Thelma and Luisa were shocked. They could not believe it. Lorna is dead.
The news was a lightning with a deafening thunder on a very sunny day. It could not be true, but the two Thelma and Luisa knew, Carla was not joking.
"What happened? Did they have an accident?" Thelma asked Carla after a moment of silence. She pushed the loudspeaker of the telephone so that Luisa could also heard what She and Carla were talking.
"I don't know. Two weeks ago, Wilhelm and me, went to Switzerland. We planned to go to Locarno for our honeymoon that was postponed for almost four months because Wilhelm had to finish an important work in the Airbase. Wilhelm liked it very much to have our honeymoon in Locarno because it was the place that he first saw me. We passed Basel to surprised Gunther and Lorna but there is nobody in their house. We asked some neighbors and one told us that Lorna was dead and Gunther was in prison." Thelma heard that Carla on the other end of the line was crying. Thelma and Luisa looked at each other. Gunther in prison? Could it have meant that Gunther done something wrong to Lorna?
In between tears, Carla told her two friends that a neighbor gave Wilhelm an old newspaper. In the newspaper was detailed what had happened. Gunther and Lorna were on one of the hiking trails of Switzerland, the Areus Fissure. Lorna fell from the old stone bridge by Saut de Brot. Lorna did not survive the fall as she was also drowned in the water of the Jura River.
Gunther declared it was an accident, but he did not know that two hikers had seen what happened. The witnesses declared to the police that they saw Gunther hit his pregnant wife in the head and then threw her from the bridge.
Gunther denied the allegations, saying it was an accident. That Lorna posed at the rails of the stone bridge as he photographed her, and she outbalanced and fell. Gunther did not know that nearby two hikers were busy filming the beautiful breath taking nature and they had recorded in their small film camera what had happened.
Why did Gunther did it? Reason was money! Gunther had insured the life of Lorna with a huge amount of three million Swiss Franc, doubled if Lorna died by accident.
The three Filipinas grieved. They cried. The tragic horrific death of Lorna penetrated deeply into their souls. They had thought that Gunther was an Angel to Lorna, that would save her from all pains and agonies of a difficult life, but the truth was opposite from what they thought. Gunther was a murderer! Gunther was a Demon!
For few days, as she was preoccupied about her wedding with Karel, Luisa kept thinking about Lorna. The first time she met Lorna when they did audition to be a cultural dancer. About going together to Quiapo for her fake birth certificate and high school diploma. The teasing, the little quarrels, Luisa could not sleep well. She always saw Lorna's face looking at her, liked Lorna was reaching for her.
"Lorna, please, rest in peace! Sorry we were not there to save you from Gunther! Sorry we left you there alone with him, sorry!"
THE double wedding did happen. No exuberant weddings, just solemn and simple. The weddings ceremony was held at the City Hall of Rotterdam known to locals as the Stadhuis and the receptions was in the restaurant of a known hotel situated just across the street where the weddings had taken place.
Carla and Wilhelm attended the weddings.
At the reception, they managed to talk about the horrific death of Lorna. Luisa told Carla and Thelma about always seeing Lorna even in her dreams and asked them if they have the same experience. Carla and Thelma answered her no and advise her to tried to forget Lorna and focus to her married life. Luisa decided not to tell Carla about the deal she had with Karel and Thelma just kept her mouth closed.
When Carla and Wilhelm returned to Rheine, Carla handed a big envelope, inside it was the newspaper where what happened in Areus Fissure was detailed. For Thelma and Luisa to confirmed to themselves that Lorna was indeed no more, that Lorna was gone forever.
After the wedding Karel had his twenty thousand guilders. Kees let Luisa signed a loan contract with the amount of thirty thousand guilders. The amount consisted what had paid to Karel, the costs of the wedding, the payment to the syndicate. There was a little amount left and Kees advice and helped Luisa to open a bank account for herself. The no interest loan, Luisa could pay it whenever she already able to do so.
Luisa was grateful to Kees and Thelma. Kees a mere retired truck driver without hesitation helped her and it was a lot of money. Luisa from all that happened in her life within three years, realized and learned that she must not just trust people. There were many bad people although there were also good people like Kees. Thelma was lucky.
Thelma later knew that Kees was not just a mere truck driver as he claimed he was. Kees started as a truck driver but later managed to own a line of trucking transporting goods from the Netherlands to different countries in Europe. Kees indeed was a rich man with no immediate family.
The apartment of Karel now became the home of Luisa. Karel's work as a driver of the syndicate continued. Luisa seldom saw Karel as he was not always home. Luisa does not know what Karel was doing but for her, it did not matter, they were married only on papers with no attachment or obligation to each other and so let it be.
Luisa must have an income so that she can support herself and her coming child. In name, she was married, and her husband had a work, but she was alone and would be a single mother. Luisa thought and was very thankful that Thelma met and married Kees which was a big blessing for Thelma and for her too, because she was by Thelma's side, the showers of blessings that Thelma received she picked a bit of it too and steads as Kees promised her a work on his little office after she gave birth to her baby.
One day, Thelma was dropped by Kees in the apartment where Luisa lived. The two friends setting by the table at the kitchen, talked many things until they have it about Lorna. Thelma takes out from her bag a big envelope that Carla had given. The envelope contained a page that detailed about what happened in the bridge by Saut de Brot on the hiking trail Areus Fissure in Switzerland. A big photo of Lorna was portraited along with Gunther's photo. The papers description was in German language and they could not understand it, but they knew already all the details as Carla told them from what Wilhelm explained to Carla the contained of the newspaper about it.
"It's sad what happened but life goes on." Thelma said and wiped the verge of tears in her eyes.
"I still dreamed about her. She looked me with sadness in her eyes!" Luisa said with tears that rolls on her cheek. "I never thought it will happen to her."
"Me too, but as I said we must go on with our lives, how are you by the way?" Thelma asked Luisa.
"Lonely. I am alone. I only see people when I came out to do my groceries. Television always. I knew no one here in Rotterdam, only you and Kees." Luisa wipes out her tears. "You want more coffee?"
"Okay, we have the whole day so I can drink many cups of coffee, Kees was busy arranging everything because we planned to have a long vacation." Thelma answered Luisa. Luisa looked at Thelma.
"To the Philippines?" Luisa asked Thelma.
"A world tours!" Thelma voice became excited. "I can see many places and I am excited."
"Wow, I am happy for you!" Luisa was happy for Thelma but a little jealous as she added, "I am jealous, you can see Eiffel Tower in Paris!"
"Yes, but I am more excited to go to the Philippines, to see my family!"
"Of course, I think Kees like it also to meet your family. You are lucky. Kees is a rich man." Luisa said.
"I am also happy that he is rich, but I am happier that he was a good man. I think I am falling in love with him. He is so good to me."
"It is good to fall in love especially that he was already your husband. He was already old, but age doesn't matter, right?"
"Yes, age doesn't matter. You know, we are planning to have children, at least four he said."
"Really? Can Kees still manage it? You know what I mean!" Thelma saw at Luisa's voice the naughtiness and the smile she gave to her. Thelma blushed.
"You crazy!" Thelma said. Luisa just laughed as she was, changing mood just like that. Thelma could do nothing but to laugh too. "How is Karel?"
"I don't know! And I don't care?" Luisa answered Thelma not knowing that Karel was inside the apartment and was standing at the door of the kitchen. Karel was drunk.
"Of course, how can she care me when I am just a paid husband! Hi, Thelma!" Karel said at the same time greeted Thelma. He also sits by the table joining Thelma and Luisa.
"Schat, may I have a coffee please?" Karel asked Luisa a cup of coffee. Luisa looked at Karel sharply. She does not like it that Karel called him 'Schat'. ****to be continued****Remedios Dorio