In the end, they needed the whole month of April to provide the whole with a wooden floor, wallpaper, curtains.

Huib managed to get all the furniture ready. He had made long working days, but had enjoyed doing so.

Sjaak and Lisa called for washing machines and refrigerators with a large freezer compartment at various thrift stores and collected them together.

They decided to buy the kitchen units new and have them delivered. Sjaak and Alex, together with Simon, managed to place them and connect them. And because the color was almost identical to the light wood Huib always used, Huib suggested, that, if they wanted, he could still make decorated doors for the kitchen blocks later.

The large pantry was already in place, almost filled to the brim.

Sjaak and Alex hung the large monitor on the wall in the central living room. Underneath it they placed the low wall unit, which Lisa then filled with toiletries, paper tissues and tissues.

"We could go on for a handyman's certificate and a plumber's certificate," Alex thought. "I've never learned and done so much of this kind of work before, especially in such a short time. And I have to say, I like it more than I thought I would!"

"It was nice to do this together. We complemented each other just fine!" thought Sjaak.

On the morning of what they considered to be their last day, Sjaak suddenly wondered where Lisa had hidden towels and kitchen towels. Completely forgotten to buy! She had collected towel bars, but nothing to hang on them. She drove with Margreet to Action where they bought together towels, washcloths, guest towels, kitchen towels and dishcloths, for each house a different color. As they walked toward the checkout counter, they passed sturdy rattan baskets.

"Laundry baskets!" exclaimed Lisa. "How silly, I did snatch up a supply of laundry detergent at the supermarket, but never thought of laundry baskets!"

Margreet was double with laughter as they piled two baskets for each house onto their shopping carts. The assistant at the checkout raised his eyebrows in surprise at that pile of baskets, but they didn’t tell him anything about it.

On Annerieke's advice, they threw the cloth they had just bought into the guesthouse's washing machines and into their own. By the end of the afternoon everything was dry and they put it in piles in the closets.

Huib put all the curtain rods at the right windows. Alex and Sjaak together mounted the large hooks in which the curtain rods could hang.

On the same day that Lisa and Annerieke distributed all collected stuff over the different houses, Janny and her friend Hannie brought the last curtains. They put the curtain rods through the rings themselves and closed them with the nicely decorated caps. With the help of two kitchen ladders the friends together clambered up to hang the curtains. With each curtain, they looked at their work from a distance. Time and again they were very satisfied with the result.

It had been a long day with a lot of lugging around. Everyone was happy when they sat down for coffee and cake in the evening. Alex, Janny and Hannie were also invited. Now that everything was finished in the first house and the large living room and the other three houses were almost finished, they all felt their tiredness. But their feeling of satisfaction and gratitude about the cooperation and the result absolutely prevailed.

Lisa thanked all those present for their tremendous efforts. "Honestly, sometimes I had a hard time believing that we were going to get it done. And now, I think after exactly four weeks, the most important work is done. We only need a few more items for those three houses that are almost finished. But the first house is done, completely finished, pico bello! The first woman can come."

She grabbed her cell phone, which at that very moment began to sing in sign that someone was calling her. It was Ellen.

"Hey Lisa, is that buddy of mine still with you? No, I don't need to talk to him though, I was just curious how far along you guys are."

"Ready Ellen, we are ready. In so far as the first cottage is completely finished and the other three for a very large part. Before that we only need a few things for the contents. Now the wait is for the first woman to come and live in our first house!"

"Okay... great timing! For that first house, you don't have to wait any longer. May I bring a young lady in tomorrow morning? She just came to my house, but needs a place of her own."

"Oh my, that sure is great timing! She's welcome tomorrow, she gets to dedicate the house!"

"Wonderful! She actually only has a few clothes with her. Is there anything else I should arrange for her, buy her something?"

"No way, if she comes here tomorrow, I'll consult with her and get whatever she might need. Is there any security?"

"Yes, and Marieke has already taken care of that. Can I come at 9 o'clock? Then Marieke and the security guards will arrive about half an hour later, so that we can first see what else she needs. Her name is Jacqueline, by the way, and she's about as young as you are."

"Fine, I'll see you both tomorrow around 9. If you drive past our house, you'll come to a new stretch of road that leads to the shelter. There's plenty of parking there."

"All right, see you tomorrow!"

Lisa sat back down and turned to the others who looked at her questioningly.

"Today the first house is ready, tomorrow Ellen will bring the first woman!"

"We suspected something like that from what you said to Ellen. Very special, really very special," Sjaak muttered.

To chapter 239. New hope

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