Postcard
- Hey, are you okay? A woman calls out to Jacob. Oh, not really, but it's no big deal, Jacob replies.
- The lady asks what happened to him, and Jacob tells the woman he was mugged, and now doesn't have any money or any way to get back to where he's staying.
- Poor thing. Luckily for Jacob, this kind stranger decides to call his friend for him to help him get back to where he's staying. She looks up the number in the phonebook for "Van Riet, D" and finds a bunch, but one that lives where Jacob thinks his friend does. There's no answer when she calls, but she writes the phone number and address down for Jacob, and then asks if he wants to grab coffee.
- Jacob, meet Alma. She's an older woman, and treats Jacob to a coffee while they swap stories.
- He tells her that he's here because his grandfather was in the Battle of Arnhem and died here; the people who looked after his grandfather (also named Jacob) are the ones he's staying with while he's here—or really her family, he should say. Jacob's in town to visit his grandfather's tombstone.
- Then Jacob tells Alma the story about the pickpocket. She thinks the guy is not stealing for the money, but for the thrill. Why else would he lure Jacob away and want to be chased so closely? It's exciting.
- Alma thinks if the guy got away with Jacob's stuff, he won. Oh well. It's no biggie if you think about it because Jacob didn't lose anything important (aside from some cash) and no one got hurt; she'll make sure he gets back to his friend and everything will be well again.
- Jacob's not sure if he agrees, but he likes listening to Alma. She tells him about the war and how everyone was hungry during de hongerwinter (a.k.a. last winter) before liberation—even the Germans.
- It was awful, but everyone was in it together then at least. Nowadays, people are just out for themselves. No one helps out other people anymore—that's why she tries to help homeless people or give to others who will benefit.
- Hmm… Jacob is moved by this. It makes him think about what Anne Frank says about youth and old age. What's that? Youth is way lonelier than old age.
- When Jacob asks Alma if she thinks this is true, she's not sure—she thinks you've got to know the truth and stick to it. It's easier in some ways when you're old because you've got more time and experience under your belt, so you're more confident about what you believe is true.
- Alma picks up on the fact that Jacob loves Anne Frank. We're not just talking about her diary, either—although he loves that too—he loves her.
- He explains to Alma that even though she's just words in a book, he feels he knows her better than some of his friends; he's in love with the person she is. Yikes. He can't believe he just admitted that to her. She must think he's lost his marbles.
- Alma comforts Jacob in a sweet way. Love is always crazy, isn't it?
- Again she calls Jacob's friend and he's home this time. She figures out the best way to get Jacob back and pays for his journey there too.
- Jacob is touched by her kindness, and thanks her a bunch. Before he leaves, he shows her the matchbox with the cryptic message inside: "Be ready niets in Amsterdam is wat het lijkt."
- She translates it for him: "Be prepare. Nothing in Amsterdam is what it appears to be." It's then that Jacob realizes that this was true of Ton at least, who offered more than met the eye.
- As Jacob runs off to the bathroom, Alma writes her own little message for him on a napkin. This one reads, "Waar een wil is, is een weg." Translation? "Where there is a will, there's a way."