ONE week time, Luisa decided to herself she must find within that time someone to what she thought could rescue her from her nasty situation. Who would be that someone? Does not matter maybe someone aged if capable of taking good care of her and her coming child. Love? She had given all her love to Herman that she knows to herself now, that if she managed to find that someone, she could not give to the person the passionate love she shared with Herman, but she promised herself, that the person could benefit her gratitude by means of loyalty, honesty, and special affection she is capable of.
Thelma on the other hand, felt guilty of leaving Luisa alone. She was also worried what would happen to Luisa who was expecting a baby. When they were six leaving the Philippines to venture their luck they promised to look after each other as sisters. Kees was more than double of her age but she was satisfied with him. She seen the stability of good life together with this old man who was very if not more than good to her and she could not afford to lost him or this opportunity to be gone. She must marry Kees.
Thelma had taken the problem of Luisa as her problem too and she talked with Kees about it.
"I did not notice that Luisa was pregnant?" Kees was surprised to learn that Luisa was pregnant.
"She pressed it with girdle." Thelma answered Kees that Luisa was pressing her abdomen with a girdle to hide her pregnancy.
"It's not good for her and the baby, and I saw her with ladies drinks every night. Alcohol is not good for the baby!" Kees sounded worried about Luisa when he knew from Thelma that Luisa was pregnant. Alcohol is not good for the baby.
"Maybe, you have an idea about her problem, about her situation, a solution." Thelma asked Kees a solution to Luisa's problem.
"Thelma, if you asked me, it's better for Luisa to stay here in the Netherlands. The problem I see is that, after her contract she also would lose her visa and she must be out the country."
"Yes, and she have to come back to the Philippines. She has no money, and only a baby to bring back home. Her father was no more as I told you, her father earned his money by picking or collecting plastics and empty bottles on the streets. He died on the street so nobody anymore to support the family, Luisa has two brothers and sisters that were still young. In one word, they hope for Luisa to support them." Thelma explained to Kees about the life situation of Luisa.
"And the asshole gave her more problem!" Kees meant Herman as he also knew who Herman was in the life of Luisa.
"There are problems sometimes difficult to solve." Thelma heaved a deep sigh.
S I L E N C E, Kees was thinking.
"Luisa must have someone to marry her!" Kees said. "And it doesn't mean she love him!"
"She could not yet love someone. She still cannot forget Herman. She still loves him!" Thelma said.
"Okay, but what I am thinking was that she needs no love to marry someone!" Kees said and Thelma could not follow what he meant.
"What Luisa need is money." Kees continued. Thelma just looked at him, she wanted to understand what Kees meant.
"I heard from other Filipinos, stories about this marrying with appointment thing." Kees said.
"You knew Filipinos?" Thelma was a little surprised about Kees talking other Filipinos.
"I met a lot of Filipinos. I have a friend that was married with a Filipina and their marriage was simply perfect, sometimes I am jealous of him." Kees answered Thelma. "Filipinos here in the Netherlands celebrates every year... hmm...Independence Day! So I met already a lot of Filipinos before I met you!"
"And what is this marrying appointment thing you're talking about that could possible solved the problem of Luisa?" Thelma asked Kees.
"Luisa have to find someone that will marry her, but she has to pay a lot of money!" Kees answered. "If she is married with a Dutch, she will have her staying permit and later if she like it, become a naturalized citizen of the Netherlands and I am sure her life will be good and stable. My country is a good country. The Netherland is a Kingdom, a Constitutional Monarchy. We have a queen, Queen Beatrix. Our government is social democratic parliamentary system. Every citizen can be sure of Health Care, Income, Security and Education."
Thelma as she listened to all what Kees said, saw the bright colour of her future. She was happy that Kees had seen her and wanted her to be his wife. Kees was a very tender, caring, and respectful man. She liked his ways; she liked his company. She hoped that later Kees would embrace her family in the Philippines as he had embraced her and then she could ask for nothing anymore. Becoming a Dutch citizen obviously will be hers as she was very delighted to have it upon hearing that the Netherlands was a good country. What Thelma was worried is Luisa.
"Twenty-five thousand guilders! Luisa must have that amount of money!" Kees said.
Thelma counted twenty-five thousand guilders to peso with the exchange rate of one guilder to nine pesos and ninety-eight cents, it would be almost quarter of a million pesos, a lot of money. Where will Luisa get that amount of money? And if Luisa has that money, the amount was enough for her to go back to the Philippines and start a business even just a sari-sari store to support her and her family with their daily needs.
"Luisa don't have that amount of money!" Thelma said.
"Tell Luisa, she must find a man that is willing to marry her with appointment!" Kees told Thelma.
"How it works? I could not understand! I have no idea!" Thelma could not comprehend about this with appointment paying marriage.
"You pay someone an amount to marry you. The marriage is legitimate. In the eye of the people and of course the government you are legally husband and wife. The appointment would be that in private there is no activities as husband and wife meaning no intimate connection although you both were living together in one address. Now, a foreigner married with a Dutch must live or stay with their partner at least seven years before they can apply for naturalization of citizenship." Kees explained to Thelma what he meant by 'with appointment paying marriage' as far as he knew because he only heard it, in one word it is just a hearsay.
"The government agreed about it?" Thelma asked.
"If the government knew it, it's a matter of fraud. The marriage will be dissolved, and the foreigner directly will be deported and blocked to enter the country."
Thelma said no words. She thought fraud or not, it would not happen. Luisa has no money to pay someone to marry her. To Thelma's understanding paying marriage meant buying a citizenship that ran for the time of seven years.
"Tell Luisa to find someone she can pay to marry her!" Kees repeated what he said that Luisa must find someone who will be willing to marry her with appointment.
"But she had no such amount of money?" Thelma answered Kees.
"Thelma, do you really want to help Luisa?" Kees asked Thelma.
"Yes, that's why I asked you if you have any idea how we can solve the problem of Luisa." Thelma replied.
'What do you think if I will lend Luisa the money?" Kees asked Thelma about his plan to lent money to Luisa. Thelma looked at Kees directly into his eyes. Kees waited for her answer.
"You had that amount of money? Are you rich?"
"I am not rich!" Kees laughed. "But I had saved enough. I can lend Luisa the money and we still will have a comfortable life together; money will never be a problem."
The eyes of Thelma shine as she looked at Kees. She hugged him and kiss slightly on his lips. "Thank you, Kees, thank you. I will talk to Luisa about this matter and that you are willing to lend her the money!"
"Yes, and tell her, she has only to pay back when she already can afford it!"
"Kees, we, not only me, who must talk to Luisa. I am glad, extremely glad and again, thank you, thank you very much!"
Luisa could not believe what she heard from Thelma and Kees. The kindness offered to her fill her heart with emotions that tears rolled down on her cheeks. If everything worked out, she could build a stable life for her and her coming baby and could support her family in the Philippines. Now, she must find that man who will be paid to marry her, her steppingstone to a good future. ****to be continued****Remedios Dorio