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‘Is that so funny? It’s not all that odd, is it? If your father has a garage, you’re allowed to drive the cars, aren’t you?’

‘Drop by once we have our permanent mooring. If you stand in the wardrobe in my room, you can hear the noises from Cabin 3 with a glass. It’s amusing.’

‘Okay,’ said André. ‘Amusing. You’re on.’ Peter climbed back down, and we followed. ‘Amusing,’ André repeated again.

In the bar, Madame Olga polished the gold tables until they shone. She said something to Peter.

‘She says I must ask if I can be your friend,’ he said, in a tone as if the question, besides being quite normal, was totally superfluous.

‘That’s fine,’ said David. André and I nodded to indicate it really was fine. Peter nodded to his mother. She nodded to Captain Willem, who was standing on some steps, replacing a light bulb above a sofa.

‘I’m v-v-very happy about that. Friendship is the most beautiful thing in the world.’

A week later, Peter joined our class. He was modest and calm, but also had a self-confidence you wouldn’t immediately expect in a boy of 16. It was striking that he got on just as well with the girls as with the boys. The girls behaved as if they had known him for years. Peter was the natural leader who didn’t have to do anything to win and retain his leadership.