This is no Joke, this is war

The Sparks of War

"Mother, we are going out to the park!" Masato yelled while trying to put on his sister Akima's coat. The cold Wisconsin weather slowly chewed on you like a lion savoring an zebra, and Masato didn't want his sister to feel much pain. "Alright, but be back in thirty minutes." She yelled back. Masato finished buttoning his sister's coat, and they walked out the door. At the park down near Crosby Avenue, they saw a stand selling a new food called Jello. Masato dug around in his pocket for a few coins and came up with seven coins. His father always told him that they were better off than most families and that they should consider themselves lucky. As they sat on the park bench eating their Jello, Masato noticed a newsstand near them. It screamed on the front page SOVIET FORCES DRIVE AXIS FROM MOSCOW! Masato was not very informed about the war, as his parents tried to shield him from such horrors. His grandfather told him a little about the war, but Masato had a feeling he did not know much either. Masato and his sister were heading back from the park, with her on his back. They were nearing their house when his mother rushed toward them and grabbed them inside. Masato was going to say hello, but it was clear her mind was on something else. "What is it mother, is it going to rain?" It was cloudy outside, but there were not enough clouds to make it rain.

"It's not that," she replied distractedly. "Someone bombed Pearl Harbor."

Masato had read enough books to know that this was the part where he was supposed to gasp in horror at such a disaster, but Masato didn't know what Pearl Harbor was, and could care less.

"What is Pearl Harbor?" Masato asked to humor his mother. "Pearl Harbor is an American Naval base in Hawaii." She said, "But the most important thing is, it was bombed by Japan!"

Now Masato was worried, if Japan bombed America, Japanese-Americans would be under suspicion. "Do you think the US will declare war?" He asked. "I don't know, that's above my pay grade." His mother replied, "Now go upstairs, you have school tomorrow." Masato headed upstairs, and saw his sister in her room, clutching her stuffed zebra, which she hadn't held in months. "Are we going to be killed?" She asked him worriedly. "No, we are not," Masato reassured her. "These things blow over quickly." SHe was still worried, so to calm her, Masato put on the radio and turned it to the song If You Wish Upon A Star, from her favorite movie. Luckily, this instantly calmed her down, and made her fall asleep.

At school, the atmosphere seemed different, teachers didn't call on him, even when he was the only one with his hand raised. At lunch, some of the older ninth graders approached  him, and Donald, a kid who was notorious for bullying. "Why don't you go back to your country, you filthy Jap!" Masato turned around, and Donald slapped him in the face. "My father says that the Japs are in cahoots with the Nazis and that we should dump all of 'em in the Wisconsin River." Masato was quiet for a while, but then he said: "Wow Donald, I believe that was the longest sentence I ever heard you say." Donald grabbed Masato by the shirt collar, and was about to punch him when someone said: "What are you doing, put him down!" Donald and Masato turned around, and saw a girl, who wearing a boy's sports shirt, pompadour hair and had her hands on her hips. "This doesn't concern you, baby," Donald growled.

The next thing Masato knew, Donald was lying on the ground moaning, and Masato and the girl were sitting two tables away. "I never caught your name," said Masato. "My real name is Aubrey, but you can call me Green Bean." She responded. "Why did you get that nickname, and why did you save me?" Masato asked.

"I got the name during lunch months ago," she said, "and I saved you because I do not believe we do not have anything to fear about Japan, as our president said, The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." She got off of the bench. "Well, I guess I'll be leaving, see you later." But in the back of his mind, Masato somehow knew that he would never see her again.