During the last fifteen minutes of the Netherlands-USA there was a knock on the windows. One of Sinterklaas’s helpers, bad timing I thought, but I was the only one. A little later we found ourselves, Grandma Wormer was also there, around a pile of presents. Long story short: I got a blender.
A blender, it will be the fate of the father figure. My own father also received dumber gifts as he got older and not just with Sinterklaas. I remember a washing-up brush, and once a vacuum cleaner on his birthday. A Miele, it is now in my attic. I think he sucked it twice.
“How nice, a blender, thank you Sinterklaas”, I said for the sake of form, but then another child threw himself on the mountain again.
The next day I tried to get the donated toys to work. A lot of fiddling with a knife because of the plastic covers on the battery compartments. (Is there really no other way, China?) Too small skates. Clay in hair. A make-up head of which you can’t wash the hair after all.
We regret most about the K3 microphone that Saint Nicholas had donated to Leah van Roomalen (5). She is very musical, that is, she likes music, but her voice is not yet ready for amplification.
Hearing her sing ‘I’m still standing’ three times is moving, but from the fourth time you die, behind your computer.
In your study.
With your blender.
Lucie van Roosmalen (7), who had been given a lot herself, always came to inquire when I was going to use my blender for the first time. Finally, I decided to put a banana in the blender. That went well. I fed the sludge to Frida van Roosmalen (1) and left the blender on the counter. Later that day, a lot was put in that blender. Fortunately, Frida van Roosmalen did not like the mix of wet cat food, clay and yoghurt.
Also amazing how much mess you can make with one blender. In fact, if you do it right, you can spend a whole Sunday afternoon with a blender as a family.
The friend was greeted at home by a child who shouted through a K3 microphone that they had made a lot of mess with the blender and that we had been busy.
I want a vacuum cleaner next year, just like my father, but I still have his.
Marcel van Roosmalen writes an exchange column with Ellen Deckwitz here.
A version of this article also appeared in the December 5, 2022 newspaper