Champagne

“What great that you all are here!” she calls. “But... What is going on?” No response. She signs to the table. Her collegue Jelijn opens a bottle of champagne. Home-made snacks that are served. Her friend won't come, they tell her.

A moment to enjoy

Eva's father is seriously ill. For several weeks, Eva can often be found in the hospital or with her mother to support her. In betweet she works, as always, very hard at her job and the is still there for all of her cliënts. "You've had a setback," said her teammate Valerie, "which is why we brought something for you." Eva takes the paper from the huge package on the table. It is a wooden house full of pictures of happy looking collegues and twentyfour compartments with small hatches: an advent calendar. Each box contains a note with an uplifting text and a chocolate. The evening proceeds in a different dimension. No visiting cliënts or other work. They eat and drink and release balloons with wishes in front of door. The balloons and champagne give the impression that it is a kind of new years eve party, but at other times it is also quite emotional for Eva. Everybody who's there, came especially for her.

A note a day

In the weeks that follow, Eva opens a box of the calendar every day. With a smile on her face she reads one of the notes, as a
shot op dope in between the hospital visites.