16. SLEEPING PROBLEMS

 The evenings became awkward. Their whole live they had spent the night together standing in a circle, and suddenly it seemed strange. Now that they live in a house they no longer needed each other for safety. And it was no longer necessary for warmth. They delayed going to sleep for as long as possible until they nearly collapsed from fatigue. Then the widow said irritably , "I don't know what you are doing but I'm going to sleep. Will someone come? And not to close to me, I'm warm enough already."
Serious thought: "I will discuss that with the ASC lady when she comes tomorrow ".

 The next day the lady came on the scooter and they drank  a nice cup of tea. Adolescent showed his new mitten and little one his new toy. Then serious spoke about their sleeping problem.
"What do you want then?" asked the lady a bit abrupt .
"We don't want to go to bed as early as the widow," the bachelors said.
"We would rather be together with little one," the young couple said.
"I want privacy and to sleep in," said the adolescent.
"I have nowhere to put my backpack and I don't want to take it off," said serious.
The leader said, “I want an important place. The others are too close ”.
And the assistant agreed and wanted that too.
"I will discuss that with the team ," said the lady from the ASC.

 A few days later the lady came rushing back .
“We have a solution. You all get individual sleeping cabins.
We have  spoken to a sociologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist and an interior architect, and a great concept came up. We took your background, dynamics and wishes into account when designing the
cabins . ”

The penguins did not understand, but because the lady was so enthusiastic, they were too . They laughed and flapped their wings , still not knowing were to be happy for.

Today the individual sleeping cabins are coming. The lady had said that she needed strong porters, so the bachelors and the adolescent were ready to help.

But what was that?
 So big and so heavy. And what that was? They had no idea. Melvin, the man from the seventies house and the lady from the ASC were lugging and sweating. The penguins wanted to help, but they just couldn’t.

When they had put it against the walls the penguins understood what it was. They nudged each other and started to laugh. "That's nice!" they cried.
"You all can come," the lady said. And they came. They flew up the stairs.
There were all happy shouts . "Wait for me" the widow shouted. She was not so fast and was afraid that there would be no cabin for her.

"I made a  plan," the lady said, she pointed out everyone’s  sleeping place.
And everyone agreed.
They were all very satisfied in their individual sleeping cabin.

"Now you can take your backpack off serious," said the leader. "Well uh, no, I'll keep it on for a while" said serious and blushed

When all the penguins were happy in their cabins, the lady, Melvin and the man from the 70's house walked down the stairs.

 Melvin said, “Gee, it wasn't that bad. They didn't even have a comment . Even the widow and the leader were satisfied.
The lady said confidently, "Oh well, it depends on how you bring it. You just have to properly assess the intellectual perception of refugees. A matter of great empathic ability ”.
Melvin and the man from the 70's house looked at each other and shrugged. "Never mind" they both thought.

 Everyone was satisfied and that was good.

Finally it was evening and the penguins could go to their cabins. Wonderful!

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15. PRESENT PART-2

 Everyone likes to go to de Lauwerkrans, but the little one likes it the best.
He always gets a treat from the grandmothers.
He knows he must not disturb the members playing bridge.
But the best thing is the workshop. All kinds of broken and new things are made there. And there is a train track. Grandpa runs the train in front of him, that's great.

He can sit on the table because he has learned that he is not allowed to touch anything. That moving train, he can't get enough of it.

But now he is sitting on the stairs and is a bit bored. Everyone is away or busy.
"I have nothing to do here at all," he thinks, feeling a little sorry for himself.

"Hello little one" is said, "are you there?"
Little one looks up. Hey, there comes Grandpa on his mobility scooter .

What does he have in his basket?
A present, just like adolescent got. Wow!
In the blink of an eye, he sits on grandpa’s  mobility scooter and immediately starts to unpack.
“I made something for you to play with".

       

At first little one did not know what it was. It is so big. Grandpa had to show it, it is a toy penguin with flapping feet. And although it is actually still too big for the little one, he is very happy with it. And thus……..

Grandpa also got a kiss.
To everyone who came home little one showed his new toy. The adolescent thought it was “wow”, the bachelors said “cool” and the widow said “nice”. 

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14. PRESENT PART 1

 The first days in Het Dierenhuis were fantastic!Wonderfully relaxed and cheerful. Everyone was a lot outside exploring. They became welcome visitors to de Lauwerkrans, went to the 70's house and also to het Kanthuisje.
And if there were any problems, they just looked for a solution. For example: de Lauwerkrans had many members. Madam so and so, mister so and so, the penguins just couldn't remember all those names . Until adolescent said, “I call all the ladies Grandma and all the men Grandpa. And of course Melvin ”. Problem solved.
Everything had to be investigated and tried. Especially the bachelors, the adolescent and the little one enjoyed this free life. And they deserved it because they had had a really hard time. The little one got naughty and spoiled by everyone.

The bachelor slips off the handrail and the little one stands on the banister. The young couple is still watching anxiously, but they soon see that the little one can do it.
The little one and the adolescent do tricks.

The bachelors' favorite chill spot.

The Little one even climbs into the leader's jacket. All the way up. Everyone holds their breath but…. the leader laughs and approves.
Then he also wants to climb into the assistant's jacket. But that coat is made of shiny yarn. Way too slippery to climb in.

  

 

"Yoo hoe, yoo hoe" suddenly sounds from outside.

  "Hey, that's grandma," says the adolescent who was playing with the little one. He quickly scrambles to his feet.

 

"I brought you a present," Grandma says. The little one sees it and thinks: "I would like that too". Adolescent quickly opens the package and finds a knitted grey mitten.

Grandma says, "maybe it's not quite the right colour, but it was the only grey colour I had." Actually, the colour does not match at all, but adolescent does not dare to say that. He wonders if he is happy with this mitten. But it fits very well.

"Thank you Grandma," he exclaims. Because that's polite to say. "I'm very happy with it".
And he wants to give Grandma a kiss.
Now grandma has to bend very far forward.
She almost falls, luckily she has her stick.
She will still have back pain for a few days but she does not mind.
A kiss!
She secretly wipes away a tear.

 

 

13 . THE OPENING

 And then the big day came. All penguins were washed clean and well in time at de Dierenhuis
It was already crowded. Everyone on the street was invited. They saw the club members of senior daycentre De Lauwerkrans, the young couple with their baby from the 1970s house and also the lady of het Kanthuisje. They had not met her yet.
They never went to het Kanthuisje. It was such an elegant place with all the beautiful laces. Very distinguished customers came in expensive cars to the shop. But the lady from the lace shop was really nice.
And so they were all waiting for what was to come.

The house was beautifully decorated, but the wait was very long. Fortunately, Melvin, the administrator of de Lauwerkrans, had set up chairs for the oldies.
The dachshund from the 70s house and the little one entertained everyone.
They ran after each other and between people. Everyone laughed at them. Until ... ... they finally heard the scooter of the lady of the ASC.

There she was. She had a kind of confused story about why she was so late, which no one understood.

 After a speech that fortunately did not last very long, she declared Het Dierenhuis open and the penguins were finally allowed to view their new home.
"Let's go and have a look," said the lady. "Follow me."

"I smell fish" cried the adolescent who was suddenly completely distracted. And the other penguins also wanted to go straight to that nice fishy smell. They had not eaten fish for so long. But no, that was not allowed. "We will first look at the house," said the lady, "that fish will come soon."  That was hard.

They thought it was a beautiful room. A nice smooth floor that you could slide on. Fun! And beautiful wallpaper in the colour of the South Pole. Also nice.
And meanwhile they were right above that wonderful fishy smell. It made them restless. Could they already leave?
"Joehoe, we are also coming to see", they heard from the stairs. More people came to see their house. Now of course they could not go to the fish for the time being.

The lady from the lace shop, Melvin of de Lauwerkrans and the young couple from the seventies house came up the stairs. It is a beautiful house, but very empty, they thought. But they didn't say that. Because the penguins came from a completely different culture and they might have wanted it that way.

 "Beware, the little one is almost falling," said the lady.

And then it got really pleasant. The penguins immediately flew to the fish and soon they had eaten everything. Luckily, a lady had brought de Lauwerkrans serving rollator with tasty wine and chocolates and biscuits. A real good party!

 A woman asked to the adolescent why he wore only 1 mitten. Adolescent told the story of his grandmother and the mitten he had lost in the sand. She was very sorry for him . Fortunately, she had a sticky candy in her bag. Adolescent accepted the candy and thanked politely. But he didn't put it in his mouth. She would not notice it, he thought, much too old.

"Why do you always wear that backpack," asked a lady. The serious penguin blushed and stuttered a bit: “I'm so used to that. Actually I dare not take it off because I will feel completely naked. ”

And so they all had something to chat. The widow went to an old gentleman from the Lauwerkrans. She thought he looked a little sad and wanted to cheer him up.
But the man was so startled that he almost slipped from his chair. He was not used to refugees.

And then the party was over. Everyone went home. The little flags were removed and the food cleared away.
The penguins noticed how tired they actually were.
They walked to their room and, out of habit, gathered together. That's how they always slept. Like at the South Pole. That way they protected each other and kept each other warm.

                                                       Good night.

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11. HET DIERENHUIS – The Animal house

"This is my story," said the lady. “So I am from the ASC and I think you are eligible for a home. It is not yet certain, I have to discuss it first with my team. But I will work hard for you. We have a meeting tomorrow. Then I will be back here in the late afternoon to report on the meeting. ” And she got on her scooter and drove away.

" Wooooow” the adolescent said with a deep sigh.
Meanwhile it was getting dark and the penguins were tired of the stories and the excitement. "Sleeping time," the widow cried. Even the adolescent did not argue.

The next day was a weird day. Everyone was restless and the little one cried a lot.
Finally it was noon and they heard the rumble of the scooter in the distance. Now they were no longer afraid. They ran to the path so they could see her coming.

There came the tough welfare worker. But what has she brought with her now? On the back is a large roll of paper and under her feet she has large orange plastic patches.
The penguins look at her in surprise.

 "Hi, here I am again" she shouts cheerfully as she takes the plastic sheeting off the scooter and puts it on the ground. She takes the paper roll from the luggage carrier and takes it to the house. “I have very good news. You may be the first residents in Het Dierenhuis. Fantastic huh ”and so she rattled on. "Aren't you happy?" she asked in surprise when she finally noticed the penguins staring at her in amazement.
"What is het Dierenhuis?" the adolescent asked

"Oh yes, I took this drawing with me." She spread the drawing on the floor and everyone stood around it. “This house is currently being built and is almost finished. Everything has yet to be painted and decorated. That will take about 14 days and then you will be the first residents to live here.

 That was fantastic news. "I want a room to myself," the adolescent said.
"We want a room on the ground floor," the bachelors said. "I am the leader, so I can choose first," said the leader. "No, no," said the lady  shocked, you will all get 1 room. And that room is at the top right. ”
That was a downer. “But then you are much better off than you are now. And you do not have to pay rent and we will take care of a large part of the interior. "Do I get a big stove for cooking?" asked the widow. "Do we get a scooter?" the bachelors asked eagerly.
"No" said the lady annoying. “I did bring plastic sheeting for you. For when it gets cold or starts to rain. Next week I will come by to discuss everything concerning the move”. And she went to the scooter and drove away. The penguins were dazed.

 "She is angry," said the adolescent, "and she is so beautiful." "You shouldn't have asked for a scooter," the leader said angrily. "We didn't even make her tea," said the widow. "We were not thankful," said the young couple, "we are all to blame." "We are refugees," the serious penguin said. That actually dawned on them. They had never thought about that.

 When the lady returned the following week, the atmosphere was very different. The penguins had used the orange patches to make a shelter, a windshield and a play area for the little one. The widow had baked cookies, the young couple had taught the little one a verse and the adolescent gave her a freshly picked rose.
The lady was very happy and said that their room in Het Dierenhuis was making great progress.They will be the first residents to move in next week.
The mayor will hand them the key.
The penguins clearly showed that they were very happy and grateful.
And when the lady asked if there were any special wishes, no one could think of anything. And really, the penguins are looking forward to it. They are fed up with wandering. Their journey has ended here .

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12 . MEANWHILE AT THE HOUSE

 Het Dierenhuis ( the animal house) is located in a nice street with special houses. The house had been empty for a long time because no destination could be found. And so the ASC was able to buy it for a reasonable price. But it needed a lot of updating.

 Next to the Dierenhuis is a senior daycentre called De Lauwerkrans ( The Laurels wreath)
Seniors come to chat, drink, play bridge, do needle crafts and it houses a great craft club. It is a very nice and comfortable venue. The renovation of the Dierenhuis is closely monitored by the members and is the talk of the day!

And when the members of the club heard that they were also invited to the opening, they immediately started making plans. Flags had to be made and good food and drink. "And fireworks and a drum band," someone suggested. But fireworks were too expensive and a drum band made too much noise. "Because", explained the lady from the ASC, “This is a vulnerable group of refugees. They have had a long journey and experienced a lot. We must give them peace and privacy. ”

 However, the seniors did not let themselves be taken aback and arranged a meeting to give their neighbours a nice welcome.
The craft club was going to make flags and the cooking club would provide the snacks.

 They wanted to make cakes and canapes  until someone said, "But penguins eat fish, don't they?"
" Yuck , that's true," said another.
So there was no other option than to prepare fish. 

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10. THE LADY OF THE ASC

The bachelors and the serious penguin took turns telling about their journey. They had walked a long way until they reached a village. Because they were tired and hungry they entered a cafe. Because of the backpack the villagers understood that they were strangers and found that interesting. They asked a lot of questions. A bit annoying though, the bachelors thought. And when the bachelors  wanted to tell jokes or ask if there was something exciting to do here, serious always brought the conversation back to their search for a home.

 "You should talk to the lady from the ASC ” the villagers said. And of course seriously asked "what is the ASC?" The Animal Shelter Centre was the answer. We will take you there,
In a procession it went to the lady of the ASC. The bachelors were fed up. They had  imagined a nice evening in the pub. Never again would they go with serious.

 The Lady from the ASC seemed to be all right. She was actually quite nice, despite her crazy clothes and red hair. She wanted to know everything about the group and also where they came from and why they had left there homes. She was very sorry for them and that was nice. She wanted to come with them and meet the rest of the group. The penguins were shocked. "That is a very long walk," they said to frighten her. "We are not going to walk, come on," the lady said, and they went to the scooter.

 And that was the most fantastic journey they had ever taken. One bachelor looked  scared and so the lady allowed him to stand in front of her. That was a safe spot. The bachelor at the back had pressed his beak hard into the ladies neck. The serious penguin stood loose on the back and made no fuss.

 What an adventure that was. 

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9 . EXPLORING

They stayed at this place for several days, but then everyone started to get restless again. The little one had grown a bit bigger and stronger. He bravely tried to take big steps and then fell over his own feet. Everyone laughed. Even the serious penguin laughed. Suddenly everyone became silent because they had never heard him laugh before. He even rarely smiled.
Life was so good with a little one around.

Still, something had to be done.
They went to the leader and asked what the plan was"The plan?" said the leader, hesitating and looking very questionable.
"We're just going to start off," he said firmly. “Everyone get ready”.
"Where are we actually going," the adolescent asked.
"Well, uh, I think, uh, what if we went north?"
"But where to," the adolescent asked again.
The group became very quiet. Everyone had wondered where they were actually heading, but no one had dared to ask the question.
"Do you have an address or a zip code?" asked the adolescent, "we'll find it."
"We can also stay here," said the young couple. We like it here.
But then again, they were the only ones with a roof over their heads.

"We are going to explore," the bachelors said.
 They were ready for some adventure.                                                                  
"Will you come with us, adolescent," they asked.
"I'd rather stay with the little one," the adolescent said.
"Then I'll come along," said the serious penguin . The bachelors looked at each other.
They had not counted on that. But they couldn't get out of it either. So they set out.

They stayed away for a long time.
The leader and his assistant were whispering about whether to leave the next morning. It was getting colder and they really needed better shelter.

 Meanwhile, the group began to recall the house in the forest. How comfortable it had been and how nice they could swim there. Could they go back there? But no, that was not an option because then they had to go through the desert again. "That is much too hard for the little one," said the widow. And she thought: "and for me too".

 The leader was just about to tell them that they were leaving the next day when there was a deafening noise. The little one started to cry and the others were startled. What was that? They all fled into the young couple's house.

Than they heard familiar voices.  “Hi, it's us. Do not be afraid"
What did they see?

The penguins were on a scooter with a strange lady. They drove an extra round to be cool.Wow, the adolescent was so terribly sorry that he hadn't come. What an adventure they had! And that lady, she was so beautiful!

 When the excitement was over, the leader said, "Welcome madame, let's all sit down. Would you like a cup of tea?" And for the second time, the serious penguin had to give up his teapot.
They all sat down and drank tea. Of course the lady had to see the little one. "What a sweetheart," she said, "what's his name?". They hadn't thought about that. "His name is little one," said the adolescent, and everyone looked a little embarrassed. Would the lady think that is a crazy name? But she said, "what an original name. Nice".
The bachelors did not participate in drinking tea. They sat on the scooter as if it was their property.

 Then the leader said, "now I would like to hear the story"

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8 . THE EGG HATCHES

 The miracle was about to happen. The widow, who suddenly was not tired anymore, pushed everyone aside and said:  "I have already raised so many eggs, I will see that everything is going well". You all have to take a step back.

The little penguin first sought protection between his father's legs and then between his mother's legs.

But the widow was strict again: “We now allow the young couple and the little one to rest for a long time and so we all go to sleep.
Tomorrow there's another day.

And who  were the first to wake up the next morning? The bachelors and the adolescent.
They went quietly to the little penguin , but he was still sleeping. And his father and mother too.
The three of them sat quietly on the floor and watched the little penguin with fascination.
They dared not to move or speak, for fear that the little one would wake up.
How adorabel he was!