Malachi and I

He laughed at her. “Who’s the best guy?”

“Not you! Let me down.”

“What are you two doing?” The voice of a familiar called out to them and they turned to face him as Kikuko got off his back.

“It’s alright,” another voice said but the two stayed in place. “They’re okay, you two excited to be going home? Are you on the trains tomorrow?”

They both stared at him blankly.

“Yes, s—” Kosuke started to say but Kikuko stood up.

“I’m not on the trains. I’m going back to Japan.”

“Well let those Japs know if they try anything again we got more packages to drop on their head—”

“Hey!” the second officer yelled at him. “You two head off. It’s a long ride for you both.”

“Yes, sir.” Kosuke took off running as he held on to Kikuko’s hand and dragged her to one of the gaps between the barracks. “Why do you always do that?”

“They make me mad!” She screamed as she crossed her arms and leaned against the home. “And what packages?”

Kosuke frowned as he rubbed his head in frustration. “Kikuko...! Kiku…” he said softer. “No matter where we go it’s going to be hard. Promise me you won’t give up.”

“Kosuke, what’s wrong—”

“Promise me you’ll work on your temper.”

“I don’t have a temper!”

He tilted his head to look at her and she frowned as she looked away.

“I wouldn’t have one if people didn’t make me mad. I’m not wrong—”

He kissed her quickly and pulled back as he said, “You aren’t wrong. I never said you were wrong. But there is a better way to be right like my mom says. Promise me you’ll be careful and that you won’t give up no matter how hard it is. Do the best you can and I’ll work really hard too so when we meet again you can do anything you want and we can go anywhere we want, okay?”

“Promise.” She stuck out her pinky.

“Promise.” He linked his with hers.

1946 - Irvine, California

“The day after I turned thirteen my father and mother divorced. I think they were waiting for my sake but I wished they would have done it earlier. I asked what was to happen next, hoping it would mean an end to the strawberry picking. But they didn’t seem to know. My father is moving to New York and that’s about as far as their thoughts go. So the strawberry picking continues and not much else. I hope one day these letters make it to you. Father said that mail to Japan is probably being checked first. People are still scared.”

- Kosuke Yamauchi.

1952 - Osaka, Japan

“Kosuke, are you there? Because if you are I’d like to tell you that the promise we made is getting harder to bear the older I get over here. I thought Japan would become home by now. That I’d be fully Japanese by now. But even here I stand out. My personality is too loud, my behavior too brash. I don’t speak softly like the other girls do. I’m curious about everything and that makes me a wild child now. And the more Japanese I try to become the more Japan tries to westernize itself. I miss an America I barely remember. The time before Bella Vista. But I met you at Bella Vista. You were like those pink flowers that grew along the wire and fences. Do you get these letters? Are you still in Irvine, California? Does the sun beat down on you harshly like it does on me when you are in the fields? You’re over there picking strawberries and I’m here knee-deep in muddy water planting rice. This isn’t what I want to do…they call me selfish and spoiled when I say that though. So I think it over and over again. What am I going to do? How will I get to you or you to me when even our letters can’t even make it?”

- Kikuko Sato

1959 - Osaka, Japan

“There is only one woman on this planet who as the ability to frustrate me to the point of insanity and that is you, Kikuko. For the last two years my heart has been ready to explode since I saw your pictures in TIME. Your photography is as stunning as you are. Whoever said a picture was worth a thousand words forgot to mention those words were past tense. So while I worked three jobs at the factories with my father in New York, to be able to afford to come here to Japan to see you, you used your money to go to Irvine, California? Kikuko!”

-Kosuke Yamauchi.

1960 - Irvine, California