<Begin Segment 7>

YB: Then my sister, that came after me, didn't stay too long either with Mother, poor Mother didn't have a chance to hang onto either one of the children. Because then my foster mother's niece and her husband, were married for a couple of years, no children... and (when) they saw my sister Uta, and boy, "I wished we had one like that." And Dad says... so off she went to the Hagiya family, which made us... (let's) see, Mrs. Hagiya was my foster mother's niece, her sister's daughter. And that made me her cousin through foster parents. And she was just like a big sister to me. However, then she had my little sister as her daughter, and we grew up thinking we were cousins, second cousins. And the day came when my mother was going through a cri, very critical period of where the women change, what should I say... their period of...(change, menopause).

TL: Change of life.

YB: Change of life goes through. And she was very ill, she was very frightened. She said, "If I don't live to see the day the children grow up and get married, and know that I'm their real mother... can we have now a reunion of everyone, to let them know that I am the true mother." And I was eighteen and my sister was sixteen. So we all congregated in this big farmhouse -- I think it was from here to there, that's how big the diningroom was and we had a table that big, and Mother would cook for a crew of about ten or twelve -- and we all congregated in there. And I forgot which of the family made a little talk and then, Mother wept because she was so happy to know that the children would know. My sister cried and cried, she says, "Why aren't you crying?" I said, "Because I already knew." And she says, "How come you didn't tell me?" I said, "Because you'd never believe me." She was just the opposite from me; she never took things too seriously. And so she found out at the age of sixteen that she was a foster child. But her father, Hagiya, just spoiled her, no one could be as kind as he was to her and more than a father could be. And she was always the big sister, to this day; they still look up to her as big sister. Six more came along later, three boys and three girls. And they are all very good to her. And they (also) included me as their sister and they are very good to me. So I have a real big family, in spite of being raised alone.

TL: Looking back, do you remember having any adjustment problems or... you were quite young the way you describe the first years with your foster family. So did that effect you later, perhaps, as a teenager or...?

YB: No, I didn't. Because my mother, if I ever visited her, when my firstborn was born -- and that was the only child I had whom I lost in later years, nine years old he died of cancer -- if I go from here to Santa Barbara, Santa Maria is on the way. So naturally I'm going to stop there first. Get off the bus and go in there. And Mother was so happy to see her new little grandson and wept with tears, however at the same time she said, "You know, you should be in Santa Barbara first. She is the mother that raised you and is waiting for you, and you're the only one she has." So she said, "Hurry up and get on the next bus. Go over there and visit her as long as you like. Then what time you can spare for me, be sure to stop by and then you can come and visit me." In other words, she's reminding me that I should have the foster mother as the number one whom I should remember. And remember Mother secondly. She always put herself second. So the other parents were not denied at all... of their daughter. And I did, I always went to them first and did everything (I could) for them until they died. But Mother said, "Please remember them because they're the ones that gave you everything they could as parents." And she said, "And remember me as your mother."

TL: Well, it sounds like you had really close relationships --

YB: Very close.

TL: That's really wonderful.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.