Serendipity

A small tribute to the Grim Brothers and Hans Christian Andersen

Three days had passed since I was driven away from the master’s household. Tanneke came to see me. She came bearing a gift from the master, a small sealed bundle, gently folded. After she was gone I opened it and to my surprise I found the cloth rapped around the pearl earrings, I caught my breath for a moment, they were the symbols of my ordeal and at the same time the reason for my joy. Pieter had told me in the meat market, seems like a life time ago now, that I should remember who I was so I wouldn’t get entangled in their world. I had kept my promise to him and I had also managed to keep the other one as well – I did not give in to master van Ruijven nor master Vermeer for that matter – instead I chose to surrender my love and my body to the only man who was kind to me – my Pieter.
I had asked for the guidance of the Merciful Lord and he had answered me back. Fate had placed Pieter in my path, my guiding angel, my light, my salvation. It was Pieter’s arms I ran to that awful day for comfort and understanding and there he was waiting for me. We ran together to the quietness of the riverbank where we stayed most of the day holding each other tightly. It was there that he renewed his pledge. His wishes had not changed. Holding me tight he whispered into my ear: marry me Griet and I promise we will have our own life and we will answer to no one.
Lost entangled in my one thoughts I had not realized my mother had joined me. She was standing there in the porch staring at the gift, marvelling. She looked me in the eyes and said: Go to him my child!