That day, the gentleman, who had been far away on business, came for his first visit in a long time. He was a lively friend of my father's. My father's eyes grew thin, as if dazzled by light, and he seemed at a loss for words. I felt like I was going to be sick, so I clung to my father, who patted my head. The gentleman laughed.

"I've been waiting for you to come home. I'll leave the kid to you," my father said, and then he collapsed to bits, leaving only his skeleton.

... my father had probably died months before. Probably, he was worried about me, so he'd stayed at my side until his trusted best friend arrived. Now that I'd understood everything that happened, I couldn't stop my tears.