Tattoos as a protective shield

Day 19: Yesterday I promised to tell you about Edith, Patje and Hermann. We met the three of them at the weekly market in Guardamar, which was a must for us - I think you know why...

After about two hours of fighting through the fray - I'll bet that no player at the Super Bowl had more physical contact than I did during that time - Icke had mercy on me and allowed me a short break - probably only because she knows that my Cortado is not a cappuccino and only promises a five minute delay. Maximum. But this time my girlfriend misjudged.

A woman and two men sat at the table next to us, attracting the attention of the 50 or so guests surrounding them. The reason: One of the men was tattooed from top to bottom. Including the face and the entire head. The many onlookers probably felt the same way as we did: up to this point, neither Icke nor I had seen a person with every square centimeter of skin - at least of the skin that was visible - covered with colored tattoos.

I asked Icke to somehow take a photo of the man, which she did. But we didn't have a good feeling about it. Secretly, hidden, without asking - that somehow wasn't okay. We decided to ask him for a photo. He gave us his hand and introduced himself as Patje. He was very happy, as was his wife Edith and her brother Hermann, who immediately started talking to Icke.

The three are Belgian, with Hermann, who runs a transport company, living in Guardamar since December. Edith and her husband are visiting, also because the sun is good for Patje. “He is terminally ill,” the woman told me quietly. That is also the reason for the many tattoos. “They are his protective shield,” says Edith, “a wall through which no one can see the real Patje, how he is doing, what he is thinking, how he is feeling.” This is very important for him in his situation.

We only talked for ten minutes, exchanging addresses. Even though there probably won't be a reunion, we won't forget Patje and his Edith. Not just because of the tattoos, but also because of her deeply friendly, approachable nature, her open eyes. And because of the unbridled joy that they radiated, this carefree joy in life, which is all the more impressive when you know about the difficult fate that these people have to bear.