War falling upon us - an exclusive excerpt from Delft Blue

Remembering Canadian bravery in Holland on Remembrance Day

Each year on November 11, I gratefully remember the sacrifice, risk, and bravery of Canadian Forces who fought to liberate Holland.

It’s not difficult to imagine a dark and different future for my family and so many others who trace origins to the Netherlands, but for the courage and tenacity of Canadian soldiers.

As we remember their bravery, I thank God for their valour, which secured freedom for my family and so many others and dedicate this post to them.

~AK

The following is an excerpt from my stage play Delft Blue. The screenplay adaptation was a finalist for the Upper Room Film Festival, the Pitch Now Screenplay Competition, a Top Indie Film Award selection, the Northeast Filmmakers Lab, and was a semi-finalist for the Filmmatic Screenplay Awards.

Public readings of the play were conducted in November 2020 and 2021 by Burnt Thicket Theatre in Saskatoon to commemorate Remembrance Day.

This week, I released the full script on Amazon. You can read the whole story in ebook form. (Print edition coming soon).

If you're into plays, World War II history, and indie writers, check it out!

Synopsis: When Holland falls to the Nazis in May of 1940 after a brief but surprising resistance, Machiel and Sophia van Leeuwen prepare for a long and difficult occupation in a war Holland never dreamed it would enter. Along with their 12-year-old daughter Johanna, they are soon faced with impossible decisions: to choose between resistance and passivity, family and friendship, and whether or not the sincere faith they’ve observed with its quiet traditions might now require unthinkable violence.

Delft blue

Act 1 / Scene 1

JOHANNA, late-70s, sits with her young GRANDDAUGHTER in their living room. They look out the window.  Time is the present and they’ve been in lockdown for countless days.

JOHANNA: I heard on the radio today it could be a tough winter.

GRANDDAUGHTER: I thought you stopped listening to the news.

JOHANNA: Well, old habits. They interviewed some ladies. My age. Stuck in care homes across Canada.  Eating out of cardboard boxes. Trapped in their rooms. 

GRANDDAUGHTER: Did they lock them in there? 

JOHANNA: No. Put them in cohorts. Separated the sick from the healthy. No visitors. I couldn’t listen for very long.

GRANDDAUGHTER: And I thought I was trapped. They say it’ll go on until next summer.

JOHANNA: Who said that?  

GRANDDAUGHTER: Mrs. Robins, at school.

JOHANNA: Well, teachers don’t always get it right.

GRANDDAUGHTER: This is the worst thing that’s ever has happened.

JOHANNA: To you?

GRANDDAUGHTER: To us! To the planet!

JOHANNA: You’re lucky my mother isn’t here to hear you say that.

GRANDDAUGHTER: I’m just mad. 

JOHANNA: You should be.  

GRANDDAUGHTER: I feel useless. There’s nothing to do.

JOHANNA: I felt the same way at your age. You’re tough. You’ll make it through.

Awareness. 

GRANDDAUGHTER: What did you do, all those long days, during the war?

JOHANNA: Drove my parents crazy. 

GRANDDAUGHTER: I guess we are a lot alike. 

JOHANNA: Just when we thought we couldn’t take any more of it, we looked to the sky.  

Lights up on MACHIEL dressed in his police uniform.  He stares up into the sky. They both see him.  JOHANNA follows his gaze, then slowly her GRANDDAUGHTER does to. 

JOHANNA: Sometimes, I can’t believe we survived. 

Lights fade on JOHANNA and her GRANDDAUGHTER. 

It is now the 1940s. MACHIEL ducks at the sound of gunfire then starts to run until he’s at his home. He enters through the front door and slams it shut.  He leans against the door breathing heavily.

SOPHIA: Chiel? 

MACHIEL: Where’s Johanna?  

SOPHIA: Look what she's done.  

MACHIEL: Where is she?

SOPHIA: Up in her room.  

MACHIEL: Are you sure?

SOPHIA:  Of course  I’m sure.  I just sent her up there because she chipped my mother’s plate! The one we got on our wedding day. The blue!

SOPHIA enters the hallway holding the blue china made famous in Delft .

MACHIEL: Go get her.

SOPHIA: Why aren’t you at work?

The sound of ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE in the distance. MACHIEL runs to the window and shuts the curtain.

SOPHIA: What’s happened?

MACHIEL: The Germans, they’ve come to Delft. They’ll have control of the whole city by tomorrow, maybe even nightfall.

SOPHIA: It’s not possible.   

MACHIEL: Tanks, guns, the whole army will be here soon.

SOPHIA: How?

MACHIEL: I saw it, Phee, with my own eyes.  A unit of paratroops fell from the sky, on my way to the station.

SOPHIA: God help us!

MACHIEL: We were warned they would come. Our agents in Berlin were right.

SOPHIA: Are we at war? 

MACHIEL: If we are it won’t be for long. Our army doesn’t stand a chance. "Hold fast!" To what?  Our neutrality?

SOPHIA: Johanna!  Johanna, come downstairs.

JOHANNA: [Offstage] Make up your mind!

MACHIEL:  They caught us by surprise. If they’re dropping men in Delft, surely, they did the same in Rotterdam.  

SOPHIA: Den Haag?

MACHIEL: They must.  

SOPHIA:  The Queen? 

MACHIEL: She’ll flee, with the whole family.

SOPHIA: Never! 

MACHIEL: If they have a chance.  

SOPHIA: She would never leave us. Neither would Bernhard or Juliana. 

MACHIEL:  They won’t have a choice.  It’s too dangerous for the royal family to stay in Holland.

SOPHIA: What do you think Germany will do? Wilhelmina, Bernhard, they have German blood coursing through their veins!

MACHIEL: Everything has changed, Phee.  Hitler plans to take over the world. They’ll stop at nothing. 

SOPHIA: It makes no sense. Last night, the Prime Minister, on the radio said rumors of an invasion were false - 

MACHIEL: One of their soldiers shot a man. I saw it happen.

SOPHIA: What?

MACHIEL:  He was riding his bicycle.

SOPHIA: Where?

MACHIEL: In front of me as I walked to work!  Same man I see every day. He worked down at the bank. Phee, he wasn’t armed.  He was wearing a beautiful brown suit with a white carnation pinned to the lapel.  The soldier just shot him as he floated to the ground, like he was a target for practice.

SOPHIA: What for? 

MACHIEL: He was an enemy.

SOPHIA: Chiel, this is Holland.  We have no enemies.

MACHIEL: We’ve been so blind.

SOPHIA: Jan was right.

MACHIEL: Germany wants to control the war against France and Britain, so they’ve brought it here to us.  They fight out the battle for all of Europe from our soil.  

He leans over the sink, is quiet for a moment.  She walks behind him and wraps her arms around his chest from behind. 

MACHIEL: What stopped him from shooting me? He saw me too.  He smiled at me as he disappeared behind a row of trees. 

He reaches into his shirt pocket and pulls out a coloured pamphlet.

MACHIEL: That’s not all that fell from the sky. They’re serious, Phee. 

She takes the pamphlet and slowly reads it over.  

SOPHIA:  This is not happening.

MACHIEL: They’re covering the neighbourhood.  It was like a dream.  I grabbed one out of the air after the man slumped over the handlebars.  His bike hit the curb and his body flew into the canal. I’ve got to go to the station. 

SOPHIA: But it’s not safe!

MACHIEL: The captain may not even know the Germans are here, Phee. 

SOPHIA: But it says right here, “Do not join a war you did not enter!”

MACHIEL: They landed on the edge of town.  They’ll slowly make their way to the centre of the city. 

SOPHIA:  Chiel, you can’t go, stay with me, with Johanna.  

MACHIEL: I'm a reserve soldier, Phee. We were told to be alert.  Told to be ready to report for duty if it ever came to this.

SOPHIA: It says if you’re caught fighting the Germans, you’ll receive the death penalty!  

MACHIEL: I was too close to home; I had to turn around.  I wanted to say goodbye to you, to Johanna before I join with my battalion.

SOPHIA: But –

MACHIEL turns, pulls SOPHIA into his arms and holds her tightly for a few moments.

MACHIEL: Go, get Jo. Please Phee, will you please?

SOPHIA quietly walks out of the room. MACHIEL uncovers the radio.  He turns the dial. There is only music playing.

SOPHIA, JOHANNA in tow, come from the stairs.

JOHANNA: Papa, why aren't you at work?  

He embraces JOHANNA.  

JOHANNA: Why are you bringing out the radio?

MACHIEL: Phee, keep this on.

JOHANNA: You know how much mom hates it.

SOPHIA: Jo, not now.

JOHANNA: “Noise and silly talk by men who should know better…”

MACHIEL: Pay attention to it. 

JOHANNA: “… except for the Queen’s regular addresses…”

MACHIEL: It will be your link to the outside world for the next few days. 	

JOHANNA: “… it’s a complete waste of our time.”

SOPHIA: I hope we’ll hear her voice again.

MACHIEL: I hope the silly music continues to play, but I’m afraid it will not.

JOHANNA: What’s wrong?

MACHIEL: The German’s invaded today, Jo.

JOHANNA: When?

MACHIEL: This morning.  

JOHANNA: But last night, the Prime Minister – 

MACHIEL: He was wrong.  I saw it with my own eyes.  Men in parachutes, they fell from the sky.  

JOHANNA: From the sky?

MACHIEL: Just now. On my way to work.  

JOHANNA: I knew it! Can I see them?

She runs to the door.  MACHIEL follows after her.

SOPHIA: Jo!

She opens the door a smidgen but MACHIEL’s quick hand stops it shut.

MACHIEL: Careful Jo, this is no game! It’s dangerous to be outside.  

JOHANNA: It’s a beautiful day.

MACHIEL: I know.

JOHANNA: I’m going to ride my bike, with Wim to school.

SOPHIA: Absolutely not!

JOHANNA: But I have to give a report for my book.  

SOPHIA: Not today.

JOHANNA: It’s perfect timing. Jules Verne was right.  

SOPHIA: This is no book - 

JOHANNA: They’re coming from the sky!

MACHIEL: I know.

JOHANNA: I’ve been working on this stupid project for over a week!

MACHIEL: I’m sorry Jo. 

SOPHIA: Your father is leaving.  To fight.

JOHANNA: When will you come back?

MACHIEL: Soon, I hope.

JOHANNA: Papa.  Don’t go!

She cries into his chest.

MACHIEL: I love you, Jo.  

He pulls SOPHIA into their embrace.

MACHIEL: My girls. You’re strong women.  I have to go.  Listen to the radio.

SOPHIA: We will.

MACHIEL: And you young girl, listen to your mother.  

His severity melts, and he walks to her, kisses her on the head.  Then SOPHIA.

MACHIEL: I love you.

He goes to the door and does not look back.

SOPHIA:  Be careful, Chiel.

He exits. Johanna looks at Sophia, and holds her hand.  

JOHANNA: Mom?

SOPHIA: Yes, Jo.

JOHANNA: What do we do?

SOPHIA: We will be brave.  

Lights fade to end scene.

---

Act 1 // Scene 2

SOPHIA lays hunched over the table, asleep.  The radio hums classical music quietly.  LOTTE {pronounced Law-tuh} walks through the door, making no noise.  She walks into the kitchen, sees SOPHIA.  

She places a brown paper bag on the table, pulls back a chair, removes her coat, and sits across from her. She watches SOPHIA for a few moments then gently touches her hand.

LOTTE: Phee.

SOPHIA: Hmm.

LOTTE: Phee.

SOPHIA: What time is it?  Machiel?

LOTTE: No, it’s me.

SOPHIA: Lotte!

LOTTE: Hi.

SOPHIA: How long have you been here?  

LOTTE: I only just arrived.

SOPHIA: Johanna?

LOTTE: She’s fine.

SOPHIA: Did you see her?  

LOTTE: She’s fine.  She’s asleep. 

SOPHIA: I must have drifted to sleep listening to the radio.  Is it morning?

LOTTE: Hardly.

SOPHIA: What are you doing?

LOTTE: I had some things to take care of in town.

SOPHIA: So early?

LOTTE: Late, actually.

SOPHIA: What things? The store?

LOTTE: Of course.

SOPHIA:  Of course.  You must be the only business owner in all of Delft still at work.

LOTTE: You know me.

SOPHIA: Would you like some coffee? 

LOTTE: Please.  I need it.

SOPHIA: Me too. 

She goes to the counter and starts to prepare coffee.  

SOPHIA: So, how is business?

LOTTE: At the store?

SOPHIA:  Yes.  At the store.  Where else?

LOTTE: At a standstill. It’s quiet out there.  

SOPHIA: That’s a good thing for us.

LOTTE:  It is.  For now.

SOPHIA: What’s that?

LOTTE: A peace offering.

SOPHIA: Lotte – 

LOTTE: Some coffee, some chocolate, some sugar.

SOPHIA: We don't need that.

LOTTE:  These things will be rationed soon.

SOPHIA: So soon?  The Germans haven't been here a week.

LOTTE: They'll be here much longer than that.  

SOPHIA: And what about you? Am I to expect that you’ll give up your coffee and sugar for me?

LOTTE:  I’ll be fine.  

SOPHIA: Oh?

LOTTE: I’ll get more.

SOPHIA: How?

LOTTE: It doesn’t matter.  

SOPHIA: No?

LOTTE: What matters is that I’ll have a way to get us coffee and sugar, and chocolate for Johanna.

SOPHIA: Lotte.  It’s too early in the morning to argue.

LOTTE: But it’s not too late to reconcile.

She brings the coffee over and pours LOTTE a cup.  

LOTTE: It’s not the same at the store without you.

SOPHIA: It wasn’t the same when I left. 

She adds a sugar cube to LOTTE’s coffee, then another.

LOTTE: What did I just say?  

SOPHIA: It’s not too late to reconcile.

LOTTE: You’ll have to start watching what you consume.  Rationing.

SOPHIA: I’ll be fine, won’t I?  You have a way to get me the things I need.  The way you’ve always had a way to get things.

LOTTE: Phee, please.

SOPHIA: It’s nice to see you.

She raises her cup to her.

LOTTE: Dank je wel.

SOPHIA: Alsjeblieft. So, is that the reason you came in the middle of the night, to ask me to work for you again?

LOTTE: Well, I didn’t say that.  

SOPHIA: No, I guess you didn't.

LOTTE: Chiel asked me to check up on you.

SOPHIA: Is he alright?

LOTTE: Yes.  He’s alright.

SOPHIA: Thank God.  When did you see him?

LOTTE: Yesterday morning.

SOPHIA: Where?  

LOTTE: Downtown.  At the garrison. 

SOPHIA: And?  How was he?

LOTTE: Tired. 

SOPHIA: Lotte, tell me what you know, please.