Quarantine 6

19-03-2020

I haven’t noticed it immediately, but it has been very quiet here the past few days. There is far less traffic on the adjoining motorway, and by chance the maximum speed throughout the country had just been lowered to 100 kms. Besides, being in the flightpath of Schiphol it is usually very noisy here, but there are hardly any flights as many countries have closed their borders, except for their own inhabitants. However, they have to be quarantined as soon as they enter their home country. Perhaps the relative silence also gives me the feeling we are back in the fifties of the 20th century. Add to that the children playing together in the street, enjoying themselves enormously, and everything reminds me of the time I was a child myself. Children are now studying at home. The internet has opened a lot of possibilities unknown in the fifties. It is hard work for the parents, who work from home if at all possible. But children can’t be kept inside all day long, so they have to get rid of their surplus energy now that swimming pools, sport clubs, ballet, music schools, everything is closed. No training, no matches or competitions. There is a run on boardgames and jigsaw puzzles. No more commuting, no more ferrying kids to sports, to parties, to school and orthodontists. Dentists only take emergency cases.

To my relief Nelly’s funeral will take place in church, in spite of all the restrictions, and we are allowed a small choir to sing for her. She has been a chorister for almost 60 years, so it would be such a shame if we could not give her the farewell she deserves.  Not even a month ago we went to a fashion show together. Nelly had asked me to go with her. It was fun, and although she was tired, she did not seem much different from usual. At least her end was not painful, relatively quick and two friends from the choir stayed with her night and day till the end. What a blessing to be part of this choir family.