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Chapter 1

Martin stands at the door looking for his keys. It's always the same, a fixed place would be most convenient, but when he leaves there's always so much that needs his attention that his keys end up just anywhere.
Funny, at work he is always very punctual. He has to be, he's an accountant, you have to be accurate for that. His wife Jetty sometimes grumbles that he is much sloppier at home, but maybe that is necessary, to compensate for his work. ‘ With you I can be myself,' he says. It is a sincere compliment and then she laughs again.
Wodan, their collie, almost runs him over in his enthusiasm. Martin smells coffee and something spicy, an oven dish. Wonderful, nice home.
They could buy this house on the Hogeweg cheaply some twenty years ago. You could move in right away, but you didn't have to look too closely. They have renovated it completely over the years. It still has the original look, but all the defects have been fixed and it has seen many different colours inside over the years. The walls in the living room are now yellow, nice and light. There is a large sofa, an easy chair, a dining table and a collection of everything they have come across over the years.

"Everything has come to us.” The children always say.
With a brush of paint, you can make everything into a unit. Jetty dresses with the same easy swing.
In Zandvoort, the first extra income is renting out rooms. Bed and breakfast, especially in the high season. But Hogeweg is close to the beach, so they often had spontaneous arrivals of people who had not made any reservations.
It was a nice way to earn extra money, and they had had quite a few guests over the years. When the children came, the house naturally closed down, with a crying baby at night, renting out rooms was no longer an option.
In the course of the years, the children also left. When the children grew older, Jetty and Martin started renting out rooms again, which gave some extra commotion.
Their house was well cared for, that made a difference, and they had many people who came back every year, the children had grown up with it and found it cosy.
Spending a few weeks together in a room, lying in the dark was fun for a few weeks and it gave Martin and Jetty had a nice extra income. Five children are expensive, especially when they go to university.
Later on, the children also had their side jobs in the catering industry. In beach bars, in hotels, and in cafés.
 

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