Perhaps it is fitting that today I write about my eighth birthday, celebrated very quietly in Vancouver with some friends, Irene and Betty Robinson. Mrs. Robinson and her two girls, and Mrs. Wilde and Valerie had sailed on the Hiye Maru in March of 1941 to leave our comfortable life in Japan forever. My mother was not sure she would ever see my father again. Passage was almost impossible from Japan, and, in the tradition of 'women and children first we were lucky to find a place on the last ship to leave for Canada. We were allowed 50 pounds of luggage each. Everything else was left behind. I brought my doll, Setseko San, which I have to this day. On my birthday my father was still marooned in Japan. He wrote a letter with a special poem for the occasion. He was, besides being very musical, a poet!
The captain of the Hiye Maru was a kind man, and even though we were 'the enemy ' , he made us little gaijin children feel welcome. There was a sort of day care room provided with a young woman supervisor for all the English speaking children in first class. We decided to have a talent show to raise money for some good cause. There was a box in the passageway for donations. There were two children who did a skit called Knick and Knack. There was a boy, I think, who played the piano. Then there was an original play, written a few months before, by Valerie Wilde herself as presented in the program. Not knowing it was traditional to say 'Himself,' or 'Herself' in the program, I was a bit annoyed. Why not just, 'by Valerie Wilde'? Yes, we had programs! They were printed along with the daily menus, and distributed to all the audience in the fist class lounge who attended our production. The Captain had ordered two Japanese flags to serve as curtains. My play was, in retrospect, rather lame. It was called "A Night at the Ball" and was a little girl's dream of getting dressed up in a long gown and dancing the night away. I was the star, in a long gown, but I don't remember much else except we spoke our lines, and bowed to the wildly applauding audience at the end. The event was a success, judging by the overflowing donation box.
The Hiye Maru now lies at the bottom of the sea just off Truck Island. It became a troop carrier and was sunk by the Allies.
I'm now caught up reading your blog....I love the Japan stories. I kind of remembering you talking about Japanese princesses in the summer and how people were not allowed to cast a shadow or was it be in their shadows... do you have a memory about the princesses, is this enough to set the record straight?
ReplyDeleteVery hot weather here. Hottest July since 1931. Next 20 days are expected to be at least 92 degrees or hotter. Last few days have been over 100.
Todd got selected as a juror, then as jury foreman. The gentleman was convicted. Our area did a sting on those who solicit for sexual crimes with children. I'm glad that the children involved were fictional. Todd said it was pretty sick the list of things he wanted to do.
Todd was able to work with the robotics kids this morning and the students go back to school on the 15th. With this heat, it's hard to believe that school is just around the corner.