Het is nu vrijdagavond, Willem is rustig, ademt alleen snel. Af en toe gaan zijn ogen open. Hij probeerde eerder vandaag nog wat tegen Piffin te zeggen aan de telefoon, maar we hoorden eigenlijk alleen adem. Hij wordt toch nog steeds een beetje gelukkig van zulke momenten. Hij knapt ook telkens gek genoeg een beetje op als hij bezoek heeft gehad. Willem heeft nog steeds graag iedereen om zich heen. We durven bijna te hopen dat hij Thijlberts komst morgenochtend nog meemaakt.
It is Friday night now, Willem is calm, he just breathes really quickly. Every now and then his eyes open. Earlier today he tried to say something to Piffin on the phone, but we really only heard his breath. Those moments still make him a little happy. And oddly enough he seems to bounce back a little after he has had visitors. Willem still really enjoys company. We have some hope he will still be there when Thijlbert arrives tomorrow morning.
5 comments:
Michiel als je dit leest, misschien kun je nog aan Willem zeggen dat Otger een 9 voor natuurkunde op zijn rapport krijgt, vindt hij vast fantastisch.
ik bid voor willem, hij is atheist, maar dat zal hem toch niet verhinderen op een betere plaats te komen, nou ja dat is maar mijn opvatting en overtuiging.
ik had net een schilderijtje van hem gemaakt.
ik wens jullie en willem alle sterkte.
groet, peter meijboom
Willem heeft de nacht rustig doorgebracht. Hij heeft nog koorts, ademt snel en oppervlakkig maar wel regelmatig. Hij praatte veel vanmorgen, is moeilijk te verstaan, maar glimlacht als hij "Piffin" en "Otger" hoort. Ik denk dat hij op Thijlbert, die er nu bijna is, wacht.
Willem geeft aan dat hij pijn heeft. Hij krijgt daarvoor een injectie met morfine.
Willem, I don't know at the time of writing this whether you are still with us or not. I shall miss you - you've been a friend and no small part in my life for nearly 30 years.
I will remember many happy days sitting with you and Erica in your garden under the walnut tree, trips along the Ijssel stopping to look at geese, pear trees and pigs and ponies, chess tournaments in Guernsey and Ghent, the Kroller-Muller by bike, car and wheelchair, eating slips at Urk, mussels in Joppe, a week in Ireland where I nearly died of fright as you drove your enormous Peugeot through the streets of Sligo seemingly oblivious to the fact that you were sharing the road with other traffic, and a myriad of other moments. I never fully recovered from the time when you took us to swim in a lake and you and your whole family stripped naked and plunged in. (Margaret had nightmares for weeks - only surpassed when you let her loose on Kitty, galloping towards the German border with Michiel and Josef in pursuit.)
We loved breakfast at Gorssel. Watching the way you tackled a boiled egg - for some reason you had to turn your chair at an angle to the table, before cutting the top off the egg and showering it with salt. Your stubborn refusal to buy a kettle. And we loved it too when you opened the trap door in the kitchen floor and brought up cool bottles of beer. Happy Days!
Most of all I will miss playing chess with you. We were friends - but not when you were playing chess. Every game was fought as if your life, reputation and manhood depended on it. I loved it when - occasionally - I got you in a tight spot. There would be dark mutterings; starting with "What is he doing?" and ending with "I see what you are doing, I see, I see...".
I remember you in Ghent staring at the board with your head in your hands - a study by Rodin in utter dejection as you contemplated your position. Another frightening moment: you hurtling down a cobbled hill in Ghent at breakneck speed and throwing yourself head first onto the road. Dusting yourself down, righting the bike and cycling off with no loss of dignity - as if this was to be expected in any journey of more than 5 minutes.
I'm sorry I won't be able to share these moments again. You were loved, liked and admired by all of us...
With all our love,
Jeremy and Lisa xx
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