She held him, not trusting him to find the chair.

“We’re family,” she said. “Like family.

You don’t remember?”

He shook his head.

“You’ve come to our house for thirty years.”

He shrugged sorry.

“I have to go with him.”

He knew him, but not his name.

And later, after the coffee, he went.

For when he was young he could go where he liked.

But now was time for where he’d rather not go.

R.I.P. Fr. Piet van der Pol S.S.S. (D. 19 February 2017).