"No. I think she's very sick. She wrote the letter twenty days ago and I haven't heard from her since. It makes me very uneasy."

     Suddenly, a boy sitting next to us said, "Aiya! Letter? You have a letter? Yesterday when I went to fetch my letter I saw that there was a letter for you."

     "Oh, really? I'll go get it for you. You wait here." Without even finishing his meal, Tanaka ran out.

     I was worried. I got up and went to the front door to wait for Tanaka. A little while later, Tanaka returned, out of breath. Thinking of the letter in his hand, I ran up to him and grabbed it. The return address was my uncle's, not my mother's. My heart skipped.

     I opened the letter quickly. Ah. My mother was really dead. She had killed herself two weeks ago. My eyes blurred over, and I felt dizzy, as if I was about to fall down. Tanaka quickly supported me and helped me over to the corner of the restaurant where I could lean against the wall. Tears ran down both my cheeks. I couldn't stop crying, and I couldn't wipe the tears away.

     "My beloved sone, my only hope: for me to continue in this life would be extremely painful for me, and besides it would be a burden for you. I am only a burden to you; I can't help you at all. Without me, you will have nothing to woory about and you will be able to push yourself forward more easily.

     My last and only desire is for you to work hard, for you to try to help your fellow villagers who have fallen into the edges of hell. Save them. I cannot explain the miserable situation these villagers have fallen into. After you left for Tokyo, many people killed themselves by jumping into the pond. Some people hung themselves. Your uncle A-Tiam, his wife and their children all killed themselves in a fire.

     I hope that after you succeed, you will return home to rescue your fellow villagers who are struggling. I do not want you to come home full of pride when you succeed. When we were in the midst of trouble, others came to help us, despite their own difficulties. They've done many things for us, and you should also think of them, not only of yourself. I am afraid that you will rush home when you hear that I am dead. If you do so, you will only be wasting your money on an unworthy cause. I have asked your uncle t withhold the news from you for a while. Take care of yourself."