Thursday morning, Joke was happily working on her new book when she noticed she got a message on her mobile. She saw that it was from Annelies, a short message, telling her that her book was ready for sale. Annelies asked if she could come today to make arrangements.

Joke saved the text of her book, closed the laptop and went downstairs, looking for Anton.

"Anton, Anton, Annelies just wrote that my book is finished and she asked if I wanted to come and have a look, and appointments also needed to be made. Would you please come with me? I'm already going crazy with nerves!"

Anton laughed, stood up and pulled her against him for a moment. "Let's go right away then!"

Embraced, they walked to the village, to the print shop. Annelies let them in herself and preceded them. She walked to the cupboard where she also had the stacks of Rosalie's books. She picked up a book from a stack of thicker books

Joke held her breath as she took the book from her. Bewildered, she stared at the front cover, then looked at the back.

"This... this is not the book I emailed you, this is my very first book. How can that be?"

Annelies looked at her with a mischievous face. "I think you should ask Anton that!"

Anton pretended to study the ceiling and suddenly looked at Annelies and Joke with a startled look. "What, what about me? Joh, that book, how beautiful it turned out, Joke!"

"Anton! What's on your conscience?"

"Me? I'm as pure as a newborn baby!"

"Well, in my opinion, just-born babies are anything but clean! What did you do? How did Annelies get my first book?"

"And all your other books?" complemented Annelies.

"All the others? All of them? You got them all? Anton, tell me! Oh wait... you rascal! You went home for work on Tuesday, huh, yeah! I don't think you went home for work at all, but you sent all my books to Annelies!" exclaimed Joke.

"I confess guilty, but I'm not sorry at all! Congratulations on your first copy, and on all the others to come," he grinned, pulling her against him in front of Annelies and kissing her.

She looked at him, still bewildered, when he gave her a little more space again.

"Did you really do that? Unbelievable... I don't really know what to think about it! I feel betrayed, but also actually... I don't really even know, it feels a bit like a compliment or something," Joke said. She looked at Annelies and asked, "Did you read this one all the way through too?"

"Sure, just ask Bert, I couldn't be reached! Joke, your writing is so brilliant that I was completely swept up in it. The only times I had to stop for a moment were to go to the toilet or because your story touched me so deeply that I couldn't even continue. Then I just let it sink in first, and then I continued. No, since Anton sent me your books, I have not sat still, hahaha, in fact I have only sat still, reading! And as soon as I finished it, I gave it to Bert, asking him to go and print it as soon as possible. And he was very obedient, started working on it immediately, even worked absurdly long hours last night. With pleasure, mind you, and mainly because I was chasing him... And I'm already well on my way in your second book!"

She grinned mischievously again, "Do you have any idea what price you want to sell the book for?"

"That's one of those things, I don't know anything about anyway..." Joke looked questioningly at Anton.

"Think back to the amount that came to mind," he encouraged her.

"Fifteen?" said Joke questioningly, doubtfully. "Wouldn't that be too much? Who will buy a book for fifteen euros from a writer they've never heard of?"

"Oh, plenty of people, if the summary on the back appeals to them, they will gladly buy it. Fifteen euros is really not much for a book of this size. Once people realise how good your books are, we can possibly increase the price, if you want. We'll see about that later! Do you agree with fifteen euros, Anton?"

"In itself, of course I don't have to agree, the books are Joke's, but I had also been given fifteen euros in mind, and, like you, Annelies, with the idea that the price can be raised later."

Anton nodded encouragingly to Joke: "Just start with fifteen, we'll see later."

When Joke nodded, Annelies opened the file in the computer and gave the book the said price. Beaming, she looked at Joke: "Congratulations, Joke, your first book is a fact, ready for sale!"

"Then I want to buy four immediately," she told Annelies, "no, five, one for ourselves, and for the three families at Bloemenhof, and one for the bookcase in the guesthouse."

Anton laughed: "Wonderful, you start handing out right away, a good sign! Go ahead!"

Annelies arranged the bill, Joke paid.

"I'll give you another call when the second book is ready, okay?"

"Gladly! Thank you, Annelies, and thank you too Anton! You helped me tremendously over the threshold. I'm now just glad you guys got it going! Wow, my first book! See you at the next book, Annelies!"

"I'll let you know!"

Excited, Joke and Anton went to the guesthouse. "I'm going to distribute the books right away," Joke said. On the veranda, the group of friends were enjoying their lunch gathered over breakfast.

"My first book has been published, youngsters! I'm going to put a copy in the bookcase!" laughed Joke happily.

"No!" exclaimed Marieke, "just give it to me, so I can have a nice read when I have to rest in a while!"

"Fine, you'll get it in a minute, but I want to write something in the front first," Joke replied. She took a pen from Anton, thought for a moment, and wrote a short message in the front. 'For the Bloemenhof family, as a thank you, and for all the guests who come to stay here. Joke Veth'

She shrugged: "Funny, I wanted so much to write a message in the front, but I didn't really know what. It'll have to do."

She handed the book to Marieke, who flipped it open and read the message aloud.

"Fine anyway," Alex responded, "the story can do the rest! Congratulations Joke, I think it's really super nice for you!"

"Yes, and do you know how this came about?"

Played indignant, she told of Anton's surprise action. Everyone laughed, totally agreeing with her that it was naughty, but super fun in the end! Marieke was the only one who didn't say anything, who hadn't heard anything either. She was already completely engrossed in the book....

.

Joke and Anton walked over to Annerieke, to whom Joke also told about Anton's pranks and her eventual joy. She repeated the same to Margreet and Lisa. She wished everyone lots of reading pleasure.

On the veranda at the guesthouse, they ate a sandwich, after which Joke went back to work cheerfully. That gave the others an opportunity to hear Marieke out about the book.

"Huh, how the book is? What do you think, I'm completely out of it, I don't even hear you, not really anyway, just a bit in the background. You know what I think, Anton? That sweetheart of yours should also get a page on the website, on the gallery website. This is not just a story, this is like Rosalie's books word art, soul art. It fits right in! Who did she just give these other books to?"

"To Annerieke, Margreet and Lisa," Anton replied with inner laughter.

"Good, I'm going to send those three a message, ask if they have started reading yet..."

It took only a few seconds before she got no less than three replies.

Annerieke: "Yes, great, can't stop, have set the alarm clock otherwise I'll forget to cook. I'm going on quickly!"

Margreet: "Whaaa you're interrupting! Too nice that book!"

Lisa: "Sshhhtt, I'm totally into it, great!"

Marieke read the comments and wrote back to them, "Suitable for the gallery?"

Annerieke: "No clue, but it looks like it to me..."

Lisa: "Absolutely!"

Margreet: "Definitely, I'll check with Ilse right away!"

Half an hour later, all the artists received a group email from Ilse.

"Dear artists, the website is expanding! Another word artist, Joke Veth.

She sufficed with this, everyone knew how to find the site, and so the responses soon poured in, ranging from "Welcome to Joke!" to "Can I also buy this book through you? The summary on the back appeals to me!'

.

And so it happened that Ilse made another visit to the print shop and consulted with Bert and Annelies. They agreed again how they would arrange things among themselves, after which Ilse went home with a large stack of books. She put the price on the website and indicated in the group e-mail to those who wanted to buy one that they should send a personal e-mail via the contact page. She told them that she also had twenty copies of Joke's first book already in stock.

Ilse pondered over the issue of collection and shipping. Several art objects were better picked up. But the books could be sent with ease. She went through the entire website, artist by artist, wondering how best to arrange this. She searched the internet for the best options and made a draft, listing the different prices. Finally, she decided to create a new page next to the contact page, 'Delivery', explaining about picking up and the different shipping options.

"There, solved again!" she said to herself and poured herself another cup of coffee. While enjoying that, she went through the orders that came in. She had to laugh, the three women who were guests at Bloemenhof, Marieke, Marianne and Fiona, also ordered a book. And Alexander ordered one too, to give as a present, he added. Good, four copies at one address right away, that's good progress! Ilse prepared all the invoices and walked to Bloemenhof with a stack of books, enclosing the invoices. She was greeted with cheers, didn't even have to ask for payment, everyone who had ordered paid directly of their own accord using the banking app on their mobile phones.

And so it happened, towards the end of the afternoon, that Joke came downstairs, and all the youngsters were reading in a copy of her book. Open-mouthed, she looked from one to the other, and finally to Anton. He winked at her and beckoned her closer. He showed her the gallery's website and pointed to her name in the list of 'Our artists'. She tapped her name, and saw to her dismay that her first book was already on the site.

"Why? Why on the gallery site?" she asked Anton softly.

"Because a gallery gives space to artists... and you are a word artist. And you fit perfectly in this row, because you, like all those others, work from within. You too are a soul artist."

Joke let his words sink in for a moment, nodded and sighed deeply. Only then did she notice that no one was reading anymore, but everyone was looking at her, smiling.

"Welcome to the artists' community, Joke!"

To chapter 75. Going home

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