LuCaspeRobin + Thomas ;-)

I was going to have dinner with my sister a while back; eating pancakes at a pancake restaurant just outside of Hilversum where we'd used to go together with our gramdmother many years back. Getting there quite early - Veronica was very late, quite unusual being as punctual as she is - I sat down at a quiet table way back in the restaurant. Next to me sat an old couple and I couldn't help myself but overhearing their conversation. It was like listening to my grandmother when I was a child, her telling the most fabulous stories about the world and things that happened in it many years ago. But these two people - I still don't know if they are or ever were a couple - talked not only of years gone by, but also of the joys of travelling today, of grandchildren and of old friends. It sounded settled, pleased and thankful for a life full of pleasures, joys and good things gone by! I felt a sense of happiness and pleasantness settling over me. All of a sudden the world stopped turning, time stood stil, and there was only these two elderly representatives of mankind, sitting across from eachother, sharing experiences. And they talked to eachother like a couple being 50 years younger and head over heels in love. It was wonderful to listen to, I enjoyed it immensely. Whisky, Singapore, depression, travelling, experiences, good times and friends - all passed the revue. I was fascinated and calm at the same time.

I write this over two weeks later, but I'm still under the influence of that half hour of (secretly) taking part in their life for a short while. Even more so due to the fact that as they were leaving, the woman came over to me, explaining how fascinated she was with that thing I was working on - my laptop. She said that it must be so great to be able to master that electronic wonder, and asked if it was difficult to use. I only got a few sentences out about the ease and freedom it gave, but resigned and said that it wasn't the end of the world not knowing how to work this machine. We exchanged a few appreciative glances and then she walked away, grabbing the hand of her companion and together they walked to a car and drove away.

A few minutes later my sister arrived and we had a very nice and cosy pancake dinner. But that half hour of life I experienced still has me awed... ;-)

Posted by Sebastiaan Naafs - van Dijk | top