In the afternoon, just after lunch, while Annerieke was in the kitchen preparing something for the evening, Margreet decided to go and feel if the laundry was already dry. She put on her coat, the wind was fresh and blew right through the drying room. She felt at the laundry, the towels, the bedding. Unbelievable how fast all that had dried. The bedding hadn't been hanging there long, but even that was already dry.

Humming she began to take off the laundry and put it in the nice spacious rattan laundry baskets. She had never thought that she could find this work enjoyable, but here, in the open air in this wonderful environment with lovely people, it was just really nice work!

She was startled and quickly turned around when she heard a voice behind her: "Well well, so this is where our clean towels come from! Now I also understand why the clean laundry smells so wonderfully fresh! Are you enjoying your time here, Margreet?"

"Ha Mr. Veth!"

"Anton he," he interrupted her, "for you too my name is just Anton!"

"Oh yes, Anton," Margreet laughed at him cheerfully. "Yes, it's nice and fresh, that laundry. I was just thinking how much I love it that I can do this work, especially in the open air. It's a perfect place, not just this drying room by the way, the whole guest house. And the lovely people who help me along the way. So yes, I really like it here, it feels like coming home!"

"Wow wow, that's a lot more than just having a good time. I am happy for you! And I can understand it too, the atmosphere here is good, relaxed, the surroundings are beautiful, the guest house itself is furnished in a practical way, and you have everything you need during holiday. And the food, not to mention, is formidably good! For that they get five stars from me, although restaurant owners will probably not agree, because with five stars it should be accompanied by those delicate little dishes and such. Fortunately Annerieke does not do that. We get a solid bite with a delicious taste, to enjoy every day again. And then that pie every day, how do you like her cakes?"

Margreet replied beaming, while her hands just continued to pick up the laundry, "That pies are way too good! I hope it doesn't make me go round as a barrel, pie every day..."

"That won't be too bad, you have a fine figure!"

"Oh... thank you," Margreet blushed. "By the way, you said that you find the guest house practically furnished. Maybe I'm wrong, but for a moment I had the feeling that I was missing something... that you might be missing something. Is that right?" She looked at Anton, her head slightly tilted.

"Well, missing is a big word. What I thought of myself for a moment was, for example, that bookcase, with its fine ornamentation. I'm pretty much a regular guest here and have talked to Huib and previously to his father about this before. His father even took me to their barn once, that incredibly large work barn from Huib. Woodworking is his passion and his life. He had not finished that book case for very long, when his father died, and I have the feeling that he did not get around to making more beautiful things after that. It would be good for himself if he started doing it again. And the guest house would be even more beautiful because of it."

Margreet understood exactly what he meant: "It's a pity for Huib that he hasn't succeeded yet in doing what is completely his thing. And for the guest house it is a pity too indeed. Imagine that all the furniture was as beautiful as that bookcase!"

"Exactly, you get the point! But it can't be forced, he doesn't have much time for it at the moment. It would be nice for that guy if he could make his hobby his work."

"When your work is your hobby, you don't experience it as work anymore... something like that Annerieke said to me just last night. Once Huib gets through the backlog of paperwork, I'm sure he'll be able to make time for it again. I think that pile is his biggest problem. He also does odd jobs at the guest house, repairs and so on. It would be nice if he could hire someone for that administration, but I don't know if that's financially feasible. I'll suggest it to him sometime."

"Do that, I'll do it too," Anton promised. "As a regular guest, I feel a bit of a kinship with that fellow. He's a dear, don't you think?"

It wasn't so much the words he said, but more the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, which sent a blush upon Margret's face. She felt it immediately: that Anton, he was trying to hook her up with Huib!

"You should dance with him tonight, he's good at it! How about you? Can you dance well?"

"Dancing? Me, not at all! And where would I dance with him?"

"Tonight right? Or didn't you know that yet? Wednesday night is dance night in guest house Bloemenhof! Not everyone likes it, but most guests enjoy it and stay downstairs, to listen, watch, dance themselves, and have a nice chat. Annerieke always takes care of some small snacks, bowls of nuts and chips, or some home baked stuff. Huib chooses all kinds of music, the guests are allowed to come up with ideas, preferably during the day, so he can search for the music. And they always make the room cosy. The bigger lamps go off, only the twilight lamps stay on. And they always set up stall lanterns with candles in them. It's remarkable, how something so simple can give so much atmosphere!"

Margreet had been listening with open mouth, a towel in her hands. "Yes," she said hesitantly, "that sounds cosy, but I've never danced before! My mother never let me, she thought that was from the devil." With a dejected face she looked at Anton.

"If something so cool is of the devil, then something is totally wrong! Margreet, there's nothing wrong with it, really. People grab each other by the hand, the shoulder or around the waist, and dance to the beat of the music. Joke doesn't dance much, but when I dance with her, I sometimes pull her a little closer to me, but yes, she is my sweetheart, and I know her well enough to know that she enjoys it that way! Well girl, go check it out tonight, and join in if you feel like it. Then you'll have to judge for yourself what this so-called devil has to do with it! I'm going to move on again, I'll see you later." He gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and walked quietly away, looking around enjoying himself.

Margreet was left in despair. A dance night, dear, what was she supposed to do with that? That would be the first thing to disappoint here, which might not be right. Oh well, perhaps this was another one of those things that had been imprinted on her as forbidden territory, but which she might enjoy. She shrugged and continued with the laundry. She took the baskets to the laundry room, where on the large table next to the washing machines she could fold everything neatly. Even the bed linen, she could fold there with her hands just fine. While she was doing that, Annerieke entered the laundry room.

"Pretty tough, those big sheets. Actually, it's almost impossible to do when you're alone, you have to walk from one side to the other so often to straighten this things out if you want to get them smooth! Working together is not so bad after all Margreet, you on that side? Then I'll take it here!"

Margreet still half-headed about the conversation she had had with Anton, nodded. "Yes, it's better that way, thankie!"

"Hahaha, that sounds nice and folksy, almost peasant. Funny! But hey, it just occurred to me that I hadn't told you about tonight yet."

"Wednesday night’s dance night," Margreet laughed, "Anton was just here, he told me about it so enthusiastically. I was always taught by my mother, that dancing would be of the devil. Anton obviously didn't agree with that at all. Anyway, so I don't know anything about it, I have no idea what to do with it, and whether I'm going to like it."

"Our Anton, great man, fine regular guest! If you have absolutely no experience with dancing, just do as you do with your work here: observe and learn, and above all feel! And if you really don't like it, just tell Huib or me, then go do something for yourself in your room or whatever. The guests themselves help with clearing up by putting everything together in groups. They also help to vacuum the floor and to put the tables and chairs back in their place, so that we can have breakfast the next day. So I don't think it's necessarily needed for you to come and help clean up in the evening."

"Okay... well..." accepted Margreet with relief, so no obligation. "So the dance night is in the dining room? Quite an organization, it seems to me."

"That's not too bad actually, I think it seems worse than it is. Guests who are familiar with it sometimes jump in to help even during the preparations. We place the tables along the wall, the chairs in small groups in between. On the tables we put some goodies. When we have had coffee in the evening, we start working on it, transforming the dining room into a dance hall. Huib is usually occupying himself during the day putting together a music program. Most of it he does with music from YouTube or CDs, but sometimes he picks up his guitar, and sings himself."

"Oh really? I didn't know he could do that yet! I'm starting to get more and more excited about it, by the way. The way Anton talked about it... and I can also kind of see how that room will be changed... It feels good, yes, it feels really good. I am very curious how I will experience it tonight!"

To chapter 22. Annerieke and Huib helping Margreet through

Or to the Table of contents