<Begin Segment 11>

BY: And so then you went to junior high school?

DR: And then when I when I was in eighth grade, we moved again. My mom found a rental in Seattle on King and... Twenty-fifth and King. Do you know the Tomita family? (The dad had a big printing company on Rainier). They lived a block and a half away. So there were quite a few Nihonjin around there.

BY: And at this point, is this when your mother is cleaning houses and then she decides to go to nursing school?

DR: Actually, I think he started going to school before we... you know, I don't know.

BY: So how was it then your father has died, your mother is working really, really hard to support the family. What was it like growing up at that point then? Were you on your own a lot, or were you and your sister sort of in charge of taking care of the littler kids?

DR: No, my mother spoiled us.

BY: So she did everything then?

DR: Just about. (Actually my grandfather helped out a lot. He would throw wet newspaper on the floor and sweep up all the dust. He also cooked a lot.)

BY: And your grandfather, was he still with you all through all of this?

DR: Yeah. He passed away in, let's see, when did I graduate? '59, right after I finished high school.

BY: And so what was his role in the family?

DR: Well, he used to sweep a lot. And back when people that he didn't like, he didn't think was appropriate, when they would come to the house, he'd kind of sweep 'em out, so to speak. I mean, we always joke about that. He was just a support. And he cooked a lot, his gohan was the best. Your dad would have really liked his gohan. [Laughs] He'd start it in the morning, he'd soak it all day. He was a real interesting character; he couldn't speak English. So...

BY: So you would speak to him in Japanese then?

DR: Most of the time, us kids wouldn't talk to him, except I did. I don't know why I did, and I remember so much of my Japanese from early childhood. I don't know why, why that happened. My other siblings, they can't speak a word.

BY: Were you his favorite?

DR: I think so. No, really, because when he was in the hospital, I think he had stomach cancer. Every day after school I used to stop and visit with him. And when he passed away, he left me a gift, but he didn't leave anybody else a gift, so I think I was his favorite.

TI: And what was the gift?

DR: It was an Elgin watch.

BY: Wow.

DR: It was a nice, a very nice watch at the time.

<End Segment 11> - Copyright © 2022 Densho. All Rights Reserved.