A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail from an acquaintance: "A mother of a friend of mine is dying, she is a fan. She would like to read your new novel before she passes away. Could you hurry up?"
I answered: "I'll do my utmost."
Yesterday late afternoon I went to Leiden to visit the mother and her daughter, her caregiver.
The son had committed suicide a year ago.
We discussed suicide, my new novel, psychiatrists, mothers and I felt that they didn't want me to leave.