<Begin Segment 17>

BN: So you did return.

JK: We returned and he ran the store.

BN: Did you live actually there in the store?

JK: No. We lived separately all the while.

BN: And then you have a job waiting for you back at UH.

JK: Yeah. But we ate dinner there every night.

BN: "There" being where?

JK: My mother-in-law cooked dinner every night for us.

BN: At their house.

JK: Yeah. I think she knew that I didn't know how to cook. [Laughs]

BN: Looking out for her son.

JK: Yeah. But she fed us throughout the time that he went to school.

BN: You were working too.

JK: I was working at UH, yeah. Very lucky all around.

BN: So did you go back to the exact same job?

JK: To what?

BN: Did you go back to exactly the same job?

JK: (Yes). And so when they told me the job was waiting, I said, "But I turned in my resignation," and Barbara Clark told me, "The resignation paper is right (here) in my drawer." Never turned it in. So I guess they worked out the leave of absence.

BN: Was it something you really enjoyed?

JK: I enjoyed the job. It was constant interaction with people, and I enjoy people. It was a stimulating time, too, because at first it was all these veterans that I was dealing with. And they had these experiences that I couldn't imagine. So we had some very serious conversations. I remember... did you go to that show over the weekend at the academy?

BN: No, I didn't.

JK: Okay. Takejiro Higa is featured. And in one clip, his brother Warren Higa, who was very active in student government -- there are two Warren Higas -- this is not the one that's active in (the) Okinawa society. But he told me -- and I'll never forget that -- he went to war, came back, and he said, "You know, Jane, I used to be ashamed of the fact that I'm an Okinawan." He said, "After I went to Okinawa and saw their culture and interacted with their people, I'm so proud to be Okinawan." And I'll never forget that, because it was at a time when Okinawans were still discriminated against in our community. He said, "I'm very proud." So I've had, I've been lucky. I've had interesting experiences in my life. So I used to tell my mother, "'Sachiko' means 'fortunate child,' and you named me very appropriately." My brother used to say, "Jane, when you have difficulties, right at the time that it's most difficult, something good happens to you." He says, "Me, it continues to be not so good." [Laughs] He always used to say that to me. So I don't know. Just born under the lucky stars. So I tell him, "7/7, July 7th."

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.