Wies Ongeluk

Louise awakens to a blinding sunrise, the room already buzzing with the quiet dread of a day she has feared for weeks. Her father is set to leave for the distant Indies, a journey that will stretch years and leave the house feeling hollow. As she clings to the fragile comfort of a beloved picture—Märchen, with its enchanted owls and whispering reeds—her thoughts drift between the safety of childhood and the uncertainty of a world suddenly larger than her bedroom walls.

The story follows Louise’s tender struggle to be understood by a pragmatic mother and a father who seems to see her only through his own ambitions. Through vivid memories and imagined fairy‑tale realms, she learns how hope and disappointment can coexist, and how the simple act of holding onto a cherished image can become a quiet rebellion against the inevitable changes ahead. This early chapter sets the stage for a heartfelt exploration of family, longing, and the bittersweet art of growing up.