<Begin Segment 20>

LH: Going back to your siblings in Tule Lake, when did they decide to leave and -- sort of date, month and year? And also, how did your mother react to that?

FF: Mom didn't feel like she had any control over that. But I think she knew for somehow the, the betterment for the family that they would make it out on their own, so to speak. Actually, there's no worry for her then. That's the way I felt when I talked to the, my sisters and brothers later. And they didn't look at it that way; they just wanted to get away from that camp scenario. And they left about in '43. No, no, I take it back. About '44 -- mostly between late '43 and early '44 -- I think they left for Chicago. And I think it was okay, I really felt... although there was sort of a gap of loneliness as I gathered because, you know, I'm no companion for Mom, and Dad was in another camp. But I think for Mom to fend for herself -- you know, she made friends to play hana and know the cooks at the mess hall to get to bring home extra rice if there's some left and to have some snack late at night kind of situation. She was noted for that, and I appreciated that. Her kindness really went a long way. She made good friends, and I think that's what probably held her together in some respect.

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