Japan Story Friends

The bungalow at No. 11 The Bluff was situated on a steep hill with a lane, I cannot call it a driveway because no one had cars, leading down to two houses.  

The other house was inhabited by an American lady with a little dog.  She had a strong  Southern accent, and could be heard calling her little dog,

"Come, Ray-aaaags!  Come Ray-aggggs!"

There were no neighborhood children.  My friends were either from school or from the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club we belonged to, children of my parent's friends.   Most of my social life was what we would call  today 'play dates'.

I remember going to Linda Jackson's house.  We were sent to 'play' in the bedroom, so Linda and I were pretending to be wiggling worms on the bed.  I wiggled a bit too rambunctiously and Linda went over the side and onto the floor.  I looked at her.  She was rolling her eyes.  Then she began to howl!  Her mother came rushing in, picked up her sobbing child. 

And sent me home!

I had other friends.  Diana Lucy Fox, Irene and Betty Robertson who came to Vancouver with us in 1940, and others whose names I do not recall.

One day, when in the company of my father, some terrible tragedy occurred and little Valerie was crying inconsolably. He tried to cheer me up.

"Who is your BEST friend?" he asked, expecting me to say, 

"My daddy."

He recalled later that I stopped crying immediately, thought for a moment and said, 

"Linda Jackson!"