Summary

In Chapter 14, Dirk continues to attend school but he isn't always happy. Some of the teachers wear on his nerves. Meanwhile, Selina spends a lot of time alone. People talk about her but they couldn't understand that she spends her evenings “entertaining … old friends and new.” She imagines Dirk as a child and as he will be in a decade. She remembers Pervus and his strong hands. She thinks about Maartje Pool and how Maartje was happy that Selina and Roelf found things in common to laugh about. And she thinks about how people misunderstood Roelf.

Whenever Dirk comes home for a weekend or a visit, Selina asks him all about the people he's met and the places he's been. She asks for details, including the food, and she's always interested in what he's experienced. He talks a lot about Julie's daughter, Pauline...