Bella Italia Read Online Free

later, she found a sulking Niels and a slightly uncomfortable Hans.
    “Why don’t you go and shower first?” Hans said.
    “I don’t really feel like it anymore.” Continuing to sulk, Niels stared straight ahead.
    “Well, then I may not feel like playing cards later, either.”
    Niels chose the lesser of two evils, though it was clear he was not happy about it. He got up and entered the mobile home, with a very agitated expression on his face.
    “I will explain in just a second,” Hans said to Petra. “I’ll be right back.”
    He got up and walked over to Thijs’s parents, who were outside of their mobile home. “Hi there, I’m Hans Kolwijn. We already met your son Thijs this morning.”
    Thijs’s father also sat in a fold-out chair. He had an average-to-slightly-heavyset build and red hair. He wore a blue button-up shirt with short sleeves and jogging pants. There was a beer on the table next to him. He shook Hans’s hand.
    “Berry Heuting. I’m Thijs’s father.” He nodded in the direction of the mobile home, where a blond woman appeared in the doorway. She wore a sleeveless white shirt and matching shorts. “That’s Marion, my wife.”
    Hans also shook the woman’s hand and quickly got to the point. “Thijs stopped over at our place just now. He told us that he and his friends were going to ride their bikes all over the campground and he asked if my son, Niels, could come along.” He made a helpless hand gesture to clarify his position. “It kind of took me off guard. My wife was taking a shower, the boys were in a hurry, and Niels really wanted to go. I had to make a split-second decision, which my son wasn’t exactly happy with.”
    Berry grinned. “I can only imagine. As long as you give those little monkeys what they want, all is well, but God forbid you ever say no. Then there is hell to pay.”
    “Well, we don’t really have that problem with our Thijs.” Marion added from inside the mobile home.
    Berry grinned mockingly. “That’s because we always give him what he wants.” He took a sip of beer.
    “So, what can I do for you?”
    “Well, I really just came by to find out if you know what they’re up to out there?”
    Berry shrugged his shoulders. “They wander around the campground. Just like you or I would have done when we were their age.”
    “Tonight they’re going to the kids’ singing contest first,” Marion added. “After that they will go to the Cave.”
    “That’s the arcade, the place where they have all the games for the kids,” Hans responded. “I heard that from Thijs. So what time do they come home?”
    “Around eleven o’clock,” Berry answered. “One day it starts a little earlier and the next day a little later. So we try to be flexible with it. If it gets to be too late, then I just call him on his cell phone.”
    Hans had more questions, but could see that Niels was back outside from the corner of his eye.
    “Thanks for the information, guys, but I need to get back.”
    “You sure you don’t want a beer?” Berry asked.
    Hans waved it away. “Maybe next time.”
    “Why don’t you come by with your wife tomorrow and let Niels go along with the boys?” Marion suggested. “Then we can all have a drink together.”
    Hans wished them a good night and walked back to their mobile home, where Niels had joined Petra out on the terrace in the meantime.
    Niels looked at him suspiciously. “What were you doing over there?”
    “Just saying hello, Colonel,” he answered, saluting him. “Where are the playing cards—you still wanted to play, right?”
    “I’ll go and get them,” Petra said.
    “Great, then I will take a quick shower. What game are we playing anyway?”
    “Toepen,” Niels decided.
    “Nice, I’m really good at that game.” He rubbed his hands together competitively. “I’m going to crush you both.”
    “I don’t think so,” Niels answered.
    Hans was pleased to see that a careful smile appeared on his son’s face