The lighthouse lamp went dark during my last shift

Dear Delyara, I have maintained the same lighthouse for thirty-eight years. Tonight was my final shift before automation takes over. Near midnight, the lamp failed. The new system should have switched to backup power, but it did not. For nine minutes, the coast was dark. I climbed the stairs faster than my knees allow, opened the housing, and restarted the old generator by hand. When the beam returned, it crossed the black water exactly as it has thousands of nights before. The control center called and said the outage had already been logged. The technician reminded me the automated unit would be repaired tomorrow. He did not understand that this was the last time darkness would require my body. My wife died six years ago and used to complain that the lighthouse received more of my nights than she did. She was right. I told myself the work kept people safe, and it did. It also gave me a reason to remain alone after she was gone. At sunrise, I locked the door and handed over the keys. The lamp continued turning without me. I stood outside until daylight made it unnecessary, then walked home toward a house where no light is waiting to tell me I am still needed.