Amanda in Holland

by Foster, Darlene;

  One made an abrupt stop beside her. “I thought I told you to watch for bicycles.” It was the woman who almost ran her down the first day in Amsterdam. The same angry woman she’d seen at the restaurant the night before.

  “I hear you are looking for your dog.”

  14

  “HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?” AMANDA NARROWED HER EYES.

  “I’m friends with some of the shopkeepers. They are asking everyone if they have seen the dog. People are like that in Holland.” The woman got off her bike and put down the kickstand. Stone-faced, she asked, “Do you know anything about the gardener named Tom, and Ingrid from the bedand-breakfast you stayed at?”

  Amanda stiffened. “Not much, why?” She wished the woman would smile just once. She seemed so unfriendly, and it was kind of scary that she seemed to show up all the time.

  The woman pressed her lips together and looked around. She lowered her voice and spoke slowly. “I think they are involved in something illegal. Some expensive tulip bulbs went missing from the Keukenhof Gardens. And now, the man called Tom has disappeared.”

  “Why do you think Ingrid has anything to do with the missing bulbs?”

  “I think the two of them are in it together. Rumour has it that they are sweethearts.”

  Leah walked up clutching a bag of souvenirs. “Here you are. I was looking for you. No one has seen Joey, but they said they would ask around.” She noticed that Amanda wasn’t alone. “Oh, I didn’t know you were talking to someone.”

  Ignoring Leah, the woman got back on her bike. She handed a card to Amanda. “Let me know if you hear anything, and I’ll keep a lookout for the dog.”

  Amanda put the card in her back pocket and watched the bike weave through busy pedestrian traffic. Her eyes widened when she spotted the broken rear reflector.

  “Who was that?” asked Leah. “Have we seen her before?”

  “She’s the person who ran into me with her bike that first day in Amsterdam. She heard from the shopkeepers that Joey was missing and said she would ask around.”

  “That’s very nice of her. It seems everyone wants to help.”

  Amanda decided not to mention Tom, Ingrid and the missing tulip bulbs. Leah tended to get annoyed about her getting involved, especially with anything illegal. It might not be important anyway.

  The phone rang and Leah answered it. “Yes, yes. OK. We’ll be right back.” She sighed and shoved the phone in her back pocket. “It’s Dad. We have to get back to the hotel. He needs to meet with someone in another town.”

  They quickly collected their things, piled into the car and headed out of the city. Mr. Anderson was in a bad mood and complained about the heavy traffic. The girls kept quiet in the backseat. From the car window, Amanda took pictures of the flat farmland. Occasionally a windmill appeared. She still hoped she would get to see inside a working one while she was in Holland. Remembering the card, she dug it out of her back pocket. On it was printed, “Astrid De Wald, Importer,” along with a phone number.

  “At last, here we are,” said Leah’s father as they climbed out of the car. “The village of Ootmarsum. Many artists live here, including one who is quite famous. I’m meeting my client over at that restaurant.” He pointed across the street to a chalet-style building with outdoor tables in front. “You two can look around at the art and the nice shops for an hour or so. I shouldn’t be much longer than that. We can meet here by this statue.” He patted the figure of a girl with a pointy nose, eyes barely open and arms that stretched over her head. “Looks a bit like you, Leah, when you first get up in the morning.” He winked. “You still have the mobile if you should have a problem.”

  “Glad to see he’s in a better mood. Sorry about all his business stuff,” said Leah as they meandered up the street.

  “No problem. I’m getting to see so many cool places. Look at all these amazing sculptures just sitting around in the streets. This one looks like a funny goblin.” Amanda stopped to take pictures of siepelootje, a character with a round face like an onion, pointy hair and a goofy grin.

  The sky clouded over as they walked to a church with a pond in front. Cute metal animals lounged around the water.

  “Do you think these are supposed to be otters?”

  “They do look very realistic,” commented Leah as she gazed across the street. “Those shops look interesting. I’d like to look in them.”

  Amanda would have preferred checking out more of the sculptures but followed her friend into a shop. Brilliant colours struck her as she stepped inside from the dull outdoors. Lively paintings covered the walls, and vibrant glass pieces sat on white cubes.

  “Wow! This is amazing,” exclaimed Amanda.

  A young woman wearing bright-red glasses and a nose ring approached her. “Do you like the glasswork?”

  “I sure do. Did you make this?” Amanda admired a clear bowl with swirls of red, blue and yellow that looked like an assortment of candies.

  “Yes, I’ve been creating blown and fused glass since I was your age.” She beamed. “I love to play with colours.”

  “Did you paint the pictures too?” asked Leah, looking at a painting of farmhouses in vivid blues, greens and yellows.

  “No, those are by Ton Schulten. He is a very famous artist who lives here. His work has been shown all over the world. You must stop in and see his museum. My name is Tammy deHeer, by the way.” She gave the girls postcards depicting her work.

  After looking around at the art, the girls left the shop. They agreed the paintings and glasswork were remarkable.

  “It’s so great Tammy is doing what she loves. Mom would love a piece of glass, but it would be too difficult to take home.” Amanda looked at the postcards. “She will be happy with these, though.”

  “I really want to look in the dress shops,” said Leah.

  Amanda stopped and glanced around. “Did you hear that?”

  “What? I didn’t hear anything.”

  “It sounded like an animal crying. Maybe a puppy.”

  Leah rolled her eyes. “Amanda, I know you miss Joey. I miss him too. But—I’m sorry—we have to come to terms with the fact that he’s gone.”

  Amanda looked down and choked back tears. “I-I don’t really feel like shopping. You go ahead. I’ll just walk around and take more pictures.”

  “Fine then. I’ll meet you by the figure where Dad suggested we meet.”

  Leah headed toward a boutique. Amanda turned back to the church, where she found more intriguing sculptures, including one of eight men lined up in trench coats and fedoras. She found the historic town hall, an interesting blue church and the Ton Schulten Museum. Down a side street, she discovered the Museum of Time, covered with clocks, bells, a sundial and other figurines.

  “How cool is this?”

  She had her hand on the doorknob, about to go in, when the sound of an animal in distress caught her attention. Following the noise, she entered a garden with sculptures scattered around haphazardly. In between bushes stood a Masai warrior from Africa, standing straight and tall, holding a sharp spear. He looked so real she skirted around him.

  When she spotted two large German shepherd guard dogs ready to attack, her heart skipped a beat. She was about to leave when she realized they, too, were sculptures.

  She heard the sound again and thought it came from an old stone well in the middle of the yard. A wooden lid covered the opening. Convinced something was in the well, she leaned over the edge, grasped the handle of the lid and pulled. It wouldn’t budge. She put down her backpack, leaned over further, and using both hands, pulled harder. The lid released and flew up out of her hands. Losing her balance, she lurched forward, slipped over the edge and tumbled down into the well. It felt like she had fallen off the swing she had been on earlier in the day.

  Her shoulder scraped the rough cement side at the same time her butt hit the bottom with a thud. Darkness surrounded her, along with a musty smell. A pain shot down her arm. She rocked back and forth, holding her shoulder
.

  “Now what have I got myself into?” she muttered. She felt the dirt beside her. At least it was a dry well. Shaking, she stood up and rubbed her sore shoulder. Reaching out, she ran a hand over the cold stone walls. There didn’t seem to be anything to grab onto. Her chest tightened and she shivered. Amanda felt panic well up inside her.

  “How am I going to get out of here?” She choked back a sob.

  15

  “HELP! HELP!”

  Amanda could see grey sky peeking through the gap above her. It wasn’t an awfully deep well. If only there were something to grasp onto, she could climb out.

  “HELP! HELP!”

  It felt like she had been in the well forever. Her throat was sore from shouting. Surely someone would hear her. Then she remembered she hadn’t seen anyone on the quiet side street.

  “If only I had stayed on the main street. There’s no sign of a distressed animal, either. Leah was right. I’m too impulsive, and my imagination gets me carried away,” she thought. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, but she stopped herself. “Crying won’t get me out of here.”

  She stood tall and stretched one hand up as far as she could along the wall. Her fingertips felt something jut out, like a slippery rock. But how could she grasp it?

  Scuffling sounds above made her catch her breath. She called for help again.

  A shadowed head leaned over the opening. “Is someone down there?”

  “Yes! Can you help me get out?”

  “Wait there. I’ll see what I can do.” The voice sounded familiar.

  After what seemed like a long time, the person returned.

  “I have a torch and a rope.” He shone the flashlight down the well. Amanda squeezed her eyes shut when the bright light hit her face. “Is that you, Amanda? How did you get down there?”

  She shaded her eyes with her hand, but still couldn’t see who was leaning over the edge. “Who are you?”

  “It’s me, Jan. Here, tie this rope around you.”

  Amanda watched the rope being lowered down like a wiggling snake. She grabbed the end and tied it securely around her waist, using a bow knot she learned in Girl Guides.

  “Done! Now what should I do?”

  “Hang on to the rope, and I will try to pull you up.” Jan tugged at the rope, while she clung to it.

  “Ow!” She bumped her knee hard against something that jutted out from the wall.

  “Be careful. Ugh,” Jan groaned as he pulled. “There will be stones placed in the wall for the well cleaner to climb in and out. Maybe it would help to get you out more easily if you could place your feet on them.”

  “I’ll try.” Amanda swung herself closer to the wall and felt for a lump. “I found it.” She placed one foot on the stone and then the other foot. With one hand firmly on the rope, she used the other to feel for the next stone. “Could you shine the light down so I can see where the next one is?”

  “I can’t. I need both hands to pull you up.”

  Another head appeared. “Let me help.”

  The light shone on more stones jutting out. They went up to the top in a spiral, like steps. Quite far apart, they had obviously been designed for someone taller than Amanda. Jan pulled harder, and she felt herself being raised slightly.

  “For a small girl, you sure weigh a lot. Maybe you should not have eaten so much banket.” Jan yanked the rope once more.

  Close to the next protruding stone, Amanda stretched her leg higher. Her foot almost reached but slipped, causing her to spin. Her stomach lurched. She dangled between the bottom of the well and the small opening above her.

  “I sure hope that knot is secure,” she said under her breath.

  “Are you OK down there? Take it slowly. We’ll get you out,” Jan reassured her, and gave another yank.

  “I made it to the next one!” Amanda shouted as her feet rested on the stone.

  “Good. Some more help has just arrived too.”

  The next few tugs went more quickly as more people pulled. The opening grew wider.

  Finally Amanda was at the top, and strong arms pulled her out. Everyone cheered. She blinked and looked around at the large crowd that had gathered.

  “Are you OK?” Jan wiped sweat off his brow and grinned. “What were you doing in the well?”

  Amanda brushed dirt off her jeans and hoodie, and didn’t look at Jan. “I think I’m all right. Glad you came along when you did.” She rubbed her aching shoulder. “I’d better get back to Leah and her dad.”

  “Amanda! Where have you been?” Leah emerged from the crowd and gawked at her friend. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” She spotted Jan holding the rope. “And what are you doing here?”

  “He just rescued me from the well.”

  “I don’t even want to know what you were doing down there.” Leah shook her head. “You look a mess.” She picked dirt and weeds from Amanda’s hair.

  Jan coiled up the rope and said, “I think we should all have a cup of tea.”

  “I think we had better see if Dad is at the meeting place.”

  Amanda thanked those who had helped. The crowd dispersed. Jan returned the flashlight and rope to the Museum of Time, and the three made their way to the statue.

  Mr. Anderson waved them over to where he was sitting with another man. “Jan. I’m surprised to see you here. Amanda, what happened? You’re all dirty!” He raised his eyebrows. “Sorry, I can’t wait to find out the answer, as I’m not quite finished. Perhaps you kids would like a drink and a snack. How about you sit over there, and you can tell me all about it later.” He pointed to empty tables on the other side of the outdoor coffee shop. “Just put it on my bill.”

  Shivering and still shaken, Amanda ordered a hot chocolate. Jan and Leah had tea.

  “So why—” Amanda and Jan said at the same time.

  “You go first. After all you rescued me.”

  “So how did you end up in the old well?”

  “That’s what I want to know, but I’m afraid to ask.” Leah smirked.

  “I thought I heard an animal, like a dog, crying, and it sounded like it was coming from the well. When I jerked open the lid … I fell in.” Amanda winced and her face reddened. “Then I couldn’t get out. I’m so glad you came along when you did. But why are you here in Ootmarsum?”

  “Well, part of my job with the animal shelters is to track down dogs from puppy farms. It’s becoming quite a problem. Many of them have been badly treated and are sick. People buy them, find out they are ill or have behaviour problems and then abandon them. We need to find out who is doing this and try to put a stop to it.” Jan stared into his teacup and sighed.

  Leah turned to Amanda and frowned. “I told you Joey wasn’t here. Why would you risk falling into a well, for goodness’ sake?”

  Jan perked up. “Joey? What do you mean, Joey isn’t here?”

  “I guess you wouldn’t know. It seems Joey was stolen from the back of our car in a carpark in Amsterdam,” Leah replied.

  “Really?” Jan’s face paled. “When did this happen?”

  “Earlier today.”

  “This is not good.”

  “Do you think Joey came from a puppy farm?” asked Amanda.

  “Perhaps. It was my first thought.” Jan scratched his head. “We need to think of how to find him.”

  “We’ve shown people pictures of him, and they said they’d look out for him.”

  Jan’s eyes lit up. “You have a picture of him? That’s good. Let’s get it printed and make posters. We can hang them around town.”

  Leah’s father joined them. “OK, I’m finally done. Now, is everyone all right?” He looked directly at Amanda.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little accident. By the way, we have a great idea!” Amanda’s eyes sparkled. “We can make posters with Joey’s picture on them and hang them around. Maybe someone will recognize him and call us.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. I’m sure there’s a printer at the hotel in Amsterdam. I can
create a poster easily enough on my laptop. I guess we should head back, then. Do you need a ride, Jan?”

  “That would be most appreciated.”

  Amanda rubbed her aching shoulder. Mr. Anderson glanced at her again, wrinkling his brow. “You look like you fell down a well or something. What happened?”

  Amanda turned beet red and gulped. “I was trying to take pictures of the sculptures around town and had to get into awkward positions. I slipped and fell on my shoulder.”

  Leah rolled her eyes.

  16

  IT WAS DARK BY THE TIME THEY RETURNED TO AMSTERDAM. Leah’s dad printed posters at the hotel, then he took Amanda, Leah and Jan out to hang them around town. The streets, lit up and as busy as during the day, felt festive.

  A sea of orange greeted them when they reached Dam Square. Everyone wore orange—tall orange hats, T-shirts, jackets, vests and even orange pants and shoes adorned the revellers. Some people displayed orange-painted faces, and many wore orange wigs. Overhead, orange balloons, streamers and pendants fluttered in the wind.

  Amanda exclaimed, “It’s like a huge orange theme party!”

  “Tomorrow is King’s Day,” said Jan. “We will celebrate King Willem-Alexander’s birthday.”

  “But what is with all the orange?”

  “It’s worn to honour the Dutch royal family—the House of Orange-Nassau. Remember William of Orange? He married your Queen Mary and became King of England.”

  “Oh, that William,” replied Leah. “I didn’t know he was Dutch.”

  “It would help if you paid attention in history class.” Leah’s father chortled.

  Amanda taped a poster displaying Joey’s cute face onto a telephone pole. “I hope this works.”

  “It’s worth a try. I’ll take a few to the shelters.” Jan put some posters in his backpack. “Let’s hang one in the cheese-shop window.”

  Lisa greeted them with a big smile as they entered the shop. She looked cute in her pointy Dutch hat and blonde pigtails. “Did you eat your cheese already?”