After the Alders (extract)

“After the Alders” evokes the world of my parents, the world I grew up in.

My visits to them are occasions to grasp moments I am never sure will return.

Shared moments, where emotions are conveyed without words being exchanged.

Simple gestures that are both repetitious and always unique.

The small things we no longer pay attention to, but which in their very fragility, structure our lives and define who we are unwillingly.

A silent daily life I am the only one to witness.

Two lives they sometimes talk about, their questions, which are also mine, our present ties, which in turn I recount.