As Bea watched as Margreet formed a patch on the tapestry, she said, "I just peeked around the sheet at Maureen's place. Have you seen what she's working on yet?"

"No, not yet. I did hear from Huib, though, that this time she had used a nice block of wood as a base. She always does that hey, a piece of waste wood, usually a small plank, and then she starts working on that. In the end, you can't see anything of the wood, but it does have a nice base. This time she had taken a block instead of a plank. And Huib said that this time she had brought all kinds of coloured candles to her work corner. Black and fiery colours. Could you already see a bit of what it will be?"

"Yes, she has made a mountain out of black with very lightly something fiery through it, the edges at the top form a crater and now she is busy making lava jets squirt up from there. Extraordinary how she does that, she very quietly drops droplets, making it grow upwards, as if it really squirts out."

"She's amazing with that stuff! I don't want these girls to leave, but Maureen and Katja in particular really need to live bigger. They need more space, their own workroom, and I think also a room where they can put their work."

"So what does Katja do? Something creative too?"

"Oh yes, that's a story in itself!" Margreet told her about Katja's visit to Olivia and Koos, about the doll she wanted Bianca to dress, and the memory that then suddenly came back from her toddler days.

"Again a similar thing, Katja as a toddler went to do her own thing, discovered for herself what she liked. It just didn't take off, she couldn't pursue it. But thanks to that memory, she started working on it again. She breaks vases and bowls in a large container, taps pieces of glass off with a hammer and melts them together with a soldering torch, creating something new."

Margreet grabbed her mobile and looked up the digital gallery. She selected Katja's page and showed Bea the photo of the first work: 'Glass grows'

Bea enlarged the photo, looked at parts. "How special, really beautiful, but also distinct. I didn't know that was possible... just look, simply on the bottom of a vase, the glass plant just grows out of it. That must have been quite a job. When I see the price she charges for it, it must have taken her a lot of hours. So she won't have a big collection together very soon, but having her own workroom alone would be handy."

"Exactly, and if that workroom is small, then with it a room to eventually fill with her work. Or everything in one big room. I know they are both already doing some looking around on the internet. I advised them to also check with Karel Mulder, that estate agent here, but they didn't seem to be that far along yet."

.

What Margreet did not know was that at the same time Katja and Maureen were sitting in the large living room drinking coffee and talking about their search for a house.

"I am looking for a house with a living room, a workroom, a gallery room and a bedroom. So in addition to the living room, three more rooms, a full family home," Maureen told them.

"I would like that too, but I don't think I have the money for that. I'm already happy with a slightly bigger house than what we have now. Adding one extra room would be nice, a study where I can put my figurines too."

"My grandmother left me a sizeable inheritance," Maureen told me, "and I always kept it separate, because I didn't want my pimp to be able to get to it."

Katja burst out laughing: "Genius that you call your ex your pimp. I get it, he treated you that way, but it just sounds funny! But that inheritance, would it be enough to buy such a family home? Or are you looking for a rental?"

"I actually want to buy, then I can do with it or have it done as I please. Hey girl, shall we together visit that estate agent Margreet mentioned? Just asking and looking, it commits us to nothing!"

Katja didn't feel quite ready to go to that man yet, but together... "OK, when?"

"When we finish the coffee?" suggested Maureen.

They looked at each other, emptied their mug and stood up laughing.

"Let's go, girl!"

They put on their coats and shoes and walked towards the village.

"Weren't we supposed to make an appointment?" asked Katja on the way.

"No idea, he must have pictures of the houses he has for sale hanging in the window, those estate agents almost always do that. How about we take a look at those first, and then step in dead straight? If it doesn't suit him, we can always make an appointment for another time."

At the property, they discovered, there was a sign in front of the door:

.

-----------------------------

      Out and about 

    I'll be right back!  

-----------------------------

.

"Apparently he works here without employees," Katja concluded.

Maureen was already looking at photos. Katja joined her, letting her eyes wander past the pictures.

"This one here is a nice one, just a bit absurdly big. Detached, seven rooms, big semi-open kitchen, two big garages! The price is not too bad for something this big, would it need much work?"

Maureen stood looking at it with a tilted head. While Katja looked at the few photos behind the window and read the description, Maureen grabbed her mobile phone, searched the estate agent's website and typed in the name of the village where the house was as a search query. She had soon found it because the house stood out so much.

"On the site he has more pictures, see how beautiful, I think it's an old house, oh yes, it's listed here, built in 1932. Maybe it needs a lot of refurbishing and is therefore cheaper than you would expect."

She flashed through the description. "Right, it is listed here, in need of refurbishment here and there."

Maureen went to the pictures, while Katja looked over her shoulder. Katja enjoyed the photos as much as Maureen, but in the process felt the sting of unreachability. Maybe Maureen could buy something like this, but she by no means!

While Maureen continuously commented enthusiastically, Katja remained silent.

"Don't you like it?" asked Maureen suddenly.

Katja sighed deeply: "I think it's a wonderful house, I would like to move into it like that, but for me something like that is not affordable!"

Maureen nodded: "I understand, but for me it is, and I was thinking, if there are seven rooms, that could mean... a living room, two bedrooms, two work rooms, and two gallery rooms. Would you mind if I buy it and we move in together, that you pay me rent, that we agree on some things to guard our privacy. Would you like that?"

"Are you serious?" asked Katja, bewildered. She had not thought of that possibility for a moment. A possibility that sounded very enticing....

"Yes, why not? We have been each other's neighbours for months, see each other almost daily, have a similar super hobby, and personally we click just fine. Or do you experience that differently?"

"No, not that, it's as you say, it just overwhelms me, I hadn't thought of something like that at all. If you are really into this, Maureen, and if we can sort things out financially, I would think it's a great option."

A soft chuckle made them look up.

"Good morning ladies, I am the estate agent, Karel Mulder. Would you like to continue your search inside?"

Katja and Maureen looked up startled. They looked into the brown eyes of a roguish face, with a wreath of black curls around it. They nodded, introduced themselves and walked in with him.

Maureen took the floor, explained what they had been looking for, and that they had found that older, detached house, and that it had caught their attention.

Karel looked at them in turn, frowning, and asked, "That really big house? For you two to live and work together? Do I understand that correctly?"

Maureen and Katja nodded, whereupon he continued, "I don't have any appointments elsewhere at the moment, so as far as I'm concerned, we can go there like that, if you want."

The women looked at each other, happily surprised.

"Gladly!" replied Katja, "only we did come here on foot."

"As a real estate agent, you need a car," Karel smiled, "so you can feel free to ride with me."

The women looked at each other again, both feeling trapped, not daring to take this lightly.

Karel saw it and asked, "Where do you live now?"

"In The Shelter at guesthouse Bloemenhof," Katja told him.

Karel was quick to understand and sensed what the problem was: "Then I understand your reaction. With your background, you don't just get into a car with an unknown man. Can I reassure you with the fact that I would lose my real estate business if I lifted a finger at you?"

He saw how they still struggled with it.

"Hold on, don't feel lousy about it, I'll give Huib a call. At least, can you ladies get along with Huib? Do you trust him?"

They nodded convincingly.

"Fine, I'll call him to ask if he knows a solution."

"Hold on, we can also pick up our car, then we'll drive after you."

"But even then, you'll be in a big house with an unknown man. And I can promise you I won't hurt you, but I see your woundedness is still such that that might be too intense for you. Doesn't seem convenient to me! I'll give him a call."

Karel simply explained to Huib what was going on, then was able to reassure Katja and Maureen. "He will come here, he will come with us for a while."

He saw the faces opposite him relax.

"Thank you for taking us seriously, for taking our feelings, our fears, so seriously," Katja said, while Maureen nodded affirmatively.

Karel looked at them kindly and told them his point of view: "Women should be cherished, not mistreated, in any way. It happens far too much, unfortunately. I read the newspaper articles about the court cases, Lisa's and the others after, probably yours too, but I can't remember the names. And every time, I was glad that some women had escaped again, and that the perpetrators, despite their repentance, got their punishment. And The Shelter... I think that's a very nice place to live temporarily, is that right?"

"Oh yes, perfect!" Katja and Maureen told of the cottages, the common room, the help of the people around them. They fell over their words, complementing each other, while Karel listened smiling.

The door of the building opened and Huib entered. "Hey Karel! Nice to see you again! And you ladies, have you both found a house, or one of you?"

"A house we could possibly live and work in together. Not such a crazy idea in retrospect, Maureen, I just noticed how tense I find it with an unknown man around. Nothing personal about you," she turned to Karel, who shook his head reassuringly. "I'm probably not even really ready to live on my own alone yet. But the house we just discovered is big enough for both of us to live and work in."

"Exactly," Maureen complemented, "we'd just like to see it, see what needs to be fixed up, and then we'll have to consider the finances together."

"Perfect work plan, Maureen, shall we go out then?" suggested Karel.

They went outside, Karel turned the sign at his front door again and preceded them to his car. Huib sat down next to him, while Katja and Maureen crawled into the back seat.

"Lovely car, sits well!" said Maureen.

"And it drives well," Karel responded, as he started and drove off.

"Oh my, it looks like we're floating!"

"I don't have many expensive hobbies, just some gaming, I did buy a slightly better computer, sound system and 3D glasses for that, but then you're done too, you can get on with that for years! My real estate agency is my passion and my life, and sales are generally good, so I have quite some money left over to buy a car like this. Other than that, I'm just a regular guy, I don't feel like playing the rich guy! I remember how Lisa helped you financially with the purchase of that property back then, Huib. That got me thinking. I actually have a desire to do something similar, in the form of a donation or an interest-free loan. Should you ever know of a good project... I'd love to hear from you!"

"Super!" Huib replied enthusiastically. "But will you promise me one thing then, namely that you feel well inside whether the project I would name you really suits you?"

"Rest assured of that," Karel responded with a happy face, "my parents let me grow up in tremendous freedom, homeschooled me. Even my training to become a real estate agent I did via the internet. I didn't need a group of fellow students around me. And now I find, that's why I can do my job perfectly, I only have to focus on what I'm good at, what I like to do, and most of the time I get along fine with my clients."

Katja interrupted him: "I can imagine that, the way you just treated us, very special!"

Karel chuckled: "Something like that yes, that's also one of the things I learned from my mother. She always urged me to feel what's going on in the other person, not just rely on words or looks. And when I sensed your insecurity, even fear perhaps, and heard that you lived in The Shelter, I knew I had to take that into account. Not even so much as a realtor, that too, but especially as a man, just as a man towards women."

Huib loved it, but still stepped back to the topic that started the conversation. "So you had a free upbringing, a lot of self-discovery within homeschooling? Or did your parents mainly follow booklets?"

"Oh no, without any system! Of course we used booklets, pen and paper and later a computer, but they followed me, they let me determine my path. Sometimes they steered me, especially my mother was brilliant at sensing what I needed. She had to fight a lot of battles with the education authorities to let me explore and learn this way."

Huib nodded: "That's how it should work in schools, don't you think?"

"Exactly, but unfortunately that is not yet the case."

"Not yet, but one will be built next month, near our estate," Huib told me. "They don't call it a school, but a discovery centre. And I was immediately reminded of that when you mentioned donations and interest-free loans. At the moment, Lisa is supporting the project, but of course they are stuck with the question of how they would ever pay that back, because such a centre does not aim to be a profit-making venture. They focus on children, not money."

"CLICK with capital letters, Huib, first project becomes a reality. Will you put me in touch with the initiators? Such a project needs donations, not interest-free loans, although I think it's super of Lisa that she wants to help them."

"It is, and she is not putting any pressure on them though, not on me and not on them. If there is no profit, we don't have to pay back. Well, I do make a profit, so I pay her back some regularly. But that centre should not be out for profit, then they miss the mark!"

Karel was keen to know how Patrick and Bea had come up with this plan. Huib was only too happy to tell him about it. Katja and Maureen followed the conversation in silence, enjoying!

To chapter 48. A dream house!

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