De Dijk in concert

Annemarie and I are in Amsterdam tonight. In the Ziggo Dome to be exact.
We're here to celebrate  the 40th anniversary of the best Dutch band of the Netherlands: De Dijk.

What a special night is was. Not only an anniversay, but also the first concert in the Ziggo Dome after COVID. The hall was packed with people. Fantastic.
At the entrance we had a triple check before we could enter. First our corona-app was scanned, then at the second gates, our concert ticket of course and third, we were searched thoroughly as if we were on an airport. No problem! That's we way we do things nowadays I suppose. I gave us a safe feeling once we were inside.

We arrived in Amsterdam at 18.00 in a downpour. We waited in the car for 15 minutes or so and then went to restaurant/bar 'The Burger Bitch' for a hamburger and some fries.
At 19.00 we went to the Dome and not long after that we found our seats at the first ring, close to the stage. Perfect!

At 20.30 Huub and his men came on stage and the audience went nuts from minute one. Huub does that to people, but the fact it all was possible again also was an important factor.
The concert took off, and just as they do at concerts in Groningen (where we often went to already) the band created an intimate atmosphere. The sound was great, outstanding. No annoying people anywhere near. We had the perfect evening! What a party!

A party we almost had to miss out on.
What happened:

This morning I brought Bas to the trainstation in Appingedam. He is going to Texel this weekend with his school and will return next Monday. Being it the first time again he's going away on a trip wtih school after his accident in London in 2019, it was sort of 'special' to see him go again. Annemarie and I had some mixed feelings, but of course we  didn't mention any of those to Bas. He did that himself, by mentioning casually that Texel didn't have any escalators so there was nothing to worry about....... 

While I was at the station, my phone rang. It was my mother.
My mother never calls me on my mobile, and certainly not at 08.30 in the morning. Something must be wrong.
And something was wrong.
My dad had fallen during the night and couldn't get up anymore. He fell asleep at the floor at that's how my mother found him somewhat later during the night.
Panic of course. She alarmed the home care and with 2 people they put my father back to bed. They examined him, but all was ok.
In the morning he was very confused, making my mother panic again and that's when se called me.

I told Bas I had to go (he understood) and I went to them. In a few minutes I was there. My father was sleeping again, making all sorts of weird noises as if he was scared.
We let him sleep and waited for a nurse to come. She came a while later and was able to wake him up. But he remained very confused. The look in his eyes was so different than usual.
By this time I had informed Joke and Annemarie as well of course and we were all very worried about all this. Would this be the moment we've all been dreading?

I saw all our concertplans vanish into thin air already and told (by whatsapp) Annemarie we couldn't go. She understood of course.
After a cup of coffee with my parents, everything was sort of calm, I went home (had to because Toby had been alone for too long already). But first I went to Joke (at her school) and we sat outside together on the schoolyard.
She told me (firmly) we should continue with our plan to go to Amsterdam. She would take care of things here. She didn't have to work in the afternoon, so she would keep an eye on our parents.
After some discussion she convinced me to go, although I didn't see the fun of it anymore.

But I'm so glad we went!
Knowing my parents were taken care of, was a good feeling. And it made it possible for me to put it all aside for a while.
Halfway the concert Huub van der Lubbe started the song Hold On Tight (Hou me vast). This song came in loud and clear and brought tears to my eyes. (No one noticed)


This one's for you dad:

HOU ME VAST

Als jij het niet meer weet
In het donker van je hoofd
Ze laten weinig heel
Van waar je in gelooft
Hoe de tijd ook raast
We moeten erdoorheen
Als jij het niet meer weet
Je bent niet alleen

Hou me vast
Hou me vast
Hou me vast
Hou me vast

Als ik het niet meer weet
In de rimram van de tijd
De bodem veel te heet
Alle richting kwijt
Laat mij niet gaan
Maar haal me hier doorheen
Als ik het niet meer weet
Niemand is alleen

Hou me vast
Hou me vast
Hou me vast
Hou me vast

Hoe de tijd ook raast
We komen erdoorheen
Als jij het niet meer weet
Je bent niet alleen

Hou me vast
Hou me vast
Hou me vast
Hou me vast