I like key rings. There are many of them in my key set. I have a complex chain of various big and small snap hooks, holding other snap hooks and rings, so that every key can be easily unchained, if necessary. It is not necessary very often, only sometimes, though.
Now, we have a huge bicycle padlock on the gateway. The gateway stopped to communicate with its electronic chip, even if we are pressing the electronic code like crazy. I have already called Mr. Carnal, who looks like young Bolek Polivka[1], but he did not come yet. I always call Mr. Carnal for any problem with the electronic code or chip.
It was Peter’s fault in the past. I successfully kept it back from him. It would be hard for him to digest the fact that we have to plank down 400 Swiss Francs for reparation only because he cut the cable when he sets off the grass cutter Stihl. I had always shaken my head, puzzled, how this is possible. Mr. Carnal whom Peter never met, always came, smiled and asked if my husband had cut the grass again. I nodded, gave him the proper sum and the gateway was repaired.
This year it happened spontaneously. The gateway has its age and its caprices as everyone who has to do the same thing over and over again. So, I went to our garage, finally cleaned, and took the most robust bicycle padlock and fixed the both wings of the gateway. The problem is that we have only one key, so whoever wants to leave has to take a small key from my set of small and big snap hooks and all key rings. Those key rings have been cumulating during the years and the weight of my key set has been happily growing. This is always a surprise in the airport when I throw my key set to the small basket where all metal things should be put before you go through a security detector that shows everything on the screen, including your underwear. I do not envy the airport employees at this moment when they watch belly fat, fallen breasts, rachitic chests…fortunately that the scanner does not show smells.
I have a silver key ring on my key set. It had a label “the best mum”. This title that is more important than the school graduation certificate had gone. It had unglued a while ago and I am suspicious that it did not happen by itself but rather after some argument with my children. Both the title and the label are gone. It has a mirror function now when I polish it a bit. There is also a ribbon that belonged to a key ring fabricated by girls at school for some anniversary. My friend Lucka, who is here for me anytime I need it, has offered another key ring to me. This key ring has a golden plated lame with a sign “Saint Christopher Protect us”. Lucka wished I found a cottage in the Czech Republic for return there when I will have more wrinkles on my forehead. It has pulled off. I have found such a place.
This year I added another key ring to my key set. It was not meant for me. Petr received it. It was included in one present with a sign to his 50th birthday. I know which friends gave it to him and they will let me know after reading this. I will keep their names for me.
We had a beautiful birthday party and Petr was really happy. Everything went well. We played music, sang, he climbed to seventy years old cedar in our garden where friends hid a present for Peter – a couple of bottles of wine. He went up on a rope at one jerk and gladly took the bottles in the basket down.
We were watching him from downstairs and kept the fingers crossed that he does not fall over backwards. Maybe, we were also concerned for the wine. We have prepared number of tasks in the Morse alphabet for this party. Fifty years is not for granted. Those years have to be lived and the tasks could not be easy. It was a beautiful day.
I held this key ring now. It has a sign “Forever young”. It is not only a song from Alphaville. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaAZHm52SVA Neither remix in the duet of Leos Mares and Karel Gott[2]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4k5qB5jRdQ Forever young is a wish of everyone I know whose hair turns silver at some point. Maybe I will have silver hair too one day. Peter received this key ring, which I found among other things that I had to sort out when he was gone.
I hope neither him nor friends who gave him this key ring will be upset that I held it. I will turn fifty this year too, so I hope it is ok. Well, I think that in Peter’s case it is true. While we all are fighting with everydayness, getting older and having pain in our knees, Peter will be forever young. I will always see him as he looked like in this party. Glad, happy, with us.
I will not see him getting older. I will keep this key ring in my key set. It reminds me of good moments.
Cartigny,
29.4.2020
[1] A famous Czech actor.
[2] Czech singers