<Begin Segment 20>

DG: Let's talk about your own family, in camp. Tell me about how your parents handled camp and how you were as a family.

MM: Of course, they wanted to...

AM: Nani?

MM: Of course, they wanted to get out of camp.

AM: Every time we had a chance to go out of camp, we did. To go to the candy store or to pick up a few a cigarettes for some people that wanted cigarettes.

MM: We don't smoke, but then they said, "Cigarettes katte kite chodai. And then we'd sneak the rounds and get what we can for them.

AM: And give them...

DG: So, you went to town on your days off?

MM: Twin Falls.

AM: And they shopped around to, for some friends who might be hungry, cigarettes, or things like that.

DG: Were there any other social events in camp?

MM: Not very many stores, ne? There was a restaurant called No Delay?

AM: That was the No Delay Cafe.

MM: Yeah, there was a No Delay Cafe. But was not spectacular.

AM: But it wasn't, but very small.

MM: But was nice... just to get away.

AM: Not too many candy stores.

MM: Kress, ka, Woolworth's, kane? Were there.

DG: So did your family participate in any of the social events in camp?

MM: Uh, my father would have stuck... ne? Papa didn't -- he was always reading.

DG: Did he have a job?

MM: No.

DG: Your mother?

MM: No. No.

DG: Your brother?

MM: Yeah. What, what did he do? Oh, he was -- he's top woodworker at school -- and then a bunch of boys decided they want to go to Salt Lake. Never farmed in their life. And then he said, boy, was it erai. [Laughs]

DG: So he went with them and left camp.

MM: Yeah, he left with the boys and then he came back. (...) what I'll never forget is -- my birthday -- he was gone when my birthday was here, but he came home and, with his hard-earned money he bought me a little, small, gold, gold heart with a little tiny diamond in the center. And I said, "Oh, my gosh, he did all that hard work for it and then he bought this for me?" I thought, oh gee, kansha shitayone. That he would think about it. I thought he could have forgotten it. But he remembered.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.