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Page 30 With the lights on, I pulled my disappointing brother to the altar room. There was no one there. [Did you open the light?] [No, I cant reach the switch] [Right...] Looking about, there was an incense lit on the altar. The ashes hasn't even fallen yet. [How did this...?] The deceased father was fond of recollecting local folktales. While still small, she heard the stories very often. Among those, there was a story about the dead meeting their immediate family, and it was told countless time. Usually they come back to ask for something or tell them something. She deemed those stories as foolish, since these came from the mouth of her father. [Did you say anything to brother?] [No, he was way over there. At the alter.] The younger brother must have been dreaming. But there was something that made this uneasy. By chance she called the office and they said that his current location is unknown. She thought about asking her uncle, but she couldn't explain what happened here, and she doesn't know his current department. Even the address on the New Years card sent during the previous years came back. Page 31 At that time, there was no mistake that brother came to visit. There's no way that he would not return home. There was no way that uncle had any resentment. After father passed away, and mother being confined to the hospital due to illness, it was uncle who introduced brother to that company. The money that brother remitted every month was significant that we thought of it as nothing. It if weren't for the uncle's recommendation, he wouldn't be receiving such a high salary. However, uncle himself said it. If only it were a different job. What was brother doing. No, there is no point on thinking about that. Even that last part did not make sense. During that night, if only Noriko got up, she might have heard something. (Why didn't you wait. Even though brother won't be coming back.) When Noriko woke up, she crossed the room, and ascertained that the key on the window is lock. She took off her glasses and placed it on the table. Then, planted herself on the bed, covered with futon and placed her face on the pillow. The sound of crying could not be heard. When she woke up it was already morning. She took out a mirror from her bag and checked if it looks like she'd been crying. Just then her Aunt came calling.