Love

Nine years ago, one of the most beautiful things was happening to me. At that point I was far from realising it. On the contrary, the moment I found out the news I was terrified that the impact this would bring on my life would be somewhat unpleasant if not devastating. Certainly my life as I knew it would be shaken up.

Elena

It’s been more than two years since grandma died on a sunny April day as Orthodox Easter was looming around the corner.

She had to fight hard to go. One month she held on, without food or water. There was unbearable pain. But more than that there was agony and despair, in her body, in her…

A childhood. A house.

In my dreams my childhood house always looks different, but the feeling in the dream is that perfect sensation: I was…

A house without number.

My Dutch home now carries the number 67. My other home in Moldova’s capital is exactly the opposite: 76. Funny…

The cross

In one of her many travels to Moscow, something fascinating happened to grandma.

As she was advertising her apples to potential buyers at one of Moscow’s many markets, a young lady stopped to carefully examine her apples. She wanted to handpick just a few good-looking apples to take back…

Provisions room

The provisions’ room was so small there was only enough space to put deep shelves on the left side of the door and smaller ones on the right side of the door. Nonetheless, those shelves were always packed with incredible amounts of homemade goodies.

Grandma, photos and memories.

Grandma is now well into her 80-s.

4 years

In the last years grandma’s physical powers have considerably diminished. Her mental state even more so. Her life is now fully constrained to the small room she occupies in the house of my parents. The TV in her room is barely on. The window and the door have to stay closed most of the time. She doesn’t like the…

Sugar.

The two women were impatiently waiting for the three-wheeled sidecar motorcycle to return and bring them some news.