Tante Oeke

My aunt Oeke was really the best with her heart as pure as gold.
To me she was just so genuine and spontaneous so in my eyes she would never grow old.
So intelligent to me, she, with the same amount of beauty in her heart.
Of course she has had her share of pain and with that she showed no shame at all.
Her smile and gentleness spoke for itself at all times. It let you know she was successful and kind.
My aunt let you know what you see is what you get.
How much I respected her.

When I was a little girl I used to visit my father’s sister many weekends, since I was the only grand-daughter (with 3 brothers and 4 male-cousins…) in the family, she loved having her (spoiled) niece over and we would play “zwarte Piet” for hours, or she would let me play outside, we would pretend I was the painter, had to paint the fences and the wooden stairs (with a brush and water…), and once I finished she would pay me with cookies, the little old fashioned ones with the pink, white or yellow coating on, she would ‘pay the painter with that cookie-money’, she would make me hot coco (real Van Houten which she would prepare in a cup, the cacao and sugar and a little milk to delay… by the time the hot milk was ready to pour it over I would have eaten the cacao mixture… who didn’t as a kid ?) 

She’s gone now, this very special person and very special memories, I will never forget but now when I visit, I must visit in my heart and also in my mind.

She will be near her little brother now; ‘Tante Oeke, please tell him I miss him so much too and take care of him as you could for all of us !’

My last words to you would be : ‘ZWARTE PIET’ !!!! You would understand… and by the way, why didn’t you ever tell me you knew I was cheating…?