Geertrui
- Poor Mrs. Wesseling. We feel for her, because not only did her only son take off in the middle of the night without saying goodbye, he probably doesn't have a good chance of surviving out there with just Henk and no back-up.
- She seems to be well aware of this, which is why she doesn't leave her room for days after he leaves. She's worried, hurt, upset, angry… a whole mixed bag of emotions.
- Mrs. Wesseling only finds comfort listening to music, and Geertrui fills us in on the fact that she does this until she dies much later in life.
- Back to the present day, Geertrui tells us that Mr. Wesseling copes better than his wife. He's definitely upset about their son running off, but he knows why he did it. Plus, Henk and Dirk are resourceful, and they want to do their part.
- The only good thing about life on the farm for Geertrui is Jacob. He's relied on her to take care of him physically, and now she relies on him for emotional support—she's worried about her brother and everything that's happening, so to have him around was such an encouragement to her.
- Jacob sees that Geertrui is distraught, so he takes her hands in his; she's surprised by such an intimate gesture. Now we know what you're thinking: hasn't she bathed this guy's wounds when he's naked?
- The answer is yes, but she explains that all of that was when he was her patient—this is a moment between the two of them without any of that. They hold hands just for them.
- It's the first time they really touch one another this way. They don't kiss or do anything other than hold hands, but it is so intimate, so sincere, that it really strikes a chord for Geertrui.
- The next day, Geertrui goes about her normal duties: taking Jacob food, changing his bandages, and doing her chores—but she gets nervous and excited around Jacob. She's not sure if she can even look him in the eye, and she doesn't know what he thinks either.
- For the first time around Jacob, she feels unsure of herself, flushed and anxious; she quickly does her chores around him and leaves so he won't notice.
- Geertrui thinks about what she wants. She knows that she loves Jacob and wants to be with him, but she wonders what will happen if she gives up her v-card to him.
- What if she gets knocked up? What if they get caught? Will she be able to live with the consequences?
- She thinks about this and decides: yes. She wants to be with Jacob, no matter what. She uses an excuse to take a bath (since they didn't bathe as often back then) and then goes to Jacob.