The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw

Author:Kathleen Burkinshaw
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Published: 2016-07-12T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“NO MATTER WHAT SORT OF AIR RAID COMES, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WILL BE SAFE.”

Neighborhood Association poster

I tossed and turned all night. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Aunt Kimiko telling me about Nishimoto-san, followed by my teacher’s voice saying, ‘That is not right.’ Sunlight peeked under the blackout curtains. I decided I might as well get up and have breakfast. I sat up and remembered that we didn’t have school today. And the Shintenchi movie theater would be showing a movie here in our house for our neighborhood this afternoon. Maybe that would take my mind off this whole mess. Plus, Machiko would be here and I had to tell her what I’d just learned.

I dressed and went into the kitchen for breakfast. Fumi-san had the radio’s “Home War Hour” show on. It was later in the morning than I had thought, since the radio program ended at 10:30 a.m.

“That is our program for March 9, 1945. We end this hour with the winning slogan from NHK Radio’s monthly slogan contest: without a strong, stable family there can be no victory.” I couldn’t help but think if that was truly the case, then Japan was doomed, given my family.

“Ohayo Yuriko-chan.” Fumi-san shut off the radio and brought me some miso soup.

“Ohayo, Fumi-san.”

“Today is the big movie day. The movie theater employees are here now. They brought in this large white screen into the dining room. Wait until you see it! All the doors had to be slid open to make one enormous room. Your papa’s generosity to people by bringing the movies to your house so the entire neighborhood can see and enjoy it is unmatched. Especially during the war, since spending money at a theater is certainly not a luxury most families can afford.”

Her enthusiasm brightened my mood a little. “Yes, it should be fun to watch a movie right here at home, with our neighbors.”

Papa planned to show a Three Stooges movie. The Three Stooges were American actors and the movie was about three brothers who were not very smart, who tended to be very mean to each other, and who loved to poke each other in the eyes. I didn’t find them that funny, but Papa loved their movies and laughed all the way through them. Tears filled his eyes and his broad shoulders shook up and down. I enjoyed seeing him so happy, so I grew to be fond of the silly movies, too.

I finished my soup and brought the bowl to the sink. “Thank you Fumi-san. I am going to get my seat in the dining room.” I left the kitchen just as our neighbors were arriving. The front rooms looked so large with all the shoji doors pushed aside, but as the people kept coming in I began to wonder if we would all fit.

Machiko arrived with her little brothers shortly before we started the movie. I sat in the front row between Machiko and Papa. I had never seen so many people in our room.

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