THE SECRET

The grand piano was dangling in the air and its silhouette was drawn like a burned chopstick against the snowy mountaintops.
In between the black-lacquered wood and the cables that were holding the instrument in its grip, a grey blanket was shoved in.
The yellow crane was towering above the house like a stiff giant and started slowly to lower its burden.
Just above the balcony, the piano was kept floating and moved softly to and fro.
The cables made a light creaking sound, the electric lifting equipment made a humming noise and the sun was burning.
Down in the shadow of the houses, the undercarriage of the crane filled up the full width of the sloping street.
A square crossbeam was wedged against the rear-wheels.
When the piano was hanging completely still the people started talking again, children and dogs ran around, sturdy women put down their baskets filled with vegetables and craned their necks.
There were three movers.
One was operating the crane and the other two went into the house with the heavy legs of the grand piano tucked under their arms.
The porch was kept open.

When one of the men returned to get the shoe for the grand, the sidewalk was crowded with children.
The doors of the balcony flew open and suddenly the second man was standing in between the blue flowers.
He looked out over slated roofs, rolling meadows, over terraces bordered with grey stones; here and there he saw a skinny cow, down the valley he saw the small silver line of the river.
‘I am going down,’ said the operator.

The man with the shoe came onto the balcony: arms wide the men stood waiting, they were reaching high to get hold of the grand and slowly were letting it descend on the shoe.
The crane pulled up its arm with the heavy hook, leaving the piano behind on the balcony like an unmanageable load.
From the inside someone pushed open the balcony doors even further.
White curtains were flapping outside in the draft.
The men in their cornflower blue coats were bending over on two sides of the instrument and over two parallel planks of wood they pushed it unsteadily inside.
Downstairs the children cheered.

.(First chapter of the novel “Het Geheim .” By Anna Enquist published De Arbeiders pers Amsterdam) This translation was made by Catelijne Benner, there are however English translations available of books by Anna Enquist

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