Salsa Henk, that's what my brother Henk called him appropriately to distinguish him from the other Henks we know. Yes, I had met him at a Salsa party, we often went Salsa dancing and he loved dancing. He loved Salsa
Salsa Henk, that's what my brother Henk aptly called him to distinguish him from the other Henks we know.
Yes, I had met him at a Salsa party, we often went Salsa dancing and he loved dancing. He loved Salsa
He certainly stood out from his namesakes. He was very lively, very sweet and actually it was always "cool" to just go out with Henk. So it could have been LL Cool Henk I think now. He would have laughed if I had said that to him and probably also would have liked the association with the original meaning of LL, "Lady's Lover".
Yes, that's how I remember Henk. Besides being intelligent, helpful and always willing to listen, he had an incredible sense of humor. I could laugh so much with him.
When I heard the sad news that he had passed away, I was silent for a moment. Actually quite shocked. I needed some time to let it sink in. Although it is still getting used to it, memories of nice moments and hilarious stories often come to mind. I can still laugh about the story of him in, I think, Mexico. But bear with me. As fond of traveling as he was, Henk did go somewhere sometimes.
On his way to this Spanish-speaking country, he met a fellow countryman and to save money, they decided to share a room. No sooner said than done. On his way to explore the area, Henk ended up in a cafe somewhere in the evening. All very nice, but unfortunately there was some drunk who didn't want anything to do with "gringos". Drunk as he was, he threatened to shoot Henk dead with a gun in his hand. Of course, Henk was completely paralyzed with fear. Fortunately, the friends of this aggressive person were able to calm him down and from one moment to the next Henk turned into his big "Amigo." Henk had had enough and decided to take a taxi to his accommodation. During the ride, however, he was overcome by an overwhelming feeling of I LIVE! I am alive! This intense emotion absolutely had to be celebrated. He therefore decided to turn around and have another drink to celebrate that he had survived the worst. He doesn't remember exactly what time he got "home" and how, but from his Dutch travel companion, he understood the next day that Henk had gotten into bed with him and had snuggled up to him. Henk tried to explain it, but the roommate who didn't know Henk, thanked him kindly and decided to get his own room.
Indeed, Henk was full of life and stories. That is one of the reasons I can laugh when I think back to him. Henk, you were someone to love. I will miss you.