Solutions to everything

Solutions to everything

Everyone knows that dressing up a sad puree makes it taste better. The same goes for glamourizing one’s own personal life. An old school friend of Soof’s wrote the book on doing just that. Dana is looking for a nice restaurant and she is surprised to find that the CookSoof is owned by her school mate Shabby Sophie – Soof’s nickname back in her school days. Dana looks young and fit, she’s clearly had a lot of work done and judging by the expensive clothes she wears, she seems to have done well in life. It makes Soof very insecure. Dana makes a reservation for a table for three, it turns out she’s still best friends with the other two high-school royalty members

Kasper takes his heartache out on the attic, which is shaking the whole house to its foundations. The children rebel: how can they possibly focus on their homework in these conditions, let alone sleep in? But Soof comes to their father’s defence. He’s going through a rough patch, what with Josien’s leaving. Hansje on the other hand, is overjoyed. For the first time in her life, she’s tasted success: she’s had orders for at least twenty CookBoxes in one day alone. The world revolves around Hansje, and she’s blind to the fact that she’s disrupting Soof, Joy and Gerrit’s routine at the CookSoof. Joy asks Soof to intervene, but Soof is worried about hurting her mother’s feelings.

Kasper can’t take it anymore and tells Josien he’s mad about her. The desire is mutual and he never makes it home. Soof is upset, it is ‘his’ week and she thought he was through with Josien. To top things off, the CookSoof is fully booked that evening and she’s worried about her old school pals coming to dinner.

Bing and Dies urgently need to get rid of the tests they failed. Quite literally so. They decide to flush their test papers down the toilet. The shit really hits the fan when Hansje accidentally drops the CookSoof’s phone in the toilet and flushes it.

Sasha is at work in the dance studio when Jim calls. He’s caught up in traffic and asks if she and Rob can entertain a visiting camera crew. She says she’ll do her best. The camera crew arrives and interviews Sasha, she bluffs her way through it, with much praise for Jim. Rob helps her with some dance shots and when Jim arrives, he lets Sasha know he’s proud of her. She beams at him. Are those butterflies she’s feeling?

Meanwhile, the CookSoof’s filling up. Soof’s three plastic girlfriends arrive and Soof tries to fit in with them. Gerrit and Joy see how she struggles. If looks could kill… Of course it is nothing but posturing, but still Soof wonders about what she’s made of her life. She bravely brushes off all the barbs about their school days. Gerrit and Joy feel bad for her.

Meanwhile, somewhere in between the floor and the walls, a problem is brewing. Unsurprisingly, the toilets have become blocked. The toilet in the restaurant begins to overflow – a complete nightmare. Mick comes to the rescue, allowing Soof’s guests to use his facilities, while Soof urgently tries to reach Kasper. But he’s in a hotel bed with Josien, much confused after a bout of passionate love-making. They’re mad about each other, but how to deal with Josien’s desire to have a baby?

Soof asks Slavek for help, something needs to be done, urgently. He tries his best, but to no avail. As a last resort, he has some dodgy Russian chemicals that might do the job. Most likely highly toxic, but needs must. It works. Problem solved, it seems. The CookSoof carries on as before, fresh and clean. But just as one of the perfect girlfriends has stepped into the restroom to check her mascara, the liquid drain cleaner proves to have eaten into the standpipe, which suddenly bursts. Shit. Everywhere. A horrible, smelly mess. Soof finally manages to reach Kasper, who rushes over with Josien. Mick and Kasper get to work, while Josien minds Mick’s children. Contrary to all expectations, Dana also gets a mop. In turns out she’s perfectly willing to get her dainty little hands dirty.

Soof discovers what caused this disaster and calls her boys and her mother to task. She tells them its their mess and they can clean it up. Dana and Soof step out for a cigarette. Soof realizes that in fact her life is not so bad. Dana is singing her praises. And those of her handsome neighbour. Dana has a point, Mick is a really nice guy. Maybe Soof ought to take another look at their relationship. Just as Kasper and Josien have done. The image of her sitting on the sofa, holding Mick’s sleeping daughter in her arms, registers with Kasper. She needs to be a mum. And therefore, he needs to let her go. Sometimes, acceptance is best. However shitty, sometimes there is no way around the fact that things are the way they are.