E07, Chiari Iwasaki ‘94, Grandmother
When we think of World War II, sometimes we don’t consider the pain and suffering that millions of people underwent. I realized then when I asked my grandmother about the war. She told me things that I had never even thought about.
My grandmother’s parents were poor farmers, so they had a very hard time getting food. I asked about the food that she ate during the war, and she answered me very briefly: “Just about anything we could find. We mostly ate mugi (barley), and some of the kids stole watermelons, since there was nothing else to eat.”
I then asked about how her family lived. “Oh, it was awful! I had to wonder when I was going to die. I was so scared that I couldn’t even go outdoors. When I went out, I was always wondering if the house would still be there when I got back. At night, we had to turn all of the lights off and go down to the basement. We couldn’t make a sound, not even a whisper. My father really was so cautious, and he took good care of us and protected us well. But really, Chiari-chan, it was terrible, more than words can ever say. It’s so hard to recall those painful memories. I hope that there will never be another war and that you never have to go through what I did.
“But one good thing came out of that horrible war, and it was that I met your grandfather. He was a soldier, and he saved my life. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here, and neither would you. We were under attack, and because I was a teacher, I was taking care of my students. I fell while running to escape the bombing. I knew I was going to die. The bombs were getting closer and closer, children were crying for their mothers, and mothers were crying for their children. So I prayed and prayed. I had hurt my foot somehow, so I couldn’t get up, but in the next minute, my prayers were answered. Your grandfather picked me up and carried me all the way to the hospital. He kept repeating the same word over and over: ‘You’ll be fine. I’ve got you. You’ll be okay.’ A year later, I saw him again, and I knew that he was The One! Someday you’ll find yours too.”
I hope that I never have to go through what my grandmother experienced, along with many others. If we continue racism and isolation, we will never be able to maintain world peace, but teenagers like us, who have learned from the past, should be able to make a difference in the world.