By Pieter Thomassen
While sitting on his father’s lap, Axel is being told that grandpa started as a horse driver in the mine. Willem Graafland was inseparable from Max, the Belgian draft horse, which he daily gave its hay and clover. Often, he shared his chewing tobacco with the stallion who, every day, cleared fifteen tons of coal. He was inconsolable when, after ten years, the night-blind animal vanished through the lift shaft on its way to the slaughterhouse.
Later, he joined the canaries in song inside the aviary of the Dominiale mine. He folded them in his big hands, nestled them into the cages which were taken underground by the miners. When a canary dropped dead, it was a sign to get out. Grandpa talked to bats and rats. For as long as they didn’t ran away, there was no danger of anything caving in. Grandpa Willem was rather underground than at home with granny. After having washed down a beer with a glass of gin in it (a submarine), his motto was: ‘The night, too, is a sun.’
Wearing a blue overall, Axel stands with a toy shovel in his grandparents’ back garden. ‘What are you doing?’ his granny asks. ‘I’m digging a hole towards grandpa.’
© Pieter Thomassen
© Translation Holland Park Press
Axel 29 – Axel 28 – Axel 27 – Axel 26 – Axel 25 – Axel 24 – Axel 23 – Axel 22 – Axel 21 – Axel 20 – Axel 19 – Axel 18 – Axel 17 – Axel 16 – Axel 15 – Axel 14 – Axel 13 – Axel 12 – Axel 11 – Axel 10 – Axel 9 – Axel 8 – Axel 7 – Axel 6 – Axel 5 – Axel 4 – Axel 3 – Axel 2 – Axel 1
Later zong hij mee met de kanaries in de volière van de Dominiale. Vouwde ze in zijn grote handen en vlijde ze in de kooitjes die door de koempels mee omlaag werden genomen. Wanneer pietje van zijn stokje ging, wisten ze dat ze zich uit de voeten moesten maken. Opa praatte met vleermuizen en ratten. Zolang zij niet wegvluchtten, was er geen instortingsgevaar. Opa Willem was liever ondergronds dan bij moeke thuis. Met een duikbootje achter de kiezen was zijn motto: ‘De nacht is ook een zon.’
Axel staat met een blauwe overall en een schepje in de achtertuin van zijn grootouders. ‘Wat ga je doen?’ vraagt moeke. ‘Ik graaf een gat naar opa.’
© Pieter Thomassen
