bed time story

When we moved into our house in Ghent (now more than 10 years ago) the house wasn't finished at all. We shared it with five to ten painters, electricians (does that word exist?), carpenters and whatever else. I missed my friends, and so I enjoyed their company. Especially the carpenters were very nice. They were two brothers, working together in a family firm. They always had a chat with me when we met. It seemed to me that they enjoyed their work and did their job with much care and love.

When i started violin making, sometimes i thought of them. I imagined it would make them happy to know that someone (anyone) had discovered how nice it is to work with wood. I decided to tell them, if i would meet one of them again. But i didn't.

Until today...
I was working at school, making the sides of my very first violin, when Angelo (class mate) guided someone into the workshop. It was Lieven, the eldest brother. His daughter plays the violin, and he decided to study violinmaking to make a nice instrument for her. He's in his second year now, and finishing his first violin. Angelo tells me it's a very nice instrument... and i don't have any doubts.


This made me feel so very happy. The more i think about it, the more it sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale. All day i have been imagining how it will end...