Luisa was surprised why Thelma was asking her if she already had seen Herman. Karel on the other hand suddenly felt a sensation of fear when he heard the name of Herman mentioned. Karel already had admitted to himself that he falls in love with Luisa, and he could not imagine what will be his life if he loses Luisa and the twin which for quite of time he already had taken as his own. After all, the twin bore his name.
"Luisa, I'd seen Herman!" Thelma told Luisa that she had seen Herman.
"You'd seen Herman? Where?" Luisa was excited, Karel could hear it from Luisa's voice.
"This morning in the airport!"
"You talked to each other?"
"No, but he saw me and Kees."
"He was with his wife of course." Luisa was a little sad when asking it to Thelma.
"I have an idea that he was alone!" Thelma answered Luisa.
Herman came back to the Netherlands alone. The mood of Luisa switched back to gladness. When she and Thelma finished talking, she turned to Karel with a happy face and say to him.
"Karel, you heard it? Herman is back!"
Karel looked at Luisa and forced a smile. "Good news for you!"
That night, Luisa could not sleep. He is thinking about Herman. Within herself, she knows she still had the feeling. She loves Herman and she could not understand herself why she kept loving him, after what Herman had done to her. She could not forget all the sweet moments together with Herman, his sweet voice whispering his love to her and the promises he made.
Karel in his room, also could not sleep. The harmonious time together with Luisa had given him a kind of hope that maybe Luisa could fall in love with him the same as he falls in love with her. He enjoyed her laugh, he enjoyed also as she was annoyed of little something that is not so important, he enjoyed her watching as she takes care of her twins Lindsey and Norma. He had really hoped that before the seven years living together as fake husband and wife, Luisa would fall in love to him, to erase from their life the word fake that described their marriage. Now his hope diminish as Herman would appear again in Luisa's life.
Luisa and Karel attended the funeral of the mother of Kees. Thelma and Kees were glad to see the twins of Luisa. They made an appointment, Thelma would be the Godmother of Norma, and Kees the Godfather of Lindsey.
For many days, Luisa was very uneasy. As Karel was in his work, Luisa had thought to call Herman on the telephone. She dials the number of Herman but then stopped. She asked herself, why would she call Herman? Herman was alone back in the Netherlands, but it did not mean he was not married anymore. Yet, the urged to call Herman won.
"Hello, with Herman!" the voice at the other end of the telephone was very familiar. It was Herman.
"Herman?" Luisa was nervous.
"Luisa?" Herman was glad to hear the voice of Luisa. "Thanks God, you call me! I am glad!"
"Really?" Luisa do not know what she felt upon hearing what Herman said.
"Yes, I called Antwerp, but they said there that you are here in Rotterdam. I went to the club where you had work, but I learned you stopped working there for months already. I ask the driver of the club that always drove you and Thelma to work and back home, but he said he do not know where you are." Herman said.
"Karel!"
"Yes, Karel that was his name. Luisa how are you; I want to see you!"
Luisa was for a moment silent. Karel had denied Herman about her whereabouts.
"Luisa, are you still there? I want to see you, is that possible?" Herman repeated to Luisa what he said that he wanted to see Luisa.
"Herman, I don't know. You are a married man. You had a wife!" Luisa answered Herman.
"I will explain to you everything when we see each other and can talk. Please, Luisa, Schat?"
Luisa's heart was tickled. Herman still called her Schat.
"Schat, please answer me. Please say yes!"
"I will call you back!" and Luisa put the telephone on the cradle. She was happy. Herman as always tickled her heart. She decided to see and met Herman.
Thelma doubted the decision of Luisa when Luisa called her and talked about, her to see Herman again.
"He is a married man." Thelma said.
"He said he was seeking me for days, and you know, he still called me Schat!" Luisa was very enthusiast on telling Thelma that Herman still called her Schat.
"Luisa, think twice and ask yourself if what you will do is good. How about Karel? What is his opinion?"
"Thelma, I am married to Karel for paper only! Remember, he was paid 20 thousand guilders? We do not mind each other, that was the deal!"
"I don't know. Karel is good to you. He gave his name to your daughters. Please Luisa, to outside you are a couple married to each other. Please, don't hurt Karel's ego as a man."
"Don't worry, I am not doing crazy things yet. Herman only wants to talk to me, to explain everything. I will give him that chance. I called you because if you have nothing to do, maybe you can babysit your Goddaughter."
"When?"
"Tomorrow?"
"Okay, no problem. Kees is busy putting his business right because we will continue next month our tour!"
"Thank you! Thank you, Thelma!"
THE appointment of Luisa with Herman.
In one of the secluded coffees and tea corner in the Witte de Withstraat at downtown Rotterdam, they both seated by a small table. For a while no one speak even a single word. Herman just looks at Luisa's face and so Luisa too. Luisa was looking at Herman's face, like she is seeking something to convince herself that she was not dreaming; or she just wanted to find in Herman's face, that he is the same man who was very in love with her before, at least that what she believed.
"You are the same Luisa I know, very pretty!" Herman gave Luisa a compliment. He knows Luisa, liked it very much be complimented with just even sweet little nothings.
"I never change from outside and inside!" Luisa answered Herman.
After a while pause, Herman reached for the hand of Luisa. Luisa did not protest. "Luisa, I want you to know that I love you!
Luisa did not answer. She just looked at Herman and she was thinking. How many times did Herman said to her 'I love you'? Many times, and every time Herman told it her, she was lifted to heaven.
"I just want you to know, that I never stop loving you!" Herman voice was broken. Did Luisa saw a verge of tears in Herman's eyes?
"Please Luisa, say something, say you love me and that you never stop loving me too!" Herman said at the same time pressed the hand of Luisa.
"You leaved me without saying a single word." Luisa said.
"I regretted it. Please forgive me."
"You had a wife. You are married!"
"Not anymore." Herman produced a piece of paper from his jacket. He gave it to Luisa. "My divorce papers!"
Luisa looked at the piece of paper that Herman, her let seen. The language as she saw it looked like Spanish, but it is not. "It is in Spanish?"
"No, in Portuguese, the language of Brazil." Herman told Luisa that the divorce paper was in Portuguese.
"I cannot understand it." Luisa said.
"Look, divorcio, it means divorce." Herman pointed to Luisa the word of divorce in the paper, divorcio in Portuguese.
"Why did you divorce your wife?" Luisa after a pause of silent, asked Herman why he divorced his Brazilian wife.
"Because I promised I will marry you!" Herman answered Luisa. Luisa remembered the words of Herman when he promised her 'I promise I will marry you, Luisa, Schat'. Those words she really did believed and had made her overjoyed before.
S I L E N C E
"I really love you, Luisa. God knows how much I love you."
Luisa felt the honesty in Herman's words. The hands of Herman that trembled presented or describing an emotion of regret. She by herself know that she still loves Herman. She loves him very much too.
"Herman, you know I always love you; I never stop loving you even you hurt me very much, even you had lied to me, even you went away not even saying goodbye." and the tears of Luisa fell down her cheeks. She remembered the day when she knew that Herman went away, disappeared like a soap bubble burst into the air. The feelings came back.
"Luisa, I know I hurt you that much. I know I made a big mistake! But we love each other very much. Please, could you please forget the faults and mistakes I made? Please give our love a second chance. Please, Luisa, I am begging you. Give me a second chance, please." Herman had his tears too. ****to be continued****Remedios Dorio