criticism

That afternoon, shortly before I had to rest, I had a lovely visit from four young children. A neighbor girl and boy, aged seven, and two sisters, aged seven and nine, who were visiting the neighbor boy.

Just before that, when I had drunk some water from the kitchen tap and looked out through the large kitchen window, I had seen a group of children waving at me from behind the fence at the back of our deep garden, in the chicken garden, where no chickens of ours have been walking for years, but our neighbors’ chickens have, so they can keep the weeds nice and short.

When I waved back, they came over to me. They neatly closed the gate of the chicken garden behind them and after crossing the back lawn, they also neatly closed the gate to the front lawn behind them. Then they walked across that grass and over the asphalt patio toward me at the back door. I could hear the neighbor girl and boy bragging from afar about how beautifully I could draw. They all asked busily at once if they could come and have a look. Of course! If they took of their dirty boots and shoes first.

It became very cozy. The children were …