Shinichi wakes up with a start in the middle of the blind darkness of the night, crying for his mother. "What happened, Shinichi?"; his mother runs towards the boy's bed and takes her arms around him, "Did you have a dream?". Shinichi gives a scared, short nod and sobs into his mother's arms.

"There, there. It was only a dream", consoles the mother, her voice shaking a little. Shinichi stops sobbing abruptly and looks into his mother's eyes; "when is father coming home?", demands he. Mother stares back at him silently for a few seconds before answering. "You know he's gone to the war. He'l…