<Begin Segment 39>

DG: Tell me some more about taking care of your husband.

MH: Well, hospital, Japanese doctors who is taking care of the patients. Nurses some of the missionary volunteered and came to see the Japanese, but doctor order the medicine. My husband quite ill and she didn't give us. And then I complained to the doctor and then doctor asked the nurse. Nurse said we're sticking money. He going to die anyway. That's the attitude. So really everything hard.

DG: So then what happened to your husband?

MH: Gradually weak and then died. Can't help it.

DG: That was a difficult time for you.

MH: Uh-huh.

DG: So tell me a little bit, you mentioned that you had your children to take care of.

MH: But still I had parents. That helped me a lot. Especially my father is a minister, but I really wanted to die that time... myself. I thought parents could taking care of my children, but...

DG: What did you do?

MH: Is it all right to tell?

DG: Uh-huh.

MH: That my husband said, "Please, if I, I'm glad to go myself, not you. I'm the one going earlier than you are." So I said, "No. I'm going to die with you. I don't want to stay by myself." And then he said, "Please take care of the children," and I said, "No." I'm quite a yancha, and a young, too, thirty-two. So I, "No." And then he passed away and the children nighttime start crying and why, all three children got up. What's happen? "There is a man, somebody, standing at the wall." That's happen weeks, so, and then cry, "Who is it?" Nobody there. But the children say, "Yes. Someone is standing." I'm scared to death. Especially Kumi. So I thought, "Husband, I will take care of the children. Don't worry." And then that's all that happened, but the children don't remember at all.

DG: And so the spirit...

MH: Spirit. That's why have a spirit. And then another girl, Japanese girl, mother passed away. And then a young father want to marry again so going around with one girl and -- married? Might be married. And then mother and daughter can't get along and then daughter wants to suicide so went to pond. Camp had a pond.

DG: Pond?

MH: Uh-huh. A big one. More like a small lake. And then she wanted to die, but she said, "Mother comes out and then open hand and said, 'Don't go this way. Don't come this way.' So I couldn't die. I went to lake or pond or three, four days and I couldn't die." So that's what she came to me and crying. I wonder what happened to her.

DG: This was then at that time that you were mourning also.

MH: Uh-huh. That's why I believe that there is a spirit. If they wanted to...

DG: So when did your husband die?

MH: '44. 1944, August 26. August. And then '44 -- he was I thought imagination, but he said, "I'm second son, but my name is Shiro, Kyushiro." Four is, you know, Japanese say death. So this is four past then I will live. That's what he was saying, but 1944. See, August is -- anyway, four months, four days and he died. Forty-four years, four months, and four days.

DG: So now what you look back now to that time, how do you feel that you were able to overcome?

MH: Now I'm quite different. I live and then I raise the children and then I did. I'm not a perfect mother probably, but my husband -- to meet my husband, I said that, "Please, if I'm not a good mother, then please forgive me." But I did best I can do.

DG: And you went on.

MH: [Nods]

<End Segment 39> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.