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136 JOANNA RUOCCO I wonder if my brother has no hope. Sitting beside me on the hill with his hands by his sides, he looks as though he has no hope. The man who sold our father’s father the forge had no hope after he lost his family to a common disease. Our father’s father bought the forge. Our father’s father had hope. He built our house behind the forge, where the man had buried his family. He built our house right on top of the man’s deceased family. He had our father. Right away, he knew that our father would surpass him as blacksmith. Our father also had hope. He had my brother. Right away, he knew that my brother would surpass him as blacksmith. Our father had hope until the end, when he lay down on the floor of the forge. He had lost his name but he continued to work in the forge with his son. He knew that his son would work hard until he earned back his name. 16 137 THE LEAST BLACKSMITH My brother tells me he will work even harder so that he can buy the forge from the bank. He will earn back our father’s name. The sun is setting. In the house, there is only enough food for my brother. I do not mind. I am not hungry. I do not tell my brother that the doctor came to see him and made me his patient . It is better my brother does not know the doctor came. My brother has no interest in the doctor. The doctor is not a customer. The doctor never brings his tools to the forge for repair . He travels by ship to conferences where he purchases new tools. He brings only paper to the forge. My brother does not have time to think about the doctor. While my brother looks through my father’s ledgers I feel between the bed mat and the frame for my clipping of our father’s obituary. I crumple it into my pocket. I place the doctor’s clipping between the bed mat and the frame, flattening it carefully so it does not tear. I only need one clipping of our father’s obituary. I prefer that I have the doctor’s clipping. I will put my old clipping on the coals on the hearth. ...

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