Amanda in Holland

by Foster, Darlene;

  As they neared the farm, Amanda noticed the rustic house with a sloping roof that looked like a face with a large, slouched hat pulled over its eyes. “Is this where your grandparents live?”

  “Yes, they have always lived here, and so has my great-grandmother. It’s her family home,” answered Jan.

  The place looked inviting and cozy.

  Someone pulled aside a lace curtain and peered out the window. Grey eyes met Amanda’s. The curtain dropped.

  6

  JAN GRABBED HIS BACKPACK. “THANKS FOR THE LIFT.” HE GOT out of the car and smiled at Amanda. “Take care of that puppy.” He closed the car door and walked toward the house.

  Mr. Anderson turned the car around and drove back a few kilometres to the bed-and-breakfast he had booked for the night.

  Amanda viewed the neat brick Dutch house set in a colourful garden. The word “welkom” on a hand painted sign greeted them.

  “Wow! This place is so cute.”

  At the entrance to the house stood an open cupboard with flowers painted on the sides. Brightly coloured wooden shoes lined the shelves.

  “Hallo.” A young woman with short, spiky hair welcomed them at the front desk. “My name is Ingrid. To the left is the breakfast room, open from seven thirty to eleven thirty every morning. Your rooms are down the hall to the right. Feel free to wander around the gardens.” She noticed Joey wriggling in Amanda’s arms. “We are pet friendly, but please pick up after your dog. If there is anything you need, let me know.” She handed a key to Leah, and another to her dad.

  “I have calls to make. You girls get comfortable and take the dog for a walk. We’ll go out for dinner later.” Mr. Anderson headed to his room, then looked back. “And don’t get into any trouble.”

  After putting their things in the room, the girls took Joey out for a walk in the huge garden surrounding the house. He went crazy running around the bushes and wooden carvings, dodging the vibrant flowers and rolling on the lush grass.

  “I guess he’s happy to be out of the car. This is a perfect place for a dog, so much room.” Amanda sighed. “You know, it’s not fair. I always wanted a dog, but my parents said we don’t have time for one. I’d have looked after it. They won’t believe me when I tell them. I guess some of my mom’s friends told her they got a dog for their kids and then the parents ended up doing the work.”

  “You would be a good dog person.” Leah smiled as she sat down on a bench carved from a massive log.

  Amanda joined her. “Hey, how is Rupert, your Maine Coon cat?”

  “He’s a crazy wazzock but I love him to bits.”

  Amanda chuckled. “Hey, do you still have a boyfriend?”

  “No.” Leah shook her head. “Two blokes fancy me, but I’m not sure which one I like. One is funny and smart and has a good imagination. He draws fab pictures and does tae kwon do.”

  Amanda’s eyes lit up. “He sounds perfect.”

  “Yes, but the other guy is really nice. He’s good at sports and easy to talk to. He’s kind and loves animals. In fact, he has a dog he’s devoted to. But he’s too much into football and doesn’t always do his homework.”

  “I like the sound of the first one.”

  Leah sighed. “Yes, but the second one is better looking.”

  “Looks aren’t everything, you know.”

  Leah kicked at a stone. “Maybe, but I want cute children.”

  Amanda looked around. “Joey, come back here.” She lost sight of the dog. “What are you doing? Do I hear you digging?”

  Joey bounded out from behind a bush with something in his mouth.

  “Where did you get that?” Amanda pulled a dirt-encrusted shoe from his jaws. “Oh no! I wonder who this belongs to.”

  They took the shoe inside. Ingrid’s face went white when she saw it.

  She whispered, “Where did you find this?”

  “Joey dug it up behind a bush in the garden. We can show you where.”

  Ingrid gulped. “It might have belonged to a gardener we employed who has gone missing.” She took the dirty old shoe with her fingertips and dropped it into a garbage can beside her.

  “He was a bit strange, that one. Imagine burying your old shoe in the garden.” She rubbed Joey’s head. “What else will you find in my garden, you little binky?”

  “What’s a binky?” asked Amanda.

  “A bink is a big, strong man. He is still little so I call him binky.” Ingrid pulled something out of her pocket. “This biscuit will taste better than an old shoe.”

  Joey snapped up the small cookie and licked his lips.

  “Would you girls like some Stroopwafles and a cup of hot chocolate?”

  “Oh yes, that would be great, thanks.” Amanda’s stomach rumbled.

  Ingrid motioned to the girls to sit at a small, round table in the breakfast room. Amanda ran her fingertips over the tulips embroidered on the linen tablecloth. Ingrid soon appeared with two cups of hot chocolate, a round cookie on top of each one. “We place the Stroopwafle on top of the hot drink to soften the syrup inside. Stroopwafle literally means ‘syrup waffle.’ Enjoy.”

  Amanda picked up the thin, two-layered, waffle-like cookie and took a bite. “Yum, these are good. I love the caramel syrup inside. Thanks.” She glanced at Ingrid. “By the way, what was the gardener’s name?”

  Ingrid sighed and looked down. “He said his name was Tom, but I am not sure it was his real name.” She looked around. “You must excuse me, as new guests are about to arrive.”

  After Ingrid left the breakfast room, Amanda leaned over and whispered to Leah, “I think she’s hiding something.”

  “Don’t be daft. What would she be hiding? And why would she care about us?” Leah rolled her eyes. “You and that wicked imagination!”

  “She obviously didn’t want to talk about Tom, the gardener. Did you see her face when she saw the old boot? Maybe Tom was her boyfriend or something.” Amanda’s eyes widened.

  Just then, Leah’s father appeared. “Let’s find something to eat. I’m famished.”

  All through dinner, Amanda couldn’t stop thinking about the buried shoe and the missing gardener.

  7

  AMANDA WALKED INTO THE BREAKFAST ROOM THE NEXT MORNING and glanced up. “Look at all the pretty dried flowers hanging from the rafters. They look like colourful bats.”

  “Never mind the flowers, let’s eat. I’m starved.” Leah headed over to the breakfast buffet.

  “There is so much to pick from,” said Amanda. “I don’t know what to choose.”

  She scanned the rows and rows of sliced cheese, ham, sausages and smoked salmon. Trays piled high with fresh fruit looked like they would topple over. The smell of freshly baked bread and buns came from overflowing baskets. A large assortment of pickles, olives and sliced tomatoes, hot and cold cereals, and yogurt was also on display.

  “What’s in here?” Amanda lifted a metal cover. The smell of scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns wafted out. She closed the lid. She wasn’t hungry for a hot meal.

  She placed a yogurt and some fresh fruit on a tray. Then she toasted a piece of whole wheat bread, which she covered with Hagelslag, chocolate sprinkles in tiny boxes.

  “I have a couple of meetings today, so I’ll drop you girls off at the Keukenhof Gardens. Don’t forget your camera, Amanda. There’s likely to be plenty of photo opportunities.”

  “What about Joey? Can he come with us?”

  “Hmmm. No, he’d better come with me. Perhaps someone will know of a place for him.”

  Ingrid stopped by their table. “Did I hear you are looking for a home for the puppy? He can stay here. I’ll look after him while you visit the gardens.” She wrinkled her forehead. “I thought he was your dog.”

  “We found him abandoned by a garbage can in Amsterdam,” said Amanda.

  “Oh, poor little Binky. I hope he wasn’t from one of those awful puppy farms we are hearing so much about.”

  “What do you mean, a puppy farm?”

&
nbsp; “These are places where dogs are bred over and over, so many puppies can be sold. The dogs aren’t treated very well, often kept in small, dark spaces. The puppies are taken away from their mothers too early and are sometimes ill. The puppies are brought to larger cities to be sold. If they aren’t sold, they are often just abandoned. It is becoming a huge problem, not just here in Holland but all over.”

  Amanda shuddered. She thought about little Joey being taken away from his mommy, kept in a cramped, dark place, frightened. Then she thought of poor Anne Frank having to hide in a small place, and how her life ended in a concentration camp.

  “How can people be so mean?” She pushed her plate away. She didn’t feel like eating the rest of her breakfast.

  Ingrid patted her hand. “Joey will be fine here. I’ll ask around and see if anyone knows of a good home for him.”

  Mr. Anderson stood up and looked at his watch. “I think we’d best be off. I can’t be late for my meeting.” He turned to Ingrid. “You’re sure it’s all right to leave the dog with you?”

  Ingrid nodded her head. “But of course. I love dogs.”

  “What’s that?” Amanda pointed to a patchwork of bright colours in the distance.

  Leah’s eyes lit up. “It’s the tulip fields. You’ll be positively gobsmacked when you see them, won’t she, Dad?”

  “Yes, she will.”

  They soon arrived at a set of large gates. On the arch above the gates was written, “Keukenhof.”

  Mr. Anderson pulled in and dropped the girls off. “Be right here at exactly two p.m. You have my extra mobile. Call me if you have any problems.”

  Amanda stood with her mouth open as she gazed at the kaleidoscope of colours in front of her. “Wow! Look at that! I’ve never seen so many beautiful flowers in my life. And the garden is huge! Where to start?” She pulled out the map that came with their tickets. After studying it for a few minutes, she pointed to a spot on the map. “Let’s start here and follow this path to the windmill. I really want to see inside a windmill.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Leah grinned. “Lead on, Macduff.”

  Like soldiers, deep-red tulips stood tall. Next to them, others in royal blue created a spectacular scene. Amanda stopped every few minutes to take pictures.

  She opened the guide book and read out loud. “Did you know that tulips came from Turkey in the 1500s and were very expensive at one time? The word ‘tulip’ comes from the Turkish word for ‘turban.’” She gazed at the flower beds and nodded. “They do kind of look like people in turbans sitting on the lawn, nodding their heads.”

  Leah groaned. “You have such an imagination. I would never have thought of that.”

  “Stand in front of those bright yellow tulips under the cherry blossoms.” Amanda snapped more pictures and viewed them. “You look gorgeous.”

  Leah looked over her shoulder at the screen. “I look like a numpty, grinning from ear to ear.”

  Two young women walked by dressed in long, traditional Dutch aprons over even longer full skirts and cheerful bonnets that tied under their chins. They smiled sweetly.

  Amanda smiled back. “Can we have our pictures taken with you?”

  “But of course,” said one girl.

  After having their pictures taken with the teenagers, Amanda and Leah continued on.

  “Wait, I have to see this.” Amanda stopped at a display of red-and-white tulips. The sign in front read, “Canada 150 tulips, created for Canada’s one hundred and fiftieth birthday.”

  “These are just like the tulip that woman gave me yesterday.” Amanda proudly posed in front of the flowers that matched the colours of the Canadian flag, while Leah took a picture.

  They passed garden after garden displaying not only tulips but other spring flowers in a rainbow of colours. In between the gardens stood interesting statues and carvings, ponds with waterfowl and even a stream.

  The sweet scent of hyacinths tickled Amanda’s nose. She stopped to read a sign. “Did you know there are more than seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths planted here?”

  “That’s massive!” Leah paused to let a family of ducks waddle across the path.

  A lofty windmill stood at the end of a river of flowers. Halfway up, people hung over the rail of an outdoor platform encircling the building.

  “I bet you could get some great shots from up there.” Amanda sprinted toward the windmill with her camera in hand.

  She snapped pictures of the windmill from every angle and walked around it to get a better view of the sails facing the back. The same two young women wearing long aprons leaned against the wall, in deep conversation. Amanda strained to hear what they were saying.

  “They’re gone. I don’t know what happened to them. One minute they were there and the next, they weren’t.”

  “Who would have taken them?”

  “It had to be someone who knew their value. They are very expensive, you know.”

  “You don’t think it was the new gardener, do you?”

  “You mean Tom? He has been acting very strangely.” The girl speaking looked up and noticed Amanda.

  “Oh, hallo. Are you lost? The entrance to the molen is around the front.”

  “I just wanted a picture of the back of the windmill. Sorry to disturb you.”

  “Oh, it is nothing.”

  “Amanda, don’t you want to go inside?” Leah stuck her head around the corner.

  “Yup, coming.”

  Once they got in line to enter the windmill, Amanda whispered to Leah, “I think that Tom guy is working here.”

  “What Tom guy?”

  “You know, the gardener. The one who went missing from the B & B.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Well, you know the two girls we had our pictures taken with? I just heard them talking about Tom, and they think he stole something valuable.”

  “Honestly, Amanda. How can you be sure? There must be dozens of guys around called Tom.” Leah rolled her eyes. “Look. It’s our turn to go inside.”

  8

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M INSIDE A WINDMILL, OR SHOULD I SAY molen? I’m so excited.” Amanda pressed her hands together.

  FUMP-FUMP. FUMP-FUMP. FUMP-FUMP.

  Amanda heard the sails of the mill rotating outside. She learned the sails would have powered the mill to grind corn, wheat, and many other things. Some also pumped water out of the ground to drain the land. She looked up and viewed the large gears and other mechanisms of the mill.

  The girls climbed the stairs and found a place on the crowded platform overlooking the gardens.

  “What an awesome view!” Amanda kept taking pictures.

  Leah pulled out her phone and took some as well. “This is a wicked sight. Let’s see what’s over there.”

  They pushed their way through the crowd to get to the other side. In front of them lay vibrant tulip fields that seemed to go on for miles and miles.

  FUMP-FUMP. FUMP-FUMP. FUMP-FUMP.

  Amanda glanced up at the sails, thumping as they turned round and round, powered only by the wind.

  Leah peered over the edge. “Aren’t those the two girls we had our pictures taken with?”

  Amanda joined her. “Yes, that’s them.” She gasped and leaned further over the railing. “Are they chasing that guy in the blue jacket? Hey, maybe that’s Tom! We should go and help them.”

  “But why?” Leah raised her eyebrows.

  “I think there is something about him we need to know.”

  Amanda started back down the stairs. Leah followed, jostling her way between people coming up. By the time they got out of the windmill, they had lost sight of the two girls and the man they were chasing.

  “Darn!” Amanda frowned as she placed her hand on her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun. “Where could they have gone?”

  “It doesn’t matter. We should start heading toward the front gate. We can’t be late to meet Dad.” Leah turned to walk back.

  Amanda glan
ced at a statue of a dancer. It looked like she was about to leap into the air, her dress swirling around her knees. Something moved behind the figure.

  “Wait,” Amanda whispered. “I think someone is hiding behind that statue.”

  Amanda tiptoed through a bed of star-shaped orange tulips, careful not to damage the delicate flowers. As she neared the bronze figure, a short man in a blue jacket ran from behind it, jumped over a stream and stomped through a display of daffodils. In one hand he clutched a bulging plastic bag.

  Amanda raced around the daffodils in pursuit and passed by a huge wooden shoe. The man ran into a crowded cheese shop, where she lost him.

  “Are you looking for someone?” Amanda recognized Lisa from the cheese shop in Amsterdam standing in front of her.

  “A man in a blue jacket came in here. I wanted to talk to him.”

  “I didn’t see him come in, but there are many people in here right now.” She looked at Amanda and smiled. “Aren’t you the girl from Canada who found a puppy near the shop in Amsterdam?”

  “Yes, that’s me.”

  “Did you find a place for him?”

  “Not yet. Ingrid at the bed-and-breakfast is watching him for us right now.”

  Lisa’s face clouded over. “I hope he’ll be all right.”

  “Of course, he’ll be OK. By the way, do you know anyone called Tom? I think he’s a gardener who works here.”

  “No. I don’t know of any gardener by that name.” She looked away. “I must get back to work. It is so busy.”

  “Amanda, where did you go? I’ve been looking for you.” Leah walked into the shop, glancing at the phone. “We need to get back to the front gate. It’s almost two o’clock.”

  “OK! OK! Let’s go then.”

  They sprinted along the path toward the front gate. Amanda stopped. “Wait! This is not the way we came.”

  Leah scrunched her eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “I don’t remember those.” Amanda pointed to flowers with long stems that looked like they came from outer space. Green leaves clustered at the top, and spiky tentacles poked out from the middle. “I would have remembered passing them. And we didn’t go by that figure of a man sitting on a bench, either.”