He walks into the Hub smiling; “Goede morgen, good morning, bonjour, gute morgen”, immediately followed by a couple of stories. About how proud he is to be Dutch and how that has often led to problems in his life. About how he doesn’t understand why so many of his compatriots criticize the Netherlands. He has the appearance of a Venezuelan and an English surname. At 68 years young, he speaks Dutch, English, Spanish, German and French. And of course Papiamento, “but that’s a little bit of everything,” he explains. He has been a croupier and has lived in Rotterdam, but also in St. Maarten, Bonaire, Curaçao and Miami. For five years he sailed around the Caribbean on a cruise ship, enjoying a free life, making fun with everyone he met. He had been almost blind after accidentally cutting his own retina while taking out his lenses. But luckily he was living in Aruba again at the time, they had transported him to the Netherlands and helped him well. “Life is beautiful!”
Today he stops by the Hub to pick up some food for his neighbor. He also wants some food for himself, but because they don’t trust him, he only asks for food for his neighbor. He will manage himself.
He missed the bus home. If I can give him a ride to his friend. I do so with pleasure. He still has all kinds of tips and stories in the car. When we arrive at his destination and he is standing outside the car, he leans in through the window to show me the route to the main road. He says goodbye with a broad smile and a wave.
