The vehicle stopped in front of an old place. The woman in the black dress went out and stood on the bricked pathway, holding an urn containing the remains of her aunt. Those swollen eyes roamed at the surroundings, her arms tightly embracing the urn like how she depended her life on her aunt for years. The neighborhood was still familiar to her as it had been a year since her last visit. The sound of a hammer hitting a sinking nail, the trees were swaying with the familiar wind. The raging machines of the tractors could be heard from the nearby farm. The aromatic smell of those apple pies from the nearby bakery. Those barking dogs wouldn’t shut up until they saw their owner serving food on their plates. A group of middle-aged women laughing hilariously as they were engaged in spicy gossip. And, just beside where she was standing, the clinking bottles of liquor were heard as the alcoholic neighbor trashed those in the bin.

The big old summer house in front of her was full of memories, the ones she cherished the most. It was owned by her late aunt, Taeyeon. Its deep-blue roof sparkled as the sun was scorching above. The grasses were quite high along the pathway, but she still could see those colorful buds, her aunt’s favorite plants, still blooming. Those crawling vines almost covered the windows and tangled with the blinds. A rocking chair was seen on the porch. She remembered how her aunt would always sit on that chair just to let her neighbors know that someone was still living there. The house was abandoned for two weeks after her aunt’s death. 

The woman suddenly looked for her phone inside her car. She dialed a number and waited for someone to answer.

“Hello. This is Yongsun. Hello? Can you hear me?” She said, the line was a bit inconsistent that she barely heard a voice.

“Yes. I’m in front of my aunt’s house now. Can you please give me the keys?” Suddenly, a couple went out of their house on the opposite street. Two women shyly waved at her, gesturing they got the keys. Yongsun walked a crossed the street and greeted the couple.

“Hi, I’m Byulyi. My wife, Hyejin.” Byulyi, Taeyeon’s neighbor for years, introduced herself and her wife who was six-month pregnant. The two were in their humble clothes but Yongsun could sense their wealth by just looking at the house in front of her.

“Would you like some cup of tea? There are things inside that we need to turn over. We keep those since the estate attorney told us that someone might break your aunt’s house.” Hyejin said. The couple let her enter the house and showed those valuable things left in Taeyeon’s home after the police officers found her laid on the carpet, lifeless.

“The police officers gathered these things, but we didn’t check what’s inside. They said, they collected all those important documents and some gadgets according to its labels. I’m sure this is yours and your aunt.” Byulyi pulled those two large boxes in front of them. Yongsun saw those familiar boxes with their names written on their cover.

“Wait, there’s another one here, but it is labeled as puppy.” Hyejin said, she could see how Yongsun’s lips formed a little smile. The couple told Yongsun about what happened to her aunt according to the investigation last two weeks. They were engaged in a deep conversation that morning until early afternoon.

Yongsun finally went inside her aunt’s house, pushing those three large boxes at the corner.

“Yongsun, just call us if you need help.” Hyejin said and smiled. Yongsun just nodded and expressed her gratitude towards the couple and bid goodbye. There, she finally understood what her aunt would always tell her that the house made her feel empty whenever she was alone. Yongsun felt the emptiness knowing that her aunt would always greet her upon her arrival after a long trip when she was young. The deafening silence was killing her inside. Tears suddenly escaped from her eyes.

The older summer house had a white layered wooden-wall interior and medieval displays were everywhere. The purple sofa, her aunt’s favorite, was settled in the corner and still in a cover, and those brown scrolls decorated on the wooden wall. It was too dark inside because of the blinds and the crawling vines block the sunlight from outside, and when she finally turned the lights on, memories started playing in her mind upon seeing the familiar surroundings.

Since she was finally inside, she also remembered her aunt asking her what she would do upon entering her house. It was time to do the chores.

Yongsun took a few steps forward and slid her foot sideways to check the floor. The surface of the floor had a thin sheet of dust. She could hear the voice of her aunt in her mind. Yongsun remembered a memory of her aunt when she was young, telling her that she must learn to do house chores instead of bumming all day. The house was too silent that she could only hear her footsteps as her shoes knocked the floor.

The woman started removing those thick clouds of dust on the surfaces of the covers of each appliance and everything in the house. Upon removing every cover, those memories buried deep down were being uncovered. Something near the door to the kitchen was still covered. Yongsun went in front of it and was hesitating to uncover but she did. Upon uncovering the wooden chair, particles of dust spiraled in the air could be seen reflecting on the strong beam of sunlight through the windows.

Chair. Yongsun saw the written label on the paper that was glued on the chair. She remembered a memory, a girl used to sit on that chair while waiting for her aunt to finish cooking their meals.

Are you an angel? Yongsun heard the voice in her mind, it reminded her of when the girl asked her if she was an angel during their first meeting. She shuddered upon feeling a sudden chilly sensation.

Yongsun proceeded to the kitchen and removed all those leftovers inside the fridge, she also checked the stove if it was still working. Yongsun pulled out those glasswares from the cabinet and gently landed all of them on the sink. She started cleaning and sterilized all of it. She wiped the surface of the dining table and the three chairs. Yongsun hung those fallen air plants back on the hanging pots. Every time she told herself not to look at the wooden chair, her foolish eyes would even focus for several minutes on it, remembering tons of memories.

Yongsun, what’s the color of your eyes? Yongsun couldn’t stop her mind from hearing the voice. It was even echoing, making her a little crazy. She went outside and took her paper bag full of groceries and her stuff. The woman went in again, but she stopped when she saw her reflection in the mirror. The black dr