Crônicas do Cotidiano

Guarulhos airport, São Paulo, Brazil.

Neto and Isabel had gone there to meet a Dutch cousin of hers. He, together with his wife, was making a tourist excursion through Brazil. When they discovered that they would have a four-hour wait, they had written to suggest that they meet. So, after the initial greeting, they took care of the check-in for the next phase of the trip and then went to drink guaraná in the restaurant of a well-known fast food chain, sitting down way in the back. Isabel and Lia sat on a sofa with their backs to the wall and Neto and Alex placed themselves on the other side of the table. They joined hands and closed their eyes while Neto asked God’s blessing on the food, on those moments together and on the remainder of the couple’s trip.

The couples pulled out albums with the photos that represented their lives and stayed there showing them to each other and talking animatedly. At a certain point, cousin Alex pulled out two photos, with relatives that they shared, to give to Isabel. Since she wanted to remember the name of each person, she put out her hand to take her pen from her purse. Startled, her eyes met Neto’s.

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As we are gathered together here, this afternoon, we remember Gilbert Zekveld, our beloved father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend.

Gilbert was born as Gijsbertus Zekveld, on January 13, 1928, on a farm near the town of Aarlanderveen in South Holland, the second of seven children. Most of his childhood encompassed the years of the great depression, while the Second World War raged in and around his country throughout much of his adolescence, ending shortly before he reached military age. His character was forged during these difficult years, as he watched his Godfearing parents act and react with courage to the difficult circumstances around them, and as he learned to be frugal and to work diligently on the family farm.

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