|
|
ENJOY ESSAY # 2 (05/22)
ENJOY ESSAY # 2 written by A Non Fiction Writer, Ken
"My determination" ( taken out from "My Life" ) I joined a small shipping company in Osaka as anEnglish-Japanese interpreter, graduating from a university in 1957. It was 12 years past after the Second World War. It was so difficult to get a job in those days, for the depression of the Japanese economy. While I was permitted to join a company everybody in our family pleased very much even if it was small. I stayed on a boading house at Fukushima near Umeda where I was introduced by my uncle. When I stayed there it was so old, dirty and narrow "tatami" room which was on the second floor. This house remained from the big fire caused the War. Fortunately my two acquaintances had lived on the first floor. Mr.Wada was born at Uchiko same to me, one year older, an engineer graduated from Doshisha university, joining a famouse big electric company in Osaka. Mr.Ninomiya was a salesman graduated from Osaka university, joining a big advertising company in Osaka. We used to eat bad smelled boild rice imported from Thailand. Even if I was so hungry one boul of rice was enough, not being able to eat more. Almost all my salary would disappear after the payment to the boading house. However in this severe situation, when I got the first salary I sent to my family \1,000. A week later I had a letter from my mother with delight that my father put \1,000 on the family alter, everybody prayed for me with a sense of gratitude. I could not drink beer, whisky and sake. Anyway my life in this boarding house was so miserable indeed. The master of the boarding house had a 20 years old young daughter, therefore he prohibited to stay a person who drink alcohol. I like to drink any kind of alcohol very much so my uncle knew that I liked it. However he recomended me to stay there. My uncle had had a good relationship with the master. One day I had a post card from my intimate friend Mr.Kochi who was a student of Waseda university would come to Osaka on the way to come home in Shikoku. I was so glad to hear that, sending him the reply written that I looked forward to meeting him. When he visited my room, I had no money to drink beer with him. But I knew that he liked to drink beer very much like me, I bought a bottle (1.8 liter) of Shouchu
( Continued from above ) for both of us. We started to drink Shouchu in my room without any water. After a bottle of Shouchu was empty, we went out to the street just to look at the beautiful Osaka girls. Both of us had no money to go to the bar or somewhere. After an hour walk, we came back to my room. In that time we had drunk so much, strong alcohol had circulated through our bodies sufficiently by the moderate walking. We could not keep our being drunken secret any more. When we came back to my room,the master came up soon, getting angry very much, shouting me, "Get out from here tomorrow. I said to you that I did not accept any alcohol drinker. You are a big liar." Next morning I left the house for Ikoma, Nara prefecture, loading a package of bedclothes and an umbrela on the big truck of our company. I had an information that Ehime prefecture had built last year the apartment house in Ikoma for the single people who work in Osaka. It was a new, clean and wide room. Moreover the room charge was chiep , not expensive. I was so happy to have a normal & confortable human life here. I'm sure I was in the Heaven definitely. After a month when I had been enjoying a confortable life at Ikoma, the president of our company asked me whether I had an idea to go abroad as an English-Japanese interpreter on board a ship for a year, calling me to his room. The final destination would be the republic of Indonesia through Hongkong, Haifong in North Vietnam and S'pore. I said to him," Yes I will ". I would like to get away from Osaka. It was too hard for me to live here with my salary. I could drink just one bottle of beer a month in my room alone, moreover I could not get to like to speak a dialect with an Osaka accent. It was on July 1957 when I had been in our office for only 3 monthes. I was so delighted that it was my final target to go abroad on business. I would like to go abroad on board a ship to see the different world, to touch the different culture and to see the advernced society. I told this matter to my parents and other people in our office. Unfortunately everybody did not agree to my opinion. In those days the Comunist China and Taiwan was in the war between Taiwan Strait. Fukuryu-maru was atomic-bombed in the South Pacific. My reliable person in our office strongly insisted upon my cancelling my promise with our president. I was worried so much for a few days. I made up my mind to cancel it, saying it to the president. Then he agreed with my cancelling easily, because there was another fresh man like me could speak English well. Unfortunately he refused to go abroad on board a ship, it's so dangerous now. Our president was distressed and confused, nobody could not get on board a ship as an English- Japanese interpreter. On the other hand the contract to charter our ship to the other shipping company was concluded already. Our company could not cancel the agreement any more. In that time I got an information that our company would recruit an interpreter on the news paper. Catching it I said to our president without any hesitation that I would go definitely this time. I thought that it would be a shame of the company to recruit the interpreter. Our company has two people who can speak English. Persuading my parents has begun. coming back home I talked everything and my idea in future. Finaly my father agreed with my idea under the condition that I would come back to Japan after 3 monthes, not more. I said to him, " I will keep it". Truly speaking our contract will be renewed each 3 monthes. My mother and my grand mother tried to stop me to the last with crying. But my faith did not change. Nobody could not alter my thought. This was my first big determination. Non fiction writer, Ken
It was a hard time in the nineteen fifties, not so long after World War Ⅱ. Your family disagreed to your plan from their deep love for you. Sato
Dear Sato Thank you for your kind arrangement to write the title of of my essay #2 to the right end. I did not know how to put it. Ken
Continued from above : " Something farfetched had happened in Alaska USA after 17 years " 17 years later I met Mr. Wada by chance at the Anchorage air port in Alaska USA. In those days every aircraft from Japan to Europe would fly to Anchorage to be supplied fuel oil, taking about an hour to get the tank full. The passengers could get off enjoing shopping and rest. In that time I found a dead ringer of Mr. Wada who was walking befor me, thinking that it was farfetched to meet him at Anchorage, Alaska. However I asked him whether he was Mr. Wada or not with some hesitation. My conjesture was right. HE WAS MR. WADA DEFINITELY. We were too much surprised each other to meet here, ALASKA !! I thanked God. I was on the way to London, England on business, he was on the way to Stockholm, Sweeden to present his study on LSD. He was only one person chosen in the Japanese Electric Field this year. He was an elite. We enjoyed a very pleasant flight from Ancorage to Copenhagen, Denmark. Transfering there, I got on board BA for London, he got on board SAS for Stockholm, Sweeden. P.S. Mr. Tomio Wada, Sharp Co.,Ltd. invented the famous LSD and his hard process of the invention was broadcasted by NHK as a title, "Project X " a few years ago. Thank you so much for your reading my a little bit long essay as usual. from non fiction writer, Ken
Hi, Mr.Sato Thank you very much for your sending us the articles from a book " I did it, I'm sorry "with a lot of pages which were decorated with beautiful coloured photografs of a flowes, a sailing boat & so on. I wish Icould
decorate my ENJOY ESSAY like this ! The contents of this book is certainly good for boys and girls to teach the social common sense. This way of education is very American isn't it ? I'm going to join the lesson on 9th June, '05. Ken
You are welcome, Ken. I myself enjoyed to write the pages, putting some pictures and designed characters on there. Please try to show your favorite photos here in this page too. Sato
