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       From a certain time: I began to observe with displeasure: that the children were secretly 
amused by my feeble-mindedness.   What they understood from two words and one gesture - they had
to explain to me in long sentences laboriously - where it was enough for them to change the tone
of the pronoun     - I needed "a descriptive essay with an illustrative culmination and colorful
pictorial appendix"     - as Ema once expressed herself: when she explained to me why they don't
discuss their thought processes with me so often anymore. 
       "But we love you to the moon and back." :She added: kissing my cheek. 
       In those days: they slowly took over all my tasks and responsibilities      - Villiam and
Daniela were in charge of the kitchen and greenhouses          - Rainer and Leonard took care of
upbringing and education:   and Ema with Valeria supervised the ship's processes and ensured the
necessary maintenance.
       Suddenly I was retired.
       I was able to devote myself to my hobbies again: and I started going on long walks to the
greenhouses:  where I drew and photographed plants and animals: I made up short fables and poems
about them and admired the whole resplendent ecosystem.
       One happy afternoon: when:  after Daniela's excellent lunch: I was lying in a waking coma
on the bed: staring absently at the ceiling - the lamp came to my mind:   and in a few minutes I
was walking along the long ivy corridor of the Hydron  - and with Alia - who was already waiting
for me there - of course.  :For years: I pushed the thought of her into my subconscious:     and
avoided all things: which might remind me of her     - but the mighty lamp immediately found her
there: shining: in the depths of my dream memory: and with her most beautiful aching smile.
        After a few days of happy flying with her all magical forms:        I had to land again:
because Tiger got lost   - he raised his anchors for a while as all cats sometimes do - but this
time he did not return to port.
        We thoroughly searched all his favorite places:    then all the places he ever appeared:
and finally every available place on the ship.  In the fuel section: we found the untouched bowl
of milk from Emma's last visit and this filled me with some strange conviction:    that we would
never see our Tiger again   - he went with his red brother to the local: yet empty: realm of the
dead - so that - they could welcome and accompany the future arrivals together.  
        When I said it out loud: the boys looked heroic: and mocked the grieving girls:    but I
could see: they were also deeply touched.            Even though: they all looked like fresh and
enthusiastic graduates of the galactic flight academy:      in their chests the small children's
hearts were still beating: and this was their first real cold contact with death    - and so: in
addition to being loved: I was once again needed and firm and experienced: their only "Dad"    -
which was nice and I decided: that I would not go into seclusion completely:   and force them to
slow down from time to time: and write some pictorial essays.