Compulsory Registration
War Measures Act
Christmas and New Year’s 1940/41 were the same joyous occasions as the previous year with one significant difference. Kiyoshi bought Chisato a present: a gorgeous green dress and a golden crucifix on a chain, which she was to wear around her neck. She didn’t receive anything as precious as this last year. She didn’t know what to say.
She wore the dress at New Year’s as was the Japanese custom of wearing something new. She of course wore the Jesus Necklace, but never during her secret visits to the Buddhist temple. That would’ve been absurd. Or even most times in public. When she was with her husband and in church, that was about the only time she did.
Every guest complimented her on her dress. People seemed envious. She smiled to herself.
In February, she learned she was pregnant, making 1941 a propitious year. She started making plans by asking for a carpenter to convert one of the rooms into a nursery (something she learned at the church). It meant losing her hideaway, but a new life lifted her spirits.
And Kiyoshi was supportive, not willing to do any of the preparation work, but told her to consider a nurse maid to help her through the difficult first months. Her mother and mother-in-law were out of the question.
It was good news at the church as well. Michiko organized a party, something called a “baby shower”, to help plan for the new addition to the congregation.
Chisato could not have been happier. She completely forgot about her husband’s late-night disappearances. She decided to write her sister with the news. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much of a chance to sit down and compose it.
***
Starting in March, the government announced that all Japanese Canadians had to register with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. She and Kiyoshi walked through Gastown and into the near downtown area to a non-descript building by the waterfront. He informed her it was the headquarters of the Mountain Police. She didn’t like that the police had her on record. What would they want with her?
She soon found out: she began the registration process with an officious little man with a tiny mustache behind a desk. Two others stood guard near him. After loads of documents were signed and photographs taken, Kiyoshi and Chisato were labelled “Aliens”. They were told to come back and pick up their identification cards. She didn’t understand why.
“I suppose to keep tabs on us. There is a war in China.”
“Yes, but—”
“Never mind. They don’t trust us,” he said with finality.
She bristled with indignation. As if I was going to do anything subversive.
***
A few days later, she received a letter from Chiemi. Overjoyed, she read it with relish.
Chisato-chan,
This is your oneesan. I write to let you know Hideki is in __________. He has fulfilled his dream. We are concerned for his safety. ____________________
I made him a senninbari to protect him. The gods will deliver him back to us. I hope 1,000 stitches are enough. __________________________
Okaasan is growing lonely since her children are far away. Oh, I am married now. I married Ito-san back in November 1939. I am sorry I didn’t tell you, but I did not know where you were.
I did miss your presence. That would have made the wedding tolerable. In any case, I will write again. Please write me sometime.
Chiemi Oneesan
Chisato was happy to hear from her sister, but the “tolerable” comment gave her pause. What could she mean?
She tried to write again, she had so much to tell her, but the times would not allow it.
***
Kiyoshi Kimura soon fell into his old ways: frequently leaving the house shortly after or even before dinner and not returning until late at night. Chisato tried to ignore his drinking habit; she gave up waiting for him, but he made so much noise entering the house that she woke up with a start every time. She resisted the temptation to scold him, he had not after all beaten her like Sachiko’s husband. Fortunately, he slept in another room.
However, whenever she cleaned his clothes, she noticed the perfume smell. It seemed to be getting stronger. She had no idea how to explain the mystery. It grew in such intensity that she decided to follow him one night.
One night, Chisato acted as soon as she heard Kiyoshi leave the house. As usual, he hadn’t said a word; he just donned his overcoat and fedora, put on his shoes, and walked out the door. She immediately went to the living room window to see which direction he was heading. She thought about extinguishing the candles downstairs, left on for his return, but that would take too long; instead, she swiftly put on a sweater, a heavy coat, and wrapped herself in a cape with a hood. She had prepared well. She slipped into outside shoes and opened the front door to a cold night, plagued by wind and darkness. Lucky for her it was not raining, and the moon was burning brightly.
Once outside, she pulled the cape tightly around her. She thought it was a good idea to wear a Western-styled dress that day instead of a kimono for easier movement. She was correct as she swept along the street.
Kiyoshi had walked the short distance to Powell Street knifing through the darkness with streetlights trailing his path and turned towards the community park. But Chisato laughed to herself: he wasn’t going to see a baseball game. And in fact, he wasn’t going to Powell Ground at all. He stopped short in front of an awfully familiar building.
Chisato recognized it as the entranceway to Morii’s club. The watchman greeted her husband and scurried up the stairs as Kiyoshi waited in the street. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Chisato had no idea he smoked. The light exposed his face, a face of impatience, of anticipation. A few moments later, two men came out of the vestibule to make him feel welcomed. They bowed and apologized. She couldn’t see their faces, but she knew one was the watchman.
When she heard the other man’s voice, she recognized it immediately, it was Otagaki-san.
What’s going on here? she asked herself.
With rather loud salutations, the two absconded up the stairs, leaving the watchman behind to sit on his chair and…well, watch.
There was nothing more to do, she couldn’t follow her husband into the establishment. She decided to go home and return at the approximate time she thought he would be on the way home.
***
While sitting in the dark front room surrounded by the still burning candles, she mulled over the situation. She was still in her cape. The light flickered gently, softening her mood. She was not so much angry as she was confused.
Why was Kiyoshi so angry with Otagaki if he knew him in a friendly manner? And Morii’s establishment, the one Michiko warned against, what was Kiyoshi doing in there? Michiko said it was a drinking place. That explained the alcohol smell, but she couldn’t imagine what else he did inside. She dismissed any further speculation. He was a devout Christian man, a leader in the church. It made no sense. She casually looked to The Jesus in the other room. Its mournful face looked upwards as the candlelight bathed his body in waves of light and dark shadows. The effect was mesmerizing, the splotches of light mottled the figure with what looked like splattered black raindrops.
Will I suffer as much as you have suffered?
After a while gazing at the figure, the light shimmied and fractured to distort The Jesus horribly. He wavered in the fire of night. A fright crackled through her.
At 11:30 p.m., Chisato woke with a start. The comfortable chair she was in had lulled her to a half-sleep. Most of the larger candles were still burning, even brighter to her mind. She suddenly remembered her purpose, she rose to her feet and gathered herself to leave. Her husband had not returned so her plan was clear. She hoped she was not too late and run into him in the street. She searched her mind for an excuse.
Once more in front of Morii’s place, she gazed at the entranceway from across the street. The old guard was still there, his head nodding with sleep from time to time. No sign of Kiyoshi. She huddled in a cold corner of the vestibule of Soga’s Department Store. There was no warmth to be had except in her coat and cape. She shivered but she maintained an eye on the place of her husband’s sins.
About a half hour later, she heard a commotion. She spied Kiyoshi at the foot of the stairs with two others. She strained her eyes to see as a dull light switched on. It was two women in thin yukata. She could smell their cheap perfume in the air. They complained of the chilly weather and Kiyoshi pulled them both close to him in a laughing and drunk manner. He then kissed each in turn on the lips as he bid them a good night.
Acid pooled in Chisato’s stomach. She took a step into the open and she lost her dinner. A foul smell masked her face. She cleaned her chin and cheeks with a handy handkerchief. Her head spun as she considered what to do as her husband staggered and stumbled in the distance. He was obviously going home.
It took some time to recover, but as soon as she had, she too walked towards home. Perhaps a little unsteady on her feet, but she had decided what to do—nothing. She just hoped his shenanigans were kept quiet and not get out on the Nikkei community grapevine.
As she quickened her pace homeward, she began to ponder the situation. What kind of man was this Morii, who encourages married men to be with other women? And who are these women who throw themselves at men, married or not? She imagined Morii-san to be a small, deformed man with hideous features: drooling mouth, close-set eyes, warped backbone, and withered hands ready to grasp at anything. He was like an oni in her father’s domain.
When the house came into view, she could see that the candles were still lit, but she assumed Kiyoshi had gone to his bed in the spare room. That saved a face-to-face argument. She would hurry through the front hall and up the stairs to her bedroom. No one would ever know she had gone out.
But as soon as she stepped into the house and removed her shoes, she heard a strange sound. Crying. She moved to the dining room entrance where she saw a strange sight.
Kiyoshi was on his knees and with his hands interlocked in prayer before The Jesus, blubbering about something. She came closer without being noticed.
“Forgive…me, oh Lord. Please…I am a weak…weak man. Save me, oh Lord! Save me!”
All the time he was weeping out his words, The Jesus remained mute in His suffering. Flickering waves flowed over His body.
“Kiyoshi!” Chisato shouted. “What are you doing?”
“Leave me alone, woman! Go back to bed,” he commanded not turning to look at her.
“Are you asking forgiveness? I followed you. I saw you. You should be asking forgiveness of me!”
That made him come to his feet, turning to confront her. His red eyes grew wide when seeing her. She could see his face wet with tears.
“You did follow me! The cape…how dare you!” he said with a voice full of anger and bile.
“Yes, and now I know what kind of man you are. How dare you!” she said in a voice rising in volume. Tears filmed her face, her nostrils filled with mucus.
Kiyoshi immediately grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it at her.
Chisato screamed but ducked in time. It crashed against the wall and fell to pieces on the front-room floor.
He then picked up a large, thick candle to threaten her. He quickly dropped it as the wax burned his hand.
Chisato laughed at him.
Enraged, he began kicking at all the candles in the room. They flew everywhere.
Chisato screamed, stepping back in fear, and headed for the front door. Outside, she realized she had no shoes, but luckily there was a pair of zori straw sandals on the veranda. She put them on and rushed down to the street in front. The screaming, crashing, and smashing continued inside the house. Neighbours came out to see the cause of the commotion.
She turned to look and just stared in anguish unable to say or do anything.
Flames throbbed and licked at the front window, the curtains ablaze. A shadow figure soon pressed against the front window. Its arms extended with the palms of his hands flattened against the surface. Its mouth opened and screamed silently. A radiance emanated around the silhouette, pulsating and glowing, seemingly kindling its body. Kiyoshi stood in agony.
The inferno inside grew in intensity as someone called for the Fire Department. Soon the brigade appeared but it was too late. The fire consumed the entire house.