<Begin Segment 37>

MH: And then... no toys, so, boys collecting the snake, and play with it. It's a hebi, those...

DG: Live one?

MH: Yeah. They are in a box. One dentist's wife killed a big, six feet long, big hebi snakes. And then later, cut the snake and scraped the inside, and then dried, and take to the, San Francisco. And she said she made a purse, shoes and belt. So big, huge snake.

[Interruption]

MH: The husband didn't like the snake, so one day he came back home and the huge box in front of the house. So he opens and snake was in it. I heard he almost fainted. Those all kind of people there and then out of snake, take the some of, they said that medicine and then some capsule they mean. And then gave me and said that, "You are going to be stronger," because I was sick. Take care of my husband was sick and then I was quite weak. So they make the medicine. That's what they said, but I take only one pill. Oh, became so sick.

DG: So you took care of your husband.

MH: Uh-huh.

DG: Was he sick from the time you went to Amache?

MH: No. One day, Amache sometime changed temperature right away. The morning -- he is anyway from Los Angeles so we don't have any winter clothes. And then one morning, 75 degree. So he wore that white pants, white shirt, and then walked to the hospital. Take about half an hour to walk to the hospital and it changed temperature right away. And then when he went there at hospital was 4 degrees below zero, I heard.

DG: By the time he came back?

MH: No, went to hospital. Reach the hospital and then he became so sick. Almost dead that time. After that, he wasn't good at all.

DG: So he went to the hospital because he was still working as a dentist?

MH: Yes, at hospital, dental.

DG: So did he go, was he going every day?

MH: Yes. Usually he goes other dentist together, but that particular day he was alone walking. So I don't know what happened.

DG: And then, so did he come home that night?

MH: Uh-huh. He came home, but a few days later, he hospitalized. So ever since, sick.

DG: And so how long was he sick?

MH: I don't remember, but that same time, my father broken wrist bone, and was in the hospital. And then my husband went to the hospital.

DG: So your father was in Amache with you at that time?

MH: That time came back to Amache.

DG: Okay.

MH: Finally they thought my mother will die. So weak. So they don't want people die at internment camp.

DG: Oh, at Crystal City.

MH: So return.

DG: Okay.

MH: But she was getting better.

<End Segment 37> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.