June 22, 2012
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(written 25 February 2013)
"Are you at home? Look outside." Daniel texted me at the end of my work day, just about as I was on my way home outside the office. "No not yet. What's up?" I replied. No answer. How weird. If he knew that something was going on outside the apartment then how could he ask if I was at home. Surely he would then also be in the apartment's vicinity? And what could be going on outside? Yeah it's a busy street but I'm used to that so if Daniel found it big enough to text me then something really odd must have happened. But what? Just a bit concerned I cycled home just a bit faster than usual. Along the way it occurred to me that Daniel was probably having a coffee in the coffee bar on the other side of the canal and was witnessing something in front of the apartment. The tree. That must have been it. Had you asked me to bet money on possible events I would indeed have said that something had happened to the tree in front of the house and that Daniel had seen it happening. Turned out to be true; the tree that stood in front of the house, and that looked rather sick last year but much better so far this year, had been blown over and only then showed how little grip its roots still had on the soil. Anyone could have pushed it over perhaps but in this case it just took a gust of wind.
Daniel was expecting a visitor today, a friend of his from Groningen, and this guy, Fernando will be staying at my place as well this weekend. The two of them will share a single air bed while I sleep on a comfortable double mattress, not that I mind, obviously. Daniel arrived at Central Station at around eight in the evening, much to Daniel's chagrin because that coincided with his Eastenders TV schedule, so instead of picking Fernando up at the station, the two of them met at Dam Square (much closer by) and spent Fernando's first half hour in the city sitting on my couch, not saying a word to each other while Daniel watched Eastenders and Fernando kept playing with his smart phone. Rather interesting, young kids these days. After Eastenders they slowly got ready to go out and explore the city, giving me some peace and quiet at home which, for an old geezer like me, was actually most welcome.
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