That night and the next night, they have free, then at the day they will start to work, a man named Karel will take them to the club and will also bring them back to their apartment. They only must open their door to Karel and to nobody else.
The apartment had a small kitchen, a small bathroom, and a comfort room apart. The living room had also a limited space.
In the bedroom there is a cabinet that Thelma and Luisa must share together. Thelma was busy arranging her clothes and personal things, but not Luisa. She just sat on her bed and have a blank look.
"You will not arrange your clothes and things?" Thelma asked Luisa.
Luisa did not answer. She stood up and went to the kitchen. Thelma followed Luisa. Luisa took a glass and filled it with water from the tap. She drank the water but stayed standing in front of the sink. Thelma heard Luisa grumbling. "Luisa, tomorrow will be okay!"
Thelma felt uneasy. Luisa was talking to herself.
"You're saying something?" Thelma asked Luisa.
"Yes, I am saying to myself, that tomorrow will be okay!" Luisa answered Thelma and then suddenly breakdown to a wept.
"Luisa!" Thelma came near Luisa and put her hands on Luisa's shoulder. "Sit down please!"
"Liar! Liar!" Luisa grumbled and sat down.
"Luisa!"
"He's a liar, Thelma! He's a liar!"
"I knew, but please composed yourself!"
"He let me dance in his fingers! He is just playing, and I believed him! I trusted him!"
"Luisa, forget him. A person like him is not worthy to cried for."
"He said he will marry me! He had promised me when he knew he could not because he was married, he had a wife! I am hurt, very hurt, Thelma." the tears of Luisa just kept rolling down on her cheeks.
Thelma did not answer. She had bitten her lips to control her tears. The wept of Luisa was so hurtful it vibrated to her.
Luisa with her tearful eyes looked at Thelma and asked, "Everything will be okay tomorrow, isn't it? There are many tomorrows, and it will really happen that one tomorrow will bring me good luck and happiness?"
"Yes, Luisa." Thelma could not control anymore her tears. "Yes, you are right. Of many tomorrows, one of it will bring you luck and happiness."
"That what I kept saying to myself. With so many tomorrows one of it will bring me luck and happiness, but...Thelma at this moment I don't know what to do."
"Forget Herman, you were not meant to each other! That is what you have to do!" Thelma answered Luisa.
"You don't understand me!"
"What don't I understand?"
"I did not have my monthly period for two months now. Thelma, I am pregnant!"
Thelma was shocked. Luisa was pregnant? ****to be continued****Remedios Dorio