Return to Japan

My mother a Japanese woman married to my father an American, his father half irish/german english american. My fathers mother was scottish/french/italian and recently discovered to be descended from Pocohontas and her first husband a native Chief. However that is another story. This is my ethnic background. I found moving to America a challenge and an adventure. My mannerism was of a wildcat and demure in appearance. I was waifish looking with dark wavy brown hair that fell well below my shoulders. My eyes were brown and sparkling with curiosity.
Everyone said I was a little chatterbox and that is a quality that I have kept throughout my life.
My father had lived in japan for six years and he wasn't in the military when he met my mother. After he served his stint in the army, he became a government contractor and that is when he met my mother. After many years in Japan my father felt it was time to go home to the U.S.A. He booked us on a naval ship headed to the San Francisco port, U.S.A.
My first memory as a child was clear but almost like a dream. On route my mother became terribly seasick and my sister Kathy at five was worried about our mother. However, Kathy never wanted adventure and she didn't have a curious nature and that was my opportunity to runaway. I was only three and I wanted to run all over the ship because I was adventurous and leaned toward dangerous curiousity. When my mother realized I was gone, she yelled for my father, but to no avail because he had frolicked with the G.I.s the night before and bunked with them. She realized it and took Kathy to his room but he was fast asleep, my mother yelled even louder.

"Oh no Fred, where is Helen! Kathy, do you see your sister Helen!" My mother said in Japanese.

Her panic quickly ended her seasickness.

"We will find her dear, please don't worry and don't think the worst please!" My father tried to calm her down as he yawned his reply.

My parents hunted for me to no avail and my mother panicked thinking I had gone overboard. A service worker led them up to the captains deck, which was at the highest point on the naval ship.

"She's just a baby, ohh I wish I hadn't been sick!" my mother cried.

"Don't blame yourself, dear." My father said as he looked down at her, being 6'4' and her being 5'2".

My mother turned and looked up at my father and gave him a sharp and angry look. My father knew not to say a word after her harsh gaze at him, because he realized he had left my mother in her seasickness as he hung out with the g.i.s on the ship.

The captain immediately made an announcement over the speaker system.

"A little Japanese girl of two or three years old is missing on the ship. Please bring her to the captains deck where her worried parents are waiting." The captain spoke with authority.

Meanwhile, I remember running down open corridors and ran to each door trying to open them. I could not reach the door latches, but tried to push it open. Finally I saw a young woman who slightly resembled my mother coming out a door. She looked at me and smiled and she left the door open. She walked away or it seemed she floated away. I did not hesitate to run through the door and there were stairs going down. It was dark but not enveloping as their was a little light proceeding from the bottom of the stairs. I got to the bottom of the stairs and I heard voices of men speaking strange words. I recognized this to be something my father spoke in and it seemed strangely familiar also.

As I peered around the corner I saw several men in uniforms, one in particular shoveling coal into a fiery furnace, and turned around and saw me.

"Mama, doko, doko, mama doko, mama. (Interpretation) I can't find mama, where mama?" I asked in my infantile language, Japanese.

They couldn't understand me and they laughed at me. That made me mad and scared at the same time. One of the sailors picked me up and the other men gathered around me laughing and cajoling with each other over me. The sailor carried me up the stairs and through the halls and many more steps. I fell asleep while the sailor carried me up to the captains deck.