Chapter 5
Jasumin got home
from school two hours later. She ran
into the room, eager to tell Ka-ra her news.
She had been raised a grade.
Jasumin stopped short. There appeared to be no-one home. Not only was the room deserted, there was no
snack awaiting her, as there had always been.
A piece of folded yellow paper lay on the table, but Jasumin didn’t see
it.
She ran to her room, it was empty, of
furniture, as well as people, but it had been like that for many days. Since she slept with Ka-ra, they had emptied
the room and now it stood, waiting to be occupied again, one day. Sunlight filtered through the wax paper
covering the window.
Jasumin kept going;
Fabio’s room was also unoccupied, but not empty. His bed, dresser and things were still there,
neatly arranged for when he came home.
Now Jasumin was at the bedroom door where they
both slept. She crept in, and saw Ka-ra,
crumpled on the bed. She didn’t turn her
head as Jasumin entered.
Jasumin shook her
shoulder, “Ka-ra, I’m home,” she said, her panic rising as Ka-ra made no
movement, “KA-RA!” she yelled into her mother’s ear. Still Ka-ra didn’t
respond. “Ka-ra, what’s wrong? Please answer me!” She shook harder, and
burst into tears. There was no response.
Quietly, forgetting she
had been yelling a minute ago, Jasumin backed out of the room. She thought over what she had seen in the
house. Something seemed to fade in and
out of her mental picture of the kitchen/dining area. There had been something yellow on the
table. She ran to the table and saw the
little piece of paper that held the fatal news.
Quickly, Jasumin read
the contents, tears that blurred her vision at first thickened, as she mourned
for her father, brother and seemingly dead mother. She turned back to the bedroom where Ka-ra lay,
unmoving.
“Mother,” she said
faltering, not noticing she spoke in English, “I know now too, please let me
comfort you.” Ka-ra made no reply. Jasumin didn’t know what to do. If only Mrs Frank was here. She’d help. Jasumin’s head spun. The Daiki’s weren’t and never had been highly
sociable, so Jasumin couldn’t think of a single other person she could turn for
help.
She sank down in a chair, sobbing her heart
out. How things had changed in the
past fifteen minutes, she thought, I was so happy about school…The
thought hit Jasumin like a thunderbolt.
She jumped up and ran over to Ka-ra; she blurted out, “Ka-ra, I’m going
to find Ms Chi Abu. She can help us, I
know she will.” Then she turned and ran
as fast she could.
She could barely see,
but she knew the way to school by heart.
Her mind thought rapidly. If Ms
Chi Abu wasn’t at school, she would break a window and climb in. In her office there would surely be something
indicating where she lived, and then Jasumin could find her. Thankfully though,
those drastic measures were not needed.
Clutching the telegram,
she didn’t see Ms Chi Abu, who was coming down the steps. She ran right into her.
“My dear child,” Ms Chi
Abu exclaimed, much surprised, “what on earth brings you here?”
Jasumin only replied
with more tears. She thrust the telegram
at Ms Chi Abu. While she read, Jasumin
managed to compose herself a little. When
she was done, Jasumin briefly explained the state, in which Ka-ra was, and her
fears, and her need for help.
Ms Chi Abu kindly but
urgently said, “Take me to your house.
Let me see if I can help, but if things are as bad as you make out,
Ka-ra mustn’t be left alone.” Already on
her way, Jasumin spilled out her thanks and very soon, Ms Chi Abu was at
Ka-ra’s side. She examined Ka-ra
gravely, thinking hard.
“Jasumin,” she said
finally, “please send for Dr. Hiu, and tell Ms Chi Abu wants his
consultation. And,” she added kindly,
“try to stop crying, it won’t help anything.”
She gave Jasumin an encouraging smile, before returning her attention to
Ka-ra.
Jasumin ran as fast as
she could. Dr. Hiu was at his office,
and at once hurried over to examine Ka-ra.
He shook his head, “She
will be okay,” he assured Jasumin, “it is only grief that has left her in a stupor.” He left some pills for Ka-ra to take once
she was conscience again. “They’ll calm
her nerves,” said, putting on his hat, “Follow me out, Ms Chi Abu.”
Soon, Ms Chi Abu was
back with Jasumin, who threw her arms around her.
“He said she will be all
right,” she said happily, “didn’t he?”
Ms Chi Abu nodded, and returned the embrace.
“I’ll stay here the
night,” Ms Chi Abu said, “if you like, in case you need help.” Jasumin eagerly
accepted the offer, forgetting that she had already had put Ms Chi Abu at a
great inconvenience, and she owed her much gratitude. She hurried away to her bedroom, to air the
bed and blankets for her guest. She made
the room quite fresh again, opening the window and placing a vase of flowers on
the sill, brightening up the scene.
Ms Chi Abu had found
some rice and put it on to boil. She
noticed the supplies were low and she considered asking Jasumin if she, Ms Chi
Abu, could restock them, but then decided against it. She knew nothing about the family’s financial
state, and she didn’t wish to pry. Also,
she wanted to help the Daiki's, particularly Jasumin, of whom she had become
quite fond, as much as possible, before Jasumin remembered the niceties of
refusing gifts, and stopped all further services.
Jasumin set the table
for two, after Ms Chi Abu assured her that Ka-ra would not be getting up for
supper.
____________________________________________
Jasumin said goodnight
to Ms Chi Abu and tiptoed into the bedroom.
She snuggled up to Ka-ra, and closed her weary eyes. Tears came once again, and she cried bitterly
for Sir Ha-bi, but mostly for Fabio. Sir
Ha-bi was dead, so she no longer suffered, she reasoned, but Fabio might still
be suffering out there in the cold and maybe he was wounded, or worse taken
captive by the Americans.
Chi Abu frowned slightly as Jasumin climbed in
with Ka-ra. She had her own
suspicions. Dr. Hiu had mentioned them
as a possibility when she had seen him to the door. Also, the tablets, according to the side of
the packet, were not merely calming pills, they were heavy sleeping
agents. She feared, along with Dr. Hiu,
that Ka-ra was losing her mind.
Ms Chi Abu decided that
she must, as nicely as she possible; prevent Jasumin from spending too much time with Ka-ra
until they knew for certain the state of Ka-ra’s mind.
__________________________________________________
Dr. Hiu arrived the next
morning, looked once again at Jasumin and privately told Ms Chi Abu that their
fears were confirmed. She nodded, not
trusting herself to speak. She was
fonder of Jasumin and her sharp-tongued mother than she had let on. She knew what a blow this would be to poor
Jasumin, and what heart-wrenching changes this would bring about. Once again, Dr. Hiu was speaking, and she
forced herself to listen. She nodded,
“I’ll see that Ka-ra gets all the care she needs.” And then Dr. Hiu whispered something, and
fumbled with his hat as he mentioned it.
“Don’t worry,” Ms Chi
Abu said quietly, “I can cover the expense.
Thank you.”
The doctor left, and Ms
Chi Abu was in a quandary. Her next step
of action was not decided when Jasumin appeared, apparently finished the
breakfast dishes.
Ms Chi Abu realized that
the state of affairs could not be decided on immediately. She was needed at school, but Ka-ra couldn’t
be left alone. Abruptly, she came to a
temporary decision.
“Jasumin,” she said,
calling the child close, “It’s time to go to school. However, I think I might stay here with Ka-ra
today. She needs some special care. Not
to worry though,” she hastened to add as Jasumin suddenly looked worried and
scared, “but if she wants to talk, she will need someone to talk to, won’t
she?”
Jasumin nodded, the
logic making sense. “Here, give this to
Ms Rai Tada, your new teacher.” She
handed Jasumin a folded piece of paper, which she had been writing on as she
spoke. “You’d better hurry now, as you
might be late. Goodbye and have a nice
day.” She kissed Jasumin on the
forehead. Jasumin’s eyes filled
again.
“Thank you, Ms Chi Abu,
I will.”
Jasumin hurried down to
the corner. She turned the corner,
crossed the street walked two and a half blocks, turned two right corners and
three lefts. She arrived at school five
minutes before the bell rang.
Breathlessly, she handed the letter to Ms Rai Tada, who raised an
eyebrow and read:
To dear Rai,
I’m unable to come in today.
I’m caring for Jasumin’s mother, Ka-ra Daiki, who has
suddenly lapsed into what appears to be a state of insensibility, brought on by
the news of the death and capture of her husband and son, respectively, in the
war. Please don’t say anything about this to Jasumin
or any other teacher or student. Would
you be able to act as principal for today, and prioritize attending to these
items…and there was a list of items which
were to be carried out, dealt with or written to…thankyou sincerely, Chi Abu.
Ms
Rai Tada raised an eyebrow again. Other
than that, she showed no outward emotion, surprise or stress. She was one of those capable people who will
take everything in their stride. Also,
she had been trained to take charge of the school, so that Ms Chi Abu might be
free, if an emergency ever sprang up, like this one.
“Thankyou, Jasumin,” she
said, keeping her voice steady, “How about you say hello to your friends before
school starts.” Jasumin nodded and ran
off to find her little circle of friends, none of whom she was as close to as
she’d been with Molly.
The school day continued
normally. Ms Rai Tada kept everything in
perfect order. She was worried about
Ka-ra, though. She knew if the situation
grew worse, Ka-ra would need a permanent care-taker, and that would be hard on
Jasumin.
Jasumin ran home that
day, eager to know if Ka-ra was better.
Instead of being met with a much desired “Hello Jasumin,” by her mother,
Ms Chi Abu met her at the door, put a finger to her lips and said, “Shush, she
is asleep.”
Her face was worn and haggard as if
she had had a hard day. Indeed, she
had, Ka-ra, in her unsteady state of
mind, had been like a stone one minute, and then loud and blustering, trying to
get out of bed. Still other times, she
seemed to be normal, but talking incoherently and it saddened Ms Chi Abu to see
her like this instead of the woman she had been. Ms Chi Abu knew she would have to tell
Jasumin the truth about Ka-ra, before she awoke from the heavy sleeping pills
she was under. As much as she hated to
do it, she said slowly,
“Jasumin, we need to talk.” She pulled the child over to the chair, and
spoke slowly and distinctly, so that Jasumin might thoroughly understand the
state of affairs.
“Ka-ra, your mother, is very ill. She is what the doctor terms ‘unstable.’ That means she cannot think straight and may
do or say things she doesn’t mean because she doesn’t know what she is
doing. You understand me so far?” Jasumin nodded, her eyes wide with fright,
“Don’t worry though,” Ms Chi Abu said trying to comfort her, “There will be
times when she will be normal, and you will be able to talk to her. Dr. Hiu also tells me that he knows of cases
just like Ka-ra’s and they have made a full recovery under proper care and
nourishment.” She paused, thinking it
not necessary to say that Dr. Hiu thought the chances of that happening were
very slim. Jasumin was crying now. Ms Chi Abu bit her lip, there was more she
had to say, yet she was uncertain on how to put it. Better have it over with, she thought, drew
breath and continued, “This state of affairs means we will need to make some
changes. Ka-ra can be sent to a special
hospital, called an asylum, where she will be properly cared for. We’ll find a
place close so you can visit. And, I’m sure relatives can take you in, if not,
we’ll find a friend’s place for you until Ka-ra is better.”
“No!” Jasumin cried out, “Oh, please
no, Ms Chi Abu! Please, can’t you stay
with me and take care of Ka-ra and me? Please, I will be ever so good and do
whatever you tell me to!”
Ms Chi Abu hesitated. The idea had occurred to her before, but she
wasn’t sure whether she was ready to accept it.
Becoming Jasumin’s guardian and Ka-ra’s caretaker would mean many years like
today, and a change of career for her.
It would mean finding a new principal for the school, which she had
started and loved. It also meant finding
a new source of income. Still, looking
at Jasumin’s anguished, pleading face, she knew she couldn’t say no.
“Yes, Jasumin,” she said slowly, “I’ll
stay on here.” Jasumin threw her arms
around her new guardian’s neck.
“Thank you, oh, thank you Oba (Aunty)
Chi.”
To her surprise, Ms Chi Abu heard
the term of endearment. Jasumin
unknowingly had just paid Ms Chi Abu back for everything that lady had
sacrificed.
She suddenly realized that Jasumin had
no relatives and that was why her distress, that and leaving her only home, was
so profound. Oba Chi spoke quietly now,
“I think it best that you sleep in your own room tonight, Jasumin. I’ll sleep in there with you and we’ll let
Ka-ra have the big bed all to herself.”
Jasumin nodded. Under normal
circumstances, she would have protested and insist that she slept with her
mother. However, she was so grateful to
be able to stay here, that she made no objection. Besides, had she not promised to do
everything Oba Chi told her to?
Just at this moment, Dr. Hiu
appeared. He looked at Oba Chi and
beckoned for her to come. Quickly
disentangling herself from Jasumin, she followed him out of the room.
“You’ve told her, I presume?” he
asked, nervously holding his hands behind his back, and then at the front, and
then at the back again. He continued as
Oba Chi nodded, “I found an asylum who has space for her, a friend who is
willing to take the girl. Also, an
auctioneer is lined up to come tomorrow.”
Oba Chi’s first reaction was one of
anger. He had no right to go ahead and
organize this all. She had asked his
advice that was all. She hadn’t given him
permission to go ahead and arrange everything.
She forced herself to count to ten.
If Jasumin and I hadn’t worked everything out beforehand differently,
she reasoned, I’d be grateful to him for his organization. So, instead of replying hotly, as first
prompted to do, she replied pleasantly,
“Thank you, Dr Hiu, for your interest
and help. However, I’ve decided to take
on caring for Ka-ra and become Jasumin’s guardian. We will stay in this house.”
Dr. Hiu had grace enough to look
uncomfortable. Then he remembered
something, which he gladly pounced upon and voiced, “I read somewhere about a
guardian’s pay, from the government. If
you like, I can look into it for you.”
“Thank you, I would be much
obliged.” Oba Chi smiled weakly, “Can
you stay with Ka-ra for say, ten minutes?
I have to go to the school and settle some paperwork there,” she
explained. Raising her voice, she continued, “Jasumin, can you get your jumper
on, and come with me please?” A rustling
from the room behind told her that Jasumin had heard, and was obeying
promptly. She threw a jacket on and
left, hurrying down the street.
When they reached the school, Oba Chi
said quietly, “Stay outside, Jasumin, and don’t tell anyone about our little
secret, alright?”
“Yes, Oba Chi.” Oba Chi gave Jasumin a
quick hug, smiling at the thrill which those words gave her heart.
Chi Abu was an only child, as were her
both her parents. Her childhood had been
lonely. Her parents, although not
neglecting any wish or need, had stayed out of her way. So she had followed their example and led a
lonely life, obsessed with her work, until Jasumin started came into her
world. For some reason, the child had
stolen into her sad heart, and had brightened it considerably. It is strange how events have turned out
she thought, reflecting on the events that had made Jasumin such a close part
of her life from now on.
Oba Chi hurried inside the
school. Quickly, before her emotions got
the better of her, she found Ms Rai Tada.
“Please, come into my office,” she
asked. Ms Rai Tada nodded, and hurriedly
finished straightening her desk before she followed the disappearing figure of
Oba Chi. Once there, Ms Chi Abu began
to speak.
“Rai, I’m here to hand the school over
to you.” She thought she may as well get
down to business.
Rai gasped and sat down in a
chair. “Why?” was all she was able to
say.
“It’s quite simple really,” Oba Chi
explained, smiling a little, knowing how crazy it sounded, “I have decided to
become guardian and long-term carer of Jasumin and her mother, Ka-ra. So, obviously, I can’t care for her and run
the school. My heart won, and the
paperwork is easily settled.”
“So I’m to buy your school?” Ms Rai Tada asked incredulously.
“No, I’ll lease it to you. I’ve still
hopes that Ka-ra will recover and I can come back to the life I’m use to. So the terms will be…”
“Chi,” Rai interrupted, “I am your
friend. I want to ask now, are you quite
sure what you are doing? I mean,
becoming the guardian of Jasumin, she is only eight, which will be another ten
years before she is of age. And Ka-ra, I
don’t know how old she is, but I’m guessing she would have at least another
full twenty years before she is even near her allotted ‘three score and ten.’ You yourself are getting on in years. Chi, you are already thirty-five. Twenty more years, and you will be close to your
three and ten. Think about it Chi, is it that you want to do for the
majority, if not for the rest, of your life?”
Chi was crying. This was harder than what she had realized it
would be. But she replied without hesitation, “Yes, Rai. I know all the facts, as do you. I’ve thought about all the years of caring
for Ka-ra, hundreds of days like today.
And if it were the facts alone, there would be no way I would give up
and independent profitable life for years tied to a bedside. But it is not the facts that call, Rai, it is
my heart. I want to live life to the
full, and it might sound crazy, but I believe that being tied to a bedside is
life to the full because there is love there Rai. And Jasumin called me ‘Oba’ that meant more
to me than bucketfuls of money and success.
Like I said, for the first time there is someone else other than me in
my life, and I want to keep them there as long as possible.”
Both women were silent for several
minutes, each obsessed with their own thoughts. Finally, Oba Chi spoke,
“The terms of the lease will be 1) I
get a teacher’s wage, and 2) Jasumin attends for free. Otherwise, you can organise the money for
yourself, the staff and what is left in the school fund.”
“Is that all?” Rai asked, “I mean a
teacher’s wage and a free education is not that much rent from a popular and
prosperous school.”
“I’m sure of it. Dr. Hiu tells me of a guardian’s pay,
distributed by the government. That and the
teacher’s wage should be enough to allow us three to live comfortably. And if it is not, I have saved a considerable
amount, which will help us through if we are in a pinch.”
They discussed certain matters and
then signed a paper. Because of the war,
they didn’t bother to get an official document, as that would take weeks and
didn’t mean much anyway. Instead, Oba Chi simply drew up a contract and they
signed it, shook hands, and considered it done.
“The contract is effective
immediately. Goodbye,” Oba Chi said,
with a feigned brightness. Handing over
her school was like handing over a piece of her heart. She hurriedly left the office, so that Ms Rai
Tada mayn’t see her tears. She spent
several moments in the hall, recovering herself sufficiently enough to head
out. The last thing she wanted was to
have Jasumin question her, and find out how hard it was for her, Oba Chi, to
give up her place in the school.
Jasumin never realized what a sacrifice Oba
Chi had had to give before she could become Jasumin’s guardian. She only knew that Ms Rai Tada was taking
charge, while Oba Chi stayed home to take care of Ka-ra.
Ka-ra, instead of getting better,
seemed to slowly be growing worse. Dr.
Hiu, who at first thought her as a ‘mild case’ now labelled her as
‘severe.’ The only time when she would
be sensible again, he informed Oba Chi, was when she was completely
better.
“One day,” he said, as he snapped shut
his medical bag, “she might just wake up and be normal again, as if nothing has
ever happened. There is always a
possibility that she’ll never be sane again, or, again, that waking day might
be fifty years away, or tomorrow.”
“How will I know,” Oba Chi said
hesitantly, as if not quite knowing how to put it, “when…if, she ever, you
know, ‘wakes up.’”
“That is an easy one,” he said,
putting on his hat, “She hasn’t spoken has she?”
“No, only she mutters
incoherently.”
“Well, she will be able to talk
clearly, and her eyes will follow you and she will be interested in what is
going on around her.” With that, he
buttoned his coat and left.
Oba Chi decided not to relate their
conversation to Jasumin. She reasoned
that it would be better to hope for the best and let Jasumin do the same. If Ka-ra never got better, Jasumin would at
least have had the hope to bear her through.
While Jasumin was at school, Oba Chi
spent the first weeks cleaning. Due to
her condition, Ka-ra had not given the house any good thorough cleaning for
months. She had done only little bits, and although Jasumin had done what she
could, the little house looked sadly neglected.
Oba Chi scrubbed and cleaned and
polished and dusted. Soon, the house was
sparkling clean. Once a week, for two
hours on Wednesday, a nurse came and took care of Ka-ra, so Oba Chi could go out. She was very pleased with this
arrangement. She looked forward to
Wednesday, and would set off with a basket under her arm. She bought their food at the markets. Oba Chi was wise and saved money as best as
she could.
Jasumin might have a free education
now, but later, when she graduated and moved onto college, she would need
funds. Hence, Oba Chi only bought rice
and green vegetables, and fish. She
would sometimes buy a treat, often red meat, but only if she hadn’t gone over
the account books that night before, which she had made it a habit to do.
________________________________________________________
Despite Ka-ra's ill health, the summer passed pleasantly for the little household. Jasumin would occasionally visit the War
Department, to see if there was any news from Fabio. As there continued to be no news, she went
less and less until her visits stopped altogether.
She was now accustomed to her new life,
and was extremely happy. Oba Chi too was
happy. She loved being an aunt, but more
like a mother to Jasumin. Ka-ra wasn’t
getting any better, but Oba Chi thought she was easier to take care of, since
life had settled into a routine.
“Oba Chi,” Jasumin said, running into
the kitchen one day, “At school, we were learning about the war. We are part of the Axis Powers, aren’t we?”
“Yes, we are,” answered Oba Chi, chopping
fish up for dinner.
“Anyway, Ms Rai Tada was telling us about the war, and she mentioned that everything is scarce and vegetables are going up in price.”
“Anyway, Ms Rai Tada was telling us about the war, and she mentioned that everything is scarce and vegetables are going up in price.”
“Yes, dear, I noticed,” Oba Chi said
dryly, wincing as she remembered the price she had paid for that week’s
groceries.
“So, Ms Rai Tada reminded us how our
victory garden was going at school. The
vegetable, are almost ready to pick, Oba Chi,” Jasumin put in, brightly, “And I
thought that we could make a victory garden in our courtyard, and could grow
vegetables and save money.”
“Why that is a wonderful idea,” Oba
Chi said enthusiastically, and she paused in her chopping to turn and smile at
the little girl.
“I’m going to tell Ka-ra,” and Jasumin
skipped over to the bedroom door. Oba
Chi encouraged Jasumin to tell Ka-ra many things, and to visit her often. She hoped that it might help Ka-ra to wake
up. Jasumin hated going at first,
because it pained her to see her once capable mother in such a helpless
state. Oba Chi understood, but was firm,
and insisted that Jasumin visit at least once a day. Soon, Jasumin grew used to Ka-ra’s changed
appearance and manner, and no longer minded going. She would tell her mother all sorts of
things, popping in four or five times a day.
Jasumin was soon out in the yard,
lining out the boundaries of the garden.
Once Oba Chi had agreed to the size, she found a shovel and dug, and
dug, and dug. She worked really hard for
ages. Her body felt like it could not go
any longer. She took many breaks, until
she finally gave in and said she couldn’t go any longer. Once again, Oba Chi was firm, and made her
complete the agreed fifteen minutes.
She had decided to turn about half the
courtyard into a garden, and in quarter of an hour, Jasumin managed to dig
enough for one tomato plant. At dinner,
Jasumin ate hungrily - her day of digging making her ravenous.
The next day was Wednesday. Oba Chi went shopping, as usual, and she
bought some seeds as well as the normal fresh produce. The rest of the day she spent digging up
their garden.
When Jasumin returned home, they
planted carrots, beans, cabbage, tomatoes, zucchini, and squash. Jasumin was eager to eat the fruits, and Oba
Chi had to keep reminding her that it would take many weeks until their vegetables
were ready.
The days were long now, as July ticked
into August. Ka-ra suffered greatly in
the heat. Her spells were longer now,
and more frequent. Between the spells, however, were just as bad, as she would
be listless and stared for long hours at the white ceiling. Jasumin spent many hours in the darkened
room, fanning the invalid.
Ka-ra sighed and rolled
restlessly. She muttered something and
tried to get out of bed.
“Oba Chi,” Jasumin called, “Ka-ra is
getting up!” Oba Chi hurried in and
helped Ka-ra out of bed. She would
sometimes walk around the room, but she always needed someone to help her. Ka-ra stumbled to the dresser. She’s never
done this before, Oba Chi thought, as Ka-ra fumbled at the dresser
handle. Maybe this is a good sign
that her waking day is close. She
opened the drawer for Ka-ra, who pulled two photos out. One was the military shot of Ha-bi and the
other was of herself in her bridal robes.
Ka-ra looked at them for a long time, not seeing anything. Then she stumbled back to bed, but dropped
the photos before she made it back, and fell into a fit. Jasumin picked up the photos and left the
room quickly. She didn’t like to see
Ka-ra’s fits. Oba Chi smoothed the
sheets and hurried to administer the sleeping agents.
... to be continued .....
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