Sep 13, 1942. Sunny.
I'm the happiest boy in the whole camp! My dog, Jimmy, has come all the way from Watsonville to reunite with my family here. He's my best friend!
When I have to pee at night, I'm no longer scared of the bright flashlight that follows me all the way from the barrack to the latrine, because Jimmy will be there cuddling my leg.
I wish Jimmy can go to the mess hall with us, but they don't allow him in. Yes, the mess hall is a bad bad place, but shouldn't people treat the only dog in the camp nicely?
During meal times, people are herded like cattle for meals when the bell rings. Whatever table manners that Mom taught me is just no use because only lightning-fast hands and long arms get you the food. Also, Jimmy'd probably be lost in the crowds. I know I had to eat with other families a few times because I got separated from Mom in the shifting walls of people. I've never seen so many people just like me in one place.
I also play baseball with Jimmy. Baseball is a huge thing here. People play baseball every day. Even when the adults are arguing and fighting and calling each other Inu, the kids just got to play. Nothing can stop us.
I asked Mom yesterday when can we go back home and where is Papa. She just said something that everybody says around here: Shigata ga nai (It can't be helped). When I yelled I just wanna go home, she got mad at me. She said would you rather go back to the assembly center? Oh no. The Salinas Assembly Center was even worse. The smell of horse urine was just so strong you can never get rid of it.
At least I have Jimmy now. I overheard the adults saying that Japan will win and the American government will give us back our home and land one day.
I miss home.
I'm the happiest boy in the whole camp! My dog, Jimmy, has come all the way from Watsonville to reunite with my family here. He's my best friend!
When I have to pee at night, I'm no longer scared of the bright flashlight that follows me all the way from the barrack to the latrine, because Jimmy will be there cuddling my leg.
I wish Jimmy can go to the mess hall with us, but they don't allow him in. Yes, the mess hall is a bad bad place, but shouldn't people treat the only dog in the camp nicely?
During meal times, people are herded like cattle for meals when the bell rings. Whatever table manners that Mom taught me is just no use because only lightning-fast hands and long arms get you the food. Also, Jimmy'd probably be lost in the crowds. I know I had to eat with other families a few times because I got separated from Mom in the shifting walls of people. I've never seen so many people just like me in one place.
I also play baseball with Jimmy. Baseball is a huge thing here. People play baseball every day. Even when the adults are arguing and fighting and calling each other Inu, the kids just got to play. Nothing can stop us.
I asked Mom yesterday when can we go back home and where is Papa. She just said something that everybody says around here: Shigata ga nai (It can't be helped). When I yelled I just wanna go home, she got mad at me. She said would you rather go back to the assembly center? Oh no. The Salinas Assembly Center was even worse. The smell of horse urine was just so strong you can never get rid of it.
At least I have Jimmy now. I overheard the adults saying that Japan will win and the American government will give us back our home and land one day.
I miss home.