Ch 14. A new life
3 days later, 5 September, Monday.
Ypres
1800 Hr.
It was a splendid weather, nice temperature, an Indian summer.
Mike looked from out of the window of the train how the silhouettes of the towers of the Cloth Hall and the churches became visible.
This skyline becomes my home too. Finally we're here. I thought that this voyage was never going to end.
He looked at his watch.
6 o'clock in the evening, that means … 2 o'clock in the morning in Cairns, in the middle of the night and here, the sun shines. That's why I feel so terribly tired.
The taxi stopped along side the wet moat of the city wall across a small house at the Hoornwerk.
Mike got out and paid the driver. He straightened his back, looked at the house with the brown windows, took his suit case and his hand luggage and made a few steps to the front door and rang the door bell. He took a deep breath and felt excitement.
All of a sudden the door opened and he looked at a bright smiling Helen.
"Mike, you're back!" she exclaimed and she stepped aside to let him in.
The door was barely closed and he had put down his suit case as she embraced him.
"Honey, I'm happy I'm back", he said holding her in his arms.
"And how do you think what I feel now?" she said with twinkling eyes. They broke apart and she took over his coat to put it on a hanger.
He looked at her. She wore a smart dark red cotton dress without sleeves. He noticed also that she was wearing the diamond ring he gave her. Mike smiled when he saw her bare feet.
"What's funny?" she asked him.
"No, nothing, you're just cute", he replied while giving her a brush over her back.
That's a kind of a trademark of you, always barefoot .
"How's Kate?"
"Great! She's just asleep. I think you'll see that she has grown quite a lot", Helen said winking with her head towards the staircase to the first floor.
They walked to her room at the first floor to have a look at the sleeping toddler.
"How was your voyage?", she asked him as they walked back downstairs.
"Long and tiresome. It's the middle of the night there."
"Oh, sorry, then you must be deadly tired!", she said hurtfully.
"Well, in the train I was, but now, it's just like I'm just awake," he replied with a smile.
"Something to drink?"
"I don't say no. A good beer?", he said as he sat down at the couch.
"Duvel?", she asked.
"Jeez, yes! I've missed that over there", he said spontaneously.
Helen shot him a quizzically glare, "Only that?"
He poked her, "No, silly! You, of course in the first place! And our daughter!".
Helen grinned at him as she padded to the kitchen.
She came back with a glass of Duvel and a glass of white wine. She handed him the glass and sat down.
"Cheers!", she said as they toasted.
"Cheers!"
Mike had taken a small parcel from out of his hand luggage and he offered it to her, "Here, a souvenir from Down Under."
Helen accepted it and looked at it amused and she started to pull on the tape.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed when she had torn away the paper, "Timtam's! Oh, Mike you're so cute."
"Be sparing with them. I don't go back to get some new ones," he said on a conspiracy tone.
She felt the tone and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I don't go back … anymore."
Helen stared at him while she put down the packets with Timtams.
"Do … do you really want to say that you stay here for good now?", she asked astonished.
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying," he replied with a smile.
"Oh Mike," she said with a sigh. "You don't know how happy you've made me", and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. When they broke apart she sniffed and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry. It looks silly but I'm crying from happiness", she said.
She sighed and leaned to him at the couch. "Can you believe it? For the first time in my life I feel at ease, but really at ease."
"Yeah, I can understand. We're now at the eve of a new chapter of our life and I'm thrilled for what is going to come!", he said.
"Yeah, indeed, but sorry, I…!", she said and hurried to the kitchen and she padded back with a tissue to drying her eyes.
"Was my message of September the fifth clear?", he asked.
Helen gave him a broad smile, "If you don't understand that, then you're really a dunce!".
"Have you eaten yet?", she continued.
"Nope! Now that you talk about it, I'm starving!", he said taking another sip.
She grinned, "I didn't expect the opposite! And as answer to your following question about what, well it's going to be another classic Flemish menu, tomato soup, roasted beef, boiled potatoes and peas."
"Ok, looks promising!"
After the dinner Helen switched on the radio and plopped on the couch. She cuddled up in his arms.
"Honey, how's life in Belgium?", he asked.
"Well, we live here with 11 million people on the surface of a handkerchief, but on one way or another we succeed in it", she said.
"The weather?"
"If you agree with an average temperature of 18 degrees in summer and 5 in winter. Sometimes there are peaks to 30 degrees and those days are mostly awarded with a vicious thunderstorm. And during winter we have sometimes a bit of frost and a thin layer of snow."
He rubbed his chin, "Hmm, it looks like I've to buy a jumper as well".
"Certainly!"
"On the other hand it's a paradise for food, especially vegetables. The most exclusive vegetables like asparagus, chicory and Brussels sprouts are common here. And there are a lot others like leek, cauliflower, celery, red cabbage and much more. And don't forget the chocolate! In all kind of sizes and variants."
"Promising! And the language? I've heard something else next to Dutch and English when I was here."
"That's French. The northern part of the country speaks Flemish which is almost Dutch and the southern part French and there's a small part near the German border where they speak German. The northern part is called Flanders and the southern part is Wallonia. Meanwhile I've heard that there's a strange dispute between the Flemish and the French speaking community. It has something to do when the country was established in the 19th century. The leading class spoke French and there are still remains of that habit. Honestly I don't understand a damn of it!", Helen said frowning.
"Hmm complex… But apart from that it seems to be good here".
Helen sighed, "Yeah, and apart from the fact that the government is persuaded that we all have too much money because they charge taxes on everything!
They talked about everything but a bit later he started to yawn.
"Jetlag, I guess?", Helen asked.
"Yeah, the beer and the excitement did their job. I'm all of a sudden dog tired", he said.
"You're right, it must have been a tiresome day for you. Let's go to bed", she said caressing his hair.
"I barely can't wait to lie next to you", Helen added with a smile.
"I do believe that, but the tricks are not for today honey."
Barely a quarter later Mike was in a deep sleep. Helen snuggled up against him and watched while he was asleep, trying to realise that he was really with her now, definitely.
The next morning Helen yanked the curtains open and bright light entered the bedroom. Mike grumbled. "Is that really necessary?"
"Good morning darling!", she said joyously.
"Hmm", he mumbled rubbing his eyes.
"So you can wake up bit by bit while I go to the bathroom." Helen said.
She bent forward to kiss him.
"Hold on a sec," he said after the kiss.
'Yes?", Helen asked him.
Then she realised that her thin night dress has fallen open and that he was looking inside with a huge grin.
"Oh! You naughty!", she said poking him with two fingers.
Helen was ready with the little Kate when Mike arrived from upstairs. He said hi to her and caressed the little one and sat down to prepare a toast. Helen joined him and he noticed that she was wearing her jumper and a jeans.
"Field work today?", he asked her.
"Yeah, an inspection of several cemeteries near Vierstraat for maintenance. I really hope to keep it dry today. It happened to me once that I was surprised by a shower. I was soaking wet and I can guarantee you that's it not the same feeling as with us. Here it becomes chill in this season", she said with a grimace before biting from a toast with chocolate paste.
"And what are you going to do?", Helen asked with lifted eyebrows.
"Well, I'm going to make a lazy day of it. I'm going to the same bank as yours to open an account and then? Pfft looking around I guess", he said shrugging.
"Well sailor, you thought that! No tourists allowed here. You can do the groceries", she said, standing upright and she padded to the fridge where she took the shopping list from it. Helen looked at it and gave it to him.
"Here it is and when you take the nappies, mind that Kate is a girl.
She saw his questioning face.
"Don't look at me like that, I know you. There is a difference between boys and girls on the packages," she said with a cheeky smile.
He replied nodding. "Yes ma'am. Where?"
"You can choose. There's a Delhaize or a Carrefour supermarket. Use the car. It's too far to haul with bags. We've been there together last time, remember? For field work we use the cars of the Commonwealth Graves", she said.
Mike nodded, "And do you have also some of those euros for me then?"
"Yeah, oh, and … uh… Mike, when you're thirsty and you want to drink a beer, take care, the majority of the Belgian beers are much stronger than ours."
He smirked at her. "Yes mum and honestly, I've already figured that out yet."
After they had breakfast Helen dressed Kate to go to the crèche.
"I'm here now, what about her?", Mike asked.
"We don't know what kind of job you're going to do and moreover I have an agreement with the crèche to bring her there during the week", Helen answered while tying her shoes.
"Ok, see you this evening and enjoy your day", he said and they gave each other a kiss.
After she has left with the pram he closed the door and walked back to the living room. He stood still and looked around.
"So, my first day of my other life. An ordinary day. Kate to her job and I here in her house, our house now. Kate, … Helen, I really have to get used to it, for her safety!" he mumbled scratching his hair.
Ok, let's clean these dishes and cups, then the bank, seeing that I can get my money here. Next looking if they have some kind of job agency here.
And we have to talk seriously about marriage now!
To be continued