<Begin Segment 13>

TI: Yeah, before we talk about coming back, so when he was taken away and sent to Missoula, let's talk about how your family survived during this time. So what did your mother do?

HT: Well, I guess we had a little bit savings. So my mother, there's a Eagle Laundry across the street, was owned by the church. So she worked at the laundry folding sheets and all that, to make some money. And I helped her with the church, too. But then every little bit of money, everything went to the food, 'cause we didn't have an income.

TI: And what happened to the church? Were there any services, religious services?

HT: Yes, we still had church, 'cause my mother's a minister. That was fortunate. The kekkonshiki she could perform, funeral, she did it, anything. She just took over Dad's job, but she didn't drive, of course.

TI: And how about the members of the church? Did they...

HT: They were supportive, very supportive.

TI: And how did they support the family?

MT: Well, they'd bring some food for us, and I guess they gave Mom some kind of allowance from the Buddhist church, the officers. Because some money, they made sure that we didn't starve. Well, there were other people in the same situation, but lot of people had their own businesses, so some people owned a grocery store, so they didn't have to worry about foods, you know. [Laughs] So they gave us food. That congregation was very nice to us. They treated us very nice. 'Cause we didn't have any, much luxury like buying our own clothes and all that, but food, we didn't have to worry about. Or lodging we didn't have to worry, 'cause... but the clothing...

TI: Do you recall any -- I'm sorry, you were going to say something?

MT: Yeah, I remember when I was going to school, my mother, she could sew. So she got all her clothes and converted it into shirts for me and pants to wear, you know, make me pants with that. And can you imagine how embarrassing it is to wear pants that you knew used to be a coat? Oh, god, I go to school and I was so embarrassed. Other kids go, "Look at that guy." She had one of the old overcoats, you know? Oh, geez. But I couldn't say nothing, you know. 'Cause she'd get upset if I said something. That thing we'd do if get them, hurt their own parents, my god. She's was going through, she was, I felt so bad.

TI: During this time, did you ever have a conversation with her about what she was thinking or feeling during this time?

MT: No. She didn't want to talk about anything. But one was, the meal was, the best meal I used to have is, used to open, my mother used to open up cans of Campbell's soup, vegetable soup, and she doesn't mix it with water, so it was real pasty, and she'd make some rice and put it... that's our dinner. Almost every day, same dinner. Oh, gee, we was kind of starving, you know. It was really hard. That's the time I wished I was in camp. At least you got fed, got a place to stay. But over here, we never knew what's gonna eat the next day. It was hard. But we survived.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.