by Vincent Yee
“We need string, Minami,” said Mrs. Ito, interrupting Minami’s thoughts.
It was the excuse Minami needed. It was one of the tasks that she had continually forgotten to do.
“String. Of course! You know Mom, I have to go to the bathroom anyway, along the way I’ll check the mess hall to see if there is any string available,” offered Minami.
“Minami, you can do that tomorrow morning. I was just reminding…” responded Mrs. Ito before Minami cut her off.
“It’s okay really. I’ll be back soon,” said Minami.
Before Mrs. Ito could stop her daughter or even worry that she was going to be out alone at night, Minami had already disappeared behind the blanket partition. Mrs. Ito just stared after at her with an expression of bewilderment.
Minami exited the barrack and took in the night air. She was already late by twenty minutes and she hoped that Hiroshi waited for her. She first checked around the corner to her right. There were still people walking about, families and couples, but no Hiroshi. She bit her lip, thinking that maybe he had already left when she heard a faint whistle behind her. She spun around and saw Hiroshi peering from around the other corner. He waved over to her in a friendly gesture and she briskly walked over.
“Hi, thanks for waiting,” said Minami.
“No problem. I would have waited all night if I had to,” Hiroshi replied.
Minami smiled. That was a really nice thing for him to say she thought.
“Well, shall we be on our way?” asked Hiroshi.
“Sure,” said Minami with a smile.
Hiroshi and Minami walked along the path going away from her barrack and into the camp itself. They passed three additional blocks and then turned left to walk the length of the barracks in that block. Minami believed she was in block number twelve, but she couldn’t be sure. They arrived at the mess hall with its dim lights and turned right when Hiroshi stopped a few feet away from the corner.
Minami was puzzled, “It’s a mess hall.”
“Well it is and it isn’t,” said Hiroshi. “Be patient, give me a second.”
Hiroshi motioned to Minami to step back, which she did. Hiroshi crouched down and looked from side to side as if he were about to create some mischief. He reached underneath the building, which was built, like all the other buildings, on cement footings. He felt his way around and pulled out a wooden ladder. He positioned it at an angle against the mess hall and made sure it was steady. He then brushed his hands against one another and with an upward motion toward the ladder he said, “Ladies first.”
Minami just looked at him in disbelief. “I’m not climbing up there.”
“Oh come on, haven’t you ever climbed trees when you were a kid?”
Minami just gave Hiroshi a blank stare.
“Okay, maybe not, but I guarantee you won’t regret it.”
“This is silly. You can’t expect me to climb up there–you don’t know if it’s sturdy.”
Hiroshi then walked underneath the ladder, jumped up, and grasped one of the rungs with both of his hands. He looked at Minami and swayed back and forth and said, “Oh but it is. I’ve been volunteering my time with some carpentry duties, and this mess hall has a newly fixed roof because of me.”
Minami looked skeptical. “I’m supposed to find that reassuring coming from a farmer?”
“Hey, what can I say? I’m also very handy.”
“This is ridiculous. We’re going to get caught. I’m going to head back,” said Minami as she turned around.
Hiroshi let himself down and raced in front of her, blocking her and simply looked down at her. She looked up into his calm eyes.
“You know, we may be here for a while. We should sometimes make the best of the worst and though it’s not the greatest view, things do look quite different from the roof.”
Minami wanted to believe him, she really did. He seemed so sincere about his little rooftop view that she finally let out a sigh, and gave in. “Okay, show me the view.”
“Great,” Hiroshi said with a smile. He took hold of her hand and brought her to the ladder.
“Why don’t I go up first so that you can watch me and then I’ll pull you up when you get to the top?” asked Hiroshi.
Minami nodded as she watched Hiroshi firmly grab the sides of the ladder and climbed it effortlessly, like a cat, nimble and silent. He found his footing on the roof, crouched down and then beckoned for Minami with his hand. Minami wasn’t sure about her own climbing skills but grabbed the ladder and climbed up the ladder one rung at a time. Her own fear of heights wasn’t helping the matter any, but she stayed focused. When she reached the top, she looked up at Hiroshi, who whispered encouraging words to her during her ascent. She reached out for him with one hand when Hiroshi stepped toward her and placed his hands underneath her arms. She instinctively placed her own hands around the back of his neck and before she knew it, he hoisted her over the ladder and twirled her onto the roof to his left as she let out a faint gasp. She found her footing and less than a foot separated the two.
Hiroshi looked down and gave her a reassuring smile as he slowly led her toward the peak of the roof. Minami had noticed that he had already laid out a blanket on the roof and he motioned her to sit. She crouched down and rested on the blanket as he sat down next to her. They were about three quarters up on the gentle slope of the roof.
It was a warm night with a hint of wind swirling about, which seemed almost alive. The moon was out in its full glory as wisps of dark clouds floated by every now and then. There were also plenty of stars that glistened like jewels in the night sky. Minami started to survey her new vantage point and for as far as the eye could see, there were only rooftops. The ones closest to her were quite discernible but going further out, the rooftops just blurred together into one sea of dark tarpaper. She could make out in the distance the perimeter of the prison camp that was etched out in the desert sand with the guard towers spaced out in even intervals. The sounds were muted as if the sounds from below somehow didn’t make it past the roofline. The sounds were more natural, as if the mountains in the distance were whispering to her along with the light-crackling chorus of the desert sand.
“It’s different, right?” asked Hiroshi.
Minami turned to face him. She liked how the moonlight highlighted his features. The moonlight cascaded down his jaw line and there was a dark, translucent glow to his eyes. They were almost a navy color stirred in with some swirls of black. He had his left leg folded flat on the roof and the other leg was propped up so that he could rest his right elbow on it. He rested his chin on his right fist, and the casual way that he looked at Minami made her feel at ease. For a moment, it was just her and Hiroshi. There wasn’t anyone else. It was their own place and time. She felt like she could tell him anything without a worry in the world and she wanted him to listen to her.
“Yes, it’s different. You’re right,” replied Minami with a smile. For a moment, a chill sent cold shivers down her body.
Hiroshi responded immediately and began taking off his jacket revealing his T-shirt underneath.
“I’m okay, really,” protested Minami but she really wanted the jacket; it was getting a bit chilly for her.
Hiroshi dismissed her protests and draped the jacket over her shoulders. Minami pulled the collars toward one another and immediately felt warmer. Hiroshi continued to pat down the jacket and when he was satisfied, sat closer to her and placed his arm around her. Minami looked up at him, leaned in against him and placed her cheek on his shoulder.
“I one time forgot my tools on this roof and came back here on that night to get them. When I reached the top, I couldn’t help noticing the view and I knew that I had to bring you up here as well. It’s really quiet here at this time of night, since almost everyone should be getting ready for bed,” said Hiroshi.
Minami turned her head upwards and smiled at Hiroshi, who simply stared off into the night sky. His eyes were so focused as if they were piercing the shroud
of the night sky itself. He silently scanned it until he looked down and there was something so inviting in his eyes. “Hey, let me show you something,” he said with a smile.
“What?” Minami said in an almost girlish tone as she grinned.
He raised his right arm and pointed upward and toward a grouping of stars. Slowly he pointed out a cluster of about five stars, which Minami followed with curiosity. “That’s my dog.”
“No it’s not, they’re just stars.”
“Well it’s actually Canis Major, one of Orion’s two dogs. If you follow my finger, you can make out his head and tail.”
Minami followed his finger with deliberate curiosity and to her surprise, could make out the outline of a dog that seemed to be running away from them as if on a hunt.
“How do you know that?” asked Minami curiously.
Hiroshi turned to meet her eyes that seemed so relaxed that night. “Well, being a son of a farmer, he showed me the constellations when I was younger and it’s just something I took up. I had to go to the library to learn the Greek names. My Dad just called them the big and little dog.”
Minami giggled and then nudged Hiroshi with her shoulder, “Show me the little dog!”
Hiroshi laughed and he looked up and pointed out the smaller grouping of stars that made up Canis Minor, Orion’s other faithful canine companion. Hiroshi then went on to illuminate other starry creatures lurking in the night and Minami enjoyed his starry oration. Just listening to Hiroshi’s voice put Minami at ease and time became as timeless as the stars themselves. Hiroshi finished his oration and a silence fell between the two. Minami had moved in closer to Hiroshi, feeling his warmth. For a few moments, they both simply peered into the night sky.
“Can I ask you something Hiroshi?” Minami asked underneath her breath.
“Anything,” said Hiroshi.
Another silence passed and Minami asked, “Are you ashamed of being Japanese?”
Hiroshi looked down at Minami, her chin nuzzled into his chest, “Not at all.”
“But if we weren’t Japanese we wouldn’t be here. If we didn’t look so different and sometimes act so different, we wouldn’t be blamed for what happened at Pearl Harbor.”
“We’re not to blame for what happened at Pearl Harbor, Minami. The Japanese from Japan are to blame, not us.”
“Then why are we here? Why are we being kept here, all the Japanese in one place? If we didn’t look so Japanese, it wouldn’t have been so easy for them to find us and place us all here like cattle,” said Minami.
“Hey, we are Japanese, but we’re Japanese Americans,” replied Hiroshi.
“But aren’t the laws supposed to protect Americans? Can we really be Japanese Americans if we are not given the same rights as white people?”
“We’re here because we’re at war, and in war, men don’t think correctly. Hell, any man that decides on war can’t be in his right mind. Nothing comes of war but misery and sadness. In war, fear somehow becomes an invisible advisor and that’s why we’re here. It’s the white man’s fear of people who look different from them that makes them make dumb decisions. Look at what the white men did to the Indians who were here first. We’re here because of dumb white men who don’t know how to trust but rather feel the need to conquer and control everything instead.”
Minami wasn’t sure if everything Hiroshi said eased any of her concerns. “If you had a choice, wouldn’t you rather be white so that you didn’t have to come here?”
“No,” said Hiroshi with a stern tone. “Not at all, Minami, I’m proud to be Japanese and though I have a lot of anger right now, but I think I can still say I’m proud to be an American. They may have imprisoned a whole lot of us here but America is now fighting a war that needs to be fought. Some of the things that I’ve heard of about what that Hitler guy is doing over there in Europe are really bad and he needs to be stopped. I just don’t agree with how we Japanese Americans are being treated but I think this will all be temporary and in the end, the right thing will be done.”
“You sound so sure, Hiroshi,” said Minami with some doubt.
“Hey, look up at me,” asked Hiroshi to which Minami did. “What do you see?”
Minami wasn’t sure what he was asking but attempted an answer. “Well, I see a guy who’s a little bit older than me. He helps me with water every single morning. And he likes to bring out the stars in the night.”
Hiroshi smiled but offered, “But you also see a Japanese man right?”
“Hmmm… yes, I’m sure I see that,” said Minami playfully.
“No, I mean would you still like me if I weren’t Japanese?” asked Hiroshi.
“I guess not,” replied Minami. What he said was the truth. She did find him to be a very attractive Japanese man. There was a sense of comfort in finding someone who looked like herself and who could understand her background.
“And I don’t think I could like you if you had pale alabaster skin and eyes that were not brown like yours. I think you’re really pretty Minami, and that includes everything that is Japanese about you,” replied Hiroshi.
Minami felt flattered. It was the first time that Hiroshi ever said she was pretty. But still she had some lingering thoughts and continued, “But we wouldn’t be here if we were Japanese.”
Hiroshi looked down at Minami and for a moment hesitated. He slowly eased himself away and then unexpectedly, jumped onto the peak of the roof, with one foot planted on either side. Minami’s eyes widened as she beckoned him to come down. She looked around as if people were watching, though there were none.
Hiroshi ignored her and then pointed at the closest watchtower in front of him and simply said, “I’m Japanese American!” He then moved his finger clockwise and stopped at another watchtower and said, “I’m Japanese American!” Minami looked about nervously, picturing the spotlights in each tower turning on him and machine guns immediately shooting down the defiant Hiroshi. But nothing happened. Each tower stood tall and silent. Hiroshi hopped into the air and spun around doing a 180 and continued with his defiant statement until he hopped once more into the air and landed to fix his gaze on Minami. There was nothing but silence all about them. He stretched out his hand toward Minami and she paused. Hiroshi nodded his head reassuringly and Minami reached out for his hand. He gently pulled her up as she carefully stepped up onto the peak of the roof.
Hiroshi gently pulled her closer so that only inches separated them. He placed his arms around her waist and gently held her. Minami still clutched the collars of his jacket so it wouldn’t fall off her shoulders. He looked down at her as she looked up and he said, “Right now, it’s just the two of us. Two Japanese Americans on this rooftop who are defying America’s wish to hold us here. Minami, you are the most the beautiful woman I have ever met and simply, the most beautiful Japanese American woman I have laid eyes on.”
There was such power and sincerity in his words and Minami couldn’t help staring deeply into his eyes. It was true: This was their time and no one could take it away from them. For that one moment, they were on top of the world.
Hiroshi then leaned in and laid a gentle kiss on Minami’s soft lips. Minami wanted this. Her first kiss was romantic perfection as the moon and stars danced about them in a silent stellar choreography of applause.
T E N
The next morning was different than all others since Hiroshi arrived on the prison camp. But what really made him feel alive was that he had kissed Minami. His mind wouldn’t stop going back to the moment when he held her in his arms. He remembered looking down at her, admiring her beauty from her smooth skin, her silky hair, and her wondrous eyes. But it was her delicate pink lips that he remembered most as he kissed them. They were the softest lips he’d ever kissed, but more importantly, he kissed a woman who he started to have feelings for.
Hiroshi was headed to the water pump to meet Minami. He reflected on that first day he happened to meet Minami and how amusing it was to watch her struggle with the water pump. Bu
t there was something very attractive about her, a sense of determination and responsibility. She was all alone and ventured out in the early morning hours to find water for her family. She was like a solitary rose standing alone in a garden of ordinary flowers that was just asking to be noticed.
Hiroshi’s thoughts were distracted when he heard a familiar sound. He stopped in his tracks as his ears perked up in search of that sound. It came so quickly and dissipated that he couldn’t tell which direction it came from. Then it came again, a faint cracking sound that shot through the air. This time, he was paying attention and it came from his left. He turned in the direction of the noise and started to walk away from the pump. The noise came again and it was getting louder. He passed several barracks and emerged out of the last block approaching the fenced perimeter when the origin of the noise materialized in front of him.
Beyond the fence were several soldiers, some lined up against the fence with their backs to Hiroshi. Other soldiers were spaced apart in the desert and there was a single soldier in the middle. He stared down another soldier about sixty feet away from him. Then in a fluid motion, he lifted his leg, unfurled his throwing arm and unleashed a ball down the mound toward the batter. The batter swung and hit the ball on the tip and sent it left and upward. The soldiers were playing baseball.
Hiroshi followed the ball as it arced high into the air. For a moment he lost it in the glare of the morning sun but he knew he had to be patient. The ball then reappeared on the bottom rim of the sun and started falling back to earth. It was definitely a foul ball. Hiroshi continued to follow the ball with his eyes until finally it landed a few feet away from him with a dull thud sending up a halo of dry sand.
