Love at First Sight

Hoefkade

I remember very well the first day I met Nick. I was walking up the Hoefkade with my little niece, Toosje, she was my first niece, a daughter of my older sister Toos and her husband Jan. Well, dad came walking toward me and he looked so handsome in a brown suit. He smiled at me, and my heart was pounding so loud, I was almost 15 years old. The first time I saw him, a voice told me he was going to be my husband.

Later we met again and we talked for a while. We saw each other at different times. I worked at the house of 3 old ladies. Sometimes he stopped by.  (The ladies were paying me $2.50 a week with a lunch, from 8 until 2 in the afternoon for 5 days a week. (to do what?) When I got my money each week I must give it to my mother - the whole $2.50 then she gave me 10 cent, that was all, but remember you could buy a candy bar for 1 cent.)  

Poeldyksestraat, Den Haag

 My sister, Toos was living at the same street as we did, the Poeldyksestraat. It was close to the railroad station. Well sometimes Nick came to see me there at night. I must always be home at 9 o’clock. 

One night my mother came by and she didn’t like it too much, so she told my dad who restricted me. My brother Frans must bring me to work and pick me up again from work, this went on for months, I still saw dad sometimes when he came by at my work.