As promised Annerieke had already washed her hair that morning. It felt wonderfully fresh and airy. Margreet had promised that she would come as soon as she had finished hanging up the washed bedding and tidying the dry laundry. So she could be there any time.

She grabbed a kind of cape that could act as a hairdressing apron, a pair of scissors, a brush and a hand mirror.

She walked to the window and looked out over the field. She couldn't see the boarding house from there, but she did see Margreet coming around the corner a moment later. They waved at each other, smiling.

Annerieke opened the front door, "Welcome dear daughter-in-law!"

Margreet laughed, "In the first days I worked here, I already thought I would have liked a mother like you, and now I have you as a mother. That 'in-law' may come off right?"

"It's fine by me, let’s just keep it as mother and daughter. Spontaneous family growth, amazing! I am a privileged person! Would you like coffee or tea?"

"That tea we had the other day, with aniseed..."

"And fennel and liquorice. Fine, shall I make it a full pot?"

"Mine you may, only... I think I'll only have one glass of it, because after the cutting, the moving van will come!" she jested.

"Oh yes, of course, then I won't keep you here any longer than necessary later. What a wonderful idea for me as Huibs mother too, that soon he will no longer be living alone in that house, but together with you. It's really good this way!"

"Oh yes, special and good!" Margreet agreed with her completely.

Annerieke looked at the hairdressing supplies, "First cut and then tea? Or rather the other way around?"

"Rather cut first and then that nice tea as a reward. About five centimeters, you said, is that something like the two knuckles of my forefinger?"

Annerieke nodded, "Something like that I guess. Good luck dear daughter!"

Annerieke put her so-called hairdressing apron around her neck and sat down on an open space in the room so that her hair could fall all around her. Margreet brushed her hair, pulled a tuft of hair straight and immediately saw where she could put the scissors in it. Concentrated she began, and found that it was indeed not complicated. She was soon able to stay in conversation with Annerieke in the meantime. So they had a cozy quarter of an hour together.

When she was done, she brushed the hair once more, checked if everything was all right, cut off another tuft and was very satisfied herself. Annerieke stood up, looked at herself in the mirror. "You are a natural hairdresser for people with such curly hair! It looks good Margreet, a bit shorter again! Thank you!"

"You're welcome," she said as she received Annerieke's hug. "I'll just sweep up, if you have a dustpan and brush for me, and a bag to put the hair in, then you can make some tea."

Annerieke nodded and took dustpan and brush from her work closet, and a bag from the kitchen, and went to make tea.

After a brisk knock on the door, Huib stepped in. He heard his mother in the kitchen and called: "Hi mom, are you making coffee? Would you do a mug for me too, I'll stay a while."

He frisked around the room, "Margreet, where are you sweetheart?"

She got up and walked over to him, smiling, buttoning up the bag of hair. She wrapped her arms around him and he pulled her tightly against him for a moment. "Did it work out, Mrs. Hairdresser?" he asked.

"Oh yes, and it wasn't too bad, you see," she nodded toward Annerieke who had just entered the room.

"Handsome! This women here, gorgeous, intelligent and handy! Boy, what a day, I still can't get over it!" Huib plopped down on the sofa.

"You don't have to, just go on," Annerieke encouraged, "you've always been a friendly boy, but I don't think I've ever seen you as cheerful and happy as today."

"And that’s on your conscience," Huib said, as he playfully squeezed Margreet's thigh for a moment.

To chapter 49. Exploring

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