The thirty-first of July 1993. This day went down in history as the day that changed Belgium. Things started as a sunny day, the temperature went down to the twenty degrees and the terraces all over the country were fully taken in no time. Antonio and his daughter Hannah also had a nice day on the program. Today there was a scholarship for artistic lovers and Antonio was going there, along with two of his colleagues to represent the studio.
All day they talked to thousands of fans of Jef Nijs, and especially the Jommeke series. It was a very popular comic series in Flanders. Practically everyone knows the young hero with his blond straw roof and green-red feathered friend flip, who is often the savior in distress.
Hannah was going around the exhibition with one of the daughters of his colleagues. In the few years that Antonio was now working there he immediately established a good relationship with his colleagues and their children got on well with each other too. Every time they do something together, the two girls were together, often in the company two younger, but also tough guys.
These two, however they were not here today because they were camping with the scouts and so it were only the two girls who had decided to explore the fair together and they were already doing that for nearly three hours.
Antonio wondered where they were, but he was not worried. He knew that Hannah could take care of themselves and so did Marthe, the daughter of Frans. They went to the same school but Marthe and her dad lived in Leopoldsburg. During the weekend and during the holidays they have spent much time together, and so they became good friends.
It was already late into the evening and Antonio laid into the sofa, watching a late movie, or at least he was trying to cause he was constantly struggling against tiredness. Suddenly, the film was interrupted. "What the hell is this?" Antonio Asked himself and took the remote control at the same time by hand. Less than a second later, the image of the news studio came onto the screen.
"Additional news." It said and Antonio looked surprised and forgot that he had a remote control in his hands.
"Good evening, dear viewers, we pause all broadcasts for a very recent message about our King. King Baudouin is no longer amongst us, we are just been informed that he died tonight after a long period of suffering in his holiday home in Motril in Spain. "
Antonio Stared agape to the television screen. For a moment he could not speak. His gaze deviated from the screen and went to the picture of King Baudouin that hung above the fireplace.
"This can not be true." He said softly, in a tone traumatized.
"At this time, the prime minister is in Brussels with a first speech, this is also the first that we are going to hear this. If it is good then we can move on to Brussels, where Prime Minister Dehaene has convened the press." Said the newscaster and the image was as black and then a image provided by the Premier who started his speech.
"Dear compatriots, in his last New Year's message pressed the king to be the wish in service for many years of his country. Fate has decided otherwise there. Our country has lost its king and remains orphaned. Our thoughts go first and foremost to the queen; For many years she has assisted her husband in exceptional way ... "
As the Prime Minister lasted for a while. When reality struck in with Antonio, he bursted into tears. "Impossible !!" he sobbed. He went to the kitchen, took a glass of whiskey and drank it in one gulp. He could barely control himself to pour a second because he looked at the ceiling and realized that his daughter was sleeping there. He could not do that, he realized. He put his glass in the sink and the bottle of whiskey back in the cupboard and then went back inside.
When he came into the living room he looked again at the picture of King Baudouin and wiped a tear. Then he continued on his way to his bedroom.
But sleeping was a huge problem for that night and so it was that he got up the next morning exhausted. When he came down he saw Hannah being awake and she had the table for both of them covered.
"Good morning, Daddy!" She said cheerfully as Antonio entered the dining room. But this cheerfulness quickly turned into confusion when she saw what her dad looked like. "What happened dad? "She asked shocked when she saw the red eyes and puffiness underneath.
Antonio first sat down at the table and said with a hoarse voice: "Something bad happened last night sweetheart.please sit down because what I'm about to tell you can be very rough news."
Hannah frowned but did not ask any more questions and took place on the chair next to her dad. "What's wrong?" She asked in a soft voice. Antonio then tried to pull himself together and went on a questioning tone: you know who that man is there in the picture above the fireplace right? " "Yeah right, that's is our king, King Baudouin and a friend of yours." Hannah said as she looked at the picture and then back to her dad and she again raised her eyebrows.
"Well," Antonio said, as he still had to try not to burst into tears, "Our king is no longer with us." "What do you mean?" Hannah asked. "King Baudouin has passed away tonight. "he said and wiped away a tear.
He looked up and saw a shocked look in his daughter's eyes. This image made him burst and he started crying violently. Hannah wept away her tears and she stood up and hugged her dad. They mourned together over the loss of the man that had led his country with honor and respect all those years.
In the days that followed, all across the country were people mourning over King Baudouin's death. Throughout the whole nation of Belgium all national and international flags hung at half-mast and there were nine days of national mourning.
On the circuit of Spa Francorchamps, the drivers had led a lap of honor for the man that raised his country since the war had just been consumed. And in all those years he had done so well.
According to Antonio even the best king Belgium had ver had and few had gone against that thought.
A few days later there was a state burial and the remains of the king were interred in the crypt of cloth where all his predecessors were.
Antonio closed the diary, and wiped away a tear. He missed his companion of the past still very hard, but he knew he could not bring the time back and that he only had the memories. He harbored therefore very hard. For friendship, which is one of the most important things in life and saying goodbye to a friend, it feels like the ground beneath your feet disappears suddenly and unannounced.
YOU ARE READING
Fellow Compatriots
Historical Fiction.In honor of a noble king, who died way too early, I have written a short novel about his life. The novel is partly written as seen through the eyes of a fictional character; Antonio, who knew king Baudouin personally.
