<Begin Segment 9>

BN: So the time that you were in the jungle, you didn't know what has happened?

SI: No, no.

SI: When come to Ishikawa and father come to visit us.

BN: So you were surprised.

SI: Oh, long time, six months already, that time when we see the father.

BN: So your whole family...

SI: Together already, the time.

BN: ...survived.

SI: But the place is small, so my father went back to his place. And after that, I don't know how long was in this Ishikawa. After how long was over here? And after that, they sent to us the own place. But those days, our house, home is all burned, we don't have a house already. Get our own place, but no more houses. So went to, they sent to us one place, same group, different house to different house, we're trying to live there. But village is all our sonjin, same group. But cannot live together, only one house, so all divided, which house is go to, but everybody share each other one house. How many families in one house? Maybe ten families.

BN: So very crowded. When you were at Ishikawa, was the battle still going on, or was the battle over or was still going on someplace else?

SI: No, it was a small... finish already.

BN: War was over.

SI: Yeah, over. After finish, Ishikawa, after that, they sent to us our, trying own village, but no more house, so the one place, we got to stay, one place.

BN: So where did they send you?

SI: Ishikawa to the... we stayed middle of Okinawa, south and middle and north side, they sent to us north side.

Off camera: Back to your village?

SI: Yeah, but we don't have the house, burned, so mostly we stayed... it wasn't stayed not too long.

BN: But you stayed in another village or nearby?

SI: A different, nearby. Not own village but nearby the own, yes. Called same, they called it same Kanegusuku, all the same group, but different village.

BN: And you stayed together with the same group that you escaped with?

SI: Yeah. We stayed the same house as my other aunties, them all... yeah, all share, share kind.

BN: Was your village then rebuilt at some point?

SI: I don't know how long was there, but anyway, come to the own village, but we don't have the house. But we have no more house, but some... Monoki, this one small kind... just put on top of the tent, and have enough to... my auntie's family was getting together with them, come to the place, but so small. We don't have the houses, so we have to make 'em together, everybody crowded to sleep in there. Just like Monoki kind, I was...

BN: How long did that go on?

SI: Not too long. No more even one month. And my auntie, them go trying to go own place, the temporary kind of houses, make 'em, everybody... those days, uncle, them all come home, so everybody help each other, so they went their own place. And my place, the temporary kind of house, they make 'em.

BN: Were you able to start going back to school?

SI: No. After that, how long takes to go back to school? Oh, the time I have to go, I have the note came from, my pass, so I have to go Itoman High School. So how many miles I go walk to there? Everybody... anyway, school is no more table, no more chairs, you have to sitting down, and typhoon come, the building is so weak so knock 'em down. We have to carry the grass, you know, the tall grass, cut 'em the mountain, we have to put back, my back, go walk to the... how many miles? Go to the [inaudible]. Go to the high school, Itoman, walk to carry the grass. Because make 'em build the own school. Because those days no more chair, no more table.

BN: So you had to build your own.

SI: Yeah, build own. [Laughs] Those days, country people, everybody having to carry the grass go to there.

Off camera: The sand, the dirt?

SI: Dirt, yeah. They said we're gonna use it. Because no more notebook.

BN: And then when did you... was your family eventually able to build a new house?

SI: That time when I go to the school time, temporary, we want to come back to the own house, but the house not coming yet. Only make own temporary kind. And after that, make 'em, only temporary, got to make 'em good, big, use the tents.

Off camera: Nannen gurai?

SI: No, not nen, only a couple of months.

Off camera: And then you built your new house.

SI: Yeah, only a couple of months.

BN: It was like a tent or something?

SI: Yes.

BN: Now was it on the same, in the same place as the old house?

SI: Yeah, the same house.

BN: So the same area.

SI: Uh-huh. Because get water, everything get our own place.

BN: Was the family able to start farming again?

SI: First thing they go do the farmwork. [Laughs]

BN: So you were able to start growing your own food and so on. How were things different after the war, then, from before? What were the main things that had changed? Or did it go back to being a lot like it was?

SI: Oh, beginning was all, same way, too. After that, all come back to the, wasn't change, but beginning you have to be the, the farm is all same way to do 'em.

BN: I mean, did pretty much everyone from the village come back, or did some people not come back?

SI: Most of them, they come back, but some make their own, build a house, try to make own house, because all the houses are, everybody all burned it, you know, no more houses. How long takes? Because make 'em, the house was important, so no more, even six months, they started own house, the build.

BN: And recovered fairly quickly.

SI: Yeah, quickly. But only thing, at the time, we got to wait for the, look for the carpenter. [Laughs]

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.