IN & OUT OF LIFE - Chapter 125 - The church (Herman)

THE CHURCH (Herman) ~ 1860-1920

I see a church with dark reddish bricks. I'm now inside the church at the back. I see round buns with sugar on top. There is wine too. It's a reception. The church is not officially in use yet. It needs to be blessed first, like a baptism. I go to the left side by the confession booths to meet a guy. He's younger than me and has reddish hair and a mustache. He has his right hand in his pocket. His name is Olivier. We talk a bit. For the sake of making conversation, I carefully ask him about the baby, not being completely sure if he's the guy who recently had a baby or not. His face lights up, apparently glad I asked and happy to talk about it rather than about work. 'She's good, she's good - a bit wobbly on her legs still' he says, briefly demonstrating the way the little girl wobbles in the process of learning to walk. He then smiles, looks down, and stays quiet for a while. 'What about you?' he then says. I say: 'Well, I have five kids… yeah.' 'Boys?' he asks. 'Two' I say, '… two big fellas. Their mother raised them well.' What I mean by that is that she encouraged them to study. 'I worked as a bricklayer' I tell him, '… like you!' 'Yeah' he says, and laughs a little. I laugh with him. We then talk about a boat he has been working on, more specifically the floor of the boat. The tiles in the church sure look pretty: Large, dark blue, and shiny.

Q: What's your involvement in this?

Herman: I delivered some goods and arranged a good price because of my connections. He invited me to come. My son is here too, the one with the black hair. He nimbly comes over and touches my shoulder. 'Papa, this is Fernand' he says, introducing another young man. "Ah, Fernandje" I say, shaking the man's hand. The young man is quite petite, about twenty years old and yet just barely growing into manhood.

Q: What's your son's name?

Herman: This is Martin. He's twenty three. Petrus (Peter) is not much younger than him.

Q: I gather Marie-Louise has already passed away.

Herman: Be quiet please.

He seems to find it important to leave the deceased in peace. Marie-Louise was his firstborn and his niece's namesake. The reason why I gathered that she must have already died is cause he told the man he has five children, not six.

Q: Is Martin married yet?

Herman: He's still getting his degree - architecture, like me. He specializes in roofs.