<Begin Segment 7>

DG: So, did you get kozukai at that time from your father?

MM: I remember Fourth of July he used to give us a quarter and that was a big deal.

DG: So what did you use your quarter for?

MM: She naturally went to the theater. The movie house. I think I was -- I think I -- as I grew older, I didn't care too much for movies. So I didn't go, but the rest of them went.

DG: But you learn to save, too...

MM: Yeah. And then in the school savings. Every, once a month, every first Tuesday or something like that, you know, they have a bank book and then you take your money and the school bank, well, Washington Mutual used to take care of that. And you save money and you get interest on it so you see your money grow.

DG: So do you remember how much you saved at all?

MM: I don't even know how much.

AM: I don't know what I ever did with that money.

MM: I thought fify dollars was big money. [Laughs] But we never withdrew, we just left it in there and as you...

DG: You didn't take it out later?

MM: I didn't take it out. I still have an account with Washington Mutual. I don't know if they still...

AM: I don't know why...

MM: I don't use the same account now, but we still have an account there.

DG: You should check it. [Laughs]

MM: No, I'm sure we took it out. It can't be. We might have something. Can't remember, but...

DG: Tell me a little bit about your mother. And you were telling me about how she taught honesty.

MM: Oh, yeah. She used to say, ano we used to go visit friends desho, and she says, "When you come home don't bring anything from their house." You don't, you're not supposed to bring back. And then sometimes they'll, ame, you know, one ame, and so they bring (it home and) -- Mama says, "I must see what you get." So we come home and we show Mama (...) and then ask her to, "Mama, cut it in four pieces." She said that was kind of hard. But to share equally. Those things you don't forget. It was important that, "Whenever you get anything from anyone, please tell me." My mother said that.

DG: Did your mother and father treat your brother any different?

MM: Well, we were kids, I don't notice it. But tokubetsu kawaigatte moratteru kane, Kay?

AM: Special attention? No.

MM: They were just, just...

AM: Natural.

MM: Same as ever.

AM: Of course, maybe we got scolded if (we) did something wrong.

DG: Like what?

MM: What did you do?

AM: I don't know. I think I was (in) all kind of (...) mischief.

MM: We didn't do anything bad. We knew that we'd get scolding if we did something wrong. But Halloween time nanka de, those paper lanterns with pumpkin with a candle in it. And we didn't go trick-or-treating because we didn't know anything about that. We just wanted to march around the, ano, area where all the kids are living, you know, dakara... Two blocks wo kuru-kuru aruite then, ne, that's about all. There's paper lanterns and they had candles in it, but that'd be awfully dangerous now.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.