~~~~
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&&..&&&..& ............ \ \ ............ &..&&.&..&
..&.&..&.& \, ,\ &&.&.&&&.&
&.&&&&.&&& ~,, ,,~ &.&&&&..&&
.&&...&&.. ~~~~ .&&...&.&.
.&.&..&.&. .&.&..&&&&
&&&&&.&&&& The River That'S Our River Makes A .&&&&.&...
&....&&... Large Bend Like A Scooping Hand And A .&...&&&..
&&...&.&.. Decent Days Travel North From That &&&..&..&.
&.&..&&&&. Stands Our House In The Middle Of A &..&.&&.&&
.&&&.&...& Forgotten Apple Orchard. Our House Is &&.&&&.&&.
.&..&&&..& Built Of Dark Clay And Abandoned By A &.&&..&&.&
&&&.&..&.& Stranger. The Window Has No Glass But .&&.&.&.&&
...&&&.&&& Instead Steel Bars To Keep The Animals .&.&&&&&&.
...&..&&.. Out. &&&&.....&
&..&&.&.&. ....&....&
.&.&.&&&&& Around The House Is A Thick, Thick ....&&...&
&&&&&&.... Brush Of Ferns And Bushes. There Live &...&.&..&
......&... The Animals That We Fight To Keep Away, .&..&&&&.&
&.....&&.. For They Speak To Us To Join Them In &&&.&...&&
.&....&.&. The Luscious Caves Below Ground. They &..&&&..&.
.&&...&&&& Mean No Harm But It Is Not In Our Best &&.&..&.&&
&&.&..&... Interest To Do So. There Is Important &.&&&.&&&.
&.&&&.&&.. Work That Needs To Be Done, And It Cant &&&..&&..&
.&&..&&.&. Be Done By Animals. (Father Says This.) ...&.&.&.&
&&.&.&.&&& ...&&&&&&&
..&&&&&&.. Every Morning Our Father Clears The ...&......
..&.....&. Ferns And Uproots The Bushes Only For &..&&.....
..&&....&& Them To Grow Back Each Night. Their .&.&.&....
..&.&...&. Leaves Are Teal, White And Yellow, Some .&&&&&&...
..&&&&..&& Even The Color Of Wine. They Have Lilac .&.....&..
..&...&.&. Flowers And In The Morning They Are Wet &&&....&&.
..&&..&&&& With Dew. ...&...&.&
&.&.&.&... ...&&..&&&
.&&&&&&&.. Father Is Away During The Day Doing ...&.&.&..
.&......&. Important Things Elsewhere. He Is Weary ...&&&&&&.
.&&.....&& When He Returns Home, Each Day More So &..&.....&
&&.&....&. Than The Next. We Learn To Cook For Him .&.&&....&
..&&&...&& So That He Does Not Have To. We Tend To .&&&.&...&
&.&..&..&. His Clothes. .&..&&&..&
.&&&.&&.&& .&&.&..&.&
&&..&&.&&. Suddenly The Dense Bushwork Is Mirrored &&.&&&.&&&
..&.&.&&.& Inside. Stems And Leaves Appear Close ..&&..&&..
..&&&&&.&& To The Walls And Far From The Light. We ..&.&.&.&.
..&....&&. Are Glad, For The Flowers Are Beautiful &.&&&&&&&&
&.&&...&.& And Smell Good, And There Is Little &&&.......
&&&.&..&&& Decoration In Our House. But When &..&......
&..&&&.&.. Father Comes Home He Is Angry And Cuts &&.&&.....
&&.&..&&&. Them All Down In A Frenzy. We Are &.&&.&....
&.&&&.&..& Scared Of Him Then. &&&.&&&...
&&&..&&&.& ...&&..&..
&..&.&..&& We Are Then Tasked With Removing Any &..&.&.&&.
&&.&&&&.&. Indoor Plant We See. But They Are So .&.&&&&&.&
..&&...&&& Beautiful! We Wait Just Until Father &&&&....&&
&.&.&..&.. Comes Home And Until Then We Enjoy ....&...&.
&&&&&&.&&. Them. Sometimes An Animal Will Sneak In &...&&..&&
......&&.& But We Always Shoo Them Out. With Fresh &&..&.&.&.
......&.&& Cut Flowers Thrown Right Outside The ..&.&&&&&&
&.....&&&. House He Suspects And Resents Our &.&&&.....
&&....&..& Inaction. But He Doesn'T Have The &&&..&....
&.&...&&.& Energy To Scold Us. He Weakens Quickly. ...&.&&...
&&&&..&.&& It Is Not Long Before He Is Still Tired ...&&&.&..
&...&.&&&. Even In The Morning And Must ...&..&&&.
&&..&&&..& Reluctantly Leave The Outdoor Weed &..&&.&..&
..&.&..&.& Cutting To Us As Well, Untrusting That &&.&.&&&.&
&.&&&&.&&& We Will Carry It Out. &.&&&&..&&
.&&...&&.. .&&...&.&.
.&.&..&.&. Now He Leaves As Soon As He'S Awake And .&.&..&&&&
&&&&&.&&&& Falls Asleep As Soon As He Returns. We .&&&&.&...
&....&&... Are Left To Care For Us And The House .&...&&&..
&&...&.&.. And The Orchard. But It Is Hard And We &&&..&..&.
&.&..&&&&. Are Distracted. We Are Not As &..&.&&.&&
.&&&.&...& Persistent As Father And Quickly Fall &&.&&&.&&.
.&..&&&..& Behind In Our Duties. &.&&..&&.&
&&&.&..&.& .&&.&.&.&&
...&&&.&&& .&.&&&&&&.
...&..&&.. &&&&.....&
&..&&.&.&. ....&....&
.&.&.&&&&& ....&&...&