Dear readers, in the first installment, Bunkie got to fly to Amsterdam for an education not to be had at an American university. There he met Veronika, a girl his own age that gave him an eye opening night of adventure. It's a pretty good read, according to the feedback, so catch up on that one if you haven't already done so. During that first tryst, Bunkie briefly met another girl named Galena. We'll pick up the story evolving from that chance encounter.
As always, all my stories have a germ of truth to them, either in the setting or events that happened. It tends to keep a story from becoming far fetched or unbelievable. I always relish your comments and constructive criticisms and of course thank you for reading my work. --puppop
I Acclimation
Pieter and I puttered down the darkened boulevards. Mostly all the bicyclists were safely home, the good burghers turning down their beds and making plans for the weekend. I asked Pieter if he had waited outside all the time I was upstairs. He hadn't, instead meeting some friends for dinner and running an errand or two. The car couldn't be used on the weekend, since it belonged to the government. Bicycles would be the order of the day for Saturday and Sunday. As I absorbed this, he finally asked if I had enjoyed myself.
"It was a lot more than I expected Pieter. " I relaxed into the seat and looked out the window at the low clouds and mist."But I didn't quite know what to expect. Thank you for picking out such a good hostess. There's no way things would have worked as well without your help. I had a great time. I mean, I'm worn out, Lord!"
Pieter just grinned and tapped his thumb on the steering wheel.
I asked, "How did you know of Veronika, or is it a secret?"
"I met her by my office not too long ago. She had come to the Ministry for her work visa and I chatted her up. She's a sweet girl. I was pretty sure you two would go well together." He geared down for a red light. "She and her roommate are from Estonia. They escaped from a pretty tough regime."
"I met Galena. She stopped by for a minute."
"I haven't met her. Are you going to see her?"
"That's the plan. Tomorrow night I'll be with her, as long as I can get there."
"We'll make it work." Pieter put the car in gear and we moved on. "You'll need to get by the currency exchange and we'll have to get you a bike. Taxis aren't cheap, plus there's more to learn here than just girls."
We laughed. Arriving at Pieter's at last, I said my good nights and thanks and wearily shuffled off to bed. As I drifted off, I heard a police car in the distance. It might have been some other sort of emergency vehicle but the sing song siren sounded so utterly foreign. I wasn't in Jersey anymore. Saturday spelled new promises for a young man with unique opportunities.
II Meeting up with Galena
The wind had picked up during the night and blew away the fog. I watched signal flags on a tugboat fluttering in the breeze. I had parked my rented bike near an old stone quay where it was reputed that Henry Hudson had sailed for the New World. Lunch was an excellent sandwich and brew from a restaurant that had been there for four hundred years and the tables were worn down on the edges from half a millennia's worth of arms and elbows. I had gone and exchanged dollars for guilders and was starting to learn what things cost.
It was strange to be in a foreign country, even one as benevolent as Holland, but it was the start of a lifelong love for the Netherlands and all things Dutch. It was a clean, unassuming, and as I found out, a very tolerant country. I had ridden through a stop sign, only to have a whistle blown at me by a foot cop who explained to me that bicyclists weren't exempt from any traffic laws. He was really nice about it. He even smiled and waved as I pedaled off.
It was cool in the breeze and I was glad I had on a heavy cable knit over my jeans and boots. I had my Red Sox ball cap pulled low over my hair and I felt clear eyed and fit as a fiddle. With a map in my back pocket, I played tourist, bumping over the cobblestones by the Royal palace and watched the ebb and flow of tourists at some of the museums. Everything seemed old, but well cared for. I was fascinated by the colorful houseboats, the flowers and all the tiny little shops that sold everything from rare books to trinkets and electronics. The narrow shopping district was crowded with people from everywhere imaginable. They clustered around street musicians and portrait painters at the corners just like in New York. But as the day drew on, the ranks of visitors thinned as I made my way back to my evening 'school'.
At the door of my previous evening's tryst, I was uncertain which bell to ring. There was a line of them mounted in brass with a number associated with each. As I stood there, the door opened and a British sailor emerged. We nodded and I caught the door before it could close. At the well of the third floor, I knocked on the middle door, which I recalled would be Galena's room. After a moment, I heard her, asking a question in Dutch. I simply said my name and hoped she wasn't entertaining.
My fears were ill founded. The door flew open and there she was. It was my first meeting with her face to face standing up. Laughing and murmuring,"Ah Bunkie, Bunkie, come," she pulled me inside. We walked down a little hall which opened into her room to the right. She turned to me and gave me a hug and a peck on the cheek. Close up, her features seemed Slavic with higher than usual cheekbones and a slight tilt to her eyes, which were deep brown with flecks of gold. Her hair cascaded down to mid back and smelled of lavender. Her wide smile created dimples in her cheeks, all aglow in good health. She was wearing a tight burgundy turtleneck over equally tight bell bottom jeans and lace up boots completed the ensemble. Her breasts were unfettered, naturally sloping apart and her waist flared pleasingly out to a round thick butt. In other words, she was my idea of a full,on the tall size girl.