Huib put the red jasper stones in a tray on his worktop. He walked home briefly to let Margreet know he was back. He enjoyed her progress, loved her first flowers.

He told about the changes at Danielle's place, that she had started making beautiful figurines.

"Danielle is far too busy, walking on her toes. Ideally, she just wants to be creative, but of course money has to come in. So, the shop has to stay open. So I offered to at least put her figurines on our website. She thinks that plan is cool in itself, she has a click with it, but she is not keen on taking on the correspondence, the sales via the website. That initially stopped her from taking the plunge. I promised her I would ask you and Lisa if you would like to take on that job. I realise it certainly doesn't have your heart, but..."

Margreet felt how good it was to have Danielle there, now on digital, and later in the real gallery. And while Huib talked about the correspondence, she felt that the whole website thing was actually growing over his head. Suddenly she got an idea: "Wouldn't it be something for Ilse to take care of everything on that website? She's like a walking computer, she loves nothing more than working on her PC, trying things out and researching. Wouldn't she like to be our web administrator and do the bookkeeping as well?"

"Ilse? Ilse Verbree from The Shelter? Are you serious? I'll go and talk to her about it right away! Thank you, beauty, you're wonderful!" He grabbed her face and gave her a firm kiss. "See you soon!"

"Good luck! I'll hear about it in a minute!" Margreet called after him.

.

Huib walked across the lawn towards The Shelter. At house number four, he briefly looked inside, but did not see Ilse. He decided to knock on the door of the central living room. Ineke let him in, told him they were just relaxing with a cup of coffee. "Do you want coffee too?" she asked him.

"Yes please!"

"Good day ladies! Bit of fun this afternoon?"

"Not really cosy, but not really depressed either. We were talking about how it's quite difficult to think about how we want to move forward. What kind of work we want to do, that kind of thing. That was because Ineke told us about the discovery centre. It is all not certain yet that it will go ahead, but at least she is full of good expectations. When are you going to that education guy again?"

Ineke chuckled: "Next Monday, then we have to be there at half past one. Patrick put together everything we needed in a beautiful file and after he made that appointment, sent everything to that man, Huib, in advance. And he soon got a message back: 'files received, thanks, looks clear', something like that."

"That sounds good yes, I really hope he doesn't force Rosalie to go to school, and that the centre can go ahead. Great for you and Rosalie and her parents, and if Gloria is up to it... I don't want her to grow like a spear at all to work her out the door to the centre, but once she's that far along, I'd be extremely happy if she can go there."

"Seems to me too! The plans as they have described them are great. We also already have a name, "I'm discovering it myself!" and Patrick has already made a gable plate using one of those photo editing programmes. He also sent that one to the guy, along with a description of why we want those words in a wave motion and why we chose a crazy font with some sloppy letters. It just totally fits our vision for the centre! Development does not follow the neat line of teachers, but in wave movements. And why should everything have to be perfect, all letters perfect? A human being is not a typewriter, nor a computer! It's really super cool, and I would whine my pillow soaking wet if it doesn't go ahead!"

Huib shot into laughter: "I feel your enthusiasm, it would be really great! But I understand that in doing so, you've stoked your housemates' desire for their own direction considerably..."

"Say so," Ilse responded in an angry tone. She was the smallest of the foursome with the most striking hair: red curls that jumped happily around her head when she moved! As a child, she had been a happy child, cheerful and playful, often outgoing, but the years of abuse had made her anxious and angry. She was the only one who had some trouble with the central living room, much preferred sitting at her own computer. Not wanting to shut herself out completely, she sometimes came there for a cup of coffee, but she usually didn't go much further.

Huib nodded, moved a chair from the dining area and told her he might have some good news for her in particular.

"You love working with your PC, don't you?" Ilse nodded. "I made a website, a simple one, but so far it has worked. It's currently a website for four people doing creative work, artwork. Myself with woodworking, Margreet with wall hangings, Elly, a friend of ours who paints, and recently Bianca, who works in the guesthouse and makes very special doll clothes. Starting today, a fifth will join us, Danielle, who has been working with gemstones for years. She used to make jewellery from them and sells them in her little shop in a village nearby. I was in her shop this afternoon and discovered that she has been busy with another creative outburst. She makes figurines, also with gemstones, among other things. If she didn't need the money, she would prefer to close her shop and just be busy with the creative side of her work, mainly those figurines and occasionally some jewellery with them. But yes, that money has to come in too, otherwise she will soon have to bite on a bone. I have offered her to put the figurines on our website as a separate page. By the way, every artist has his or her own page on the website. Danielle clicked with that proposal, but is not keen on adding the correspondence with clients as well. And if I'm honest... for me, that's also the least fun part of my job. Ideally, I would like to work only with wood - that's my thing. But someone has to do that website, and so far, I am doing it. Everyone else does their own correspondence with customers. Simon called our website our digital gallery recently. He got a very clear impression that there should be a real gallery, not soon, but in a few years or so. And our website is a precursor to that, our digital gallery, and will continue to exist even when the real gallery exists to make it easier for gallery visitors to ask questions and proceed to purchase. And everything else involved.

We all have our own quotations and bills ready to go, they only need to be filled in. And administration comes with it, keeping an eye on whether bills are paid, tax returns, at least for me, and things like that.

So I need someone who is kind of a jack-of-all-trades on the computer, and does it with dedication. Someone who can manage a website, maintain it and keep up with correspondence and administration. I mentioned this to Margreet and she said almost immediately: 'Wouldn't that be something for Ilse Verbree?' She knew how much you like working with your computer. You don't have to decide right away, feel free to take your time..."

"Nothing to it! I'm dying to do this!" Ilse interrupted him. "Just imagine, I was sulking just now because I had no idea how to proceed, and you throw the best solution that suits me in my lap! It's that I'm not crazy about hugging men yet, otherwise I'd fly around your neck on this one!"

The women giggled, apparently seeing it for themselves. And Huib too chuckled, totally fine with her not wanting to hug him. He thought it was great that she wanted to take on this job.

When the giggle had calmed down, he stood up. "Ilse, I'm super happy that you want to do this job so much! I'll check with the others... it seems best if we get together one evening. Do you have any preferences, which day?"

"Yesterday!" she immediately shouted. "No ya, I don't mind, but preferably as soon as possible. I haven't planned a single evening yet, so I really don't care. Just let me know when I have to turn up. At your place, you think?"

"Seems convenient, you'll hear from me! Katja, Maureen, good luck with your search. Don't give up, you see with Ineke and Ilse, it may just be thrown at you."

"Uhm Huib..." said Maureen hesitantly, "Actually, I do know what I would like most. You mentioned artists... I enjoyed playing with candle wax as a child, making something beautiful with a dripping candle. They were monstrosities at first, but they became more and more beautiful figurines. I haven't done that in the last few years, first because I thought it was childish, then because it was incompatible with that prostitution work, but in the last few days the desire arose to get back into it. I just don't dare to do it here, I'm afraid I'll set fire to the place... Do you know a solution for that, a place where I could work safely? And then if you like it well enough, could I join you?"

To her surprise, she saw that Huib was moved. With difficulty, he replied, "I feel it's right, that such work is not childish but really a creative way in which you can make beautiful things. You really need to pick this up again, and yes, you can definitely come to us with your work. We will find a space; I will inquire with the others. And if you want, you can also come along to our meeting later. Then you can get acquainted with the others right away and help think about practical matters. Good idea?"

"Oh yes... I'm looking forward to it!"

"Great, now only Katja is left, but that will be fine too. Don't give up Katja!"

"No way, I am quietly searching, browsing ads on the internet and trying to feel what work clicks with me. Tip from Lisa! I haven't found anything that clicks yet, so I'm quietly moving on."

"Brave of you! Goodbye young ladies!"

To chapter 29. Maureen makes a fresh start

Or to the Table of contents