<Begin Segment 24>

[Translated from Japanese]

TY: You lived in Salt Lake City for five years, didn't you?

AT: Huh? Oh, yeah. For five years.

TY: Why didn't you go back to Seattle right after the war?

AT: Huh?

TY: After the war, you remained in Salt Lake for another one or two years.

AT: Yeah, we stayed there.

TY: Why not right after? Why didn't you return?

AT: No, it wasn't convenient for our children's schooling.

TY: Oh, yes. It was right before graduating from high school...

AT: Yes, grammar school. We had to consider such circumstances. Terao had quit work before he came. He said that he could play around anywhere. And, there was a man called Mr. Hama. The grade school friend was running a dye work in Salt Laki. He was an easy-going, and he lived there, not being married. At my house, my husband often told me to invite him for dinner, so I invited him for dinner. Then, our children's, then, we had children. He said, "Hey, Fusako. You look shabby in a skirt like that. Go take it off." He washed it right away and cleaned it. Back then, the skirt with tucks was in fashion. So, he made the tucks neatly and pressed the skirt. He made neat tucks, and said, "Here, Fusako. Put this on." "Ojisan, thank you." And, when my boy's pants were missing some parts, he said, "New pants, if you have other ones, go buy new pants." "No, Ojisan. These are still fine." "No, they are not fine. A young fellow like you shouldn't look shabby." Then, children were happy and took other pants, and then, they put on the pants they had taken off. So, Mr. Hama was a cleaner, so he kept us looking neatly. He wasn't married. At our house... He and Terao were grade school friends and used to hang out together, they were neighbors. They went to school together. So, they were eating meals together. Then, that made him happy. "Mr. Hama, why don't you get married?" "Oh, there was someone I was going to marry to, but if I had married such a prodigal, I wouldn't have been able to feed myself." He said, "It is easier to stay alone." So, he missed the timing after all. He was a good person, though. He didn't charge us for cleaning at all, not even a penny. Our children were happy. Boys were always wearing pants like this to the bottom. They did so. And, even us. He called me Madam. He said, "Madam. Don't wear a skirt like that. Take it off." If I said, "No, this is fine," then, he said, "No, you look shabby." So, I had him wash it. Back then, the skirts with tucks were in fashion. Tucks were in like this in all the skirts. We kept them neat. Then, when I went to worship at the temple, my friends would say, "Mrs. Terao. You are keeping the tucks neat. What did you do?" "Well, Mr. Hama told me this and that, so I had him clean it." [Laughs] When I said it, they said, "How lucky." "Good to know such a person." We were doing like that. Finally, we lived there for two or three years. We were there for five years. We lived there for five years.

TY: The pleated skirts at that time... See, you mentioned that you learned sewing at the girls' school, and also went to a sewing class later on. You sewed the jacket that you are wearing today.

AT: This? I sewed it by myself.

TY: Then, did you make pants and skirts back then, I mean, your children's pants and skirts, too?

AT: Yes. I made them all. So, I bought a sewing machine over there. When I said that I wanted to buy a sewing machine... the man downstairs was a tailor. He had his own sewing machine. He told me to use it downstairs, then I could watch the store at the same time. He was married at one time, but it didn't work out. After that, he didn't get married and remained single. He said, "You can just use the sewing machine here, can't you?" So, I said, "That's true. I guess I can use your sewing machine. Instead, the pocket is, the pants, this pocket is what, it's ripped," then he said, "Oh, can you just sew it up then?" I said, "All right," and sewed it up. Then, that made those who put their clothes in the cleaning happy. They said, "Oh, my pants, I thought it was ripped, but you put a cloth and mended it." Like that, it was like learning after all. His business was going well. He was running a cleaning shop.

<End Segment 24> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.