Chateau Meiland the Naklets

Last week went down in the books for me as the most emotional episode so far, but last night it was gently nudged off its throne. While Martien is usually the absolute star of the evening, there was now another undisputed queen: Maxime.

If anyone has graduated from college with honors, it's Maxime. She understands her father's jabs, laughs at her mother's cursing, that she is a single mother and the father doesn't really care about her child anymore... So be it. I think there are a thousand men who have Maxime at the top of their ‘I-want-to-be-with-her’ list, but yeah, wow, good luck finding him there at that château. Only happy, round-bellied baby boomers come there. So then you occasionally post a cheeky pic on Insta, but that's where it ends. You don't hear her talk about it further, but that her little girl will grow up with a brother or sister... No, she can't handle that image.

So she went looking. For a donor. And yesterday he finally came into view. Well, not him, but there was little that remained hidden from us: from buying the injection needle (aiguille) to two white jars with screw caps (“I’m glad they are white and not transparent”). And off she went with mother Erica. While he would ‘do his thing’, she could maybe do some shopping and Erica could drink wine. “But not you, that’s over for now.”

Martien stuffed her with some insulation material from the mantelpiece in all his grandfatherly love. “Then it stays nice and warm.”

There she is. Tense. That it feels strange. As if she is going to do something sneaky. They need to get home as soon as possible. “He only goes up to 210,” says Erica. Is that good? She won't let herself be fooled, you know. “I said: just take my whole bag with you. Otherwise, it doesn’t look good if he takes that jar out and walks through the hotel with it.”

On the way back, Erica explains how the syringe phenomenon works. In the meantime, I went to follow Maxime on Instagram.

And then Erica stands in front of her bedroom door. “Max, are you okay? Do you have the cushion underneath?”

Maxime, may I thank you for your openness?
And oh, how I am already looking forward to the delivery.