Copy of a letter from Ria Hetke (Jopie’s friend) dated 30-10-63 (in response to our letter of 20 Oct)
Dear Riek and Jaap,
I t is quiet for now in the business and I therefore take the opportunity to write you back. Thank you very much for your lovely letter, Riek. Now about Jopie:
Last week she was not well at all, but this week she is much better, her eyes are bright again and she knits in bed and reads.
In practice1 however she does not rise up from bed, her legs don’t go any longer.
We have celebrated Margareth’s birthday at Jopie’s so she could be part of it and it was very cosy; at half 102 she was back in bed again.
She is still very cheerful; though she has a moment of weakness; but she rises quickly from it.
As long she can stay at home and can conduct her household from bed, we have to be grateful and Jopie is that for sure. I consider this – shall we say – ‘a little wonder’, that Jopie has been living with this for a year, whereas in most cases this would only have lasted half a year!
Jopie has now an ‘extension telephone’ (a second phone) beside her bed; we were worried, that, if she were alone and something could go wrong, she couldn’t get any help, but that has thankfully been solved.
Both her sisters in law Joyce and Ethel would give her a ‘home permanent’3 this afternoon; I hope, that it would not be too exhausting for her. It would however do her good, to look nicer.
Each Wednesday a member of Jopie’s church group comes to cook an afternoon meal for her and she’s being well thought of with all kind of baking for her family. Jopie occasionally said: they never had it so good!
She is very happy with the letters, that she receives; it gives her real courage and strength in knowing, that her family intensely sympathizes with her.
I think she will write you herself over the next few days, otherwise I’ll keep you updated every second week.
Dear Riek and Jaap, much regards and best wishes to Arie and Riek and the wider family and the both of you,
much much love from your
Ria
1Praktisch gesproken translates literally as ‘practically spoken’. I chose to translate as ‘In practice’ as the term ‘practically’ spoken seems to be not existent in the English tongue as far as I know
210:30 is in Holland said as half eleven; in the English speaking world as half ten. It has happened that I was one hour too early for a meeting…
3A proper ‘hair do’
